Contents 1 Islands with a population of more than 10,000,000 people 2 Islands with a population of 1,000,000 to 10,000,000 people ... Wikipedia

Below is a list of islands in the Baltic Sea that are larger than 10 sq. km., or the population exceeds 1000 people. The Baltic Sea is considered to include its Gulfs of Finland, Bothnia, Riga and others. Islands surrounded by the Baltic ... ... Wikipedia

French Polynesia consists of 118 islands and atolls located in the Pacific Ocean, 67 of which are inhabited. The total land area is 3660 km² (without the area of ​​the water surface). Population 259,596 (2007). Below is a list ... ... Wikipedia

Islands of Croatia. A feature of the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea is the large number of islands, also known as the Dalmatian Islands. Most of the islands are located close to the coast and have a shape elongated along the coast. ... ... Wikipedia

New Zealand is made up of a large number islands. Islands South and North two largest island and the states, in terms of area and population, are several times larger than all the other islands combined. South Island locals often ... ... Wikipedia

Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands (far. Føroyar, Førjar, “Sheep Islands”, Dan. Færøerne, Norwegian Færøyene, Old Norse / Norse: Færeyjar) is a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean between Scotland (Shetland) and Iceland. They ... ... Wikipedia

Most of the islands belong to one country or do not belong to any. This list includes those few islands whose territory is divided by a state border between two or more countries. Content 1 sea ​​islands 2 Lake Islands ... Wikipedia

Coast of Largo del Sur caribbean consist of several groups of large and small islands, namely: from the Greater and Lesser Antilles and the Bahamas. The surface of all islands is 244,890 ... Wikipedia

Canada owns many islands, below are their lists. Contents 1 By area 2 By population 3 Sea islands ... Wikipedia

The Cook Islands consist of 15 islands and atolls located in the Pacific Ocean in Polynesia between the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn in an area of ​​2.2 million km², between Tonga in the west and the Society Islands in the east. The total land area is 236.7 km² ... Wikipedia

Before talking about which big Island Earth, one should understand what an island is in general. Some, when they hear this word, draw images in their imagination resort areas, for example, Crete, Maldives, Sicily, for others, pictures from action-adventure films immediately pop up before their eyes.

small and big islands the world and the truth keep many mysteries and secrets, and new ones are still being discovered Interesting Facts about these pieces of land, surrounded on all sides by water.

The largest island on earth. Name

In total, there are over 500 thousand islands on our planet. They all have different sizes: there are tiny ones, and just huge ones. Do you know which is the largest island in the world? Many mistakenly believe that this is Australia. It would seem that everything is correct - this piece of land has an area of ​​\u200b\u200b7600 thousand square meters. km and is surrounded by water on all sides. But still, Australia is considered to be and not actually an island. Then what is Greenland, which is three times smaller than Australia, but larger than most modern countries in area. Below we will tell about it in more detail.

Greenland - the largest island on Earth (+ photo)

The area of ​​this part of the land is 2130.8 thousand sq. km. The geographical miracle belongs to Denmark and could significantly increase the area of ​​​​the specified country, but this is prevented by the relief and climate: more than 80 percent of the earth's surface is covered by an ice sheet. And this is not surprising, because Greenland is located in close proximity to the North Pole, and it is washed by the waters of the Arctic and partially Atlantic Oceans. All this makes Greenland one of the most unusual, vibrant, majestic and beautiful places on our planet. The landscapes of the island are so beautiful that only few people can live there, because even in summer the air warms up to a temperature slightly above zero degrees. What can we say about winter, when frosts down to -50 Celsius are considered normal!

Still harsh weather do not stop tourists, and many come to the island to see with their own eyes majestic ice, to observe the unique wildlife of the harsh, but so beautiful Greenland. It is recommended to visit it in the summer, when, in addition to everything, you can also admire the white nights.

Here it is - the largest island in the world. But on our planet there are many other significant areas of land surrounded by water. They are also interesting, so we will continue to consider the largest islands of the Earth.

