What is the largest island on earth. The largest island. The harshest island

As you know, an island is considered to be any piece of land completely surrounded by water. However, not all land that is in the water can be attributed to the islands. In addition to the latter, there are also continents and continents, the most famous of which is, of course, Australia. The total area of ​​this continent (not to be confused with the island) is approximately 7,600,000 sq. km.

The TOP 5 largest islands in the world presented below include islands whose area is noticeably inferior to Australia, but no less impressive.

The largest islands in the world: Greenland

So, the largest island of our planet, whose name literally translates as "green country", is Greenland. Located in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, 80% covered eternal ice, the autonomous Danish territory enjoys a temperate climate and with total area 2,131,500 km². Known for its white nights northern lights and local Eskimos, Greenland is also famous for its large reserves of natural resources (oil, gas). The main occupation of the 57,000 inhabitants of the island is fishing.

The largest islands in the world: New Guinea

The second largest island in the world in terms of area is New Guinea. washed by the waters Pacific Ocean the island, located between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, was discovered by the Portuguese in 1526. They also gave him his original name "Papua", which means "curly" in Malay. The island owes its name to the dark-skinned natives with curly, thick hair who inhabited it at that time. Today, New Guinea is a tropical island with a total area of ​​786,000 km2 and real paradise for tourists. Despite the large number of different types plants, birds, mammals and amphibians living on the territory of the island, scientists are still discovering in New Guinea more and more new species of various representatives of the animal and flora. It is worth noting that most animals of New Guinea are not at all afraid of people, so they can be easily picked up.

The largest islands in the world: Kalimantan

It is not for nothing that Kalimantan takes an honorable third place in the TOP-5 largest islands in the world. The area of ​​this island, also known as "Borneo", is 737,000 km². Kalimantan is washed by four seas and two straits at the same time. Unlike Greenland, 80% of the entire territory of Kalimantan is covered with tropical forests. In this connection, the forest industry of the island is extremely developed and brings considerable income to the three states located on its territory. In addition to the forest, Kalimantan is also known for its large reserves of oil, gas and diamonds, which have been actively mined here for more than one century, as the name of the island clearly indicates (translated from Malay, Kalimantan means "diamond river").

The largest islands in the world: Madagascar

The fourth in our ranking is the island of Madagascar, recently known for the cartoon of the same name. The entire territory of the island (587,040 km2) is occupied by the sovereign state of the Republic of Madagascar. The island is rich in minerals, including gold and iron rocks, more than 80% of all animals living in Madagascar are exclusively representatives of the local fauna. Due to the fact that for a long time the island was inhabited by a large number of wild boars, the local natives called it "Madagascar" ("Island of Boars").

The largest islands in the world: Baffin Island

The largest island of Canada, Baffin Island, located to the west of Greenland, closes the TOP-5 of the largest islands in the world. And at the same time, the most interesting places where you need a wedding photographer for your personal event! Due to the harsh climatic conditions, despite the vast territory - 508,000 km², the population of Baffin Island is a little over 11 thousand people. The island got its name from the famous English traveler and explorer William Baffin, who was the first to describe the island in the 17th century. Interesting is the fact that, despite the widespread presence of man on the other islands, central part Baffin Island has not yet been fully explored, which means that there are places on the island where no human has ever set foot.

»

There are approximately 500 thousand islands of various sizes in the world. Among them there are absolutely miniature islands, on which two people can hardly fit. But there are also very big islands, which can be compared in area with some countries. What is the most big Island land? Find out about it in this fascinating article.

The largest islands in the world

Ellesmere (Canada)

Canada's third largest island, second only to Victoria Island and Baffin Island. But despite this, this does not prevent Ellesmere from remaining in the top ten largest islands on earth. The total area of ​​the island is 196 thousand square meters. kilometers. It is hard to imagine that only 170 people live on such a vast territory. From all sides, the island is washed by the Arctic Ocean and is included in the honorary list of islands owned by Queen Elizabeth.

Victoria (Canada)

Another Canadian "giant", which is also among the top ten most-most. The total area of ​​Victoria Island is much larger than that of Ellesmere Island and is 217 thousand square meters. kilometers. This island is already much more inhabited, 1701 people live on it, but still it is still very small for an area of ​​this size. There are only two settlements on the island: Cambridge Bay and Holmen. The main feature of the island is a small number of hills. The mountains on the island are certainly present, but they are rather small and not at all remarkable.

Honshu (Japan)


On the territory of the Japanese archipelago, this island is considered the largest. The area of ​​this Japanese giant is 228 thousand square meters. kilometers. The most striking thing is that Honshu is slightly larger than Victoria Island, but it is inhabited by 103 million people. By the way, the island of Honshu occupies most of the territory of all of Japan, and such densely populated lands is the norm for the Land of the Rising Sun. There are a lot of volcanoes on the territory of the island, and this is not strange, because mountainous relief prevails on Honshu. The island also boasts the largest mountain in the world and the most famous symbol of Japan - Mount Fuji.

