The largest islands in the world on the map. The largest island on earth
December 28, 2013
Big Islands
There are quite a lot of different islands on our huge planet. The islands, as everyone knows, are surrounded by water on all sides. In fact, there are a lot of islands on Earth, even more than several tens of thousands.
The largest island is a planetary landform or so-called continents, continents.
They can also be located individually, as Sri Lanka is located. If the islands are located very close to each other, then they are called archipelagos. If a piece of land is small, then it is called an island.
Here are some of the largest islands:
Greenland – 2176 thousand kilometers
New Guinea – 829 thousand kilometers
Kalimantan – 734 thousand kilometers
Madagascar – 590 thousand kilometers
Baffin Island – 507 thousand kilometers
Sumatra – 435 thousand kilometers
Honshu – 230 thousand kilometers
Great Britain - 244 thousand kilometers
Victoria - 221 thousand kilometers
Ellesmere - 203 thousand kilometers
Greenland, New Guinea, Kalimantan
Greenland is the largest island on this list. It is located northeast of North America. This is already a territory that is independently governed and is part of Denmark. The length of the island is quite large - 2690 kilometers from north to south, width 1300 kilometers. The area of the entire island is 5.6 thousand square kilometers. In Greenland animal world not rich at all. Animals such as reindeer, polar bear, ermine, hare, and lemming live here. It happens that very rarely even wolves can be found. The following animals are found in the water near the island of Greenland: black halibut, striped catfish, cod, flounder and several other species of fish. Shrimp can often be seen. It also happens that you can see some of the species of beluga whale, narwhal and walrus.
New Guinea is an island that is the second largest after Greenland. It is the most unique and beautiful island on Earth, with more than 1000 indigenous languages.
This island is located in the Pacific Ocean, a little north of Australia and connects Asia and Australia. New Guinea is very large in size, which is divided between countries. This island is inhabited by 5.6 million people. All residents speak English and it is the official language. The vegetation there is very good, there are 11 thousand species, including 2,500 species of unique orchids and 1,200 trees. About 500 species of different birds, 400 amphibians, 180 mammals and 450 butterflies live here, so the animal world is quite diverse.
Kalimantan is the largest of the Sunda Islands. Its area occupies approximately 734 thousand square kilometers. Kalimantan is the most ancient island from the Malay Archipelago. There are absolutely no volcanoes on this island, and little of it is a fold of the earth's crust.
Madagascar, Baffin Island, Sumatra, Honshu
Madagascar is another island that ranks among the largest islands. The length from north to south is approximately 1600 kilometers, and from west to east 580 kilometers.
Judging by its size, it will be larger than France, Belgium, Holland and even Luxembourg. There are several other small islands near the northern part of the island.
Baffin Island - got its name in honor of the ship's navigator. Currency unit on this island - the Canadian dollar.
Sumatra is one of the largest islands in Indonesia, which is famous for its dark sand and the ruins of ancient temple complexes. The climate on this island is quite hot and humid. It has many attractions: crocodile farm, picturesque canals of Palembang, green mountain valleys.
Honshu is the most big Island Japanese archipelago. The climate on this island is monsoonal, temperate in the north and subtropical in the south.
80 percent of Japan's population lives here. There are many different attractions here. This island has many natural parks that amaze with their beauty.
There are approximately 500 thousand islands of various sizes in the world. Among them there are very miniature islands, on which two people can hardly fit. But there is also very large islands, which can be compared in area with some countries. What is the largest island on earth? You will find out about this in this fascinating material.
The largest islands in the world
Ellesmere (Canada)
The third largest island in Canada, behind only Victoria Island and Baffin Island. But despite this, this does not prevent Ellesmere from remaining in the top ten largest islands on earth. total area The island is 196 thousand square meters. kilometers. It is difficult to imagine that only 170 people live on such a vast territory. The island is washed on all sides by the Arctic Ocean and is included in the honorary list of islands owned by Queen Elizabeth.
Victoria (Canada)
Another Canadian “giant”, which is also among the top ten. The total area of Victoria Island is much larger than that of Ellesmere Island and is 217 thousand square meters. kilometers. This island is already much more populated, with 1,701 people living on it, but this is still very small for an area of this size. There are only two on the island settlements: Cambridge Bay and Holman. Main feature The islands have a small number of hills. There are certainly mountains on the island, but they are rather small and not at all remarkable.