New Guinea

This is the second largest island (786 thousand square kilometers) in the world. Unlike Greenland, it is located entirely in the Pacific Ocean, in its western part. Accordingly, the climate here is completely different. Tropics, rich and diverse nature, warm and gentle sea - this is what travelers can offer New Guinea. Interestingly, this island ended up being divided by two countries, which is rare. One site belongs to Papua New Guinea and the other belongs to Indonesia.

Of course, each state would like to have the entire island at its disposal, but even half is not bad! Scientists consider New Guinea to be one of the last places on the planet that has not yet been fully explored. Not so long ago, an area later called New Eden was discovered on the island, with dozens of unknown or thought to be extinct plants and animals. And, most surprisingly, the inhabitants of the "Garden of Eden" were not at all afraid of people.

kalimantan

Of course, when describing the largest islands of the Earth, one cannot ignore this part of the land. Kalimantan has an area of ​​743.33 thousand square kilometers and, like New Guinea, is distinguished by the richness of nature and the beauty of landscapes. The island belongs to three states at once: more than 70% of the territory is controlled by Indonesia, Malaysia owns almost the rest, and only a small area went to Brunei.

Since Kalimantan crosses the equator, the climate here is appropriate: hot and humid. Most of the area (over 80 percent) is occupied by tropical forests, where they live. Now they have become more civilized and are happy to demonstrate their martial dances to tourists, as well as sell souvenirs.

Madagascar

After the release of the animated film of the same name, everyone probably knew about Madagascar. Since then, this large island, with an area of ​​587.041 thousand square kilometers, has become the dream of a large number of travelers. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and its main attraction and wealth are amazing inhabitants, most of which are endemic, that is, they are not found anywhere else. These are numerous lemurs, and chameleons, and giant fosses, and geckos, and bats, and turtles. Zoologists and botanists are simply thrilled to come here and discover more and more new species of representatives of fauna and flora. Well, for those who are not very interested in vegetable and animal world, it will be more interesting to enjoy the magnificent beaches of Madagascar!

baffin land

The five largest islands in terms of area are closed by this inhospitable and cold part of the land, which belongs to 507.451 thousand square kilometers). The climate here is similar to that of Greenland, it is just as windy and frosty, but at the same time attractive and mesmerizing with its severity. In addition to a few residents, they also live here, and at least no one forbids thinking so! Baffin Island is known for its mountainous features: one of the highest cliffs in the world, Thor, and the mesas of Asgard.

Sumatra

It so happened that some of the largest islands of the Earth, if not entirely, then at least partially, belong to Indonesia. So Sumatra, which has an area of ​​473 thousand square kilometers, is controlled by this country. This island is almost equally divided by the equator, respectively, it is located in two hemispheres of our planet at once.

Sumatra is located in the western part of the Malay Archipelago and is part of the group of large Sunda Islands. Coastline here it is slightly indented, and not far from the coast there are coral reefs.

United Kingdom

The area of ​​this piece of land, surrounded by water, is 229.848 thousand square kilometers. Like the other largest islands on Earth, Great Britain is very interesting to see. Scotland, England and Wales are located here. The coastline has a length of 966 kilometers from north to south, and the width of the island reaches 483 kilometers.

Honshu

This is the eighth largest island in the world (227.97 thousand square kilometers) and the largest in the Japanese archipelago. It accounts for 60 percent of the area of ​​all of Japan. The relief here is mountainous, so there are many volcanoes. There is also the permanent symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun - Mount Fuji.

There are countless islands in the world. They differ from each other geographic location relatively, methods of formation and sizes. Island territories account 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 largest islands of the planet in ascending order of area.

