An island is a piece of land that is surrounded by water from all sides. It is basically a mini continent like structure if we put this in layman’s terms. Although there is fun living in your city, the pleasure of going on islands on a holiday or vacation is beyond description.
If you are planning a trip to an island or want to know about the largest islands in the world, then read this blog post as we present to you the list of largest islands in the world. The rankings are based on the basis of the area in sq. km.
If you are a frequent traveler, always make your travel insured. Travel Insurance is a must if you are traveling abroad.
List of Largest Islands In The World
Here is the list of largest Islands in the world on the basis of area.
1. Greenland
Starting on with number one, we have Greenland with a total area of 2,130,800 square kilometers. Greenland is the largest island in the world on the basis of the area. Its located between the Arctic and the Atlantic oceans. It’s an autonomous territory of Denmark.
The island houses a population of about 55-56 thousand people. Most of the island is covered by an ice sheet. An unbelievable fact is that Greenland has no roads at all. People feed themselves mainly by hunting animals.
2. New Guinea
New Guinea is the second-largest island in the world with a total area of 785,753 sq km. The population on this island is 11,306,940. The island is separated by a shallow sea from the rest of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the north. It’s an Oceanian country. Its central part has risen into a wide range of mountains known as the Highlands. The world’s only poisonous bird, the Hooded Pitohui is native to New Guinea.
3. Borneo
With a population of 21,258,000 and an area of 743,330 sq km, Borneo is the third-largest island in the world. It is located north of Java, to the east of Sumatra and to the west of Sulawesi. The island is divided politically among three countries: Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia. An intriguing fact about the island is that the world’s 50% timber comes from Borneo. Orangutans can only be found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra.
4. Madagascar
Madagascar is the fourth largest island with a total population of 26,262,313 and a total area of 587,041 sq km. it is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa. Madagascar is a paradise for wildlife lovers. World-famous author Gerald Durrell was a fan of this place and has written about his experiences about Madagascar in his books. It is quite unusual but almost one in ten Malagasies consume marijuana.
5. Baffin Island
With an area of 507,451 sq km and a population of about 13,148, Baffin island ranks 5th in the list of the largest islands around the world. It’s the largest island in Canada. It is home to two national parks and a well-known bird sanctuary. The island is rich in snowy animals. It’s the place almost every Canadian has heard of but few have actually seen the place. It was originally called Helluland.
6. Sumatra
The island entirely belongs to Indonesia and with an area of 473,481 sq km and a population of 58,455,800, ranks 6th in the list. It is home to some of the very rare species like the orangutan. It is home to the largest flower- the Rafflesia Arnoldii. The island is renowned for having the world’s most endangered species in flora and fauna alike. Its name is derived from 3 Sanskrit words.
7. Honshu
Ranking on no.7, Honshu is a populous island of Japan. It has an area of 227,960 sq km and houses 104,000,000 people. It is located south of Hokkaido. Honshu has many mountains and has many volcanoes. The majority of Japan’s silk and tea come from Honshu. It is known mostly for its population, seafood, skiing, and hot springs. Honshu is the center of power in Japan.
8. Victoria Island
With an area of 217,291 sq km and with a population of just 2,162 people, Victoria Island ranks eighth on our list. It lies in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It contains the world’s largest island under an island. It is one of the most luxurious places to live or have a business. Its the home of entertainment in Lagos. It was originally called “Wollaston Land”. It is slightly larger than the island of Great Britain. The island was named after Queen Victoria.
9. Great Britain
With an area of 209,331 sq km and a total population of 60,800,000 people, Great Britain comes 9th on our list. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. It’s the largest British island. It’s the world’s third most populous island. Britain houses 25 species of the bumblebee. Great Britain is famous for many things like David Beckham, Big Ben, Fish and Chips, black cabs, the Beatles and much more.
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10. Ellesmere Island
This island is a part of the Canadian territory. It is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands. It has an area of 196,235 sq km and a population of just 191 people. It is Canada’s third-biggest island and tenth biggest island globally. The island is scarcely populated. There are no permanent families as such. The area is occupied for the purpose of research, military and weather stations. The Vikings are believed to have visited the island during the 10th century.
11. Sulawesi
It is one of the four Greater Sunda islands and is governed by Indonesia. It is situated east of Borneo. The name is made up of “sula” meaning island and “besi” meaning iron. The area of the island is 174,600 sq km. the island houses 19,573,800 people. There are few active volcanoes here. It is also home to some unique plants and animals.
12. South Island
With an area of 150,437 sq km and housing a population of 1,138,000 people, South island comes last in our list. This is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand. It is bordered by Cook Strait. Approximately 60% of the island is covered by mountain ranges. There are more than 3000 glaciers on the South Island.
Read More, Best Caribbean islands
Although there are many other islands in the world, this article was only about the top 12 largest islands in the world. You can visit most of these islands except for some due to extreme weather conditions.
