List_of_islands_by_area

List of islands by area

List of islands by area

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This list of islands by area includes all islands in the world larger than 2,500 km2 (970 sq mi) and most of the islands over 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi), sorted in descending order by area. For size and location reference, four very large continental landmasses are also shown.

Dymaxion world map with continental landmasses (I,II,III,IV) and largest islands (1–30) roughly to scale

Continental landmasses

Continental landmasses are not usually classified as islands despite being completely surrounded by water.[Note 1] However, because the definition of continent varies between geographers, the Americas are sometimes defined as two separate continents while mainland Australia is sometimes defined as an island as well as a continent. Nevertheless, for the purposes of this list, mainland Australia along with the other major landmasses have been listed as continental landmasses for comparison. The figures are approximations and are for the four major continental landmasses only.[Note 2] The artificial Panama and Suez canals are disregarded, as they are not natural waters that separate the continents.

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Islands

Islands 100,000 km2 (38,600 sq mi) and greater

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Islands 25,000–100,000 km2 (9,700–38,600 sq mi)

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Islands 10,000–25,000 km2 (3,900–9,700 sq mi)

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Islands 5,000–10,000 km2 (1,900–3,900 sq mi)

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Islands 2,500–5,000 km2 (970–1,930 sq mi)

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Islands 1,000–2,500 km2 (390–970 sq mi)

This section of the list might not be complete but covers almost all of the islands in the world over 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi). The area of some Antarctic islands is uncertain.

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See also

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    The United States Geological Survey is a notable exception. The United States-based scientific agency considers all landmasses surrounded by ocean water, including continental mainlands, as islands. Under their definition, Africa, Australia, Eurasia, North America, and South America are classified as continental mainland islands.[1]
  2. [N 2]
    Physiographically, there are only four continents (including offshore continental islands which sit on the nearby continental shelves) that are completely surrounded by water: Afro-Eurasia (57% of the global land area), the Americas (28.5%), Antarctica (9%), and Australia (5%). The remaining 0.5% is made up of remote oceanic islands, mostly scattered within Oceania in the central and south Pacific Ocean.[2]
  3. [N 3]
    Including landmasses which are above water and over 2,500,000 km2 (970,000 sq mi). The submerged continent of Zealandia (approx. 5,000,000 km2 (1,900,000 sq mi)) is excluded.[3]
  4. [N 4]
    Figure derived from the Global Islands Explorer website, by adding the areas of mainland Africa (29,370,907 km2 (11,340,171 sq mi)) and mainland Eurasia (50,439,819 km2 (19,474,923 sq mi)).
  5. [N 5]
    Egypt has a small portion of its land located on mainland Eurasia. Equatorial Guinea's capital city is located on an island.
  6. [N 6]
    Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey each have a small portion of their land located on continental Europe. Malaysia has a significant portion of its land located on an island.
  7. [N 7]
    Russia has a big portion of its land located on continental Asia. Denmark's capital city is located on an island.
  8. [N 8]
    48 countries on mainland Africa[Note 5] and 78 countries on mainland Eurasia (38 countries on continental Asia[Note 6] and 40 countries on continental Europe[Note 7]).
  9. [N 9]
    Abkhazia and South Ossetia are both located south of the Greater Caucasus watershed and thus geographically parts of Asia.
  10. [N 10]
    Two states on mainland Africa and five states on mainland Eurasia (three states on continental Asia[Note 9] and two states on continental Europe).
  11. [N 11]
    Figure derived from the Global Islands Explorer website, by adding the areas of mainland North America (20,090,075 km2 (7,756,821 sq mi)) and mainland South America (17,609,548 km2 (6,799,084 sq mi)).
  12. [N 12]
    Depending on the definition, a significant portion of Panama (land east of the Panama Canal) could be considered a part of mainland South America.
  13. [N 13]
    Ten countries on mainland North America[Note 12] and twelve countries on mainland South America.
  14. [N 14]
    An overseas department and region of France, located on mainland South America.
  15. [N 15]
    Antarctica is a special case, for if its ice is considered not as land, but as water, it is not a single landmass, but several landmasses of much smaller area, since the ice-bedrock boundary is below sea level in many regions of the continent.[4] If its ice cover were to be lifted, some rocks that are currently below sea level would rise as the weight of the ice would be removed,[5] although this would in part be counteracted, and in some areas of the continent overtaken, by eustatic rises in sea level.[6]
  16. [N 16]
    Area of mainland Antarctica, without the ice shelves and nearby islands.[7]
  17. [N 17]
    All territorial claims in Antarctica are in abeyance under the Antarctic Treaty System.
  18. [N 18]
    7 countries have made 7 territorial claims.[Note 17]
  19. [N 19]
    Mainland Australia is more than three times the size of Greenland, the largest island.[8] Australia is sometimes dubbed "The Island Continent" or "Earth's largest island, but its smallest continent".[9]
  20. [N 20]
    Figure derived from the Geoscience Australia website, the area of mainland Tasmania (64,519 km2 (24,911 sq mi)) has been deducted.[10] The Global Islands Explorer website has given a slightly larger figure of 7,618,696 km2 (2,941,595 sq mi) for the area of mainland Australia.
  21. [N 21]
    The largest island in the world.
  22. [N 22]
    A part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
  23. [N 23]
    The largest island in the Eastern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The largest divided island in the world.
  24. [N 24]
    The largest island in Asia. The only island shared by three UN member states.
  25. [N 25]
    The largest island in Africa.
  26. [N 26]
    The largest island in the Arctic Archipelago.
  27. [N 27]
    The largest island in Europe.
  28. [N 28]
    The largest island in the Caribbean.
  29. [N 29]
    The largest volcanic island in the world.
  30. [N 30]
    The largest uninhabited island in the world.
  31. [N 31]
    The largest island in Antarctica.
  32. [N 32]
    Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina (partial), Chile, and the United Kingdom.
  33. [N 33]
    The largest island in South America.
  34. [N 34]
    Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina (partial), Chile, and the United Kingdom.
  35. [N 35]
    Located at the mouth of the Amazon River, Marajó is the world's largest fluvial island.
  36. [N 36]
    Claimed by the People's Republic of China.
  37. [N 37]
    The world's largest river island and the largest island surrounded entirely by fresh water.
  38. [N 38]
    The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus claims and controls one third of the island of Cyprus although this is not recognised by any country except Turkey.
  39. [N 39]
    A dispute exists between the governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom concerning the sovereignty over the Falkland Islands. The disputed territory is described as "Falkland Islands (Malvinas)" by the United Nations.

