Do you know how many times the most big Island Is Russia smaller than the largest island in the world? Read the post and find out.

No. 10. Ellesmere (Canada) - 196,236 km2

Ellesmere is the most north island Canada is one of the ten largest islands in terms of area in the world. Due to the harsh climate, the population of the island is about 150 people. The remains of prehistoric animals have been repeatedly found on the territory of Ellesmere. The first settlers were nomads from Siberia. In 1250, the Thule people, the ancestors of the Eskimos, settled on the territory. But by the middle of the 18th century, the island became deserted. The island was discovered in 1616 by the English navigator William Baffin.

No. 9. Victoria (Canada) - 217,291 km2

In ninth place in terms of area is Victoria Island (Canada). The island was discovered in 1838 during the expedition of the British explorer Thomas Simpson. In the 50s of the 20th century, there were several settlements on the island in which meteorologists lived. By the end of the 20th century, the population increased to detect the Eskimo settlers who took up fishing activities here.

No. 8. Honshu (Japan) - 227,970 km2

Honshu is the largest island in the Japanese archipelago and is the 8th largest island in the world. The largest Japanese cities are located on the island of Honshu: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc. The island is covered with many volcanoes, some of them active. The population of the island is over 103 million people.

No. 7. United Kingdom (UK) - 229,848 km2

Great Britain ranks 7th in the list of the largest islands in the world and is the largest island among british isles and in Europe as a whole. The beginning of the history of Great Britain is considered the period of the Roman conquest in 43 BC, but the island had an earlier history. Great Britain was inhabited by the Noto people several hundred thousand years ago. Modern man arrived in the British Isles before the start of the last ice age, but retreated in Southern Europe because of the glaciers that cover the territory of the island. According to archaeological finds, after 12,000 BC. e. The British Isles were repopulated. Around 4000 BC e. the island was inhabited by people of the Neolithic culture. To date, the population of the island of Great Britain is more than 61 million people, which makes it the most densely populated area in Europe.

No. 6. Sumatra (Indonesia) - 443,066 km2

Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world. It is located in two hemispheres at once, since the Equator passes almost in the middle of the island. The island belongs to Indonesia and is part of the Malay Archipelago. It is located in a zone of frequent earthquakes and tsunamis. To date, the population of the island of Sumatra is more than 50 million people. The main cities of Sumatra: Medan, Palembang, Padang. People of many nationalities live in Sumatra, about 90% profess Islam. Approximately 73 thousand years ago, the Toba volcano exploded on the island of Sumatra. This event resulted in 1800 years of ice age and the reduction of the human population to 2000 people. The name of the island comes from the Sanskrit word samudra - "ocean" or "sea".

No. 5. Baffin Island (Canada) - 507,451 km2

Baffin Island is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world. Due to the harsh climatic conditions of the island, the population is about 11 thousand people. The largest settlement of the island is Iqaluit. The first description of the island was made by William Baffin in 1616, and the island was named after him.

No. 4. Madagascar (Madagascar) - 587,713 km2

The fourth line of the ranking is occupied by the island of Madagascar. Located in the Indian Ocean east coast Africa. The island is the state of Madagascar (the capital of Antananarivo). To date, the population of the island of Madagascar is more than 24 million people. The locals call Madagascar the red island because of the color of the soil. More than half of the animals living in Madagascar cannot be found on the mainland, and 90% of the plants are endemic.

No. 3. Kalimantan (Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei) - 748,168 km2

Kalimantan or Borneo is the third largest island in the world. It is divided between 3 states: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The island is located in the center of the Malay Archipelago. Kalimantan in the local language means diamond river. It is named so due to its rich resources, in particular a large number diamonds. The first people settled in Kalimantan about 40 thousand years ago. To date, the population of the island is about 20 million people. More than 300 ethnic groups live on the island.

