Top largest islands. The world's largest island
There are countless islands in the world. They differ from each other geographical location relatively, methods of formation and sizes. On island territories accounts for 6% of the Earth's land area. No matter how large the islands are, they are significantly smaller than the smallest mainland. This article provides a list and short description ten most big islands planets in order of increasing area.
10. Ellesmere
Area 196,235 km². The island is located in northern Canada. The length is 830 km, width -645 km. Ellesmere's origin is continental, it lies on the Canadian geological shield. Most of the island is covered with glaciers; Hazen is located in the northern part. The vegetation is dominated by mosses and lichens; trees and shrubs are absent. The fauna is represented by polar hares and Caribou Piri deer. During the summer, many birds nest on the island. The population does not exceed two hundred people. The island belongs to Canada.
9. UK
Area 209,331 km². The island is located in the northeastern Atlantic and is of continental origin. Forests occupy a tenth of the territory. The most common forests are pine and birch. Currently, the island is home to 56 species of mammals. The territory belongs to the state of Great Britain, and is inhabited mainly by the English, Scots, Irish and Welsh.
8. Victoria
Area 217,291 km². Like Ellesmere, Victoria is located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The length of the island is 700 km, and the width varies from 564 to 623 km. Victoria is a mainland island by origin. Vegetable world scarce due to harsh climatic conditions. You can find mosses, lichens, and non-flowering plants. Victoria is home to polar bears, arctic foxes, and musk oxen. Seabirds nest on the coast. The population is represented by Eskimos; Anglo-Canadians and French-Canadians serve at the border outpost. The island belongs to Canada.
7. Honshu
Area 225,800 km². Honshu is one of the four major islands of Japan. The length is 1300 km, the width ranges from 50 to 230 km. The island was formed due to the activity of underwater volcanoes. The flora of subtropical forests grows on Honshu: pine, cypress, thuja, oak. In the northern part you can see maple, linden, elm, and ash. The small composition of the animal world is explained by the isolation of the island from the continent. Honshu is home to brown bears, raccoon dogs, wild boars, badgers, and foxes. The population is more than one hundred million people. The island belongs to Japan.
6. Sumatra
Area 473,481 km². The island is located in Western Indonesia, it is part of the Malay Archipelago. Its length is 1790 km and its width is 435 km. By its origin, Sumatra is an oceanic island. Due to the humid climate, rainforests. Oak, laurel, chestnut, ficus and palm trees grow in them. Differs in a wide variety animal world. There are 196 species of mammals and 250 species of reptiles. The territory is densely populated; Indonesians, Thais, Chinese, and Vietnamese live here. Sumatra belongs to Indonesia.
5. Baffin Island
Area 507,451 km². The territory is located in northern Canada. Like other islands of the Canadian Archipelago, Baffin Island is of continental origin. Due to the cold climate, the flora is quite sparse. The animal world is represented by seals, walruses, arctic foxes, lemmings, reindeer and polar bears. The territory belongs to Canada. The majority of the population are Eskimos. English-Canadians and French-Canadians come on duty.
4. Madagascar
Area 587,041 km². The territory is located off the southeast coast of Africa. The length exceeds 1500 km, the width is 400 km. The island is of mainland origin. Millions of years ago, Madagascar separated from the continent of Gondwana. A tropical climate prevails here. The island has preserved unique representatives of flora and fauna. The symbols of Madagascar are baobabs, fire trees, and pandanuses. Lemurs are considered the most recognizable animals on the island. The entire territory of the island is under the control of the Republic of Madagascar. The majority of the population is Malagasy.
3. Kalimantan
Area 743,330 km². The island is located in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The length is approximately 1100 km. Kalimantan was formed as a result of the movement of continents, and is of continental origin. The average annual temperature is +26°C. The island has high humidity and often rains. These conditions made it possible for numerous plants to develop. There are 2,000 species of trees and palms here. The island is home to rhinoceroses, elephants, and tapirs. Unique animals are flying dogs, dwarf anoa bulls, malayan bears. The world of birds and reptiles is diverse. Kalimantan is shared between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. More than three hundred ethnic groups live on the island.
