The largest of them are in the Arctic Ocean. Insignificant land islands are located in the Azov and Black Seas. Most areas are sparsely populated outlying islands Russia can only be reached with an expedition. The population of the rest of the island lands is mainly engaged in fishing. Below is a list of the ten largest islands in Russia with a brief geographical description and location on the map of the country.

Map of the largest islands of Russia

Karaginsky island

The area is 2.4 thousand km². The length barely exceeds 100 km, the maximum width is 27 km. The territory is located in the Bering Sea, not far from Kamchatka. Karaginsky Island is of volcanic origin. The relief is varied, there are mountain ranges and steep capes on the coast. The climate is severe, winter lasts about seven months. The flora is varied. Alder, mountain ash, larch grow. Whales live off the coast, of which a bear can be noted. Numerous species of birds nest on the coasts: sea eagle, tern, Asian long-billed fawn. Karaginsky is not inhabited by people. The watch is carried by the personnel who maintain the lighthouse.

Vaigach Island

The island covers an area of ​​3.4 thousand km². The length is 100 km, the width is 44 km. Vaygach is located beyond the Arctic Circle, next to the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Vaigach is of continental origin. The relief is flat, there are several mountain ranges. natural conditions are a cross between and climate. Winter temperatures drop to -25°C. In summer, the air warms up to +12°C. Vegetable world represented by lichens, dwarf herbs, creeping annuals. Bears, reindeer, walruses, sea hares live on Vaigach.

Kolguev Island

The area is about 3.5 thousand km². The diameter of the island is about 80 km. Kolguev is located beyond the Arctic Circle, washed by the Barents Sea. Kolguev is of continental origin. The island has a rounded shape and low relief. The climate is subarctic, there is a strong fluctuation in average annual temperatures. The area is covered with shrubs. The fauna is sparse, represented by arctic foxes, foxes, polar bears. The entire population lives in two villages. The number does not exceed 450 people.

Wrangel Island

The area of ​​the island is 7.67 thousand km². The maximum length of the island is 150 km. The land is located at the junction of the Chukchi and East Siberian Seas. The origin is debatable: the island is sometimes referred to as a mainland origin, sometimes as a tectonic one. The relief is represented by plateaus, mountains and lowlands. Due to the arctic air, the climate is very harsh. In addition to lichens, bluegrass, cinquefoil, and Lapland poppy grow. Animal world, despite the cold, is diverse. 40 species of birds nest along the banks. The area is comfortable for living lemmings, polar bears, arctic foxes, wolves, wolverines, seals. The island is not inhabited by people.

Kurile Islands

The area of ​​the archipelago is 15.6 thousand km². The length exceeds 1200 km. The territory separates the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. The islands are of volcanic origin. The relief is mountainous, there are more than a hundred volcanoes. The climate is mild, with long winters and cloudy summers. For the Kuriles, storms and earthquakes are not uncommon. The flora is multifaceted, there are 1400 plant species. The slopes are covered with groves of oak, aspen and maple. Many species of ocean birds nest along the shores. Land mammals are represented by forest animals: fox, brown bear, squirrel, hares. People settled most of the territory of the Kuriles.

Franz Josef Land

The area of ​​the archipelago is 16.13 thousand km². The territory is located a thousand kilometers from and is covered with glaciers. The islands are of continental origin. The relief of volcanogenic structures prevails over the entire surface, there are many lakes. In the conditions of the Arctic land, the temperature is -50º C. Summer figures rise to +2 ° C. Mosses stand out from the vegetation. The population of polar bears and arctic foxes has been greatly reduced. The population consists of employees of research stations.

Severnaya Zemlya

The area of ​​the archipelago is 37.6 thousand km². The lands are located near the Taimyr Peninsula, between the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea. All islands of the archipelago are of continental origin. Most of the area is covered with ice, a third is occupied by stony placers. The climate is arctic, with severe winters and cool summers. The land not covered with ice is swampy. Mosses, saxifrage, polar poppy are isolated from plants. The animal world, on the contrary, is diverse. Coastline is a complete bird market. From live, wolves, lemmings, polar bears. The islands are not inhabited by people.

New Siberian Islands

The area of ​​the archipelago is 38.4 thousand km². The islands lie on the border of the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea. They are of continental origin. The area is dominated by flat terrain. Winter lasts 9 months. short summer windy and cold. The surface of the soil is covered with buttercups, lichens and saxifrage. The islands are inhabited by a polar owl, partridge, reindeer, arctic fox and polar bear.

