There are approximately 500 thousand islands of various sizes in the world. Among them there are very miniature islands, on which two people can hardly fit. But there are also very large islands that can be compared in area to some countries. What is the largest island on earth? You will find out about this in this fascinating material.

The largest islands in the world

Ellesmere (Canada)

The third largest island in Canada, behind only 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 difficult to imagine that only 170 people live on such a vast territory. The island is washed on all sides 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. 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 populated, with 1,701 people living on it, but this 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 the small number of hills. There are certainly mountains on the island, but they are rather small and not at all remarkable.

Honshu (Japan)

This island is considered the largest in the Japanese archipelago. The area of ​​this Japanese giant is 228 thousand square meters. kilometers. The most amazing 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 are the norm for the Land of the Rising Sun. There are a lot of volcanoes on the island, and this is not strange, because Honshu is dominated by mountainous terrain. The island also boasts the largest mountain in the world and Japan's most famous symbol, Mount Fuji.

UK Island

Great Britain needs no introduction, as it is the largest island that the British Isles can boast. The total area of ​​the island of Great Britain is 230 thousand square meters. kilometers. Moreover, 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 in such a vast territory. The coast of the island is famous for its beautiful coral reefs, which tourists from all over the world come to admire.

Madagascar (Africa)

This island, known to everyone, is located in eastern Africa. The total area of ​​Madagascar is very large - 587 thousand km. 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 many different animals on the island. Its most popular settlers are wild boars. That’s why 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, only 16 million inhabitants live. This is despite the fact that the entire landmass has long been divided into three small states - Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.

New Guinea

This island takes honorable second place among the largest islands on earth. Its area is 786 thousand square meters. kilometers. New Guinea is home to only 7.5 million people. This island is located right in the middle of Asia and Australia, in the Pacific Ocean. Account: New Guinea is separated from Australia only by the Torres Strait. The territory of the island went equally to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

Greenland

We finally made it to Greenland. This is the largest island on earth. Its size reached a record high - 2 million 131 thousand square meters. kilometers. At the same time, the island is inhabited by a far from record number of people – only 57 thousand. You shouldn’t be surprised by such a small population, because most of the island consists of glaciers, which make living on the island almost impossible. The Arctic and Atlantic oceans wash the shores of the island of Greenland.

The largest island on Earth is Greenland. The population of Greenland consists of Greenlandic Eskimos and emigrated Norwegians and Danes. The indigenous inhabitants of the island are called Inuit. Their main language is Greenlandic, and Danish is popular among expats. The Inuit living in the north of the island still maintain a long tradition of building igloos.

Islands of the world

Which island is the largest on Earth? There are a lot of islands on our planet, but only four of them are truly amazing in size:

1. Greenland. Greenland is the largest island in Europe and the world. It is located in the northeast of North America and is washed by two oceans. Greenland is an autonomous unit subordinate to Denmark.
2. New Guinea. The main advantage of Guinea is not the nature and rich fauna, but the culture of the various tribes living on the island.
3. Kalimantan. The island is divided between three states.
4. Madagascar. Madagascar is an island country known throughout the world for its unique animals and rich flora. A third of the entire territory is occupied by highlands. There are many extinct volcanoes on the island, and earthquakes sometimes occur.

The largest island on Earth and the first settler

Erik the Red is a simple Norwegian Viking. Despite the severity that is attributed to the Scandinavians, he was an easy-going and peaceful person. As the legend goes, Eric saw that his friend had ruined the path running near his house. For this, the Viking killed his neighbor with a shovel. The act did not go unpunished. Eric was sent from Norway to a strange and deserted island in the Arctic Circle.

Eric didn’t want to live alone on a huge island, so he decided to attract more people here. For this he named the island Greenland, or Greenland. As soon as Eric's exile came to an end, he returned to Norway and began actively inviting people to the island with him. He described Greenland to everyone as the most beautiful place on the planet.

Independent republic

Until the end of the 13th century, the island of Greenland was an independent territory, but soon the population recognized the king of Norway as their overlord. In return, the crown promised to supply the island with products and materials that the inhabitants could not obtain or produce on their own. Despite the vassalage, the island had its own customs and laws, different from European ones.

