Definition of island or what is called an island?

The area or land surrounded by water (water) from all sides is called island or island. There are many types of islands and they are formed due to many natural causes. Greenland is the largest island in the world. Madagascar is the smallest island in the world.

How many types of islands are there?

There are mainly three types of islands:

  • Continental island
  • Ocean Island
  • Tropical Island

How many islands are there in the world:

India has a total of 247 islands under its jurisdiction, out of which 204 islands are located in the Bay of Bengal. The islands in the Bay of Bengal are located as an enlarged part of the Tertiary Period ranges, while the islands in the Arabian Sea consist of the remains of coral or ancient hardwoods.

Near the coast in the Arabian Sea, i.e. up to a distance of 1 to 5 km, there are many rock formation islands like Piram, Belon Henre, Canare, Butcher, Elephanta, Arnala, Bhatkal, etc. The islands located close to the coast in the Bay of Bengal are Sagar Island (Gangasagar), New Moore Island, Pamban Island, Sriharikota Island, Hair Island (coral-made) etc., while off the coast are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which extend over 8300 km. are in the area.

Located in the Bay of Bengal, this region is a group of about 200 small and big islands. There are about 20 large islands in the Andaman group, which extend to a distance of 350 km. Similarly, there are 19 larger islands than the Nicobad Islands, some of which are 60 to 100 km in length.

The major islands are - Big Andaman, North Andaman, Central Andaman, South Andaman, Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Great Nicobar, Tilanchong, Chanumta, Teresa, Kamorta, Kachal, Nan Karoti, Triket Island etc. Some of these islands have their origin from lava emanating from volcanic eruptions.

Let's know the list of major islands of the world:

Island name Place Area
Greenland North Atlantic (Danish) 2175597 (Sq. Km)
New Guinea South west pacific ocean 800311 (Sq. Km)
Borneo West central pacific 744108 (Sq. Km)
Madagascar Indian Ocean (Republic of Malagasy) 587931 (Sq. Km)
Buffin North Atlantic (Canada) 507451 (Sq. Km)
Sumatra North East Indian Ocean 473605 (Sq. Km)
Honshu Pacific Ocean and Japanese Sea 230966 (Sq. Km)
Great Britain Coast of north-west europe 229979 (sq. km)
Victoria Arctic Ocean 217291 (Sq. Km)
Ellesmere Arctic Ocean 196236 (sq. km)
Sulawesi (celebs) West central pacific 189218 (sq. km)
South Island South Pacific Ocean (New Zealand) 151215 (sq. km)
Java Indian ocean 132189 (sq. km)
North Island South Pacific Ocean (New Zealand) 115778 (sq. km)
Cuba Caribbean Sea (Republic) 110860 (sq. km)
Hispaniola Caribbean Sea 75887 (sq. km)
Bank Arctic Ocean 70028 (sq. km)
Tasmania South Australia 67858 (sq. km)
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) Indian ocean 64491 (sq. km)
Devon Arctic Ocean 55247 (sq. km)
Tierra del fuego Southern end of south america 48187 (sq. km)
Axel heiberg Arctic Ocean 43178 (sq. km)
Melville Arctic Ocean 42149 (sq. km)
Kyushu Pacific Ocean and Japanese Sea 42018 (sq. km)
Southampton Hudson's Bay 41214 (sq. km)

Now practice related questions and see what you learnt?

Major Islands of the World GK Questions and Answers 🔗

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Island Area FAQs:

The most densely populated continent in the world is Asia. Along with this, it is also the world's largest continent in terms of size, which is located in the Northern Hemisphere and the Asian continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

A group of islands located close to each other is called Archipelago. Islands are those plots which are surrounded by water without being connected to any continent.

The continent of Australia is the smallest continent of the Earth which has been the smallest in size and the most aborted. Its total area is about 7.6 million square kilometers (2.9 million sq mi).

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and the largest island in Asia. It is divided into the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

The largest river island in the world is Majuli, located on the Brahmaputra River in the Indian state of Assam. Majuli is formed when the course of the river splits into several channels, forming a huge river island. It is known for its rich biodiversity, unique culture and presence of many Vaishnava mathas.

  Last update :  Fri 14 Oct 2022
  Post Views :  18871
  Post Category :  Physical Geography of India