Sakhalin

The area of ​​the island is 76.4 thousand km². The length reaches 948 km, the maximum width is 160 km. Sakhalin is located off the Asian coast of Russia, and is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Sea of ​​Japan. The island is of continental origin. The relief combines plains and mountain systems. The climate is characterized by long snowy winters and cool summers. The vegetation includes 1500 species, including shrubs, larches and conifers. The island has a large population of brown bears, wolverines, minks, and raccoon dogs. Sakhalin is the most populated of the Russian islands.

New Earth

The island archipelago has an area of ​​83 thousand km². The length from north to south is 925 km. The islands are located at the junction of the Pechora, Kara and Barents Sea. Mainland archipelago by origin. The climate is arctic. The average winter temperature is -40°C, strong winds blow. Summer rates rise to + 7 ° C. Flora is represented by mosses and annual grasses. Of the mammals, lemmings, reindeer and arctic fox can be distinguished. Meteorologists and the military live on the islands. Their number usually does not exceed 2500 people.

Calculating the exact number of islands on Earth is an incredibly complex process. Every year, several islands appear and disappear on Earth, but the largest of them still remain in their places. It is about them that will be discussed in our rating.

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Ellesmere Island A country: Canada
Square: 196236 sq. km

Ellesmere Island is the third largest island in Canada and the tenth largest in the world. It is located in the province of Nunavut in Canada. The island is dominated majestic mountains and ice fields. This is the highest mountain region of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Interesting Ellesmere Island Facts:

• The chain of sedimentary rocks located in the northern regions of the island is over 100,000 years old.
• The island has been ice-bound since the last ice age - a third of the island's area is covered with glaciers.
• The most high point islands - Barbeau peak (2616 m).
• The population of the island does not exceed 200 people.

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9. Victoria

A country: Canada
Square: 217291 sq. km

Victoria Island is the second largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the eighth largest island in the world. The island has 300-600 km. in width and 400-500 km in length, and its area slightly exceeds the area of ​​Belarus.

The island was first discovered by explorer Thomas Simpson in 1838.

Interesting facts about Victoria Island:

• Victoria Island was named after Queen Victoria, who was Queen of Canada.
• In 2006, only 1,875 people lived on the island.
• In the northwestern part of the island there is a crater with a diameter of 24 km, which was formed as a result of a meteorite fall more than 130 million years ago

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8. Honshu

A country: Japan
Square: 227970 sq. km

Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of ​​Japan, Honshu is largest island Japan. Honshu is of great historical importance and is regarded in Japan as a mainland. The maximum width of the island is 230 km, and its length is 1300 km. It is the largest island in Japan, covering approximately 60% of the entire country.

Interesting Honshu Island Facts:

• Honshu is home to many important cities in Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama and Osaka
• Honshu is the second most populated island in the world. About 100 million people live on the island.
• Mount Fuji, sacred to all Japanese, is located on the island.
• The island is home to Japan's largest Lake Biwa.

* * *

7. UK

A country: Great Britain
Square: 229848 sq. km

Great Britain is the largest island in Europe. It is part of the United Kingdom and includes the autonomous regions of England, Scotland and Wales. 95% of the United Kingdom is on the island of Great Britain.

Interesting facts about Great Britain:

• The island is the third largest in the world in terms of population. About 63 million people live on it.
• Great Britain is surrounded by a thousand small islands.
• The UK is the most densely populated region in Europe.
• The island has a mild climate throughout the year, despite its northern latitudes.
• London is the largest city in the UK (approx. 8.5 million people)

12/1/2015 at 00:40 · pavlofox · 27 570

Top 10 largest islands in the world

An island is a piece of land separated from other continents. There are more than half a million such land areas on planet Earth. And some may disappear, others appear. So the youngest island appeared in 1992 as a result of a volcanic ejection. But some of them are striking in their scale. In the ranking largest islands in the world 10 most impressive positions on .

10. Ellesmere | 196 thousand sq. km

Opens ten largest islands in the world. Its territory belongs to Canada. It is the third largest island of this state with an area of ​​just over 196 thousand square kilometers. This piece of land is located north of all the Canadian islands. Due to the harsh climatic conditions, it is sparsely populated by people (on average, the number of inhabitants is 200 people), but is of great value to archaeologists, as the remains of ancient animals are constantly found there. The land has been frozen over since the Ice Age.

