5 largest islands The largest islands of the Earth: descriptions
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.
To the nearest Canadian city difficult to reach - 3578 km. Even the North Pole is much closer - 817 km, but the locals probably don't need to go there.
The next on the list is Victoria Island - 217,290 sq. km
English sailors they 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 can fit, for example, small country Belarus.
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.
famous volcano Fujiyama 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 entailed 1,800 years 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 Baffin. In the 17th century, he was looking for a way to the shores 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 it's not private island 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. That's New Guinea Until the middle of the 20th century, it belonged to this country, 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". Modern population 9.5 million people live.
And finally, 1st place - Greenland - 2,130,800 sq. km
Green Island– Greenland, Danish- 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 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. List beautiful places can be increased, but we will stop at ten. This picturesque corners 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!
December 28, 2013
Big Islands
There are a lot of different islands on our huge planet. Islands, as everyone knows, are surrounded by water on all sides. In fact, there are a lot of islands on Earth, even more than several tens of thousands.
The largest island is a planetary landform or the so-called continents, continents.
They can also be located one by one, as Sri Lanka is located. If the islands are located very close to each other, then they are called archipelagos. If the piece of land is small, then it is called an island.
Here are some of the largest islands:
Greenland - 2176 thousand kilometers
New Guinea - 829 thousand kilometers
Kalimantan - 734 thousand kilometers
Madagascar - 590 thousand kilometers
Baffin Island - 507 thousand kilometers
Sumatra - 435 thousand kilometers
Honshu - 230 thousand kilometers
Great Britain - 244 thousand kilometers
Victoria - 221 thousand kilometers
Ellesmere - 203 thousand kilometers
Greenland, New Guinea, Kalimantan
Greenland is the largest island on this list. It is located northeast of North America. This is already a territory that is governed independently and is part of Denmark. The length of the island is quite large - 2690 kilometers from north to south, width 1300 kilometers. The area of the entire island is 5.6 thousand square kilometers. In Greenland animal world not rich at all. Here live such animals as: reindeer, polar bear, ermine, hare, lemming. It happens that even wolves can be encountered very rarely. In the water near the island of Greenland, such animals are found: black-barked halibut, striped catfish, cod, flounder and several other types of fish. You can often see shrimp. It also happens that you can see some of the species of beluga whale, narwhal and walrus.
New Guinea is the second largest island after Greenland. He is the most unique and beautiful island on Earth, there are more than 1000 indigenous languages.
This island is located in pacific ocean, A little north of australia and links Asia and Australia. New Guinea is very large in size, which is divided between countries. This island is inhabited by 5.6 million people. All residents speak English language and it is official. The vegetation there is very good, represented by 11 thousand species, including 2500 species of unique orchids and 1200 trees. About 500 species of different birds, 400 amphibians, 180 mammals and 450 butterflies live here, so the animal world is quite diverse.
Kalimantan is the largest of the Sunda Islands. Its area occupies approximately 734 thousand square kilometers. Kalimantan is the most ancient island from Malay Archipelago. There are absolutely no volcanoes on this island, and a little is a fold of the earth's crust.
Madagascar, Baffin Island, Sumatra, Honshu
Madagascar is another island that ranks among the largest islands. The length from north to south is approximately 1600 kilometers, and from west to east 580 kilometers.
Judging by the size, it will be larger than France, Belgium, Holland and even Luxembourg. There are several other small islands near the northern part of the island.
Baffin Island - got its name in honor of the navigator of the ship. Currency unit on this island - the Canadian dollar.
Sumatra is one of the largest islands in Indonesia, which is known for dark sand, the ruins of ancient temple complexes. The climate on this island is quite hot and humid. It has many attractions: crocodile farm, picturesque canals of Palembang, green mountain valleys.
Honshu is the most big Island Japanese archipelago. The climate on this island is monsoonal, in the north it is temperate, in the south it is subtropical.
80 percent of Japan's population lives here. There are many different attractions here. This island has many natural parks that amaze with their beauty.
The largest island in the world is Greenland. This conclusion was unanimously reached by all researchers and scientists, as a result of numerous expeditions and analysis of available data. By a strange coincidence, the island itself large area, is less than half populated. The thing is that the territory of Greenland is 80 - 85% covered eternal ice, which are several kilometers thick. The spacious territory allows villages and cities to be located here at a significant distance. The most interesting thing is that, between the settlements, there is completely no transport system. There are no railroad tracks or highways.
Despite the rather cold climate and the monotony of the surrounding landscape, the largest island is very popular with tourists. They come here to get vivid impressions, to see the stunningly beautiful " northern lights and long white nights.