Honshu (Japan)
This island is considered the largest in the Japanese archipelago. The area of this Japanese giant is 228 thousand square meters. kilometers. The most amazing thing is that Honshu is slightly larger than Victoria Island, but it is inhabited by 103 million people. By the way, the island of Honshu occupies most of the territory of all of Japan, and such densely populated lands are the norm for the country Rising Sun. There are a lot of volcanoes on the island, and this is not strange, because Honshu is dominated by mountainous terrain. The island also boasts the largest mountain in the world and Japan's most famous symbol, Mount Fuji.
UK Island
Great Britain needs no introduction, as it is the largest island that the British Isles can boast. The total area of the island of Great Britain is 230 thousand square meters. kilometers. Moreover, the island is inhabited by 60 million people. The island of Great Britain managed to shelter in its vast territories the main part of the United Kingdom - England, Wales, Scotland.
Sumatra (Indonesia)
This island belongs entirely to Indonesia and is located in the western part of the Malay Archipelago. Sumatra is divided by the equator into two identical parts. The total area of the island is 473 thousand square meters. kilometers. Only 50 million people live in such a vast territory. The coast of the island is famous for its beautiful coral reefs, which tourists from all over the world come to admire.
Madagascar (Africa)
This island, known to everyone, is located in eastern Africa. The total area of Madagascar is very large - 587 thousand km. square. The nature of the island resembles real paradise. This is due to the fact that such large territories are inhabited by only 20 million people. That's why large space Madagascar is absolutely free and untouched by people. There are many different animals on the island. Its most popular settlers are wild boars. That’s why locals call Madagascar “the island of wild boars.”
Kalimantan (Asia)
The island of Kalimantan or as it is also called Malay Borneo. Finding Kalimantan on the map is quite easy, because it is located in the very center of the Malay Archipelago, in southeast Asia. On the simply incredible area of Kalimantan, which is 743 thousand square meters. kilometers, only 16 million inhabitants live. This despite the fact that the entire landmass has long been divided into three small states– Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
New Guinea
This island takes honorable second place among the largest islands on earth. Its area is 786 thousand square meters. kilometers. New Guinea is home to only 7.5 million people. This island is located right in the middle of Asia and Australia, in the Pacific Ocean. Lament from Australia New Guinea separated only by the Torres Strait. The territory of the island went equally to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Greenland
We finally made it to Greenland. This is the largest island on earth. Its size reached a record high – 2 million 131 thousand square meters. kilometers. At the same time, the island is not inhabited by a record number of people – only 57 thousand. You shouldn’t be surprised by such a small population, because most of the island consists of glaciers, which make living on the island almost impossible. The Arctic and Atlantic oceans wash the shores of the island of Greenland.
Finding out the exact number of islands on Earth is difficult. It is believed that there are about 2000 islands in the world. They differ from each other in size, topography, climate, flora and fauna. The largest island in the world is named Greenland.
The largest island is Greenland
This autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark is least densely populated area in the world. The population density of the island is 0.028 / km 2, and the number of people living there is 57,728 people. And these, for the most part, are not Europeans, but Greenlandic Eskimos (Kalaallits) or descendants of mixed marriages between Danes and Eskimos. In 2009, the Greenlanders gained the status of a separate people, and Denmark was assigned the protection of Greenland and the management of foreign affairs.
“Sandwiched” between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, Greenland is not a very hospitable land against the backdrop of even harsher waters. However, this island has long attracted the attention of polar explorers and is currently positioned as a place for adventure tourism.
Total area of Greenland
Greenland covers 2,130,800 km². Moreover, 81% of the island area is covered by ice cover. If we imagine that this ice completely melted, this would lead to a rise in global sea level by 7 meters.
Where did the name "Greenland" come from?
This name, which is more reminiscent of “false advertising,” has generated controversy among researchers. Some believe that during the discovery of Greenland local climate was much milder, and the coastal areas in the southwest of the island were generously covered with vegetation, and according to others, the name "Greenland" was chosen by the discoverer Eirik the Red in order to attract settlers to the island. The source of the second version is the work of Ari the Wise, an Icelandic chronicler of the 11th century. However, the first copy of his work dates back to the 13th century, and it is believed to have been supplemented by various authors. Therefore, one can be skeptical about this explanation of the name “Greenland”.
But Iceland was much more unlucky than Greenland. This land, washed by the warm Gulf Stream, was called “ice” because the settlers landed on it during severe frosts.