10 Ellesmere

Area 196,235 km². The island is located in northern Canada. The length is 830 km, the width is 645 km. The origin of Ellesmere is continental, it lies on the Canadian Geological Shield. Most of the island is covered by glaciers, with Hazen located in the northern part. The vegetation is dominated by mosses and lichens, trees and shrubs are absent. The animal world is represented by polar hares, deer Caribou Piri. In 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 northeast Atlantic, it has a continental origin. Forests occupy a tenth of the territories. Most often there are pine and birch forests. Now 56 species of mammals live on the island. The territory belongs to the state of Great Britain, and is inhabited mainly by the British, Scots, Irish and Welsh.

8. Victoria

Area 217,291 km². Like Ellesmere, Victoria is in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The length of the island is 700 km, and the width varies from 564 to 623 km. Victoria is of origin mainland island. The plant world is scarce due to severe climatic conditions. You can find mosses, lichens, non-flowering plants. Victoria is home to polar bears, arctic foxes, musk oxen. Seabirds nest on the coast. The population is represented by the 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 varies 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, arborvitae, oak. In the northern part you can see maple, linden, elm, ash. The small composition of the animal world is explained by the isolation of the island from the continent. Honshu is inhabited by brown bears, raccoon dogs, wild boars, badgers, and foxes. The population is over 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. It is 1790 km long and 435 km wide. Sumatra is an oceanic island in origin. Due to the humid climate, tropical forests predominate. They grow oak, laurel, chestnut, ficus and palm. The animal world is very diverse. There are 196 species of mammals, 250 species of reptiles. The territory is densely populated, Indonesians, Thais, Chinese, Vietnamese live here. Sumatra belongs to Indonesia.

5. Baffin land

Area 507,451 km². The territory is located in northern Canada. Like other islands in the Canadian Archipelago, Baffin Island is of continental origin. Due to the cold climate, the flora is quite scarce. The animal world is represented by seals, walruses, arctic foxes, lemmings, reindeer and polar bears. The territory belongs to Canada. Most of the population are Eskimos. Anglo-Canadians and French-Canadians come to watch.

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 continental 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, pandanuses. Lemurs are considered the most recognizable animals of the island. The entire territory of the island is under the control of the Republic of Madagascar. Most of the population is Malagasy.

3. Kalimantan

Area 743,330 km². The island is located in the eastern part Pacific Ocean. The length is approximately 1100 km. Kalimantan was formed as a result of the movement of the continents, and has a continental origin. The average annual temperature is +26°C. The island has high humidity, it often rains. These conditions made it possible for numerous plants to develop. There are 2000 species of trees and palms here. Rhinos, elephants, tapirs live on the island. Unique animals are flying dogs, dwarf anoa bulls, Malay bears. The world of birds and reptiles is diverse. Kalimantan is divided 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 part of the 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. They grow ficus, bamboo, mango, breadfruit. New Guinea has a lot of reptiles, crocodiles, chameleons, alligators. The world of mammals has 180 species, most of them are. The island is divided between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Most of the population are Papuans.

1. Greenland

Area 2,130,800 km². Greenland is located in the northeast of, and is the largest island on Earth. The island is 2600 km long and 1200 km wide. The island is of continental origin. The subarctic climate passes on the coasts to the sea. In the south you can see dwarf birch, mountain ash and willow. Closer to the north, the surface is covered with mosses and lichens. Musk musk ox, polar bear, polar wolf, arctic fox are isolated from animals. On the coasts, walruses and harp seals haul out. Bird markets are arranged by eiders and gulls. The island belongs to Denmark. The population, represented by the Greenlandic Eskimos, lives on the western coast.

The largest island on Earth is Greenland. The population of Greenland consists of the Greenland Eskimos and emigrated Norwegians, Danes. The native inhabitants of the island are called Inuit. Their main language is Greenlandic, Danish is popular among emigrants. The Inuit living in the north of the island still maintain a long tradition of building igloos.