No. 2. New Guinea (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea) - 785,753 km2

New Guinea ranks second in the ranking. New Guinea is divided between papua new guinea and Indonesia. There are still places in New Guinea where no man has been. This place attracts researchers of flora and fauna, as they can meet the rarest species of animals and plants here. It is home to over 11,000 plant species, 600 unique bird species, over 400 amphibian species, 455 butterfly species, and about 100 known species mammals. New Guinea has been inhabited by humans since at least 45,000 BC. e. from Asia. More than a thousand Papuan-Melanesian tribes originated from the first settlers. The absence of large animals suitable for domestication on the island hindered the development of agriculture and made cattle breeding impossible. This contributed to the preservation of the primitive communal system in large areas of New Guinea up to the present day. The mountainous landscape contributed to the isolation of people from each other, as a result of which a huge variety of languages ​​\u200b\u200bappeared on the island. New Guinea was discovered by the Portuguese Don Jorge de Menezes, who landed on the island in 1526. According to legend, he gave the island the name "Papua", which translates as curly, this is due to the curly hair of the local natives. To date, the population of the island of New Guinea is more than 9.5 million people. On the territory of New Guinea, there is an ancient agricultural settlement of Cook, showing the isolated development of agriculture over 7-10 millennia and included in the List world heritage UNESCO.

No. 1. Greenland (Denmark) - 2,130,800 km2

The largest island in the world is Greenland. The Green Country, as this island is also called, belongs to Denmark. Due to ice cover (84% of the surface) and unfavorable climatic conditions most of the island is uninhabited. To date, the population of Greenland is more than 57 thousand people. The largest settlement of the island is Nuuk (Gothob). Several thousand years before the arrival of Europeans, the Greenlandic Eskimos, who call themselves Inuit, lived on the island. The Inuit have adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic climate and feel quite comfortable. They have been fishing and hunting for centuries. Of the Europeans, the Norman Gunbjorn was the first to enter the island in 875. In 982, Erik Raudi settled on the island with several comrades, expelled from Iceland for the crimes he had committed. Later they were joined by the Norwegian Vikings. In 983, the first Norman colony was founded in Greenland. After the settlement of Greenland by Europeans, the island was repeatedly passed from hand to hand. Until 1536, the island belonged to Norway, then became part of Denmark, in accordance with the union between Denmark and Norway. In 1721, a Danish colony called Gotthob was officially established on the island. In 1814, after the dissolution of the union between Norway and Denmark, Greenland became wholly the possession of Denmark. The main activity of the people of Greenland is fishing. But at the end of the 20th century, reindeer and sheep breeding and oil production appeared. Tourism and air transport play an important role. More than 20,000 tourists visit Greenland every year.

12/1/2015 at 00:40 · pavlofox · 27 620

Top 10 largest islands in the world

An island is a piece of land separated from other continents. There are more than half a million such land areas on planet Earth. And some may disappear, others appear. So the youngest island appeared in 1992 as a result of a volcanic ejection. But some of them are striking in their scale. In the ranking largest islands in the world 10 most impressive positions on .

10. Ellesmere | 196 thousand sq. km

Opens ten largest islands in the world. Its territory belongs to Canada. It is the third largest island of this state with an area of ​​just over 196 thousand square kilometers. This piece of land is located north of all the Canadian islands. Due to the harsh climatic conditions, it is sparsely populated by people (on average, the number of inhabitants is 200 people), but is of great value to archaeologists, as the remains of ancient animals are constantly found there. The land has been frozen over since the Ice Age.

9. Victoria | 217 thousand sq. km

Ninth place among most major island ov on the ground takes . Like Ellesmere, Victoria belongs to the Canadian Isles. It got its name from Queen Victoria. The land area is 217 thousand square kilometers. and washed by the waters of the Arctic Ocean. The island is famous for its numerous lakes of fresh water. The surface of the entire island has practically no hills. And only two settlements settled in its territory. The population density is very low, with just over 1,700 people living in this zone.