After some time, Denmark began to lay claim to the largest island. The territorial claims were quite justified, since not all Norwegians were able to adapt to the difficult climate, so many Danes came to the island. In 1536, Norway and Denmark united into one country, and Greenland was legally assigned to Denmark.

Greenland is the largest island on Earth

The area of ​​Greenland is 2,130,800 km². Due to the large extent of the island, the climate of one part is radically different from the climate of the other. Not everywhere in Greenland is cold: in some places in the summer the temperature rises above +20 °C, although on average it rarely exceeds 0 °C. In winter, the temperature drops below –20 °C. Very cold winds blow near the coast, and in summer it is covered with fog.

Despite the fact that the island is called Green Land, there is no place to develop agriculture here. People mainly engage in fishing or hunting animals, and here live: polar bear, arctic fox, and reindeer. The island exports:

1. Cod.
2. Shrimp.
3. Salmon.

Greenland is the largest island on Earth, rich in minerals. The following is mined on the island:

1. Lead.
2. Tin.
3. Coal.
4. Copper.

The colorful expanses of Greenland attract tourists from all over the world. You can enjoy the amazing landscapes and beauties of the island at any time of the day. One of the most famous natural phenomena is the northern lights. It is best observed from early autumn to mid-spring.

Flora and fauna of the island

The largest island on Earth by area has a fairly sparse variety of vegetation. But the fauna is impressive: it is rich and unique. The area of ​​Greenland is huge, but there is no railway on it, and the length of all highways is 150 km. The most convenient way for the local population is to use dog sleds.

The largest island on Earth can hardly be called a favorable land for living, traveling or exploring, but the beauty of the Arctic nature will not leave anyone indifferent. This helps to survive all the hardships of harsh life on the island and not entirely suitable conditions for relaxation.

Today there are more than five hundred thousand islands in the world. They have a variety of sizes. Many of these islands are very small. They can fit two people, no more. However, there are also those islands whose sizes are equal to entire countries of the world. This article will focus on the largest island in the world.

Where is the largest island in the world?

The largest island in the world is, of course, Greenland. It belongs to Denmark, but has the right of self-government. This island is located beyond the Arctic Circle. Almost eighty percent of Greenland is covered by a giant glacier. Despite such unusual features of the location and terrain, numerous travel companies offer a large number of attractive tours to this place. Here, all tourists are promised an unusual pastime and an unforgettable vacation surrounded by exotic nature.

This island is attractive to tourists. People who are not afraid of harsh climatic conditions come here. Almost the entire territory remains deserted due to heavy snow and harsh climate. Holidays in this place can be truly harsh. You need to be prepared for this. Therefore, tourists need determination in order to withstand all the tests that will await them while traveling around the island.

Greenland is significantly larger than Denmark. The territory is approximately fifty times larger than this state. Self-government was introduced on the island six years ago. Denmark is engaged in the military defense of this territory and resolves all political issues. The island has its own judicial system, which is guided by local laws.

Climatic features of the island of Greenland

The climate in southern and northern Greenland is very different. This is due to the fact that its territory occupies a large area. The climate varies from arctic to subarctic. Surprisingly, in the summer, many areas of Greenland can warm up to 21 degrees Celsius. On average, the temperature here at this time of year does not rise above 0 degrees Celsius. In winter, the temperature averages minus 27 degrees Celsius. It is not easy for people living in the coastal area. This is due to the fact that very strong winds blow here.

It should be noted that the name of this island is literally translated as Green Country. This is surprising because there is virtually no green space here that would support the development of agriculture.

What attracts tourists to the island of Greenland?

Tourists love the nature of this island. There are amazingly beautiful places with original landscape features. In addition, such natural phenomena that exist here are not found anywhere in the world. In summer, the local natural beauty can be enjoyed even at night when the sun is shining. However, it makes it almost impossible to admire the northern lights. That is why the best time to observe the natural phenomenon is mid-spring.

Population of Greenland

The indigenous people of Greenland are the Eskimos. Their national language is Greenlandic. However, the local population also speaks Danish. In the northern regions, Eskimos still build igloos for living. The population is not engaged in agriculture. The main industries here are fishing and hunting. Salmon, cod and other fish products are exported.

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.

