The world's largest island. Which island is the largest on Earth? 1 largest island

What is an island? For many, these are resort areas like the Maldives, Sicily or Crete. For others, pictures from action-packed adventure films appear before their eyes. Indeed, the islands of the world are full of secrets and mysteries, and scientists never tire of publishing unusual facts about these small pieces of land, surrounded by water on all sides.

So the youngest island recently came of age. He is 21 years old. He was born in July 92 after a volcanic eruption near Bogoslov Island in the Aleutian Islands archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. Its length is 400 meters and its height is 90 meters.

TOP 10: largest islands in the world

However, the island cannot always be measured in hundreds of meters. There are many on the world map that represent entire maritime states.

Let's talk about the latter. . By tradition, we’ll start with the last line of the hit parade.

10th place - Ellesmere Island

10th place goes to the Canadian island Ellesmere. This part of the land with an area of ​​203 thousand square meters is located in the Arctic Ocean.

9th place - Victoria Island

In 9th place is another Canadian island with a beautiful name. Victoria. Its area is slightly larger than the previous one - 213 thousand square meters. It is located next door, in the ice of the same Arctic.

8th place - Great Britain island

8th place is rightfully given to the island Great Britain. It is located on an area of ​​230 thousand square kilometers. Washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Among the unusual facts, it is worth noting that a huge number of people live on this island. More than 60 million islanders live on the island of Great Britain.

7th place - Honshu Island

7th place on the list is occupied by a Japanese island Honshu. It has an area of ​​just under 230 thousand square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. The largest Japanese cities are located on the island of Honshu: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc. According to the latest data, its population exceeds the British one. About 100 million people.

6th place - Sumatra island

By the way, Indonesia is called the “country of a thousand islands”. Scientists have counted more than 13,500 islands on the territory of the state. 12,000 of them are uninhabited. Moreover, most of these small pieces of sushi don't even have geographical names.

5th place - Baffin Island

5th place was taken by another Canadian island - Baffin Island. It is located on an area of ​​507 thousand square kilometers in the Arctic Ocean.

4th place - Madagascar island

In 4th place is the island, which became especially famous after the animated film of the same name. Madagascar. It occupies just under 600 thousand square kilometers in the Indian Ocean.

The most interesting things are ahead. Let's move on to the top three. Who is included in the list of the three largest islands in the world?

3rd place - Kalimantan island

3rd place goes to the island of Kalimantan, or Borneo in other words. It is also located in the Indian Ocean and belongs to three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Its area is 743 thousand square kilometers.

2nd place - New Guinea island

New Guinea takes silver. It occupies 786 thousand square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean. By the way, from the point of view of the residential territory of a geographical object, this island could claim first place. Two countries have spread their possessions on this piece of land: Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

1st place - Greenland island

The title of “World's Largest Island” goes to an 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. On the northern side, Greenland is washed by the Arctic Ocean, or more precisely, the Lincoln Sea. To the northeast of the island is the Greenland Sea, to the southeast is the Denmark Strait. On the south side is the Atlantic.

Climate

The climate in Greenland is different: marine, subarctic, arctic and even continental arctic. Cyclone is the most frequent guest on the island. This means that there are constantly strong winds, sudden changes in weather and precipitation.

The average temperature on the coast in winter is from - 7 to - 37 degrees Celsius. In the interior of the island the conditions are quite harsh: up to -47. In summer, the temperature does not rise above +10 along the entire coast, and in the depths it remains below zero.

Flora and fauna

Plants here can only be found in areas free of glaciers. On these tiny pieces of the island there are birches, willows, rowan trees, alder and even juniper. As for 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”?

Legends of history

The island of Greenland was discovered by the Vikings. They came here in the 10th century. There are even several legends about how the name appeared. Some believe that in medieval times the island had a completely different climate, warm. Blooming greenery gave this name to its land. Others express their opinion about the cunning of the first settlers. Allegedly, they gave the island such a fabulous name to attract people here.

Since 1536, Greenland was 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, there are settlements on the island. The largest is Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The city is located on the west coast. Just over 15 thousand people live here.

This article lists the largest islands on Earth, some of which, in terms of area and population, could easily pass for an entire continent. Most of the islands in this ranking are widely known, but there are also some that you may not have heard of. The islands on this list are distinguished by their special flora and fauna, unique to them, which attracts tourists from all over the world and allows them to be considered as honeymoon destinations.

10. Ellesmere Island, Arctic Ocean

With an area of ​​122,000 sq. km:

• tenth largest island in the world,
• third in Canada
• the northernmost island of the Arctic archipelago.