8. Honshu | 28 thousand sq. km

Ranked eighth the largest islands located, belonging to the Japanese archipelago. It occupies an area of ​​228 thousand sq. km. The largest Japanese cities, including the capital of the state, are located on this island. The most high mountain, which is a symbol of the country - Fujiyama is also located on Honshu. The island is covered with mountains and there are many volcanoes on it, including active ones. Due to the mountainous terrain, the climate on the island is very changeable.
The territory is densely populated. According to the latest data, the population is about 100 million people. This factor puts Honshu in second place among the islands in terms of population.

7. UK | 230 thousand sq. km

ranked seventh on the list largest islands in the world, is also the largest among the British Isles and in Europe as a whole. Its territory occupies 230 thousand sq. km, where 63 million people live. Great Britain owns the bulk of the United Kingdom. The high population makes the UK the third largest island in the world in terms of the number of inhabitants. And it is the most densely populated region in Europe. Located on the island and the capital of the Kingdom - London. The climate is more temperate than in other lands in this natural area. This is due to the warm current of the Gulf Stream.

6. Sumatra | 43 thousand sq. km

settled in the sixth position of the ranking largest islands in the world. The equator divides Summatra into two almost equal halves, so it is located in two hemispheres at once. The area of ​​the island is more than 443 thousand sq. km, where more than 50 million people live. The island belongs to Indonesia and is part of the Malay Archipelago. Sumatra is immersed in tropical vegetation and washed by warm waters indian ocean. It is located in a zone of frequent earthquakes and tsunamis. Sumatra has large deposits of precious metals.

5. Baffin Island | 500 thousand sq. km

Opens the top five largest islands. This is the largest island in Canada, the territory of which exceeds 500 thousand square kilometers. It is covered with numerous lakes, but only half inhabited by people. The population of the island is only about 11 thousand people. This is due to the harsh climatic conditions of the Arctic. Average annual temperature stays at -8 degrees. Here the weather is dictated by the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Baffin Island is cut off from the mainland. The only way to reach the island is by air.

4. Madagascar | 587 thousand sq. km

Next on the list the most impressive islands in terms of area - Madagascar. The island is located east of Africa, once it was part of the Hindustan peninsula. They are separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. The area of ​​the site and the state of the same name Madagascar is more than 587 thousand sq. km. with a population of 20 million. Locals call Madagascar the red island (the color of the island soil) and the boar (due to the large population of wild boars). More than half of the animals living in Madagascar are not found on the mainland, and 90% of the plants are found only in this geographical area.

3. Kalimantan | 748 thousand sq. km

The third level of the rating largest islands in the world occupied with an area of ​​748 thousand sq. km. and with 16 million inhabitants. This island has another common name - Borneo. Kalimantan occupies the center of the Malay Archipelago and belongs to three states at once: Indonesia (most of it), Malaysia and Brunei. Borneo is washed by four seas and covered with dense tropical forests, which are considered the oldest in the world. The attraction of Borneo is the most high point South-East Asia- Mount Kinabalu with a height of 4 thousand meters. The island is rich natural resources in particular diamonds, which gave it its name. Kalimantan in the local language means diamond river.

2. New Guinea | 786 thousand sq. km

- second place on the list largest islands in the world. 786 thousand sq. km. located in the Pacific Ocean between Australia and Asia. Scientists believe that the island was once part of Australia. The population is approaching the 8 million mark. New Guinea is divided between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The name of the island was given by the Portuguese. "Papua", which translates as curly, is associated with the curly hair of the local Aborigines. There are still places in New Guinea where no man has been. This place attracts researchers of flora and fauna, as they can meet here the rarest species of animals and.

1. Greenland | 2130 thousand sq. km

The largest island in the world is Greenland. Its area exceeds that of many European states and is 2130 thousand sq. km. Greenland is part of Denmark, and several dozen times larger than the mainland of this state. Green, as this island is also called, is washed by the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Because of weather conditions most of it is not inhabited (about 57 thousand people live), and is covered with ice. Glaciers contain huge reserves of fresh water. In terms of the number of glaciers, it is second only to Antarctica. Greenlandic national park considered the northernmost and largest in the world.