2. New Guinea
Area 785,753 km². The island is located in the western Pacific Ocean. The length exceeds 1600 km, and the maximum width is about 700 km. New Guinea is of continental origin. The island is dominated by evergreen savannas. Ficus, bamboo, mango, and breadfruit grow in them. There are many reptiles, crocodiles, chameleons, and alligators in New Guinea. The world of mammals has 180 species, most of them are. The island is shared between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Most of the population is Papuans.
1. Greenland
Area 2,130,800 km². Greenland is located northeast of and is the largest island on Earth. The length of the island is 2600 km, width - 1200 km. The island is of mainland origin. The subarctic climate on the coasts turns into a marine one. In the south you can see dwarf birch, rowan and willow. Closer to the north, the surface is covered with mosses and lichens. Among the animals, the musk ox is isolated, polar bear, polar wolf, arctic fox. Walruses and harp seals set up rookeries on the coasts. Bird markets are organized by eider ducks and gulls. The island belongs to Denmark. The population, represented by the Greenlandic Eskimos, lives on the west coast.
There are hundreds of thousands of islands on our planet. They arise in the middle of rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and are surrounded on all sides by water. They could easily be compared to the continents, but the main difference between the islands is their size. They are all much smaller than continents. Which island is the largest on Earth? Where is he located?
The largest islands on Earth
Some islands are very tiny. For example, Pontikonisi in Greece or Visovac in Croatia do not exceed 200 meters in length. Others stretch for hundreds of kilometers, containing numerous cities and towns.
Islands are found in any body of water. In rivers they most often arise from accumulations carried by currents. In the seas and oceans they are formed due to volcanoes or the activity of corals. Alternatively, they may be part of the continental crust that rises above the surface of the water.
The most big Island on Earth - Greenland. It covers an area of 2.130 million kilometers and is home to 56 thousand people. From a geological and geographical point of view, it belongs to North America, but administratively belongs to Denmark.
Of the largest islands on the planet, Greenland is the furthest north. You can see the rest of the world record holders in the table:
New Guinea | Papua New Guinea, Indonesia |
|
Kalimantan | Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia |
|
Madagascar | Madagascar |
|
Baffin Island | ||
Indonesia |
||
Great Britain | Great Britain |
|
"Green Country"
In Greenlandic, the name of the largest island on Earth is “Kalaalit Nunaat”, or “land of people”. But another name has taken root in the world - Greenland, or “green country”, which was given to it by Eirik the Red. Why the navigator called the island covered with ice green, no one knows for sure. However, there are several versions on this matter.
Eirik the Red is considered the discoverer of the largest island on Earth. He went there in 980, after being expelled from Norway and Iceland for committing several murders. He landed in the south west coast island, which in summer is covered with flowering vegetation. Seeing a lot of greenery on what seemed to be icy ground, a navigator and came up with the appropriate name.
According to another version, Eirik liked the island so much that, upon returning from exile, he began inviting Icelanders there. To be more convincing, he gave it the name Greenland. One way or another, volunteers were found to develop the island. Under the leadership of Eirik the Red, they founded the first European settlement near modern Kassiarsuk.
Greenland
The largest island on Earth is only three times smaller in area than Australia and almost 50 times larger than Denmark. It is located between Iceland and Canada, washed by the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
Most of Greenland is located beyond the Arctic Circle - a zone of permafrost and permanent snow. Only 137 days a year the usual change of day and night occurs here; the rest of the time you can observe the polar night or polar day.
It should have been called “ice land”, because 84% of the territory here is covered with ice. The non-melting cover reaches several kilometers in thickness. If it melted, the level of the World Ocean would rise by 6-7 meters. The largest glacier is Jakobshavn. At 7 kilometers per year, it is the fastest moving in the world.
Despite the abundance of ice, Greenland is not devoid of life. The island is home to many butterflies, spiders, beetles, partridges, gulls and eiders, deer, musk oxen, lemmings, polar wolves and polar bears. The surrounding waters are home to fish, shrimp, whales, seals and walruses.