Much of Ellesmere Island is covered by the famous Cordillera mountain range. Canada's second largest national park is located on this island.

9. Victoria Island, Arctic Ocean

This island is located in the Canadian Arctic archipelago. Victoria Island has an area of ​​135,000 sq. km and is the second largest in Canada. It is named after Queen Victoria and is amazing in beauty. The island boasts a mild climate and offers tourists a break from the busy world in the lap of wild nature.

8. Great Britain, coast of North-West Europe

The largest island of the British Isles, it covers an area of ​​143,000 square meters. km. The UK had a population of approximately 61 million in 2011, making it the third most populous island after Java and Honshu. It is surrounded by 1000 small islands and is famous for its history, magnificent architectural monuments and beautiful ecology.

7. Honshu, Japan Pacific Ocean

Honshu is the most populous island in Japan. Pay attention to . It includes the largest cities in Japan:

• Kyoto,
• Tokyo,
• Osaka.

It is the second most populous island after Java. According to 2005 estimates, the population was 103 million. The island is almost 1,300 km long and 50 to 230 km wide, with a total area of ​​143,500 sq km, about 60% of the total area of ​​Japan.

6. Sumatra, Northeast Indian Ocean

This island, located in Western Indonesia, is part of the Sunda Islands. Sumatra has an area of ​​294,283 sq km and a population of more than 50 million people. Medan is the largest city of the island, has 4,300,000 inhabitants. Its landscapes are marred by two geographical regions: the swampy plains in the east and the Barisan Mountains in the west.

The wild and mountainous island has great natural resources. The main attraction of Sumatra is its natural beauty: volcanoes, lakes and jungles.

5. Baffin Island, North Atlantic Ocean

The largest Canadian island, which lies in Nunavut. Its area is 315,312 sq km, the population in 2007 was about 11,000 people. The Alpine mountains are distinguished by high peaks and ridges, however, plateaus are also present. The Barnes and Penny ice caps are the largest on the island. Baffin Island is a spectacular wilderness, the spectacular homeland of the Eskimos and an arctic land open to brave souls and extreme sports enthusiasts.

4. Madagascar, Indian Ocean

The island is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, officially known as the Republic of Madagascar ( formerly Malagasy Republic). It covers an area of ​​434,500 sq km, making it the 47th largest country in the world and the fourth largest island.

Due to its long isolation from adjacent continents, it is home to animals and plants that exist nowhere else. Various ecosystems of the island are under threat of extinction due to environmental hazards.

3. Borneo, West Central Pacific

It is not only the third largest island in the world, but also the largest in Asia. It is divided between three countries:

• Indonesia,
• Malaysia,
• Brunei.

Almost 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. This island is home to one of the world's oldest species of rainforest (about 140 million years old). Borneo has an area of ​​462,365 sq km, representing 1% of the world's land but containing almost 6% of the world's biodiversity. An amazing land that looks like an island in the clouds.

2. New Guinea, Southwest Pacific

The second largest island, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, covers an area of ​​138,500 square meters. km. The island's population is 11,306,940 people. The land on it contains an uninterrupted chain of mountains with peaks over 4,000 meters, which are crowned with ice caps.

The country's climate is mainly tropical, with average annual maximum temperatures between 30 and 32 degrees in the lowlands. While daytime temperatures in the highlands are usually above 22 degrees all year round. The island is distinguished by colossal biodiversity, it contains more than 5% of the total number of species inhabiting our planet.

1. Greenland, North Atlantic

Greenland is the largest non-continental island in the world. Located within the Arctic belt. The island has an area of ​​3,500,000 square meters. km, but is the least populous country with a population of 56,452 people. Greenland is an independent country within the Kingdom of Denmark. More than three-quarters of the island is covered by the only modern ice sheet outside Antarctica.

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There are countless islands in the world. They differ from each other in their relative geographical location, methods of formation and size. 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 brief description of the ten largest islands on the planet in order of increasing area.

10. Ellesmere

Area 196,235 km². The island is located in northern Canada. The length is 830 km, width -645 km. Ellesmere's origin is continental, it lies on the Canadian geological shield. Most of the island is covered with glaciers; Hazen is located in the northern part. The vegetation is dominated by mosses and lichens; trees and shrubs are absent. The fauna is represented by polar hares and Caribou Piri deer. During the 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 northeastern Atlantic and is of continental origin. Forests occupy a tenth of the territory. The most common forests are pine and birch. Currently, the island is home to 56 species of mammals. The territory belongs to the state of Great Britain, and is inhabited mainly by the English, Scots, Irish and Welsh.