9. Victoria | 217 thousand sq. km

Ninth place among largest islands on earth takes . Like Ellesmere, Victoria belongs to the Canadian Isles. It got its name from Queen Victoria. The land area is 217 thousand square kilometers. and washed by the waters of the Arctic Ocean. The island is famous for its numerous lakes. fresh water. The surface of the entire island has practically no hills. And only two settlements are located on its territory. The population density is very low, with just over 1,700 people living in this zone.

8. Honshu | 28 thousand sq. km

Ranked eighth the largest islands located, belonging to the Japanese archipelago. It occupies an area of ​​228 thousand sq. km. The largest Japanese cities, including the capital of the state, are located on this island. The most high mountain, which is a symbol of the country - Fujiyama is also located on Honshu. The island is covered with mountains and there are many volcanoes on it, including active ones. Due to the mountainous terrain, the climate on the island is very changeable.
The territory is densely populated. According to the latest data, the population is about 100 million people. This factor puts Honshu in second place among the islands in terms of population.

7. UK | 230 thousand sq. km

ranked seventh on the list largest islands in the world, is also the largest among the British Isles and in Europe as a whole. Its territory occupies 230 thousand sq. km, where 63 million people live. Great Britain owns the bulk of the United Kingdom. The high population makes the UK the third largest island in the world in terms of the number of inhabitants. And it is the most densely populated region in Europe. Located on the island and the capital of the Kingdom - London. The climate is more temperate than in other lands in this natural area. This is due to the warm current of the Gulf Stream.

6. Sumatra | 43 thousand sq. km

settled in the sixth position of the ranking largest islands in the world. The equator divides Summatra into two almost equal halves, so it is located in two hemispheres at once. The area of ​​the island is more than 443 thousand sq. km, where more than 50 million people live. The island belongs to Indonesia and is part of the Malay Archipelago. Sumatra is surrounded by tropical vegetation and washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. It is located in a zone of frequent earthquakes and tsunamis. Sumatra has large deposits of precious metals.

5. Baffin Island | 500 thousand sq. km

Opens the top five largest islands. This is the largest island in Canada, the territory of which exceeds 500 thousand square kilometers. It is covered with numerous lakes, but only half inhabited by people. The population of the island is only about 11 thousand people. This is due to the harsh climatic conditions of the Arctic. The average annual temperature is kept at -8 degrees. Here the weather is dictated by the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Baffin Island is cut off from the mainland. The only way to reach the island is by air.

4. Madagascar | 587 thousand sq. km

Next on the list the most impressive islands in terms of area - Madagascar. The island is located east of Africa, once it was part of the Hindustan peninsula. They are separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. The area of ​​the site and the state of the same name Madagascar is more than 587 thousand sq. km. with a population of 20 million. Locals call Madagascar the red island (the color of the island soil) and the boar (due to the large population of wild boars). More than half of the animals living in Madagascar are not found on the mainland, and 90% of the plants are found only in this geographical area.

3. Kalimantan | 748 thousand sq. km

The third level of the rating largest islands in the world occupied with an area of ​​748 thousand sq. km. and with 16 million inhabitants. This island has another common name - Borneo. Kalimantan occupies the center of the Malay Archipelago and belongs to three states at once: Indonesia (most of it), Malaysia and Brunei. Borneo is washed by four seas and covered with thick tropical forests which are considered the oldest in the world. The landmark of Borneo is the highest point South-East Asia- Mount Kinabalu with a height of 4 thousand meters. The island is rich natural resources in particular diamonds, which gave it its name. Kalimantan in the local language means diamond river.

2. New Guinea | 786 thousand sq. km

- second place on the list largest islands in the world. 786 thousand sq. km. located in the Pacific Ocean between Australia and Asia. Scientists believe that the island was once part of Australia. The population is approaching the 8 million mark. New Guinea divided between papua new guinea and Indonesia. The name of the island was given by the Portuguese. "Papua", which translates as curly, is associated with the curly hair of the local Aborigines. There are still places in New Guinea where no man has been. This place attracts researchers of flora and fauna, as they can meet here the rarest species of animals and.

1. Greenland | 2130 thousand sq. km

The largest island in the world is Greenland. Its area exceeds that of many European states and is 2130 thousand sq. km. Greenland is part of Denmark, and several dozen times larger than the mainland of this state. Green, as this island is also called, is washed by the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Because of weather conditions most of it is not inhabited (about 57 thousand people live), and is covered with ice. Glaciers contain huge reserves of fresh water. In terms of the number of glaciers, it is second only to Antarctica. Greenlandic national park considered the northernmost and largest in the world.