Climate
The lands of the largest island in the world are covered with vegetation only near the coast. It is very poor and is represented by dwarf trees, mosses, lichens, heather and tundra grasses. This is not surprising, because Greenland has arctic and subarctic climate types. For the most part it is harsh, continental; near the coast it is softer, maritime.
On the coasts the weather is very unstable, snowstorms often form, winds blow, and precipitation occurs. The most favorable conditions are in the southwest of the island. There, average temperatures range from -7 °C in January to +10 °C in July, and fog often occurs in summer. It is coldest on the eastern and northern coasts, where the temperature drops to -35 °C.
Population
Greenland is one of the few countries in the world where the majority of the population is indigenous. About 90% of the population is Eskimo (Inuit), and only 10% is Danish and other Europeans.
The ancestors of modern Greenlandic Eskimos arrived on the island around the 13th century. Before that, it was inhabited by peoples close to the Aleuts and Chukchi, as well as the Vikings. But for some reason they all disappeared. Perhaps due to the inability to adapt to a sharply deteriorating climate (it is assumed that in the early Middle Ages it was much warmer).
Greenlandic culture is a mixture of Inuit traditions and European ones. Eskimos still believe in spirits and build houses from ice blocks and needles. Folk clothing is now considered festive. Seal skin capes have long replaced sports jackets, but many people wear national shoes.
Europeans brought writing with them, teaching the local Inuit. They built cities on the island and brought with them medicine, education and Christianity. With their arrival some traditional activities The Eskimos disappeared, but fishing and musk ox breeding remained. Many Inuit work in industry, transportation, and services.
Life in Greenland
The country covers not only the territory of the largest island on Earth, but also the adjacent islands: Ymer, Holm, Kun, Claverin, Eggers and others. It received autonomy within Denmark back in 1979. After a referendum in 2009, it received even more rights and opportunities for self-government. The official language is Greenlandic, but all citizens are required to learn Danish. The currency used here is the Danish krone.
There is no Earth on the largest island railway tracks, there are no roads between cities. You can get from one point to another by airliner or ship. There are other options, such as snowmobiles or dog sleds.
All settlements on the island are located on the southern and western coasts, on a narrow strip between eternal ice and the ocean. The largest of these is the capital Nuuk, which has a population of 16,500.
Greenland is considered the most sparsely populated country. But this does not prevent her from being one of the world leaders in suicide. Approximately every fourth resident of the country attempts to commit suicide.
Attractions
Endless ice of bizarre shapes, winding fjords and drifting icebergs. If this is not enough, don’t worry, Greenland still has something to boast about. On the largest island on Earth is the largest national park in the world. Its area is 970,000 km2.
Tourists are offered to explore the local fjords and see how icebergs are “born” at passenger ships, and there are always kayaks for extreme sports enthusiasts. Greenland offers year-round skiing, snowboarding, sledding and icy mountain climbing. On the island you can see northern lights. Best time for this purpose it occurs in December and January, when the polar night falls on Greenland.
After enjoying all the natural beauties of the island, you should head to the city of Nuuk. In the capital you can see typical Greenlandic architecture, visit museums, and most importantly, meet Santa Claus himself. Here, on the shores of the cold Baffin Sea, is his home.
What is an island? For many, these are resort areas like the Maldives, Sicily or Crete. For others, pictures from action-packed adventure films appear before their eyes. Indeed, the islands of the world are full of secrets and mysteries, and scientists never tire of publishing unusual facts about these small pieces of land, surrounded by water on all sides.
So the youngest island recently came of age. He is 21 years old. He was born in July 92 after a volcanic eruption near the Bogoslov Island archipelago Aleutian Islands V Pacific Ocean. Its length is 400 meters and its height is 90 meters.
TOP 10: largest islands in the world
However, the island cannot always be measured in hundreds of meters. There are many on the world map that represent entire maritime states.
Let's talk about the latter. . By tradition, we’ll start with the last line of the hit parade.
10th place - Ellesmere Island
10th place goes to the Canadian island Ellesmere. This part of the land with an area of 203 thousand square meters is located in the Arctic Ocean.