Readers' Choice:

Islands are the most exciting and mysterious geographic features. Imagine: a piece of land surrounded on all sides by water. You can sail or fly to it and live all alone, not depending on civilization. Perhaps this is what attracted and beckoned people at all times.

Suffice it to recall how many times they were mentioned in art: Mysterious Island, Doctor Moreau Island, Treasure Island, Avalon, desert island Robinson Crusoe, Neverland... But few of them can contain as many secrets and mysteries as real ones. And the larger the island, the more secrets and mysteries it contains. And just imagine how much the largest islands can accommodate ... That's what we'll talk about today.

Greenland, 2,130,800 km²

This largest island surpasses most modern states in area. He's only three times smaller than Australia, even the smallest, but still a continent.

This geographical miracle belongs to Denmark, which is several times smaller than its island, it covers an area of ​​just over 43 thousand square kilometers. Such an island could significantly increase the area of ​​the state, if not for its climate and topography: more than 80% of its area is covered by an ice sheet. Which is not surprising, given that it is located in close proximity to the North Pole and is washed by the waters of the Arctic and partially - Atlantic Oceans.

And it's not photoshop

This makes it one of the most beautiful, majestic, vibrant - and uninhabited places in the world, with only 15,000 people living there. The landscapes of Greenland are breathtaking, they are so beautiful. But few people can live there, because even in summer the temperature rises a little above zero. And there is nothing to say about winter, -40-50 degrees is a normal phenomenon.

Nevertheless, tourists from all over the world come here to admire the scenery, see with their own eyes majestic ice, to observe the living worlds of this harsh, inhospitable, but such beautiful island. The summer months are especially good for this, when you can admire the white nights.

New Guinea, 786,000 km²

New Guinea is a completely different matter, because this large island is located entirely in the western part of Pacific Ocean. Tropical climate, bright diverse and rich nature, warm sea, exotic tribes - this island can offer everyone entertainment to their taste.

Interestingly, New Guinea is one of the few islands divided between states. Part of this beauty went to Papua New Guinea, part to Indonesia. Each of these states would like to get everything, but even half is not bad either.

Even has its own volcano

New Guinea can be called one of the last unexplored corners of the world on Earth. Only recently, scientists discovered an area on the island that they called New Eden. Here they were waiting for dozens of unknown or previously considered extinct species of animals and plants. Interestingly, the inhabitants of this Garden of Eden were not at all afraid of people.

Kalimantan, 743,330 km²

Another champion island, taking an honorable third place thanks to its 743,330 square kilometers of area. In terms of area, it is slightly behind New Guinea, but not in terms of the beauty of landscapes and the richness of nature.

Its area is divided between three states: Indonesia got more than 70%, Malaysia took almost the entire remainder, and Brunei received only a small area.

If there is heaven on Earth, then it must be here

The equator passes through Kalimantan, and its climate is appropriate - humid and hot. Therefore, more than 80% of its area is occupied by wild tropical forests, in which the same wild tribes of headhunters live. True, now they have become more civilized, they do not rush at tourists, but they are happy to show them martial dances and sell souvenirs.

Madagascar, 587,041 km²

What modern person has not heard about Madagascar? After the release of the animated film of the same name, this largest island in the Indian Ocean has become the dream of many travelers.

The main attraction and wealth of Madagascar is its inhabitants. Flora and fauna are 80% endemic - species that are found only here and nowhere else. Numerous lemurs (and their Majesty King Julian!), giant fosses, bats and common mice, geckos, chameleons and turtles - botanists and zoologists are thrilled, publishing study after study. But still, there are regular reports of the discovery of another new species.

But even if you are not too interested in the animal and plant world, the beaches with crystal clear water will give you a truly heavenly vacation.

Baffin Island, 476,000 km²

This cold and inhospitable island closes the top five largest islands in terms of area. But in terms of climate, it is more like the first one - just as frosty and windy, but bewitching and attractive with its harsh beauty.

Cold, windy, frosty, uncomfortable. But how beautiful!