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Good day, dear readers of the site "I and the World"! Today we want to tell you about the islands and we will definitely highlight the largest island in the world. Even the largest of them differ from the continents in their size - they are smaller than the continents and are surrounded on all sides by water. But even during high tides, they are not sinkable, because. are above sea level.

We present you the top 10 largest islands, and which is the largest and what is the name, you will find out by reading the article to the end.

In 10th place - Ellesmere - 196,236 sq. km

Snow, eternal glaciers, the remains of prehistoric animals - this is how Ellesmere Island can be described. The map shows that this north island Canada has a population of only 150.

It was discovered by the English sailor and traveler William Baffin in the 17th century. It is difficult to live here because of the very harsh climate.

The nearest Canadian city can hardly be reached - 3578 km. Even the North Pole is much closer - 817 km, but local residents, for sure, there is no need.

The next on the list is Victoria Island - 217,290 sq. km

English navigators were very brave, since they discovered many territories. Victoria was also discovered by the Englishman Thomas Simpson in the early 19th century and named after his queen.

At first, only meteorologists lived here, and only by the end of the 20th century, the Eskimos began to move here, engaging in fishing activities.

On the area of ​​the island, for example, a small country of Belarus can fit.

8th place - Honshu - 227,970 sq. km

According to legend, in the old days the Gods decided to divide the ocean and cut the water with a huge sword. And when the sword was raised, 4 drops slowly fell down and formed islands. The largest turned into an island, which was named Honshu. It is a pity that the drops fell on seismically unstable places, because earthquakes are frequent on the island.

The famous Mount Fuji rises here. Currently, about 103 million people live on the island and they are not crowded anywhere.

This is where the big cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima - and all this is Japan.

7th place - Great Britain - 229,848 sq. km

Great Britain is also an island, and in Europe it is the largest.

The beginning of the history of the island is considered to be 43 BC. e. Since ancient times, the people of Noto lived here, later the territory began to be populated modern people. A chain of white chalk cliffs stretches along the island. It is said that because of the white color, Great Britain began to be called the Roman word Albion (white).

The territory is densely populated and more than 61 million people live here.

In 6th place is Sumatra - 471,066 sq. km

Located in one part of Indonesia. The equator crosses the territory almost in the middle, so Sumatra is located in two hemispheres at once.

There are quite often tsunamis and earthquakes here, but you can see 50 million people living here, this is not too disturbing.

73,000 years ago, the Toba volcano exploded here, which led to 1,800 years of ice age.

There are many minerals in the lands of Sumatra: gold, nickel, tin, iron, coal, oil, but all these riches belong to Indonesia. Go on a trip to the shores of Sumatra, fly better by plane: pirates are angry on the waters.

5th place - Baffin Island - 507,451 sq. km

We are back in Canada again! And again the English discoverer is William Buffin. In the 17th century, he was looking for a way to the shores of fabulous India. Well, before reaching the destination, he accidentally discovered the island and the nearby sea.

Everything was named after a sailor. What is good in the land of polar cold?

Of course, the rich world of animals: deer, polar bears, snowy owls, white wolves, arctic foxes. Well, as many as 11 thousand people! Many do not like the polar cold and frost even in July.

Madagascar is in 4th place - 587,713 sq. km

This is both a state and an island, the shores of which are washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean and more than 24 million people live.

Madagascar in Lately became known throughout the world for the cartoon of the same name. Look, it's very funny!

Scientists believe that the island broke away from Africa on one side, and from India on the other, so there is a very rare flora and fauna here. And there are a huge number of different spices, for example, cylanindimilakhi pepper.

3rd place belongs to the island of Kalimantan - 748,168 sq. km

It was divided by three states at once: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. How many countries, so many preferences. Some call it Borneo, others - Kalimantan - translates as "diamond river", because there is a huge amount of diamonds here. Of course, this is not a private island of one of the states. They just have an influence.

The first people settled here about 40,000 years ago and now the population has increased to 20 million people.

The territory is also called a river, because here the longest river flows from the island rivers - the Kapuas River (1143 km).

Residents of one of the cities walk here every day along the equator, as if along a boulevard, because the city is located just on the equator line. Beautiful sand beach attracts many tourists.