9th place - Victoria Island
In 9th place is another Canadian island with beautiful name Victoria. Its area is slightly larger than the previous one - 213 thousand square meters. It is located next door, in the ice of the same Arctic.
8th place - Great Britain island
8th place is rightfully given to the island Great Britain. It is located on an area of 230 thousand square kilometers. Washed Atlantic Ocean. From unusual facts It is worth noting that a huge number of people live on this island. More than 60 million islanders are on the island of Great Britain.
7th place - Honshu Island
7th place on the list is occupied by a Japanese island Honshu. It has an area of just under 230 thousand square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. The largest Japanese cities are located on the island of Honshu: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc. According to the latest data, its population exceeds the British one. About 100 million people.
6th place - Sumatra island
By the way, Indonesia is called the “land of a thousand islands”. Scientists have counted more than 13,500 islands on the territory of the state. 12,000 of them are uninhabited. Moreover, most of these small pieces of sushi don't even have place names.
5th place - Baffin Island
5th place was taken by another Canadian island - Baffin Island. It is located on an area of 507 thousand square kilometers in the Arctic Ocean.
4th place - Madagascar island
In 4th place is the island, which became especially famous after the animated film of the same name. Madagascar. It occupies just under 600 thousand square kilometers in Indian Ocean.
The most interesting things are ahead. Let's move on to the top three. Who is included in the list of the three largest islands in the world?
3rd place - Kalimantan island
3rd place goes to the island of Kalimantan, or Borneo in other words. It is also located in the Indian Ocean and belongs to three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Its area is 743 thousand square kilometers.
2nd place - New Guinea island
New Guinea takes silver. It occupies 786 thousand square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. By the way, from the point of view of the residential area geographical feature, this island could claim first place. Two countries have spread their possessions on this piece of land: Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
1st place - Greenland island
The title of "World's Largest Island" goes to amazing country— Greenland . Its area is 2 million 131 thousand square kilometers. The island is located off the northeastern coast of America. It is separated from Canada by the Smith and Robson Straits in the northwest, the Baffin Sea and Davis Strait in the west, and the Labrador Sea in the southwest. On the northern side, Greenland is washed by the Arctic Ocean, or more precisely, the Lincoln Sea. To the northeast of the island is the Greenland Sea, to the southeast is the Denmark Strait. On the south side is the Atlantic.
Climate
The climate in Greenland is different: marine, subarctic, arctic and even continental arctic. Cyclone is the most frequent guest on the island. This means that there are constantly strong winds, sudden changes in weather and precipitation.
The average temperature on the coast in winter is from - 7 to - 37 degrees Celsius. In the interior of the island the conditions are quite harsh: up to -47. In summer, the temperature does not rise above +10 along the entire coast, and in the depths it remains below zero.
Flora and fauna
Plants here can only be found in areas free of glaciers. On these tiny pieces of the island there are birches, willows, rowan trees, alder and even juniper. As for animals, they are exclusively northern on the island. No surprises: polar bears, bowhead whales and seals, walruses, polar wolves and reindeer.
How could this place get a name that literally translates as “green land”?
Legends of history
The island of Greenland was discovered by the Vikings. They came here in the 10th century. There are even several legends about how the name appeared. Some believe that in medieval times the island had a completely different climate, warm. Blooming greenery gave this name to its land. Others express their opinion about the cunning of the first settlers. Allegedly, they gave the island such a fabulous name to attract people here.
Since 1536, Greenland was considered Danish territory. This was due to the fact that Norway was under the yoke of the Danes, and the countries were united into a single state. However, in 1905 Norway gained independence and claimed the island for itself. But Denmark was not going to give up Greenland without a fight. The issue was resolved through the Permanent Court of International Justice. She made a decision: to leave Greenland as a Danish colony.
The largest island in the world, Greenland, belongs to Denmark to this day. 84% of the territory is solid ice. But, despite this, there are settlements on the island. The largest is Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The city is located on the west coast. Just over 15 thousand people live here.
There are a great many islands on the world map. Namely, about 500 thousand. They are all completely different sizes. There are small ones that can literally fit a couple of people.
But there are also those whose area is comparable to entire countries. What are the largest islands in the world?