Like many others big islands, it is extremely sparsely populated. Only about 15 thousand people live on it, who could call it home.

This island belongs to Canada, but besides the Canadians, other "inhabitants" live here - the Scandinavian gods. Mount Tora is one of the highest cliffs in the world. It is unlikely that the thunder god really lives on this peak, but who forbids thinking so? And there is nothing to say about the table mountain Asgard.

Of course, these are not all the largest islands. They are scattered around the world, some belong to Indonesia, others to Japan. Smaller ones are scattered all over the world. But each of them has its own special nature, its own character and its own soul.

It would be even more interesting to visit the largest peninsula, but this is the goal for the next trip. And it will definitely be, but a little later.

There are countless islands in the world. They differ from each other geographic location relatively, methods of formation and sizes. Island territories account for 6% of the Earth's land area. No matter how large the islands are, they are significantly smaller than the smallest mainland. This article provides a list and short description ten largest islands of the planet in ascending order of area.

10 Ellesmere

Area 196,235 km². The island is located in northern Canada. The length is 830 km, the width is 645 km. The origin of Ellesmere is continental, it lies on the Canadian Geological Shield. Most of the island is covered by glaciers, with Hazen located in the northern part. The vegetation is dominated by mosses and lichens, trees and shrubs are absent. The animal world is represented by polar hares, deer Caribou Piri. AT summer period many birds nest on the island. The population does not exceed two hundred people. The island belongs to Canada.

9. UK

Area 209,331 km². The island is located in the northeast Atlantic, it has a continental origin. Forests occupy a tenth of the territories. Most often there are pine and birch forests. Now 56 species of mammals live on the island. The territory belongs to the state of Great Britain, and is inhabited mainly by the British, Scots, Irish and Welsh.

8. Victoria

Area 217,291 km². Like Ellesmere, Victoria is in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The length of the island is 700 km, and the width varies from 564 to 623 km. By origin, Victoria is a mainland island. Vegetable world scarce due to harsh climatic conditions. You can find mosses, lichens, non-flowering plants. Victoria is home to polar bears, arctic foxes, musk oxen. Seabirds nest on the coast. The population is represented by the Eskimos; Anglo-Canadians and French-Canadians are serving at the border outpost. The island belongs to Canada.

7. Honshu

Area 225,800 km². Honshu is one of the four major islands of Japan. The length is 1300 km, the width varies from 50 to 230 km. The island was formed due to the activity of underwater volcanoes. The flora of subtropical forests grows on Honshu: pine, cypress, arborvitae, oak. In the northern part you can see maple, linden, elm, ash. The small composition of the animal world is explained by the isolation of the island from the continent. Honshu is inhabited by brown bears, raccoon dogs, wild boars, badgers, and foxes. The population is over one hundred million people. The island belongs to Japan.

6. Sumatra

Area 473,481 km². The island is located in Western Indonesia, it is part of the Malay Archipelago. It is 1790 km long and 435 km wide. Sumatra is an oceanic island in origin. Due to the humid climate, tropical forests predominate. They grow oak, laurel, chestnut, ficus and palm. A wide variety is animal world. There are 196 species of mammals, 250 species of reptiles. The territory is densely populated, Indonesians, Thais, Chinese, Vietnamese live here. Sumatra belongs to Indonesia.

5. Baffin land

Area 507,451 km². The territory is located in northern Canada. Like other islands in the Canadian Archipelago, Baffin Island is of continental origin. Due to the cold climate, the flora is quite scarce. The animal world is represented by seals, walruses, arctic foxes, lemmings, reindeer and polar bears. The territory belongs to Canada. Most of the population are Eskimos. Anglo-Canadians and French-Canadians come to watch.

4. Madagascar

Area 587,041 km². The territory is located off the southeast coast of Africa. The length exceeds 1500 km, the width is 400 km. The island is of continental origin. Millions of years ago, Madagascar separated from the continent of Gondwana. A tropical climate prevails here. The island has preserved unique representatives of flora and fauna. The symbols of Madagascar are baobabs, fire trees, pandanuses. Lemurs are considered the most recognizable animals of the island. The entire territory of the island is under the control of the Republic of Madagascar. Most of the population is Malagasy.