2nd place is occupied by New Guinea - 786,000 sq. km

There are few continents in the world, and although Australia is its smallest continent, it claims many nearby territories. So New Guinea belonged to this country until the middle of the 20th century, but then it nevertheless granted independence. Until now, there is an uninhabited corner that attracts researchers with rare specimens of plants and animals.

In some places in New Guinea, primitive life has been preserved. It was not an Englishman who discovered these lands, but a navigator from Portugal in the 16th century. According to legend, he looked at the curly hair of the natives and called new land Papua - "curly". The current population is 9.5 million people.

And finally, 1st place - Greenland - 2,130,800 sq. km

The green island - Greenland, belongs to Denmark - the largest of the world's islands.

Why green is not clear, because there is a lot of ice around. History is silent on this. About 57,000 people live in Greenland, but most of it is covered by glaciers and therefore uninhabited.

Local Eskimos have been fishing since ancient times. But the first Europeans settled here in 875.

Greenland passed from Denmark to Norway several times. You ask: what country does it belong to now? Little Denmark. And if to its 43,000 sq. km to annex Greenland, then Denmark will be the 13th largest in the world. Now the local population is engaged not only in fishing, but also breeds deer and sheep, and also extracts oil.

Tourism is well developed here - every year about 20,000 tourists come here. It is high time to recognize Greenland as a mainland, because it is only three times smaller than Australia.

I would like to tell you more about the Greek island of Crete

Here legends and myths live side by side with modern reality. Every year up to 4 million tourists visit these Beautiful places.

And many people want to become owners of local real estate, and the quality of these houses is excellent. They say: “Greece has everything”, but Crete also has everything - a wonderful climate, a huge number of attractions, calm beaches and, of course, shopping.

We talked about the largest in area and amazing islands planets. The list of wonderful places can be increased, but we will focus on ten. These are picturesque corners of nature. But there is a concept artificial island created by man. That's about it in the following articles. Follow our publications and advise your friends to read. In the meantime, we say goodbye, until we meet again!

Do you know how many times the largest island in Russia is smaller than the big island peace? Read the post and find out.

No. 10. Ellesmere (Canada) - 196,236 km2

Ellesmere is Canada's northernmost island and is one of the ten largest islands by area in the world. Due to the harsh climate, the population of the island is about 150 people.

The remains of prehistoric animals have been repeatedly found on the territory of Ellesmere. The first settlers were nomads from Siberia. In 1250, the Thule people, the ancestors of the Eskimos, settled on the territory. But by the middle of the 18th century, the island became deserted.

The island was discovered in 1616 by the English navigator William Baffin.

No. 9. Victoria (Canada) - 217,291 km2

In ninth place in terms of area is Victoria Island (Canada). The island was discovered in 1838 during the expedition of the British explorer Thomas Simpson.

In the 50s of the 20th century, there were several settlements on the island in which meteorologists lived. By the end of the 20th century, the population increased to detect the Eskimo settlers who took up fishing activities here.

No. 8. Honshu (Japan) - 227,970 km2

Honshu is the largest island in the Japanese archipelago and is the 8th largest island in the world. The largest Japanese cities are located on the island of Honshu: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc.

The island is covered with many volcanoes, some of them active. The population of the island is over 103 million people.

No. 7. United Kingdom (UK) - 229,848 km2

Great Britain ranks 7th in the list of the largest islands in the world and is the largest island among the British Isles and in Europe as a whole.

The beginning of the history of Great Britain is considered the period of the Roman conquest in 43 BC, but the island had an earlier history.

Great Britain was inhabited by the Noto people several hundred thousand years ago. Modern man has arrived at British Isles before the beginning of the last ice age, but retreated in Southern Europe because of the glaciers that cover the territory of the island. According to archaeological finds, after 12,000 BC e. The British Isles were repopulated. Around 4000 BC e. the island was inhabited by people of the Neolithic culture.

To date, the population of the island of Great Britain is more than 61 million people, which makes it the most densely populated area in Europe.

No. 6. Sumatra (Indonesia) - 443,066 km2

Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world. It is located in two hemispheres at once, since the Equator passes almost in the middle of the island. The island belongs to Indonesia and is part of the Malay Archipelago. It is located in a zone of frequent earthquakes and tsunamis.

To date, the population of the island of Sumatra is more than 50 million people. The main cities of Sumatra: Medan, Palembang, Padang. People of many nationalities live in Sumatra, about 90% profess Islam.