Islands of the world

What is the largest island on earth? There are a lot of islands on our planet, but only four of them are really amazing in their size:

1. Greenland. Greenland is the largest island in Europe and the world. It is located in the northeast of North America and is washed by two oceans. Greenland is an autonomous entity subordinate to Denmark.
2. New Guinea. The main advantage of Guinea is not nature and rich fauna, but the culture of various tribes living on the island.
3. Kalimantan. The island is divided between three states.
4. Madagascar. Madagascar, an island country known worldwide for its unique animals and rich flora. A third of the entire territory is occupied by highlands. There are many extinct volcanoes on the island, earthquakes sometimes occur.

The largest island on Earth and the first settler

Eric the Red is a simple Norwegian Viking. Despite the severity attributed to the Scandinavians, he was a docile and peaceful person. As the legend goes, Eric saw that his friend had ruined the path that ran in front of his house. For this, the Viking killed a neighbor with a shovel. The act did not go unpunished. Eric was expelled from Norway to a strange and deserted island beyond the Arctic Circle.

Eric did not want to live alone on a huge island, so he decided to attract more people here. For this, he named the island Greenland, or Greenland. As soon as Erik's term of exile came to an end, he returned to Norway and began to actively invite people to the island with him. He described Greenland to everyone as the most beautiful place on the planet.

independent republic

Until the end of the 13th century, Greenland was an independent territory, but soon the population recognized the king of Norway as their overlord. For this, the crown promised to supply the island with products and materials that the inhabitants could not obtain or produce on their own. Despite the vassalage, the island had its own orders and laws that differed from European ones.

After some time, Denmark began to claim the largest island. Territorial claims were fully justified, since not all Norwegians were able to adapt to the difficult climate, so many Danes came to the island. In 1536, Norway and Denmark united into one country, and Greenland was legally assigned to Denmark.

Greenland is the largest island in the world

The area of ​​Greenland is 2,130,800 km². Due to the large extent of the island, the climate of one part is radically different from the climate of the other. Not everywhere in Greenland is cold: in some places in summer the temperature rises above +20 °C, although on average it rarely exceeds 0 °C. AT winter time temperature falls below -20°C. Very cold winds blow near the coast, and in summer it is covered with fog.

Despite the fact that the island is called Green Land, there is nowhere to develop agriculture here. Mostly people are engaged in fishing or hunting for animals, and here they live: polar bear, arctic fox, reindeer. The island exports:

1. Cod.
2. Shrimp.
3. Salmon.

Greenland is the largest island on Earth, rich in minerals. Mined on the island:

1. Lead.
2. Tin.
3. Coal.
4. Copper.

The colorful expanses of Greenland attract tourists from all over the world. You can enjoy the amazing landscapes and beauties of the island at any time of the day. One of the most famous natural phenomena - Northern Lights. It is best observed from early autumn to mid-spring.

Flora and fauna of the island

The largest island of the Earth by area has a rather meager variety of vegetation. But the animal world is impressive: it is rich and unique. The area of ​​Greenland is huge, but there is no railway, and the length of all highways is 150 km. For the local population, it is most convenient to use dog teams.

The largest island on Earth can hardly be called a favorable land for life, travel or exploration, but the beauty of the Arctic nature will not leave anyone indifferent. This helps to survive all the hardships of the harsh life on the island and not quite suitable conditions for recreation.

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 with the continents, but the main difference between the islands is their size. All of them are much smaller than continents. What is the largest island on earth? Where is he located?

The largest islands on earth

Some of the islands are quite tiny. For example, Pontikonisi in Greece or Visovac in Croatia do not exceed 200 meters in length. Others stretch for hundreds of kilometers, accommodating numerous cities and towns.

Islands are found in any body of water. In rivers, they most often arise from accumulations that are caused by currents. In the seas and oceans, they are formed due to volcanoes or the vital activity of corals. In addition, they may be part of the continental crust that rises above the surface of the water.