3. Kalimantan

Area 743,330 km². The island is located in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean. The length is approximately 1100 km. Kalimantan was formed as a result of the movement of the continents, and has a continental origin. The average annual temperature is +26°C. The island has high humidity, it often rains. These conditions made it possible for numerous plants to develop. There are 2000 species of trees and palms here. Rhinos, elephants, tapirs live on the island. Unique animals are flying dogs, dwarf anoa bulls, Malay bears. The world of birds and reptiles is diverse. Kalimantan is divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. More than three hundred ethnic groups live on the island.

2. New Guinea

Area 785,753 km². The island is located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. The length exceeds 1600 km, and the maximum width is about 700 km. New Guinea is of continental origin. The island is dominated by evergreen savannas. They grow ficus, bamboo, mango, breadfruit. New Guinea has a lot of reptiles, crocodiles, chameleons, alligators. The world of mammals has 180 species, most of them are. The island is divided between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Most of the population are Papuans.

1. Greenland

Area 2,130,800 km². Greenland is located in the northeast of, and is the largest island on Earth. The island is 2600 km long and 1200 km wide. The island is of continental origin. The subarctic climate passes on the coasts to the sea. In the south you can see dwarf birch, mountain ash and willow. Closer to the north, the surface is covered with mosses and lichens. Musk musk ox is isolated from animals, polar bear, polar wolf, arctic fox. On the coasts, walruses and harp seals haul out. Bird markets are arranged by eiders and gulls. The island belongs to Denmark. The population, represented by the Greenlandic Eskimos, lives on the western coast.

Good day, dear readers of the site "I and the World"! Today we want to tell you about the islands and we will definitely highlight the largest island in the world. Even the largest of them differ from the continents in their size - they are smaller than the continents and are surrounded on all sides by water. But even during high tides, they are not sinkable, because. are above sea level.

We present you the top 10 largest islands, and which is the largest and what is the name, you will find out by reading the article to the end.

In 10th place - Ellesmere - 196,236 sq. km

Snow, eternal glaciers, the remains of prehistoric animals - this is how Ellesmere Island can be described. The map shows that this is the northern island of Canada with a population of only 150 people.

It was discovered by the English sailor and traveler William Baffin in the 17th century. It is difficult to live here because of the very harsh climate.

The nearest Canadian city can hardly be reached - 3578 km. Even the North Pole is much closer - 817 km, but local residents, for sure, there is no need.

The next on the list is Victoria Island - 217,290 sq. km

English navigators were very brave, since they discovered many territories. Victoria was also discovered by the Englishman Thomas Simpson in the early 19th century and named after his queen.

At first, only meteorologists lived here, and only by the end of the 20th century, the Eskimos began to move here, engaging in fishing activities.

On the area of ​​the island, for example, a small country of Belarus can fit.

8th place - Honshu - 227,970 sq. km

According to legend, in the old days the Gods decided to divide the ocean and cut the water with a huge sword. And when the sword was raised, 4 drops slowly fell down and formed islands. The largest turned into an island, which was named Honshu. It is a pity that the drops fell on seismically unstable places, because earthquakes are frequent on the island.

famous volcano Fujiyama rises here. Currently, about 103 million people live on the island and they are not crowded anywhere.

This is where the big cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima - and all this is Japan.

7th place - Great Britain - 229,848 sq. km

Great Britain is also an island, and in Europe it is the largest.

The beginning of the history of the island is considered to be 43 BC. e. Since ancient times, the people of Noto lived here, later modern people began to inhabit the territory. A chain of white chalk cliffs stretches along the island. It is said that because of the white color, Great Britain began to be called the Roman word Albion (white).

The territory is densely populated and more than 61 million people live here.