Ellesmere
Canada's Ellesmere Island is the third largest in the country (after Baffin Island and Victoria). And it is one of the ten largest islands on the planet. Ellesmere's area is 196 thousand square kilometers. Very few people live in this territory - only 170.But traces of prehistoric inhabitants were often found on it. Ellesmere itself is located in the north of the country, further than the other Canadian islands. However, it belongs to the province of Nunavut. Moreover, it is part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands. Ellesmere is washed on all sides by the Arctic Ocean.
Victoria
Victoria occupies ninth position in the list of the largest islands. The island is located in Canada and, naturally, occupies a larger area than Ellesmere. Namely, a little more than 217 thousand square kilometers. For a more visual representation, Victoria is about 500 kilometers in width and length. Exactly 1,707 people live on the island. That is, each person has a fairly impressive landmass. There are very few hills on the island, and all of them are no more than one kilometer above sea level. 
Victoria, like Ellesmere, belongs to the province of Nunavut, as well as the Northwest Territory of the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. The island boasts only two settlements - Holman and Cambridge Bay. On land there are numerous lakes, including Taha, Tahiryuak and Ferguson.
Honshu
This is the largest island of the Japanese archipelago. And it is the eighth largest on the planet. The area of the island of Honshu is almost 228 thousand square kilometers. And on this territory (which, by the way, is not too strikingly different from Victoria Island) 103 million people settled. However, this is not surprising for Japan. By the way, Honshu occupies a little more than half of the territory of the entire country. The island has a mountainous terrain. In addition, there are quite a lot of volcanoes on it. The mountains dictate their weather conditions, so in the southeast and northwest the difference in climate is obvious. It is worth noting that the largest mountain and the permanent symbol of Japan is located on Honshu - Fuji. Its height is 3 kilometers and 776 meters.UK Island
Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles. The land area is about 230 thousand square kilometers. And 60 million people live here. 
England, Scotland, Wales - Great Britain contains most of the entire United Kingdom (its area is 244 thousand square kilometers). The highest point on the island reached 1,344 meters into the sky.
Sumatra
The sixth largest island is called Sumatra. The equator divided it into two almost identical parts. Therefore, it turns out that the island is located in both earth’s hemispheres. Sumatra is located in the west of the Malay Archipelago and belongs to Indonesia. Its area is 473 thousand square kilometers. Lives in an area of 50 million people. Coastline Sumatra is almost deserted; near the coast you can see beautiful coral reefs.Baffin Island
From the equator we will be transported again to the Arctic Ocean. It is home to the fifth largest island in the world. Its name is Baffin Island. This island is Canadian territory. And it is the largest of the country's islands. The area of Baffin Island is 507 thousand square kilometers. And most of the land now remains uninhabited. This happened due to unfavorable weather conditions. In total, 11 thousand people live on the island. The people mainly settled in the province of Nunavut. By the way, there are many freshwater lakes on Baffin Island. Two of them are of impressive size. These are Nettilling and Amajuaq.Madagascar
The island of Madagascar is located east of Africa. Its area is 587 thousand square kilometers. And this allows the island to take fourth place in the list of the largest islands in the world. Lives in paradise 20 million people. 
They thrive in tropical climates. Madagascar is separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. By the way, local residents They nicknamed their homeland the island of boars.
Kalimantan
Malay Borneo or Kalimantan. It is the third largest island in the world. It is located in southeast Asia in the very center of the Malay Archipelago. The island's area is about 743 thousand square kilometers (about 16 million people settled on it). The land was divided among three states: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. Most of Kalimantan is under Indonesia (which is divided into four provinces). But the part that belongs to Malaysia is divided into two states.New Guinea
So, the second largest island on Earth. This is New Guinea with an area of 786 thousand square kilometers. 7.5 million people found their homeland here. The island is located in the Pacific Ocean and is a link between Asia and Australia. New Guinea is separated from Australia only by the Torres Strait. 
The island is divided equally between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It is worth noting that the Indonesian part belongs to Asia.
