Islands are pieces of land that offer an isolated life opportunity for people because they are separated by seas thanks to large pieces of land.
No matter how large the islands are, the islanders living on them experience a different sense of independence. There are many large and small islands in the world. So which is the largest island in the world?
Before we answer your question, we would like to talk about a few important issues. As we know, the lands of many countries are only made up of islands. Each island has different characteristics according to its geographical location. The part of the island that is the farthest from the nearest land is the islands with more freedom. Due to the fact that the industrialization expenditures on these islands do not have much future, village life is maintained in the island geography and they are known as very interesting places for people in search of natural life. Especially in the islands located near the equator line, it can decorate the dreams of most people thanks to its different and more livable climates.
When we dream of the days when we wake up with the sea air all the time, the living spaces of these islands can seem like heaven to us. For people living on some islands, this may not be so nice. Some island conditions are not as beautiful as in dreams, and island life becomes very difficult. Especially in regions with polar climate, people prefer to live on mainland parts rather than islands.
If we need to get back to the answer to your question, we have researched the largest island in the world for you and we are explaining the list of the largest islands. Since some islands are quite large in terms of surface area, it can make people feel like they are not an island. Here we have examined the 10 largest islands in the world for you.
10. Ellesmere Island – Arctic Ocean
Ellesmere Island is an island located in the Arctic Ocean and within the borders of Canada. Due to its location on the polar region, its population is negligible. Known as the largest island in the world, Ellesmere Island is Canada’s 3rd largest island with a surface area of 196,235 km². Due to the very cold and icy climate, the population of the island was 146 in the 2006 census. Since many sides of this island are covered with glaciers, it cannot be said that it is very suitable for sightseeing. Unfortunately, this island, which is affected by global warming, is in danger of melting glaciers.
9. Victoria Island – Arctic Ocean
Victoria Island, which is the second largest island of Canada, is known as the 9th largest island in the world with an area of 217.291 km². Located by the Canadian Arctic Islands region, this island is located on the Northwest side between Nunavut and Canada. Covering a very large area in terms of surface area, this island is separated from Ellesmere Island in terms of settlement. There are various houses and tourist facilities on this island with a milder climate. This island, which has been making a living from fishing for years, has gained significant income thanks to tourism today. This island, which is extremely easy due to its own airport, is also known as a safe place for tourism. Victoria Island, which is a must-see place for those who are interested in tropical life, has an average temperature of 24-30 degrees every season.
8. Great Britain – North Atlantic
Great Britain is located in the middle of Europe, east of the island of Ireland. This entire island is under British control and, as the name suggests, is the largest island in the British Isles. With a surface area of 218,595 km², this island is very close to its closest rival, Victoria Island, in terms of surface area. As we all know, you can miss the sun for a long time in this region, which has a very rainy climate. Great Britain, which is very dense in population, including London, one of the largest metropolises in the world, and all other British cities, is a central place where most commercial activities are located. Although the Welsh and Scottish parts of the island are relatively empty and rural, it has a very dense settlement in general.
7. Honshu – Pacific Northwest
Known as the 7th largest island in the world, Honshu forms a large part of Japan’s borders. The population of this island, which is also one of the largest islands in Japan, is also very dense. With a surface area of 227,962.59 km², it constitutes 60% of all Japan’s land. This island has attracted attention with the earthquake that took place in 2011 and the Tsunami that took place right after it. Earthquakes are constantly occurring on this island, which is a very mountainous area. At the same time, life on this island, where many volcanic activities take place, is so abundant that it is possible to see large skyscrapers in its cities. Cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Fukushima and Hiroshima, which are among the largest cities in the country, are located on this island. This island, which has just recently covered the nuclear effects of World War II, has entered the nuclear cleansing process again with the Tsunami disaster that occurred on Fukushima in 2011.
6. Sumatra – Indian Ocean
Sumatra, located in the westernmost part of the Greater Sunda Archipelago, is located within the borders of Indonesia. Known as the 6th largest island in the world, this island is the largest island in Indonesia. Known as the largest city on the island, Medan has a population of 2,400,000. Many temples can be visited as a tourist attraction on this island, which has been home to ancient Chinese civilizations in historical times. There are also many gold mines on this island. The people of Sumatran generally live in villages. Its people are quite poor since they were under the Dutch colony until recently. Indonesia finally declared its independence by resisting in the war of independence.
5. Baffin Island – Arctic Ocean
Baffin Island, one of Canada’s largest islands, is known as the 5th largest island in the world. It has a surface area of 507,451 km². It is known as a bird paradise with its 431 bird species. Known as the largest of the Arctic islands, Baffin Island is partially covered by glaciers. Igaluit, one of the largest cities on the island, contains almost the entire population of the island. Its tourism is very active, especially thanks to the tourists who come to visit the northern lights. Dog sleds are still used on this island. It is one of the islands that must be visited for people who love winter tourism.
4. Madagascar – Indian Ocean
Madagascar, known as one of the largest islands in the world with a surface area of 587,713 km², is also known as an island country. Its official name is the Republic of Madagascar and it is a country from the African continent. Mozambique is the closest country to this country, which has no borders due to the fact that it has no territory other than the island. Antananarivo, the capital of the country, also has the country’s most densely populated population. The presence of many endemic plants unique to the island provides many botanists from other countries to come to research. We can say that if you go to this island as a tourist, which fascinates people who go as a tourist with its plants, you will be impressed by these images.
3. Borneo – Indian Ocean
The island of Borneo, with a surface area of 748,168 km², is known as the 3rd largest island in the world. This island, which is inhabited by the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, is located in Southeast Asia. The island was named by Dutch travelers and is home to the world’s largest underground river corridor. Almost all of the island is surrounded by rainforest, which contains many endemic plant and animal species. It is a very interesting place due to its natural beauties and home to different kinds of animals. The clarity of the waters is almost dazzling, and the climate is also quite warm.
2. New Guinea – Western Pacific
Located in the north of Australia, New Guinea is the second largest island in the world with an area of 785,753 km². With its face measurement, it covers an area larger than Turkey’s face measurement. On the eastern side of the island is the independent state of Papua New Guinea. To the west is Indonesia. There are different tourist facilities on this island, which offers a quiet and calm environment due to the absence of a very dense residential area.
1. Greenland – Arctic Ocean
Source : pixabay.com
Known as the world’s largest island, Greenland, although an autonomous region of Denmark, left the European Union at its own will. 80% of the island is covered with glaciers, most of the remaining surface area is unsuitable for agriculture. Covering a large area of 2,130,800 km², this island is almost the same as Sweden, even if the glaciers are removed. The most densely populated city on this island, which has a population of around 57,000, is the capital city of Nuuk. Apart from the local people living in the region, there are also Scandinavian people. In some parts of this island, which is extremely cold in winter, the temperature does not rise above 0 degrees even in summer. Even though they are geographically close to the Americas, most of them establish their relations with Europe. The people of the island speak Danish as well as their native language.