Approximately 73 thousand years ago, the Toba volcano exploded on the island of Sumatra. This event resulted in 1800 years of ice age and the reduction of the human population to 2000 people.

The name of the island comes from the Sanskrit word samudra - "ocean" or "sea".

No. 5. Baffin Island (Canada) - 507,451 km2

Baffin Island is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world. Due to the harsh climatic conditions of the island, the population is about 11 thousand people. largest locality islands - Iqaluit.

The first description of the island was made by William Baffin in 1616, and the island was named after him.

No. 4. Madagascar (Madagascar) - 587,713 km2

The fourth line of the ranking is occupied by the island of Madagascar. Is located in Indian Ocean at east coast Africa. The island is the state of Madagascar (the capital of Antananarivo). To date, the population of the island of Madagascar is more than 24 million people.

The locals call Madagascar the red island because of the color of the soil. More than half of the animals living in Madagascar cannot be found on the mainland, and 90% of the plants are endemic.

No. 3. Kalimantan (Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei) - 748,168 km2

Kalimantan or Borneo is the third largest island in the world. It is divided between 3 states: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The island is located in the center of the Malay Archipelago.
Kalimantan in the local language means diamond river. It is named so due to its rich resources, in particular a large number diamonds.

The first people settled in Kalimantan about 40 thousand years ago. To date, the population of the island is about 20 million people. More than 300 ethnic groups live on the island.

No. 2. New Guinea (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea) - 785,753 km2

There are still places in New Guinea where no man has been. This place attracts researchers of flora and fauna, as they can meet the rarest species of animals and plants here. More than 11 thousand species of plants live here, 600 unique species birds, over 400 species of amphibians, 455 species of butterflies and about a hundred known species of mammals.

New Guinea has been inhabited by humans since at least 45,000 BC. e. from Asia. More than a thousand Papuan-Melanesian tribes originated from the first settlers. The absence of large animals suitable for domestication on the island hindered the development of agriculture and made cattle breeding impossible. This contributed to the preservation of the primitive communal system in large areas of New Guinea up to today. The mountainous landscape contributed to the isolation of people from each other, as a result of which a huge variety of languages ​​\u200b\u200bappeared on the island.

New Guinea was discovered by the Portuguese Don Jorge de Menezes, who landed on the island in 1526. According to legend, he gave the island the name "Papua", which translates as curly, this is due to the curly hair of the local natives.

To date, the population of the island of New Guinea is more than 9.5 million people.
On the territory of New Guinea, there is an ancient agricultural settlement of Cook, showing the isolated development of agriculture over 7-10 millennia and included in the List world heritage UNESCO.

No. 1. Greenland (Denmark) - 2,130,800 km2

The largest island in the world is Greenland. green country, as this island is also called, belongs to Denmark. Due to the ice cover (84% of the surface) and adverse climatic conditions, most of the island is not inhabited. To date, the population of Greenland is more than 57 thousand people. The largest settlement of the island is Nuuk (Gothob).

Several thousand years before the arrival of Europeans, the Greenlandic Eskimos, who call themselves Inuit, lived on the island. The Inuit have adapted extreme conditions arctic climate and feel quite comfortable. They have been fishing and hunting for centuries.

Of the Europeans, the Norman Gunbjorn was the first to enter the island in 875. In 982, Erik Raudi settled on the island with several comrades, expelled from Iceland for the crimes he had committed. Later they were joined by the Norwegian Vikings. In 983, the first Norman colony was founded in Greenland.

After the settlement of Greenland by Europeans, the island was repeatedly passed from hand to hand. Until 1536, the island belonged to Norway, then became part of Denmark, in accordance with the union between Denmark and Norway. In 1721, a Danish colony called Gotthob was officially established on the island. In 1814, after the dissolution of the union between Norway and Denmark, Greenland became wholly the possession of Denmark.

The main activity of the people of Greenland is fishing. But at the end of the 20th century, reindeer and sheep breeding and oil production appeared. Tourism and air transport play an important role. More than 20,000 tourists visit Greenland every year.

The largest island in Russia (Sakhalin) is 27 times smaller than the largest island in the world (Greenland).

The largest islands of Russia:
Sakhalin - 76600 km2
Northern - 48904 km2
Southern - 33275 km2
Boiler house - 23200 km2
October Revolution - 13708 km2