The largest islands in the world on the map. What is the largest island in the world? The largest island is 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. Most big Island in the world is called 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 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 at the time of the discovery of Greenland, the local climate was much milder, and the coastal areas in the southwest of the island were generously covered with vegetation, while others believe that 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 the Indonesian beauty, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It offers excellent conditions for diving in coral thickets, beckons clean beaches, exotic fauna and luxurious tropical forests. For those who value architecture and culture more interesting than nature, can visit the Rotterdam Fort, the palace and tomb of the Govan kings and take part in 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 people go to the central part of the island scientific expeditions, studying 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 Indian Ocean. This incredibly diverse area contains 5% of all known animal and plant species.
2. Borneo – 743330 km²
The third largest island in the world 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 |
There are about 500 thousand islands in our world. They are different in size. Today we take you to the largest islands of our world.
Greenland
Greenland is the largest island on Earth with an area of 2,130,800 km2. It is washed by the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. Greenland is located in Denmark.
In the western part of the island is the largest locality, which is called Nuuk and Mount Gunbjorn, whose height is 3,383 thousand meters. Until 1921, Cape Morris-Jesup was considered the closest landmass to the North Pole.
New Guinea
New Guinea, with an area of 785,753 km2, is located in the Pacific Ocean. New Guinea connects Australia with Asia. New Guinea is divided almost equally between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The Indonesian part belongs to Asia. This island is the largest of all the islands divided between countries.
Kalimantan
The island has an area of 748,168 km2. This one is charming sea island divided between 3 states: Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia. Kalimantan is located in South-East Asia in the center of the Malay Archipelago.
Madagascar
The island has a tropical climate. It is located close to the east of Africa. The Mozambique Channel flows between the mainland and the island. Its dimensions are approximately 1600 km in length and 600 km in width, with a total area of 587,713 km2. Locals call the island the island of boars.
Baffin Island
The island belongs to Canada. It is the largest of the islands in this country. The area of the island is 507,451 km2. The weather conditions here are very bad, so most of the island remains uninhabited.
Sumatra
The island of Sumatra is divided by the equator into almost equal parts. The island is located in the west of the Malay Archipelago. Sumatra has an area of 443,066 km2 and belongs to Indonesia.
O. Great Britain
Its area is 229,848 km2. Wales, Scotland and England - Great Britain contains most of the entire United Kingdom.
December 28, 2013
Big Islands
On our huge planet there are quite a lot various islands. 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 live here, polar bear, ermine, hare, lemming. 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. He is the most unique and beautiful island on Earth, there are 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 language, and it is official. 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 is ranked 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. The currency on this island is 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: a crocodile farm, the picturesque canals of Palembang, green mountain valleys.
Honshu is the largest island of the 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 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 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 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 Only the Torres Strait separates it from Australia. 
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. The largest settlement on the island is 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.
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Today there are more than five hundred thousand islands in the world. They have a variety of sizes. Many of these islands are very small. They can fit two people, no more. However, there are also those islands whose sizes are equal to entire countries of the world. This article will focus on the largest island in the world.
Where is the largest island in the world?
The largest island in the world is, of course, Greenland. It belongs to Denmark, but has the right of self-government. This island is located beyond the Arctic Circle. Almost eighty percent of Greenland is covered by a giant glacier. Despite such unusual features of location and topography, numerous travel companies offer a large number of attractive tours to this place. Here all tourists are promised an unusual pastime and unforgettable vacation surrounded by exotic nature.
This island is attractive to tourists. People come here who are not afraid of harsh climatic conditions. Almost the entire territory remains deserted due to heavy snow and harsh climate. rest in this place can be really harsh. You need to be prepared for this. Therefore, tourists need determination in order to withstand all the challenges that will await them while traveling around the island.
Greenland is significantly larger than Denmark. The territory is approximately fifty times larger than this state. Self-government was introduced on the island six years ago. Denmark is engaged in the military defense of this territory and resolves all political issues. The island has its own judicial system, which is guided by local laws.
Climatic features of the island of Greenland
The climate in southern and northern Greenland is very different. This is due to the fact that its territory occupies a large area. The climate varies from arctic to subarctic. Surprisingly, in the summer, many areas of Greenland can warm up to 21 degrees Celsius. On average, the temperature here at this time of year does not rise above 0 degrees Celsius. In winter, the temperature averages minus 27 degrees Celsius. It is not easy for people living in the coastal area. This is due to the fact that very strong winds blow here.
It should be noted that the name of this island is literally translated as Green country. This is surprising because there is virtually no green space here that would support the development of agriculture.
What attracts tourists to the island of Greenland?
Tourists love the nature of this island. There are amazing Beautiful places with original landscape features. In addition, such natural phenomena that exist here are not found anywhere in the world. In summer, the local natural beauty can be enjoyed even at night when the sun is shining. However, it makes it almost impossible to admire northern lights. That is why best time to monitor natural phenomenon is mid-spring.
Population of Greenland
The indigenous people of Greenland are the Eskimos. Their national language is Greenlandic. However, the local population also speaks Danish. In the northern regions, Eskimos still build igloos for living. The population is not engaged in agriculture. The main industries here are fishing and hunting. Salmon, cod and other fish products are exported.