8. Victoria

Area 217,291 km². Like Ellesmere, Victoria is located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The length of the island is 700 km, and the width varies from 564 to 623 km. Victoria is a mainland island by origin. The flora is sparse due to harsh climatic conditions. You can find mosses, lichens, and non-flowering plants. Victoria is home to polar bears, arctic foxes, and musk oxen. Seabirds nest on the coast. The population is represented by 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 ranges 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, thuja, oak. In the northern part you can see maple, linden, elm, and ash. The small composition of the animal world is explained by the isolation of the island from the continent. Honshu is home to brown bears, raccoon dogs, wild boars, badgers, and foxes. The population is more than 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. Its length is 1790 km and its width is 435 km. By its origin, Sumatra is an oceanic island. Thanks to the humid climate, tropical forests predominate. Oak, laurel, chestnut, ficus and palm trees grow in them. The fauna is very diverse. There are 196 species of mammals and 250 species of reptiles. The territory is densely populated; Indonesians, Thais, Chinese, and Vietnamese live here. Sumatra belongs to Indonesia.

5. Baffin Island

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

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 mainland 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, and pandanuses. Lemurs are considered the most recognizable animals on the island. The entire territory of the island is under the control of the Republic of Madagascar. The majority of the population is Malagasy.

3. Kalimantan

Area 743,330 km². The island is located in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The length is approximately 1100 km. Kalimantan was formed as a result of the movement of continents, and is of continental origin. The average annual temperature is +26°C. The island has high humidity and often rains. These conditions made it possible for numerous plants to develop. There are 2,000 species of trees and palms here. The island is home to rhinoceroses, elephants, and tapirs. Unique animals are flying dogs, dwarf anoa bulls, and Malayan bears. The world of birds and reptiles is diverse. Kalimantan is shared 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 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. Ficus, bamboo, mango, and breadfruit grow in them. There are many reptiles, crocodiles, chameleons, and alligators in New Guinea. The world of mammals has 180 species, most of them are. The island is shared between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Most of the population is Papuans.

1. Greenland

Area 2,130,800 km². Greenland is located northeast of and is the largest island on Earth. The length of the island is 2600 km, width - 1200 km. The island is of mainland origin. The subarctic climate on the coasts turns into a marine one. In the south you can see dwarf birch, rowan and willow. Closer to the north, the surface is covered with mosses and lichens. Animals include musk ox, polar bear, polar wolf, and arctic fox. Walruses and harp seals set up rookeries on the coasts. Bird markets are organized by eider ducks and gulls. The island belongs to Denmark. The population, represented by the Greenlandic Eskimos, lives on the west coast.

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 to the continents, but the main difference between the islands is their size. They are all much smaller than continents. Which island is the largest on Earth? Where is he located?

The largest islands on Earth

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

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

The largest island on Earth, Greenland, is also of continental origin. It covers an area of ​​2.130 million kilometers and is home to 56 thousand 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 furthest north. You can see the rest of the world record holders in the table:

"Green Country"

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

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 in summer is covered with flowering vegetation. 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 inviting Icelanders there. To be more convincing, he gave it the name Greenland. One way or another, volunteers were found to develop the island. Under the leadership of Eirik the Red, they founded the first European settlement near modern Kassiarsuk.

Greenland

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

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

Climate

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

On the coasts the weather is very unstable, snowstorms often form, winds blow, and precipitation occurs. 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 fog often occurs in summer. It is coldest on the eastern and northern coasts, 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 indigenous. About 90% of the population is Eskimo (Inuit), and only 10% is Danish and other Europeans.

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

Greenlandic culture is a mixture of Inuit traditions and European ones. Eskimos still believe in spirits and build houses from ice blocks and needles. Folk clothing is now considered festive. Seal skin capes have long replaced sports jackets, but many people wear national shoes.

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

Life in Greenland

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

There are no railway tracks on the largest island on Earth, and there are no roads between cities. You can get from one point to another 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 resident of the country attempts to commit suicide.

Attractions

Endless ice of bizarre shapes, winding fjords and drifting icebergs. If this is not enough, don’t worry, Greenland still has something to boast about. The largest island on Earth is home to the largest national park in the world. Its area is 970,000 km2.

Tourists are offered to explore the local fjords and see how icebergs are “born” on passenger ships, and there are always kayaks for extreme sports enthusiasts. Greenland offers year-round skiing, snowboarding, sledding and icy mountain climbing. You can see the northern lights on the island. The best time for this is in December and January, when the polar night falls on Greenland.

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