What is the largest island in the world? If many think of Australia right away, we must know that this country is not classified as an island!
By definition, island is an area surrounded by water. The number of islands in the world would be estimated at almost 300,000 if their size ranges from that of a continent, such as Australia, are taken into account, a few square kilometres like coral islets.
Although continental lands are fully surrounded by water, they are not classified as islands. L’ Australia (7 617 930 km2) is generally considered the smallest of the four, the other three being the Americas, Antarctica and Afro-Eurasia. As a smaller continent, however, Australia remains three times larger than the island that arrives in the first position of the ranking of larger islands in the world !
10. Island of Ellesmere
Photo credit: Wikimedia – Paul Gierszewski
The third largest island in Canada, Ellesmere Island is the northernmost part of the country and has only 146 inhabitants. It houses the most permanently inhabited facility in the North of the world, the Alert Canadian Forces Station. This is a weather and radar station that reminds Canada of the great powers that pass without permission under Canadian ice.
9. Great Britain
Photo credit: Flickr – NASA Goddard
Great Britain is the third most populous island in the world (after Java and Honshū) and the largest island in Europe, with 216,777 km2.
8. Victoria Island
Photo credit: 360Travelling
Just a little larger than Great Britain, this vast island of 217,291 km2 in northern Canada is inhabited by 1,700 souls.
7. Honshū
Photo credit: Wikimedia – Mstyslav Chernov
It is typically the first island that comes to mind when you think about Japan . Honshū houses more than 90 million inhabitants, the vast majority of whom live in the metropolitan area of Tokyo . Its surface area is 230 510 km2.
6. Sumatra
Photo credit: Pixabay – skeeze
The largest island in Indonesia, Sumatra is home to more than 50 million people. With 473 481 km2 of area, this is the seventh largest island in the world.
5. Baffin Island
Photo credit: Wikimedia – Ansgar Walk
Located in the extreme north of Canada , this island has only 10,745 inhabitants and its largest “city” is populated only by 6,000 inhabitants. With an area of 507 451 km2, Baffin Island has a very slightly higher surface than Spain.
4. Madagascar
Photo credit: Wikimedia – Heinonlein
Located in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Southern Africa, Madagascar has flora and fauna among the most interesting in the world. Its surface area is 578 041 km2.
3. Borneo
Photo credit: Flickr – amrufm
The third largest island in the world, Borneo, is divided between three countries: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia . The mountain on the picture above is Mount Kinabalu, the highest point of the island, whose area is 743 330 km2.
2. New Guinea
Photo credit: Wikimedia – Jon Radoff
The second largest island in the world, New Guinea, is home to the largest concentration of languages in the world (over 1000), a large number of isolated tribes and a large amount of unexplored land. With 786 000 km2 of area, New Guinea welcomes part of the Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
1. Greenland
Photo credit: Pixabay – Barni1
Although some scientists think that under the ice surface of Greenland is actually found three separate islands most encyclopedias define Greenland as the largest non-continental island in the world, with its 2,130,800 km2 of area.
So, bluffed? Did you think Australia was the largest island in the world? No! If you are interested in reading other unusual information, you can find 10 highest mountains in the world or even 10 hardest passport stamps to get !
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