The most common occupation of local residents is fishing, its processing and sale. This remains the main activity of the entire (almost 60,000 population). In addition to fish, the island has a large number of polar predators. There are plants that are not afraid of the cold.
Temperature fluctuations on the island are quite significant. At the height of summer it is +10 degrees, and in winter it can be minus 45. Large reserves of oil and gas are hidden under the ice. Recently, their development has been actively engaged.
The largest island in the world belongs to Denmark and is washed by the oceans on both sides - the Atlantic and the Arctic. The capital of Greenland is the city of Nuuk, which is also the largest on the island, which is also autonomous region Denmark.
It is believed that Greenland is the final point of any round-the-world tour. Experienced travelers they say that those who have not been to Greenland have not seen anything interesting. After all, every self-respecting tourist is obliged to conquer the cold, but at the same time beautiful island. Another interesting fact it is believed that the literal translation of the word Greenland is “ green earth”, but in fact there is practically no greenery there.
The next largest island in size rightfully occupies the Pacific New Guinea. Its popularity among tourists has won a warm climate, rich colors and rich flora and fauna. Dendrologists, ornithologists and entomologists have been studying the animals and plants of the island for years. However, every year more and more new representatives of flora and fauna appear on the largest island.
New Guinea was discovered in the 16th century, but until 1871 it was practically not visited. The inhabitants of the island had a reputation as cannibals, and there were no people who wanted to visit this green kingdom. Only in 1871, thanks to the efforts of the Russian scientist Miklouho-Maclay, did the attitude towards the islanders change.
It is worth bearing in mind that the inhabitants of this island are of various nationalities. Even the fact that at present the large island constantly meets tourists, tribes live in its depths that have never encountered fair-skinned people. By the way, the Papuans consider white people dangerous. That is why, tourist trip can be filled with real adrenaline.
Green Kalimantan
The third largest island in the world is Kalimantan. It is also known as Borneo. Its territory also has a uniform coverage, but, unlike Greenland, these are green forests and tropics. Centennial, majestic trees adorn the entire island. This makes it possible to develop the forestry and woodworking industries. In addition, the island has serious deposits of oil and gas. All this makes a significant financial contribution to the three states between which its territory is divided. Another profitable industry here is the long-term mining of diamonds, which are quite numerous on the island. This direction made it possible to call Borneo the "diamond river".
Animal and vegetable world very varied here. It is on Kalimantan that one of the most beautiful plants grows - the black orchid.
The predominant part of the inhabitants of the island are Chinese, Malaysians and Aborigines (who live according to the customs of their ancestors). In general, residents are quite positive about tourists and show themselves to be hospitable hosts.
Madagascar is a holiday paradise
Biggest tourist island- Madagascar. Its population is over 20 million people. Geographically, it is located in eastern Africa, located in the tropical zone, has a warm climate. The island is famous for its breathtaking sunsets. There are also several dozen small but very beautiful waterfalls.
The locals call their native home"boar island" or "red". last name associated with the color of the soil. Its fauna is very diverse. Many rare exotic animals and insects live there. It is a paradise for scientists and explorers. In the tropics of Madagascar, a rare species of spiders lives, from the webs of which various items of clothing are woven.
The inhabitants of Madagascar are engaged in hunting and fishing. Animal meat is eaten, but turtles are especially preferred. From her turtle meat, extraordinary dishes have become the pride of the local cuisine.
Baffin Island - rugged beauty
Baffin Island is the largest Canadian island in the world. Huge area, more than 500,000 square km and very few people living here (about 12 thousand people). This situation is connected with the fact that the island is located in the Arctic Ocean and has a rather cold climate. You can get here only by air, and you can only engage in hunting or fishing there. There are many on the island fresh lakes, some of which are quite large.
severe climatic conditions do not affect the fact that the island is visited by tourists. The locals managed to create everything the necessary conditions For extreme tourism. In addition, there are a certain number of people who want to celebrate a wedding or other celebration in such unusual conditions.
This largest and cold island peace on its territory historical park. It contains various household items of all tribes and peoples living in a harsh area.
Each island has a number of advantages and features. Some have a hot climate beautiful beaches and the purest ocean water, and on others stunning wildlife and rare natural phenomena. It is impossible to say which of the islands is better. All of them are big, mysterious and bewitching. The same applies to the population. On all the islands, the indigenous people have their own cultural characteristics, interesting traditions and customs.
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What is an island? For many it is resort areas like the Maldives, Sicily or Crete. For others, pictures from action-packed adventure films pop up before their eyes. Indeed, the islands of the world are full of secrets and mysteries, and scientists do not get tired of publishing unusual facts about these small pieces of land surrounded by water on all sides.