Greenland
Well, the largest island in the world. Greenland has a record size - 2 million 131 thousand square kilometers, but not a record population - more than 57 thousand people. And not surprisingly, most of the land is occupied by glaciers, which make it difficult for people to live on the territory.Greenland. The largest island in the world
The shores of the island are washed by two oceans: the Atlantic and the Arctic. Greenland belongs to Denmark and is an autonomous unit. Biggest locality Islands - Nuuk. It is located in the western part. Well, the most high point Greenland, this is Mount Gunbjorn, rises to 3 thousand 383 meters. By the way, until 1921 it was believed that a cape called Morris Jesup on the island was the part of land closest to the pole.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen
Islands are small areas of land that are found in almost every body of water, not excluding rivers. They can have different origins - there are volcanic hills that are generated due to magma released during eruptions, and there are others created from areas of land cut off from the coast.
The process of formation of new islands and their absorption by waters occurs constantly, every now and then new heights appear and old ones disappear, and this is completely normal. However, the largest objects remain unchanged. Having examined the top largest islands in the world, you can find out which of them are the most stable - all of them are inhabited by people who are in no hurry to leave their homes.
Fifth place - Baffin Island
The exception is, perhaps, Baffin Island, which is the fifth largest island on the planet, and is located somewhat west of Greenland. The population here is no more than 11 thousand people, and the central part of the territory still remains poorly explored. The reason for this is the harsh climate that characterizes this place. The area of the island is 508 thousand sq. km, and the name was given in honor of William Baffin, the first person to describe the territories. It's simple here amazing nature and fabulous views, and besides, there are places where a person never had time
visit.
Fourth place – Madagascar
The island of Madagascar is located near Africa, and today it is known even to children due to the cartoon about animals. On this island there is a separate state of Madagascar, which has sovereignty, and the area of \u200b\u200bthis land area, which is not of volcanic origin, is 587040 sq. km. It has its own flora and fauna, formed in conditions of isolation; the island is rich in endemic species. There are also a lot of minerals here. By the way, the name Madagascar itself is translated from the local dialect as Boar Island.
Third place – Kalimantan
Island – Kalimantan The same island is known as Borneo. Its area is 737 thousand square meters. km, making it the third largest in the world. This island is located at a real maritime crossroads; it is washed by 4 seas and 2 straits. It is almost completely covered with forests; up to 80 percent of the territory is impenetrable jungle. There are 3 states on the island that receive large profits from the timber industry and are primarily engaged in this business. But wood, including valuable species, is not everything; there is also oil, diamonds, and gas here, so the subsoil and natural reserves of this place are only encouraging. And its name translates as Diamond River - it speaks for itself. After all, the recreational resource also brings profit here; tourists and vacationers come here.
Second place - New Guinea
Island – New Guinea New Guinea rightfully took second place, this island is shared by the states: Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The Portuguese discovered the island in 1526, and before that the European world did not even think that there was such a competitor to the largest island in the world already known at that time. Papua is the first name of the island, which it received due to the curly hair of the local residents.
Papua translates to "curly". This island has an area of 786 thousand km, is a tropical paradise with an abundance of vegetation, attracting many tourists. And despite the fact that many plants, animals and insects that are unique to this area have already been found here, new discoveries are made here every year and hitherto unknown species of inhabitants are discovered. Some things simplify the work of researchers - for example, animals here are not afraid of humans, they do not need to be watched.
The largest island in the world
Island – Greenland The largest island in the world is Greenland. This island is located in northern latitudes. If we translate the name literally, it will be Green land, which is in no way consistent with appearance snowy plains and rocks. Ice covers up to 80 percent of the territory, and the island itself is washed by both the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The total area of this land is 2,131,500 square meters. km.
Why was the island called “green”? Some scientists say that this is how settlers were lured here, others point out that the climate in this Danish territory was once different. However, it doesn't matter. Today Eskimos live here, here you can see enough of the northern lights and plunge into the darkness of the polar night. There are also plenty of minerals on this island, mainly gas and oil. An important local industry is fishing, as there is also plenty of fish in the surrounding waters.
This is a list of the largest islands that are stable and have not changed for centuries. But who knows what this list will be in the future, because sometimes the face of the planet changes completely suddenly.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