In 6th place is Sumatra - 471,066 sq. km

Located in one part of Indonesia. The equator crosses the territory almost in the middle, so Sumatra is located in two hemispheres at once.

There are quite often tsunamis and earthquakes here, but you can see 50 million people living here, this is not too disturbing.

73,000 years ago, the Toba volcano exploded here, which led to 1,800 years of ice age.

There are many minerals in the lands of Sumatra: gold, nickel, tin, iron, coal, oil, but all these riches belong to Indonesia. Go on a trip to the shores of Sumatra, fly better by plane: pirates are angry on the waters.

5th place - Baffin Island - 507,451 sq. km

We are back in Canada again! And again the English discoverer is William Baffin. In the 17th century, he was looking for a way to the shores fabulous India. Well, before reaching the destination, he accidentally discovered the island and the nearby sea.

Everything was named after a sailor. What is good in the land of polar cold?

Of course, the rich world of animals: deer, polar bears, polar owls, white wolves, arctic foxes. Well, as many as 11 thousand people! Many do not like the polar cold and frost even in July.

Madagascar is in 4th place - 587,713 sq. km

This is both a state and an island, the shores of which are washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean and more than 24 million people live.

Madagascar in recent times became known throughout the world for the cartoon of the same name. Look, it's very funny!

Scientists believe that the island broke away from Africa on one side, and from India on the other, so there is a very rare flora and fauna here. And there are a huge number of different spices, for example, cylanindimilakhi pepper.

3rd place belongs to the island of Kalimantan - 748,168 sq. km

It was divided by three states at once: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. How many countries, so many preferences. Some call it Borneo, others - Kalimantan - translates as "diamond river", because there is a huge amount of diamonds here. Of course, this is not a private island of one of the states. They just have an influence.

The first people settled here about 40,000 years ago and now the population has increased to 20 million people.

The territory is also called riverine, because here the longest river flows from the island rivers - the Kapuas River (1143 km).

Residents of one of the cities walk here every day along the equator, as if along a boulevard, because the city is located just on the equator line. Beautiful sand beach attracts many tourists.

2nd place is occupied by New Guinea - 786,000 sq. km

There are few continents in the world, and although Australia is its smallest continent, it claims many nearby territories. So New Guinea belonged to this country until the middle of the 20th century, but then it nevertheless granted independence. Until now, there is an uninhabited corner that attracts researchers with rare specimens of plants and animals.

In some places in New Guinea, primitive life has been preserved. It was not an Englishman who discovered these lands, but a navigator from Portugal in the 16th century. According to legend, he looked at the curly hair of the natives and called new land Papua - "curly". The current population is 9.5 million people.

And finally, 1st place - Greenland - 2,130,800 sq. km

Green Island Greenland, owned by Denmark, is the largest of the world's islands.

Why green is not clear, because there is a lot of ice around. History is silent on this. About 57,000 people live in Greenland, but most of it is covered by glaciers and therefore uninhabited.

Local Eskimos have been fishing since ancient times. But the first Europeans settled here in 875.

Greenland passed from Denmark to Norway several times. You ask: what country does it belong to now? Little Denmark. And if to its 43,000 sq. km to annex Greenland, then Denmark will be the 13th largest in the world. Now the local population is engaged not only in fishing, but also breeds deer and sheep, and also extracts oil.

Tourism is well developed here - every year about 20,000 tourists come here. It is high time to recognize Greenland as a mainland, because it is only three times smaller than Australia.

I would like to tell you more about the Greek island of Crete

Here legends and myths live next to modern reality. Every year up to 4 million tourists visit these Beautiful places.

And many people want to become owners of local real estate, and the quality of these houses is excellent. They say: “Greece has everything”, but Crete also has everything - a wonderful climate, a huge number of attractions, calm beaches and, of course, shopping.

We talked about the largest in area and amazing islands planets. List beautiful places can be increased, but we will stop at ten. This is picturesque corners nature. But there is a concept artificial island created by man. That's about it in the following articles. Follow our publications and advise your friends to read. In the meantime, we say goodbye, until we meet again!