When people talk about the largest islands, they usually mean the islands with the largest area. Let’s not break tradition and give the top list of the largest islands in the world by area.

Let us remember that the island differs from the mainland in its smaller size, but it must be surrounded on all sides by water, and during high tide at least part of it must remain on the surface.

10 Ellesmere

Ellesmere is the tenth largest island on Earth. It belongs to Canada and is one of the Queen Elizabeth Islands.

Ellesmere is all cut up by fjords and a third is covered with ice. Living conditions are very harsh: in winter the temperature reaches -59 degrees, and in summer it rarely exceeds +7 (although sometimes +20); The polar day and night last for 5 months, and there is so little precipitation that in many places there is not even snow, only bare rocks.

The population does not exceed 150 people. The vegetation is exclusively herbaceous; Blooming poppies, saxifrage and other polar flowers form a picturesque carpet in summer. There are many animals on Ellesmere, among them the rare Peary caribou and the Melville Island wolf (smaller, with white or silver fur).

This is another northern island belonging to Canada. Still, it is not located in such high latitudes, so its nature is more diverse, and its population is larger (about 1,700 people).

The reason for this is high humidity: the entire island is covered with swamps, lakes, streams and rivers. In summer the temperature reaches +12, in winter - on average -20 degrees, and the wind is very strong and gusty, which creates extremely uncomfortable living conditions.

The vegetation on Victoria is sparse: grasses, polar tree species, mosses. But the animal world is well presented. On the island you can find many birds, including snowy owls, as well as polar bears and wolves, arctic foxes and musk oxen.

Seals and walruses rest on the coast, and killer whales and whales walk in the waters off the coast of the island. There is also a lot of commercial fish (herring, tuna).

8 Honshu

And here in front of us is a very densely populated island, the main island of the Japanese archipelago, on which the capital of the Land of the Rising Sun is located and about 75% of its population is concentrated.

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This is where the largest cities in Japan are located: Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Yokohama. The entire island is covered in mountains, dominated by volcanoes (such as Fuji, and Asama is an active volcano), and lies at the junction of formational plates, which provokes frequent earthquakes.

Destructive typhoons are not uncommon here in autumn. The climate of Honshu is defined as monsoon: in summer the temperature is about +25, in winter it is rarely below -5. The rainy season begins in June-July. The flora and fauna of the island are very rich. Forests cover more than 2/3 of the area.

In the spring, Honshu is extremely beautiful because of the blooming azaleas, sakura and peonies, and in the fall, the most favorite flowers of the Japanese bloom - chrysanthemums, to which a traditional festival is even dedicated.

The fauna includes many relict and endemic species: white-breasted bear, Japanese crane, giant salamander, large-billed crow and others. But Honshu is especially rich in fish and seafood, because 700 species of fish and more than 1000 species of shellfish live off the coast.

7 Great Britain is one of the largest islands on Earth

The island of Great Britain is a densely populated island, according to this indicator it ranks third after Java and Honshu. Most of the state of Great Britain is located here.

Scientists believe that the first people appeared on the island 800 thousand years ago: this is how stone tools found on its territory are dated. The ancient Romans mentioned Great Britain in the 3rd century BC.

The climate on the island is marine, which provides mild winters, comfortable temperatures in summer and more than half of the rainy days of the year. Although there are also areas that are much drier.
Forests and large animals in Great Britain, unfortunately, are almost exterminated: magnificent beech and hornbeam groves occupy no more than a tenth of the island.

Of the animals that have survived, mostly not very large mammals, but more than 130 species of birds and a lot of fish, as well as seals and whales

6 Sumatra

The hot tropical island, the sixth largest in the world, is at the same time the fourth largest in the number of people living on it.

The island is part of the Malay Archipelago and belongs to Indonesia. Sumatra is an extremely wet island. It has a huge number of rivers, streams, and lakes. This is where the largest lake in Southeast Asia, Toba, is located. It is located in the caldera of an ancient volcano and is so large that there is an island on it, which also has a lake.

Sumatra is very rich in volcanoes: there are many of them, and a good dozen of them are active. However, this does not frighten numerous tourists who want to explore medieval buildings, go windsurfing or diving, or enjoy a beach holiday on the coast, almost everywhere covered with dark (volcanic) sand.