Photos and videos about Greenland
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10 largest islands in the world by area
10. Sulawesi – 180,681 km²
The ranking of the largest islands on Earth opens with a handsome Indonesian, who is one of the most popular tourist places. It offers excellent conditions for diving in coral thickets, beckons clean beaches, exotic fauna and lush tropical forests. Those who are more interested in architecture and culture than nature can visit the Rotterdam Fort, the palace and tomb of the Govan kings and take part in the magnificent local ceremonies.
The main religion of the island is Islam, so local residents They do not drink or sell alcohol to tourists.
Another feature of Sulawesi is its unusual shape. Four more peninsulas adjoin this island, making Sulawesi resemble an orchid on the map.
9. Ellesmere – 183965 km²
Like another participant in the ranking of the largest islands in the world (namely Victoria Island), Ellesmere also lies entirely within the Arctic Circle. It is not surprising that it is very sparsely populated - only 146 people. It is also the most mountainous island in the Canadian Arctic archipelago and quite inhospitable, so it’s hardly worth going here for entertainment.
8. Great Britain - 209331 km²
Is the largest island in Europe. Its territory includes England, Scotland and Wales.
Great Britain is a less impressive island than most of the islands on this list. On its territory there is no active volcanoes, exotic flora or ferocious animals. But it does have rolling hills, rocky coastlines, picturesque villages and the best tea in the world.
7. Victoria – 217291 km²
The largest island in the world, of those that are entirely within the Arctic Circle. However, despite its size, Victoria Island is surprisingly small, with fewer than 2,000 people living there.
Instead of people, Victoria was overrun by tens of thousands of caribou and musk oxen, both of which are endemic to Canada.
6. Honshu – 225800 km²
Honshu is the largest of Japan's four main islands. It is also the most densely populated island on the list of the largest islands in the world. The population of Honshu is 103 million people.
It is the second most populous island on Earth after the Indonesian island of Java with its 139 million inhabitants. This is not surprising, given that the metropolis of Tokyo, home to 38 million Japanese, is located on Honshu.
The island has excellent conditions for skiing and mountaineering, because all 30 highest peaks Japan are located on Honshu (including Fuji).
5. Sumatra – 443066 km²
Eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis are typical for Sumatra, but this does not stop tourists from wanting to experience the wild and mysterious nature of the jungle. Orangutans, tigers, rhinoceroses and elephants inhabit the forests of Sumatra, and picturesque beaches will give rest to tired travelers. Also in Sumatra there are very developed aquatic species sports including surfing and diving.
4. Baffin Island – 507451 km²
Canada has the longest coastline in the world and an unknown number of islands. The largest of them is Baffin Island. It is distinguished by mountainous, harsh and primitively beautiful landscapes. Almost the entire population of the island, which is over 10 thousand people, lives on the coast. Only scientific expeditions are sent to the central part of the island to study nature, which is almost untouched by human influence.
3. Madagascar – 587713 km²
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and the largest island in the Indian Ocean. This incredibly diverse area contains 5% of all known animal and plant species.
2. Borneo – 743330 km²
The world's third largest island after Greenland is made up of three countries, although about 73% of Borneo is Indonesian territory. The sovereign state of Brunei makes up just one 1% of the island, and the remaining territory is Malaysian.
Borneo is home to one of the oldest tropical forests in the world. It is also home to many exotic and rare wild animals: proboscis monkeys, gibbons, malayan bears and saltwater crocodiles that lie in wait in the waters of the South China Sea.
1. New Guinea – 785,753 km²
This island has the most high mountain Oceania and Jaya.
New Guinea is also a world-famous diving destination, with excellent diving conditions throughout most of the year.
The underwater world is teeming with colorful corals and colorful fish. And after the Second World War, in the waters near the island there remained a large number of shipwrecks.
List of islands by area, comparison table
| № | Island | Area (km²) | A country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greenland | 2130800 | Greenland, autonomous province of Denmark |
| 2 | New Guinea | 785753 | Indonesia and Papua New Guinea |
| 3 | Kalimantan | 748168 | Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia |
| 4 | Madagascar | 587713 | Madagascar |
| 5 | Baffin Island | 507451 | Canada |
| 6 | Sumatra | 443066 | Indonesia |
Islands are the most exciting and mysterious geographical features. Imagine: a piece of land surrounded on all sides by water. You can sail or fly to it and live completely alone, without depending on civilization. Perhaps this is what attracted and attracted people to itself at all times.
