A message about one of the largest islands of the earth. The largest island in the world
- over half a million. Some of them are of natural origin, others are the result of climate change, natural phenomena or human activity. Do you know the answer to the question: “Which island is the largest on Earth?”
Magnificent Greenland
Greenland is considered the largest landmass in the world's oceans. Its territory is 2.176 million square kilometers, which is approximately 1/8 of the entire Russia. Almost all of the land is covered with glaciers, so Greenland is considered a sparsely populated country. It is permanently inhabited by only
15,000 people. Climatic conditions are considered severe. The thermometer graph in winter drops to - 47 C. summer time the maximum level reaches + 10 C.
New Guinea
The island is smaller in size than Greenland. Its territory is 786 thousand sq. km. It lies on the route between Asia and Australia in the Pacific Ocean. Despite its small territory, there are two countries located here: Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The second independent entity is home to about
7.5 million people. That is, there are approximately 10 people per square kilometer - an indicator that is quite low compared to other countries with good weather conditions for living.
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, and the Malay Peninsula is nearby. 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
Near the coast of South Africa there is an amazing reserve with unusual fauna. Madagascar occupies 587 thousand sq. km. The length of the island stretches for 1500 km, its width is only 600 km. It leads in population in the category "What is the largest island in the world." There are about 20 million permanent residents here, that is, 1,300 more than in Greenland.
Baffin Island
The island belongs to Canada. Its location is determined at the same latitude as Greenland. The climate is harsh and difficult to live in. It is for this reason that on a land area of 507 sq. km. Only 11 thousand people live there.
Sumatra
In sixth position on 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 on its territory, the Ice Age began. A huge crater 100 m wide was formed here.
Honshu
The size of Honshu is much smaller than the other listed islands, amounting to only 228 thousand sq. km. But it is considered densely populated - 103 million people live there. Despite the high demographic level, the territories have been technically developed. Honshu is home to a huge metropolis where over 35 million people live.
There are about 500 thousand islands in our world. They are different in size. Today we take you to the largest islands of our world.
Greenland
Greenland is the largest island on Earth with an area of 2,130,800 km2. It is washed by the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. Greenland is located in Denmark.
In the western part of the island is the largest locality, which is called Nuuk and Mount Gunbjorn, whose height is 3,383 thousand meters. Until 1921, Cape Morris-Jesup was considered the closest landmass to the North Pole.
New Guinea
New Guinea, with an area of 785,753 km2, is located in the Pacific Ocean. New Guinea links Australia with Asia. New Guinea is divided almost equally between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The Indonesian part belongs to Asia. This island is the largest of all the islands divided between countries.
Kalimantan
The island has an area of 748,168 km2. This charming sea island is divided between 3 states: Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia. Kalimantan is located in southeast Asia in the center of the Malay Archipelago.
Madagascar
The island has a tropical climate. It is located close to the east of Africa. The Mozambique Channel flows between the mainland and the island. Its dimensions are approximately 1600 km in length and 600 km in width, with a total area of 587,713 km2. Locals They call the island the island of boars.
Baffin Island
The island belongs to Canada. It is the largest of the islands in this country. The area of the island is 507,451 km2. The weather conditions here are very bad, so most of the island remains uninhabited.
Sumatra
The island of Sumatra is divided by the equator into almost equal parts. The island is located in the west of the Malay Archipelago. Sumatra has an area of 443,066 km2 and belongs to Indonesia.
O. Great Britain
Its area is 229,848 km2. Wales, Scotland and England - Great Britain contains most of the entire United Kingdom.
Islands are the most exciting and mysterious geographical features. Imagine: a piece of land surrounded on all sides by water. You can sail or fly to it and live completely alone, without depending on civilization. Perhaps this is what attracted and attracted people to itself at all times.
It’s enough to remember how many times they were mentioned in art: Mysterious Island, the island of Doctor Moreau, treasure island, Avalon, the uninhabited island of Robinson Crusoe, Neverland... But few of them can contain as many secrets and mysteries as the real ones. And the larger the island, the more secrets and mysteries it contains. And just imagine how much the largest islands can accommodate... That’s what we’ll talk about today.
Greenland, 2,130,800 km²
This largest island is larger in area than most modern states. It is only three times smaller than Australia, albeit the smallest, but still a continent.
This geographical miracle belongs to Denmark, which is several times smaller than its island, occupying an area of just over 43 thousand square kilometers. Such an island could significantly increase the area of the state, if not for its climate and topography: more than 80% of its area is covered by an ice sheet. Which is not surprising, considering that it is located in close proximity to North Pole and is washed by the waters of the Arctic and partially Atlantic oceans.
And this is not photoshop
This makes it one of the most beautiful, majestic, vibrant - and uninhabited places in the world, with only 15 thousand people living there. The landscapes of Greenland take your breath away, they are so beautiful. But few people will be able to live there, because even in summer the temperature rises slightly above zero. And there’s nothing to say about winter; -40-50 degrees is normal.