So the youngest island not so long ago came of age. He is 21 years old. He was born in July 92 after a volcanic eruption near the island of Bogoslov of the archipelago of the Aleutian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is 400 meters long and 90 meters high.
TOP 10: the largest islands in the world
However, it is not always possible to measure an island in hundreds of meters. There are quite a few on the world map that represent entire maritime states.
Let's talk about the latter. . By tradition, let's start with the last line of the hit parade.
10th place - Ellesmere Island
10th place is occupied by the Canadian island Ellesmere. This piece of land with an area of 203 thousand square meters is located in the Arctic Ocean.
9th place - Victoria Island
On the 9th place is another Canadian island with beautiful name Victoria. Its area is slightly larger than the previous one - 213 thousand square meters. It is located in the neighborhood, in the ice of the same Arctic.
8th place - the island of Great Britain
8th place rightfully given to the island Great Britain. It is located on the territory of 230 thousand square kilometers. washed by Atlantic Ocean. From unusual facts It is worth noting that a huge number of people live on this island. More than 60 million islanders are listed on the territory of the island of Great Britain.
7th place - Honshu Island
7th place on the list japanese island Honshu. It has an area of just under 230,000 square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. The island of Honshu is home to the largest Japanese cities: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc. According to the latest data, the population on it exceeds the British. About 100 million people.
6th place - Sumatra island
By the way, Indonesia is called the “land of a thousand islands”. Scientists have counted more than 13,500 islands on the territory of the state. 12,000 of them are uninhabited. In addition, most of these small pieces of land do not even have place names.
5th place - Baffin Island
5th place was taken by another Canadian island - baffin land. It is located on an area of 507 thousand square kilometers in the Arctic Ocean.
4th place - the island of Madagascar
In 4th place, the island, which became especially famous after the animated film of the same name Madagascar. It occupies a little less than 600 thousand square kilometers in Indian Ocean.
Ahead - the most interesting. Let's move on to the top three. Who is on the list of the top three major islands peace?
3rd place - Kalimantan Island
3rd place goes to the island of Kalimantan or otherwise Borneo. It is also located in the Indian Ocean and belongs to three states at once: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Its area is 743 thousand square kilometers.
2nd place - the island of New Guinea
New Guinea is the silver medalist. It occupies 786 thousand square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. By the way, from the point of view of residential area geographical feature, this island could claim the first place. Two countries spread their possessions on this piece of land: Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
1st place - Greenland
The title of "The world's largest island" goes to amazing country— Greenland . Its area is 2 million 131 thousand square kilometers. The island is located off the northeastern coast of America. It is separated from Canada by the Smith and Robson Straits in the northwest, the Baffin Sea and Davis Strait in the west, and the Labrador Sea in the southwest. WITH north side Greenland is washed by the North Arctic Ocean, or more precisely, the Lincoln Sea. In the northeast of the island is the Greenland Sea, in the southeast the Danish Strait. WITH south side the Atlantic is located.
Climate
The climate in Greenland is different: maritime, subarctic, arctic and even continental arctic. The cyclone is the most frequent guest on the island. That means it's always here. strong winds, a sharp change in weather and precipitation.
The average temperature on the coast in winter is from -7 to -37 degrees Celsius. In the depths of the island, conditions are completely harsh: up to -47. In summer, the temperature does not rise above +10 on the entire coast, and in the depths it remains below zero.
Flora and fauna
Plants here can only be found in places free from glaciers. Birch, willow, mountain ash, alder and even juniper are found on these meager pieces of the island. As for the animals, they are exclusively northern on the island. No surprises: polar bears, bowhead whales and seals, walruses, polar wolves and reindeer.
How could this place get a name that literally translates as "green land"?
History legends
Vikings discovered the island of Greenland. They came here in the 10th century. There are even several legends about how the name came about. Some believe that in medieval times the island had a completely different climate, warm. Blooming greens gave this name to their land. Others express an opinion about the cunning of the first settlers. Allegedly they gave the island such fabulous name to get people here.
Since 1536, Greenland has been considered Danish territory. This was due to the fact that Norway was under the yoke of the Danes, and the countries were united into a single state. However, in 1905 Norway gained independence and claimed the island for itself. But Denmark was not going to give up Greenland without a fight. The issue was resolved through the Permanent Court of International Justice. She made a decision: to leave Greenland as a Danish colony.
The largest island in the world, Greenland, belongs to Denmark to this day. 84% of the territory is solid ice. But despite this, the island has settlements. The largest is Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The city is located on west coast. A little over 15 thousand people live in it.