The largest island on Earth, Greenland, also has a continental origin. It covers an area of ​​2.130 million kilometers and is home to 56,000 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 northernmost. You can find the rest of the world record holders in the table:

New Guinea		Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
kalimantan		Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia
Madagascar		Madagascar
baffin land
		Indonesia
United Kingdom		United Kingdom

"Green Country"

In Greenlandic, the name of the largest island on Earth sounds like "Kalaalit Nunaat", or "land of people." But another name has taken root in the world - Greenland, or the “green country”, which was given to him by Eirik the Red. Why the navigator called the island covered with ice green, no one knows for sure. However, there are several versions of this.

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 on the southwestern coast of the island, which is covered with flowering vegetation in summer. Seeing a lot of greenery on the seemingly icy land, the navigator came up with the appropriate name.

According to another version, Eirik liked the island so much that, upon returning from exile, he began to invite the Icelanders there. To be more convincing, he gave him the name Greenland. One way or another, volunteers for the development of the island were found. Under the leadership of Eirik the Red near modern Kassiarsuk they founded the first European settlement.

Greenland

The largest island on Earth is only three times smaller 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 - it is a zone of permafrost and permanent snow. Only 137 days a year there is the usual change of day and night, the rest of the time you can observe the polar night or polar day.

It should have been called the "ice land", because 84% of the territory is covered with ice here. The non-melting cover reaches several kilometers in thickness. If it melted, then the level of the World Ocean would rise by 6-7 meters. The largest glacier is Jakobshavn. With a speed of 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 inhabited by many butterflies, spiders, beetles, partridges, gulls and eiders, deer, musk oxen, lemmings, polar wolves and polar bears live. The surrounding waters are home to fish, shrimps, whales, seals and walruses.

Climate

The lands of the largest island in the world are covered with vegetation only off the coast. It is very poor and is represented by dwarf trees, mosses, lichens, heather and tundra grasses. This is not surprising, because in Greenland there are arctic and subarctic types of climate. For the most part, it is severe, continental, near the coast - softer, marine.

On the coasts, the weather is very unstable, blizzards often form and winds blow, precipitation falls. 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 fogs often occur in summer. It is coldest on the eastern and northern shores, 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 represented by indigenous people. About 90% of the population are Eskimos (Inuit), and only 10% are Danes and other Europeans.

The ancestors of modern Greenlandic Eskimos arrived on the island around the 13th century. Prior to 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).

The culture of the Greenlanders is a mixture of Inuit traditions with European ones. The Eskimos still believe in spirits, and build dwellings from ice blocks, needles. Folk clothes are now considered festive. Seal skin capes have long replaced sports jackets, but many wear national shoes.

The Europeans brought writing with them by teaching the local Inuit. They built cities on the island, brought medicine, education and Christianity with them. With their arrival, some traditional Eskimo occupations disappeared, but fishing and musk ox breeding remained. Many Inuit work in industry, transportation, and the service sector.

Life in Greenland

The country covers not only the territory of the largest island of the Earth, but also the adjacent islands: Ymer, Holm, Kuhn, Claverin, Eggers and others. It gained autonomy within Denmark in 1979. After the referendum in 2009, she received even more rights and opportunities for self-government. The official language is Greenlandic, but all citizens must also learn Danish. The currency here is the Danish krone.

On the largest island of the Earth there are no railway lines, there are no roads between cities. From one point to another can be reached 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 inhabitant of the country makes an attempt to settle accounts with life.

Attractions

Endless ice of bizarre shapes, winding fjords and drifting icebergs. If that's not enough, don't worry, Greenland still has a lot to boast about. On the largest island of the Earth is the largest national park in the world. Its area is 970,000 km2.

To study the local fjords and see how icebergs are “born”, tourists are offered on passenger ships, and for thrill-seekers there are always kayaks. Greenland offers year-round skiing, snowboarding, sledding and ice climbing. You can see the northern lights on the island. The best time for this comes in December and January, when the polar night falls on Greenland.

After enjoying all the natural beauties of the island, you should go to the city of Nuuk. In the capital, you can see typical Greenlandic architecture, visit museums, and most importantly, get to know Santa Claus himself. Here, on the shores of the cold Baffin Sea, is his home.