It’s enough to remember how many times they were mentioned in art: Mysterious Island, Doctor Moreau's Island, Treasure Island, Avalon, desert island Robinson Crusoe, Neverland... But few of them can contain as many secrets and mysteries as the real ones. And the larger the island, the more secrets and mysteries it contains. And just imagine how much the most large islands... That's what we'll talk about today.
Greenland, 2,130,800 km²
This largest island is larger in area than most modern states. It is only three times smaller than Australia, albeit the smallest, but still a continent.
This geographical miracle belongs to Denmark, which is several times smaller than its island, occupying an area of just over 43 thousand square kilometers. Such an island could significantly increase the area of the state, if not for its climate and topography: more than 80% of its area is covered by an ice sheet. Which is not surprising, given that it is located in close proximity to the North Pole and is washed by the waters of the Arctic and partially Atlantic oceans.
And this is not photoshop
This makes it one of the most beautiful, majestic, vibrant - and uninhabited places in the world, with only 15 thousand people living there. The landscapes of Greenland take your breath away, they are so beautiful. But few people will be able to live there, because even in summer the temperature rises slightly above zero. And there’s nothing to say about winter; -40-50 degrees is normal.
Nevertheless, tourists from all over the world come here to admire the landscapes and see with their own eyes majestic ice, observe the living worlds of this harsh, inhospitable, but such beautiful island. The summer months are especially good for this, when you can admire the white nights.
New Guinea, 786,000 km²
New Guinea is a completely different matter, because this large island is located entirely in the western part Pacific Ocean. Tropical climate, bright, varied and rich nature, warm sea, exotic tribes - this island can offer entertainment to everyone’s taste.
Interestingly, New Guinea is one of the few islands divided between states. Some of this beauty went to Papua New Guinea, part - Indonesia. Each of these states would like to get everything, but even half is also not bad.
It even has its own volcano
New Guinea can be called one of the last unexplored corners of the world on Earth. Only recently, scientists discovered an area on the island that they called New Eden. Here dozens of unknown or previously considered extinct species of animals and plants were waiting for them. It is interesting that the inhabitants of this Garden of Eden were not at all afraid of people.
Kalimantan, 743,330 km²
Another champion island, occupying an honorable third place thanks to its 743,330 square kilometers of area. In terms of area, it is slightly behind New Guinea, but not in terms of the beauty of the landscapes and the richness of nature.
Its area is divided between three states: Indonesia got more than 70%, Malaysia took almost the entire rest, and Brunei received only a small area.
If there is heaven on Earth, then it is probably here
The equator passes through Kalimantan, and its climate is appropriate - humid and hot. Therefore, more than 80% of its area is occupied by wild tropical forests, inhabited by equally wild tribes of headhunters. True, now they have become more civilized, they don’t rush at tourists, but they are happy to show them war dances and sell souvenirs.
Madagascar, 587,041 km²
What modern person has not heard about Madagascar? After the release of the animated film of the same name, this largest island Indian Ocean has become the dream of many travelers.
The main attraction and wealth of Madagascar are its inhabitants. Flora and fauna are 80% endemic - species that are found only here and nowhere else. Numerous lemurs (and their majesty King Julian!), giant fossas, bats and ordinary mice, geckos, chameleons and turtles - botanists and zoologists are thrilled with delight, publishing study after study. But still, reports regularly appear about the discovery of another new species.
But even if the animal vegetable world you are not too interested in beaches with crystal clean water will give you a truly heavenly holiday.
Baffin Island, 476,000 km²
This cold and inhospitable island rounds out the top five largest islands by area. But in terms of climate, it rather resembles the first one - just as frosty and windy, but at the same time bewitching and attractive with its harsh beauty.
Cold, windy, frosty, uncomfortable. But how beautiful!
Like many other large islands, it is extremely sparsely populated. It is home to only about 15 thousand people who were able to call it home.
This island belongs to Canada, but besides Canadians, other “inhabitants” live here - Scandinavian gods. Mount Thor is one of the highest cliffs in the world. It is unlikely that the god of thunder actually lives on this peak, but who forbids thinking so? And there’s nothing to say about the Asgard table mountain.
Of course, these are not all the largest islands. They are scattered around the world, some belong to Indonesia, others belong to Japan. Smaller ones are scattered around the world. But each of them has its own special nature, its own character and its own soul.
It would be even more interesting to visit the largest peninsula, but this is a goal for next trip. And it will definitely happen, but a little later.