Island of Great Britain

Great Britain needs no introduction as it is the largest island that the British Isles can boast of. The total area of ​​the island of Great Britain is 230 thousand square meters. kilometers. At the same time, the island is inhabited by 60 million people. The island of Great Britain managed to shelter in its vast territories the main part of the United Kingdom - England, Wales, Scotland.

Sumatra (Indonesia)


This island belongs entirely to Indonesia and is located in the western part of the Malay Archipelago. Sumatra is divided by the equator into two identical parts. The total area of ​​the island is 473 thousand square meters. kilometers. Only 50 million people live on such a vast territory. The coast of the island is famous for its beautiful coral reefs, which attract vacationers from all over the world to stare.

Madagascar (Africa)

This island, known to everyone, is located in eastern Africa. The total area of ​​Madagascar is very large - 587 thousand km2. square. The nature of the island resembles a real paradise. This is due to the fact that such large territories are inhabited by only 20 million people. Therefore, a large area of ​​Madagascar is absolutely free and untouched by man. There are a lot of different living creatures on the island. Its most popular settlers are wild boars. That's why the locals call Madagascar "the island of wild boars".

Kalimantan (Asia)


The island of Kalimantan or as it is also called Malay Borneo. Finding Kalimantan on the map is quite easy, because it is located in the very center of the Malay Archipelago, in Southeast Asia. On the simply incredible area of ​​Kalimantan, which is 743 thousand square meters. kilometers, home to only 16 million inhabitants. This is despite the fact that the territory of the whole land has long been divided into three small states- Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

New Guinea

This island occupies an honorable second place among the largest islands on earth. Its area is 786 thousand square meters. kilometers. New Guinea is home to just 7.5 million people. This island is located right in the middle of Asia and Australia, in the Pacific Ocean. Only the Torres Strait separates New Guinea from Australia. The territories of the island equally went to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Greenland


We finally made it to Greenland. This is the largest island on earth. Its dimensions have reached the record high - 2 million 131 thousand square meters. kilometers. At the same time, not a record number of people live on the island - only 57 thousand. You should not be surprised at such a small population, because most of the island consists of glaciers, because of which living on the island is almost impossible. Arctic and Atlantic Oceans wash the shores of the island of Greenland.

Greenland is actually the most the largest island in the world, since Australia is considered by most scholars to be a continent. Three quarters of Greenland is covered by permanentice sheet, the onlyoutside Antarctica . With a population of about 56,480 (2013), she is least populous country in the world. Greenland located between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is an independent territory of Denmark.

Interesting facts about Greenland

  • Greenland is an island, not a continent.
  • A total of 57,600 people live in a vast area of ​​2,130,800 square kilometers.
  • Greenland is home to the second largest ice sheet in the world after Antarctica.
  • Greenlandic national park is the largest and northernmost national park in the world.

2. New Guinea, 785 thousand square kilometers

The island of New Guinea in the Western Pacific is the second largest island in the world.This island includes a total area of ​​785 thousand square kilometers.New Guinea is administered by two countries - the western part belongs to Indonesia, and the eastern part belongs to Papua New Guinea. WITH reads the easternmost islandMalay Archipelago, lies to north of Australia

New Guinea amazing island, because contains a huge number of types of ecosystems, these are: glacial, alpine tundra, savannas, montane and lowland rainforest, mangroves, wetlands, lake and river ecosystems, algae and some of the wealthiest coral reefs on the planet.

Interesting facts about the island of New Guinea

  • The island is dominated high mountains and volcanoes.
  • Man settled the island over 40,000 years ago.
  • New Guinea has large reserves of copper and gold.


3. Borneo Island, 748 thousand square kilometers

The island of Borneo is the only island in the world, which is run by three countries - Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Borneo is surrounded by the South China Sea to the north and northwest, the Sulu Sea to the northeast, the Sulawesi Sea to the east, and the Java Sea to the south. To the west of Borneo lies the island of Sumatra. In the south and east of the island of Indonesia: Java and Sulawesi.

With an area of ​​743,330 square kilometers, it is the third largest island in the world and is the largest island in Asia. Its highest point is Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia at 4095 meters.

Borneo has significant cave systems and one of the longest underground rivers in the world. Dir Cave is home to over three million bats.

Interesting facts about the island of Borneo

  • The rainforests of Borneo are over 130 million years old.This is the oldest tropical forest in the world.These forests are also home to 15,000 plant species, 221 mammal species and 420 bird species.
  • Mount Kimabalu, the highest peak in South-East Asia located on the island of Borneo.
  • Endangered orangutans and fruit bats are found only in forests Borneo islands.


4. Madagascar Island, 587 thousand square kilometers

Madagascar is an island located on east coast Africa in the Indian Ocean.With a total area of ​​587 thousand square kilometers, it is the fourth largest island in the world.The island of Madagascar was formed about 88 million years ago as a result of separation from the Indian subcontinent.This island is home to many unique species plants and animals.Madagascar is also called the "eighth continent" or "alternative world".