And here you can walk in the equatorial forests of tree ferns, palms and ficus trees, marveling at the richness of the Sumatran fauna. There are many endemic species here. For example, the Sumatran tiger and rhinoceros, as well as the rare woolly wing, Indian elephant, pig-tailed macaque and others. There are even 450 species of birds on the island!

5 Baffin Island

When listing the largest islands in the world, it is impossible to ignore Baffin Island, an island of large area and very bizarre outlines that belongs to Canada.
Baffin Island is essentially an extension (geologically) of the Canadian Shield, so the mountains on the island should be considered part of the Andes. And there are a lot of mountains here, including quite high ones.

The island is not rich in population: the climate here is harsh, a significant part of the island is located beyond the Arctic Circle, and frosts are common even in summer.

For a long time it was believed that Baffin discovered the island. But recent archaeological excavations suggest that the island was known to the ancient Vikings and is mentioned in their sagas under the name Helluland.

The harsh climate does not allow much vegetation to develop; the flora here is poor. Animals include arctic foxes, polar bears, lemmings, reindeer, polar hares and, of course, walruses and seals. The island is also affected by a large number of birds, including snowy owls.

4 Madagascar

When talking about which island is the largest in the world, it is impossible to ignore Madagascar, located near Africa and only recently emerged from the protectorate of France. Currently, the independent republic of Madagascar is located on the island, the government of which is constantly changing as a result of various shocks and military coups.

However, the history of Madagascar is also full of such events. There were attempts to seize the island by force, and various tricks. For some time, Madagascar was even a base for pirates robbing the ships of merchants hurrying to India.

The climate in Madagascar is tropical and monsoonal, which allows many plants to flourish, including many endemics. And the most famous is the fire tree (Royal Delonix) - a ten-meter tree of extraordinary beauty, strewn with bright scarlet flowers.
Among the animals there are also many endemic ones, for example the fossa - something between a puma and a mongoose.

Madagascar is also home to such interesting animals as lemurs (there are more than fifty species of them here!), bristly hedgehogs, chameleons, civets, turtles, a huge number of insects, fish (for example, the famous moray eels), and birds. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to swim here: the coast is full of sharks.

3 Kalimantan

The island of Kalimantan, which occupies third place in the ranking, is often called Borneo - after the name of the state of Brunei, which was once large and powerful, but now occupies only a small part of the island. The rest is shared between Indonesia and Malaya - Kalimantan is the only island on Earth that belongs to three states at once.

Over the centuries, various parts of the island passed under the rule of one state or another; The British, Holland, and even Japan made their mark here in different places and at different times. It was only in the period from the middle to the end of the last century that the modern political status of Kalimantan was established.

The equatorial climate and high humidity are favorable for a huge number of plants and animals, many of which are endemic and have not yet been properly studied. Orchids and carnivorous plants, king cobra and reticulated python, proboscis monkeys and giant flying foxes - you can’t list them all!

A huge hot island in the Pacific Ocean is shared between the states of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The climate is equatorial, there are quite high mountains (up to 4900 m), and an impenetrable strip of mango forests stretches along the coast (it can only be crossed by canoeing).

New Guinea is rich in flora and fauna: there are 11 thousand species of plants (various palm trees, bananas, melon trees, etc.) and more than one and a half thousand animals, including marsupial badgers and birds of paradise. On the island, scientists found a place they called the “Garden of Eden”: there are many unprecedented creatures that are not at all afraid of humans.

1 The largest island is Greenland

Which country owns the largest island in the world? Answer: Denmark. Greenland is its autonomy.

More than 80% of the island is covered by glaciers; From the west and east, outlet glaciers form (descending tongues into the sea), which give rise to icebergs. The highest mountain in the Arctic, Gunbjorn, is located in the east of Greenland. Its height is 3700 m.

The climate is not very harsh, but changeable: in winter the temperature can reach -11 degrees, in summer – about +20, but it is not uncommon for years when the thermometer never crosses zero during the entire summer!

Plants can be found in glacier-free areas. These are mainly meadows, crooked forests, and junipers. But polar animals, fish and insects are quite widely represented: walruses, whales, seals, polar bears, polar deer, seagulls, sharks and dozens of unique endemic beetles (700 species of insects in total).