Nevertheless, tourists from all over the world come here to admire the landscapes and see with their own eyes majestic ice, observe the living worlds of this harsh, inhospitable, but so beautiful island. The summer months are especially good for this, when you can admire the white nights.
New Guinea, 786,000 km²
New Guinea is a completely different matter, because this large island is located entirely in the western part Pacific Ocean. Tropical climate, bright, varied and rich nature, warm sea, exotic tribes - this island can offer entertainment to everyone’s taste.
Interestingly, New Guinea is one of the few islands divided between states. Some of this beauty went to Papua New Guinea, and some to Indonesia. Each of these states would like to get everything, but even half is not bad either.
It even has its own volcano
New Guinea can be called one of the last unexplored corners of the world on Earth. Only recently, scientists discovered an area on the island that they called New Eden. Here dozens of unknown or previously considered extinct species of animals and plants were waiting for them. It is interesting that the inhabitants of this Garden of Eden were not at all afraid of people.
Kalimantan, 743,330 km²
Another champion island, occupying an honorable third place thanks to its 743,330 square kilometers of area. In terms of area, it is slightly behind New Guinea, but not in terms of the beauty of the landscapes and the richness of nature.
Its area is divided between three states: Indonesia got more than 70%, Malaysia took almost the entire rest, and Brunei received only a small area.
If there is heaven on Earth, then it is probably here
The equator passes through Kalimantan, and its climate is appropriate - humid and hot. Therefore, more than 80% of its area is occupied by wild tropical forests, inhabited by equally wild tribes of headhunters. True, now they have become more civilized, they don’t rush at tourists, but they are happy to show them war dances and sell souvenirs.
Madagascar, 587,041 km²
What modern person has not heard about Madagascar? After the release of the animated film of the same name, this largest island of the Indian Ocean became the dream of many travelers.
The main attraction and wealth of Madagascar are its inhabitants. Flora and fauna are 80% endemic - species that are found only here and nowhere else. Numerous lemurs (and their majesty King Julian!), giant fossas, bats and ordinary mice, geckos, chameleons and turtles - botanists and zoologists are thrilled with delight, publishing study after study. But still, reports regularly appear about the discovery of another new species.
But even if the flora and fauna are not of much interest to you, the beaches with crystal clear water will give you a truly heavenly holiday.
Baffin Island, 476,000 km²
This cold and inhospitable island rounds out the top five largest islands by area. But in terms of climate, it rather resembles the first one - just as frosty and windy, but at the same time bewitching and attractive with its harsh beauty.
Cold, windy, frosty, uncomfortable. But how beautiful!
Like many other large islands, it is extremely sparsely populated. It is home to only about 15 thousand people who were able to call it home.
This island belongs to Canada, but besides Canadians, other “inhabitants” live here - Scandinavian gods. Mount Thor is one of the highest cliffs in the world. It is unlikely that the god of thunder actually lives on this peak, but who forbids thinking so? And there’s nothing to say about the Asgard table mountain.
Of course, these are not all the largest islands. They are scattered around the world, some belong to Indonesia, others belong to Japan. Smaller ones are scattered around the world. But each of them has its own special nature, its own character and its own soul.
It would be even more interesting to visit the largest peninsula, but this is a goal for the next trip. And it will definitely happen, but a little later.
As you know, an island is considered to be any piece of land completely surrounded by water. However, not all land areas that are in water can be classified as islands. In addition to the latter, there are also continents and continents, the most famous of which is certainly Australia. The total area of this continent (not to be confused with the island) is approximately 7,600,000 square meters. km.
The TOP 5 largest islands in the world presented below include islands whose area is noticeably smaller than 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 has a temperate climate and a total area of 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 island's 57 thousand population is fishing.
The largest islands in the world: New Guinea
The second largest island in the world by area is New Guinea. The island, washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, located between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, was discovered by the Portuguese in 1526. They also gave it its original name “Papua”, which means “curly” in Malay. The island owed its name to the dark-skinned aborigines 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 species of plants, birds, mammals and amphibians living on the island, scientists are still discovering new species of various representatives of animals and flora. It is worth noting that most New Guinea animals 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. This island, also known as Borneo, has an area of 737,000 km². Kalimantan is washed simultaneously by four seas and two straits. Unlike Greenland, 80% of Kalimantan's entire territory is covered tropical forests. In this connection, the island’s timber industry 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, the extraction of which has been actively carried out here for centuries, as clearly evidenced by the name of the island (translated from Malay, Kalimantan means “diamond river”).
The largest islands in the world: Madagascar
The fourth place in our ranking is the island of Madagascar, recently known from 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” (“Boar Island”).
The largest islands in the world: Baffin Island
Canada's largest island, Baffin Island, located west of Greenland, rounds out the TOP 5 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 its vast territory - 508,000 km², the population of Baffin Island is just 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. An interesting fact is that, despite the ubiquitous human presence on the remaining islands, the central part of Baffin Island has not yet been fully explored, which means that there are places on the island where no human has ever set foot.