Interesting facts about Madagascar

  • Madagascar is home to 250,000 animal species.70% of them are found nowhere else in the world.
  • There are 14,000 various kinds plants on the island of Madagascar and 90% of them are endemic.
  • Ring-tailed lemurs can only be found in the forests of Madagascar.
  • The coral reef in the southwest of Madagascar is the third largest coral reef in the world.


5. Baffin Island, Canada, 507 thousand square kilometers

Baffin Island, located in Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada.Baffin Island is almost 507 thousand square kilometers. Onisland in the arctic archipelago receives extremely cold weather with an average annual temperature of -8 degrees Celsius. On the islandmany fjords and freshwater lakes.

Interesting facts about Baffin Island

  • Baffin Island is named after British explorer William Baffin.
  • You can see amazing manifestations northern lights , So how most parts of Baffin Island lie tonorth of the Arctic Circle.


6. Sumatra, Indonesia, 480 thousand square kilometers

With its 480 thousand square kilometers, Sumatra is the second largest island in Indonesia and the most large island in the western part of Indonesia, which is part of sunda islands. It is the largest island that is entirely within Indonesia (two large islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are shared between Indonesia and other countries) and the sixth largest island in the world.

Sumatra has a wide variety of plant and animal species but has lost almost 50% of its rainforest in the last 35 years and many animal species are endangered such as the Sumatran ground cuckoo, Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros and orangutan.

It is also the most western island Indonesian archipelago.Sumatra is prone to strong earthquakes and tsunamis.This is because this island is in the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates.However, the island of Sumatra is home to an amazing wildlife and rich forests.

Interesting facts about Sumatra Island

  • Most of the island of Sumatra is covered with tropical forests.Unfortunately, due to resettlement and oil extraction, the island lost almost 50% of its forest between 1985 and 2007.
  • Sumatra contains large reserves of gold and silver.
  • Some of the best oilseeds and coal deposits are also located on the island of Sumatra.


7. Honshu, Japan, 225 thousand square kilometers

Located between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of ​​Japan, Honshu is Japan's largest island.Honshu is of great historical importance, as the Japanese civilization was formed on its territory for many years. Hemakes up about 60% of the total size of Japan.

Interesting facts about the island of Honshu

  • Honshu Island is home to some of Japan's important cities including Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama and Osaka.
  • Honshu is the second most populated island in the world after Java.
  • The most big mountain in Japan, Mount Fuji is located on this island.
  • Most big lake Japan, Lake Biwa, is also located on Honshu.


8. Victoria Island, Canada, 217 thousand square kilometers

Victoria is the second largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Victoriawas discovered by polar explorer Thomas Simpson in 1838. Most of the island's landmass consists of peninsulas.These include, Prince Albert, the peninsula to the northwest, the Wollaston peninsula to the southwest, Collinson to the east, and a large unnamed peninsula east of Headley Bay.The coastline is heavily indented, forming bays along the edges of the island.

Interesting facts about Victoria

  • Victoria Island was named after Queen Victoria.
  • As of 2006, only 1,875 people live on this large island.


9. Great Britain, 209 thousand square kilometers

Despite the fact that the island of Great Britain takes only 9th place in our Top 10, but in terms of value it can be safely put in first place. First of all, because during the archaeological excavations, parking lots were discovered ancient man, which date back to 500,000 BC. And secondly, because once the UK ruled half the world, and even now the English Queen Victoria has power, in addition to Great Britain, over Canada, Australia, New Zealand and smaller countries.

Interesting facts about Great Britain

  • The UK is the most populous region in Europe.
  • London is the most major city In Great Britain.


10. Ellesmere, Canada, 196 thousand square kilometers

Ellesmere Island, the northernmost of Canada's islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, is the third largest island in Canada and the 10th largest island in the world.It is located in the province of Nunavut in Canada.This is the highest mountain area in Canada's Arctic archipelago. Over one-fifth of Ellesmere is protected as national reserve, which includes self seven fjords and manyglaciers. Most of the island is covered with glaciers and ice. Only 146 people live on Ellesmere, you can also mention that the island was featured in the Hollywood blockbuster Man of Steel.

  • A chain of sedimentary rocks located in the northern regions of Ellesmere Island, which is over 100,000 years old.
  • Ellesmere Island contains remnants of the last ice age.
  • At an altitude of 2616 m, Barbeau Peak is the most high point in the province of Nunavut.
  • The arctic willow is the only tree species found on Ellesmere Island.


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 geological and geographic points 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

Great Britain

Great Britain

"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 southwest coast 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

Earth's largest island in terms of area 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. 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 is no railway tracks, 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 the 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 explore the local fjords and see how icebergs are "born", tourists are offered on passenger ships, and for thrill-seekers there are always kayaks. All year round skiing and snowboarding, sledding and ice climbing are available in Greenland. You can see the northern lights on the island. Best time for this comes in December and January, when the polar night falls on Greenland.

Enjoying all natural beauties islands, 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.

Read also