References

  1. [1]
    USGS – Global Islands Explorer
  2. [2]
    Stephen Hawking; Lucy Hawking (9 January 2020). "Earth: What's It Made Of?". Unlocking the Universe. p. 62. ISBN 9780241418864.
  3. [3]
    GNS Science – Earth's 8th Continent
  4. [4]
    3D visualisations of the Earth2014 SUR, BED, TBI and RET topography layers over the Southern Hemisphere, centred to Antarctica
  5. [5]
    Global warming and the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, Michael Oppenheimer, 1998 (see map of Antarctica showing regions where bedrock is below sea level)
  6. [6]
    Jonathan L. Bamber; River; Vermeersen; LeBrocq (May 2009). "Reassessment of the Potential Sea-Level Rise from a Collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet". Science. 324 (59295): 901–903. Bibcode:2009Sci...324..901B. doi:10.1126/science.1169335. PMID 19443778. S2CID 11083712.
  7. [7]
    "Antarctica in Context" (PDF). Landsat Image Mosaic Of Antarctica. United States Geological Survey.
  8. [8]
    "Joshua Calder's World Island Info – Continent or Island?". Worldislandinfo.com. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  9. [9]
    "Australia in Brief - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade". Dfat.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2003-08-20. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  10. [10]
    "Area of Australia – States and Territories". Geoscience Australia. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  11. [11]
    "Islands By Land Area". Islands.unep.ch. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  12. [12]
    Island Superlatives
  13. [13]
    Ganeri, Anita (2014). Island Life. Raintree. p. 43. ISBN 9781406249453.
  14. [14]
    Europa Publications, ed. (2003). Africa South of the Sahara 2004. Psychology Press. p. 629. ISBN 9781857431834.
  15. [15]
    "Sea Islands". Atlas of Canada. 2009-08-12. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  16. [16]
    "The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI)". 2023-07-01. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  17. [17]
    Nolan, Professor William. "Geography of Ireland". Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
  18. [18]
    "Joshua Calder's World Island Info - Largest Islands of the World". Worldislandinfo.com. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
  19. [19]
    "Statistisk årbok 2009: Geografisk oversikt" (in Norwegian). Ssb.no. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  20. [20]
    Popescu, Gabriel (2015). Agricultural Management Strategies in a Changing Economy. IGI Global. p. 310. ISBN 9781466675223.
  21. [21]
    Dunham, Mike (July 31, 2010). "Turns out Kodiak is largest U.S. island depending on viewpoint". Anchorage Daily News. Archived from the original on August 2, 2010. Retrieved August 1, 2010.
  22. [22]
    "State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  23. [23]
    "Kort & Matrikelstyrelsen - Střrste řer". 2003-09-23. Retrieved 2010-08-01.[permanent dead link]
  24. [24]
    "Joshua Calder's World Island Info - Largest Islands of the World by Region". Worldislandinfo.com. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
  25. [25]
    Öar i Sverige Islands in Sweden
  26. [26]
    "Joshua Calder's World Island Info - Largest Lake Islands of the World". Worldislandinfo.com. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
  27. [27]
    The Essential Desk Reference. Oxford University Press. 2002. p. 279. ISBN 9780195128734.
  28. [28]
    World Heritage Places - K'gari
  29. [29]
    "Joshua Calder's World Island Info - Largest Islands of Selected Countries". Worldislandinfo.com. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
  30. [30]
    "Suomen suurimmat saaret". Kauko Huotari. Archived from the original on 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  31. [31]
    Upaon-Açu ("São Luis") island (in Portuguese), 2021-03-30, retrieved 2022-11-25
  32. [32]
    "崇明概况". 上海市崇明区人民政府. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  33. [33]
    "Svalbard Statistics 2005" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  34. [34]
    "De 50 största öarna". Archived from the original on 2014-12-13.
  35. [35]
    "Om öar - Statistiska centralbyrån". Archived from the original on 2014-12-30.

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