The country which owns the largest island on earth. The largest island on earth

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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 local residents, for sure, there is no need.


The next on the list is Victoria Island - 217,290 sq. km

English navigators 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, for example, a small country of Belarus can fit.


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.


It is here that major cities are located: 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 led to 1,800 years of 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, polar 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 has recently become known to the whole 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". The current population is 9.5 million people.



And finally, 1st place - Greenland - 2,130,800 sq. km

The green island - Greenland, belongs to Denmark - 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 the 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!

over half a million. Some of them are of natural origin, others are the result of climate change, natural phenomena or human activities. Do you know the answer to the question: "What is the largest island on Earth?"

Gorgeous Greenland

Greenland is considered the largest piece of land in the middle of the oceans. Its territory is equal to 2.176 million square kilometers, which is approximately 1/8 of the whole of Russia. Almost all of the land is covered with glaciers, so Greenland is considered a sparsely populated country. It is permanently inhabited by all
15,000 people. Are considered heavy climatic conditions. The thermometer graph in winter drops to -47 C. In summer time the maximum mark reaches + 10 C.

New Guinea

The island is smaller than Greenland. Its territory is 786 thousand sq. km. It lies on the route between Asia and Australia in the Pacific Ocean. Despite the small territory, two states are located here: Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The second independent entity is home to about
7.5 million people. That is, for every square kilometer there are about 10 people - a fairly low figure compared to other countries with good weather conditions for life.

Borneo (Kalimantan)

Slightly inferior to New Guinea. The area of ​​the island, located next to the Philippines, is 743 sq. km. However, its territory is densely populated - about 16 million people live here. Borneo is surrounded by the islands of Java and Sumatra, next to the Malay Peninsula. A distinctive feature of Kalimantan is that two rivers with the same names flow through it, one of which has received the status of the longest among the islands.

Madagascar

Close to the coast South Africa there is an amazing nature reserve with unusual fauna. Madagascar occupies 587 thousand square kilometers. The island stretches for 1500 km in length, its width is only 600 km. It leads in terms of population in the category "Which is the most big Island There are about 20 million permanent residents here, that is, 1,300 more than in Greenland.

baffin land

The island belongs to Canada. Its location is determined at the same latitude as that of Greenland. The climate is harsh and difficult conditions for life. It is for this reason that on a land plot of 507 sq. km. only 11 thousand people live.

Sumatra

In sixth position in the list of "What is the largest island in the world" is Sumatra, which belongs to Indonesia. The area of ​​the island is
473 thousand sq. km. Geographically, the area is notable for the fact that after the eruption of the Toba volcano, an ice age began on its territory. A huge funnel 100 m wide was formed here.

Honshu

The size of Honshu is much smaller than the other listed islands, and is only 228 thousand square kilometers. But it is considered densely populated - 103 million people live on it. Despite the high demographic level, the territories are technically developed. Honshu is a huge metropolis with over 35 million people.

This article lists the largest islands on Earth, some of which, in terms of area and population, could well pass for an entire continent. Most of the islands in this ranking are well-known, but there are some that you might not have heard of. Islands in this list differ in special flora and fauna, peculiar only to them, which attracts tourists from all over the world and allows them to be considered as places for a honeymoon.

10. Ellesmere Island, Arctic Ocean


With an area of ​​122,000 sq. km:

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

Most of Ellesmere Island is covered by the famous Cordillera mountain range. Second by size national park Canada 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 its beauty. The island boasts a mild climate and offers tourists a break from the busy world in the wild.

8. Great Britain, the coast of North-Western Europe


The largest island british isles, it covers an area of ​​143,000 sq. km. The UK had about 61 million people 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 excellent ecology.

7. Honshu, Japan Sea Pacific


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 populated 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 sunda islands. The area of ​​Sumatra is 294,283 sq km, and the population is over 50 million people. Medan - The largest city islands, has 4,300,000 inhabitants. His landscapes are overshadowed by two geographic 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 natural beauty: volcanoes, lakes and jungles.

5. Baffin Island, North Atlantic Ocean


The largest Canadian island that lies in Nunavut. Its area is 315,312 sq km, the population in 2007 was about 11,000 people. Alpine mountains are different high peaks and ridges, however, plateaus are also present. The Barnes and Penny Ice Caps are the largest on the island. Baffin Island is an awe-inspiring wilderness, breathtaking home of the Eskimos, and arctic land open to the adventurous and the adventurous.

4. Madagascar, Indian Ocean


This island is island nation V 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 the adjacent continents, it is home to animals and plants that do not exist anywhere else. Various ecosystems of the island are threatened with extinction due to the emergence of 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 the territory of Indonesia. This island is home to one of the world's oldest rainforest species (about 140 million years old). Borneo has an area of ​​462,365 square kilometers, which is 1% of the world's land but contains almost 6% of the world's biodiversity. amazing land 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 population of the island 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 mostly tropical, with average annual maximum temperatures between 30 and 32 degrees in the lowlands. While daily temperatures in the highlands, as a rule, above 22 degrees all year round. The island is distinguished by its colossal biodiversity, it contains more than 5% of the total number of species that inhabit 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 sq. km, but is the least densely populated country with a population of 56,452 people. Greenland - independent country within the Kingdom of Denmark. More than three-quarters of the island is covered by the only modern ice sheet outside of Antarctica.

Before talking about which is the largest island on Earth, you 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 hindered 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 - that's what New Guinea can offer travelers. Interestingly, this island ended up being divided by two countries, which is rare. One lot belongs papua new guinea, and the other - 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: Indonesia controls more than 70% of the territory, 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 sq. km, has become a dream a large number 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 the 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.

Great Britain

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.