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Largest Islands of the World

This article lists the top ten largest islands in the world. Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo are among the largest islands and learn about them here.

Islands are surrounded by water and are among the most beautiful places. These landmasses provide spectacular sunrises and sunsets and the opportunity to spend time alone. Although we often think of islands as little landmasses, the fact is that the largest islands in the world are huge and home to a significant portion of the world’s population. An island is nothing but a small percentage of an area surrounded by water on all sides. We’ll look at the top 10 largest islands in this article.

The Largest Islands to Visit: Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo

Greenland

Greenland is the largest island, and it has a total land area of 2.16 million square kilometres, which includes several small offshore islands. The island is located in the far North, to the East of the Baffin Bay, which separates northern Canada from the rest of the world. 

A massive sheet of ice covers the majority of the island, over 1.8 million square kilometres. Greenland’s population is 57,000, most of whom are Inuit, and the island is one of the ten largest islands in the world.

Luzon

The Philippines’ main island, Luzon, is one of the largest in the world. It is also the country’s most populated island and a part of a large island group that encompasses a diverse range of people and ethnic groups. This island is the world’s fourth most populated, with several cities, including Manila, the capital. The island is in Southeast Asia.

Papua New Guinea

New Guinea’s island has shores on both sides with world-famous diving spots and beautiful coral and fish. Divers can also dive and find World War II aviation wreckage and shipwrecks. As a result, it is ranked third out of the top ten largest islands globally.

Borneo

Although about 73% of Borneo is Indonesian territory, the world’s third-largest island is divided into three nations. Brunei’s sovereign state accounts for only 1% of the island’s total area, with the rest belonging to Malaysia as the world’s largest island.

Victoria Island 

Victoria Island is a large island wholly within the Arctic Circle, and it also has the world’s largest island within an island. Despite being larger than 36 of the 50 US states, Victoria Island has a population of fewer than 2,000 people. There are thousands of caribou and musk-ox, both of which are unique to Canada. The Victoria Island caribou periodically traverses the sea to feed on the Canadian mainland.

Baffin Island 

Baffin Island, the world’s fifth-largest island and Canada’s largest is located in Canadian territory. Many of the tallest peaks of Baffin Island are more than 2,000 meters above sea level, and Iqaluit is the largest city on the island. The island is home ground to some of the world’s largest lakes, and the ice sheets cover the bulk of the island all year.

Sumatra

The island, completely within Indonesia, is the world’s sixth-largest, and Medan is the largest city, while Kerinci is the highest peak. The rainforest is home to different types of flora and wildlife, and the temperature is hot and tropical. 

The island’s beautiful rainforests and unusual animal species, such as the Sumatran Tiger and Sumatran Elephant, make it worth visiting. Unfortunately, considerable deforestation has occurred in this area, resulting in the extinction of several animal species in recent years. 

Ellesmere

Due to its adjacency to the North pole, Ellesmere Island is quite close to Greenland, yet it is fully covered by ice sheets and is not a good area to dwell. The island has just 146 residents, 141 of which live in Grise Fiord (Ellesmere’s main city). The highest point is Barbeau Peak, which is 2,616 metres. 

Madagascar

Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island, located off the shoreline of Mozambique in southern Africa. Despite its slightly bigger size, its population is about 2,000 times that of Baffin Island. Over 27 million people live on the vast island. The island is known for its unique and diverse species, with 90% of it being found nowhere else. Mountains, plains, lowlands, marshes, and other geological features may be found across this territory. The island, however, is plagued by severe environmental issues such as floods, erosion, and pollution.

The United Kingdom

This island, one of the top 10 largest islands globally, is also the largest in Europe and the British Isles. With 61 million inhabitants, Great Britain is the world’s third most populous island. The majority of the United Kingdom is located on a vast and densely populated island off the northwest coast of continental Europe.

Until roughly 8,000-10,000 years ago, this island is thought to have been connected to continental Europe. Today, Great Britain is the world’s third most populous island, and its population is continually growing.

Conclusion 

An island is the best place if you want to find peace, and the waves will make your mind feel relaxed. In this article, we have covered all the information related to the ten largest islands in the world. There are thousands of islands, but the islands mentioned above are the largest and most beautiful worldwide.

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Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the UPSC Examination Preparation.

Which is the world's largest island?

Ans. Greenland is the world’s largest island, and it stretches across 2,175,597 square kilometres.

What is the largest populated island in the world?

Ans. Majuli is the largest populated island in the Brahmaputra River.

Which of the world's islands is the tiniest?

Ans. Lakshadweep is indeed the smallest of the Indian Ocean islands.

Which island is also a continent?

Ans. Australia is an island, but it is also considered a continent.