Worlds Biggest Islands

1. Greenland, a massive island and autonomous Danish territory between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, is about 80% covered in ice. Most of its small population lives along the icefree, fjordlined coast, particularly in the southwest. Its northerly position, largely above the Arctic Circle, results in natural phenomena such as summer s midnight sun and winter s Northern Lights. .....

New Guinea Papua New Guinea Indonesia

2. Indonesia Papua New Guinea relations are foreign relations between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, two bordering countries north of Australia. .....

Borneo Indonesia Malaysia Brunei

3. Borneo is the thirdlargest island in the world and the largest island in Asia. At the geographic center of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra.The island is divided among three countries Malaysia and Brunei in the north, and Indonesia to the south. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. In the north, the East Malaysian states of Saba .....

Madagascar

4. Madagascar, a huge island nation off the southeast coast of Africa, is home to thousands of animal species like lemurs found nowhere else, plus rainforests, beaches and reefs. Near the busy capital, Antananarivo, is Ambohimanga, a hillside complex of royal palaces and burial grounds, as well as the Avenue of the Baobabs, a dirt road lined by massive centuriesold trees. .....

Baffin Island

5. Baffin Island, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, is the largest island in Canada and the fifth largest island in the world. Its area is 507,451 Square kilometre and its population is about 11,000. .....

Sumatra Indonesia

6. Sumatra, a large Indonesian island west of Java and south of the Malay Peninsula, is known for its rugged tropical terrain, wildlife and smoldering volcanoes. To the north, the city of Banda Aceh, which was devastated by the 2004 tsunami, has a museum commemorating the disaster. Bustling Medan, the island s largest city, is a diverse economic hub and gateway to North Sumatra. .....

Honshu Japan

7. Honshu is the largest and most populous island of Japan. The nations main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Straits. .....

Victoria Island

8. Victoria Island (VI) is an affluent area that encompasses a former island of the same name that sits between Lagos Island and the Lekki Peninsula in the Lagos Lagoon. It is the main business and financial centre of Lagos in Lagos State, Nigeria. Victoria Island is one of the most exclusive and expensive areas to live in Nigeria. The town and island lie within the boundaries of the EtiOsa LGA. .....

Great Britain

9. Great Britain is an island separated from the European mainland by the English Channel and North Sea. IIt comprises the nations of England, Scotland and Wales. Its long history is evident in prehistoric sites such as Neolithic Stonehenge, and medieval castles like those at Warwick, Dover and Caernarfon. Roman ruins include Hadrian s Wall, which once divided Roman Britain from the northern Scottish lowlands. .....

Ellesmere Island

10. Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada. It comprises an area of 196,235 km2 (75,767 sq mi) and the total length of the island is 830 kilometres (520 mi), making it the worlds tenth largest island and Canadas third largest island. Th .....

Celebes Sulawesi Indonesia

11. Sulawesi, an Indonesian island east of Borneo, comprises 4 peninsulas radiating from a mountainous center. It s known for its coral reefs and famed dive sites, such as Bunaken Marine Park, the Togian Islands and Wakatobi Marine Park. Lembeh Strait is popular for muck diving. The islands largest city is Makassar, home to Fort Rotterdam, a former Dutch fortification now housing 2 museums. .....

South Island New Zealand

12. New Zealand s South Island is renowned for its mountains, lakes and glaciers, ski fields and hiking trails. Divided by the Southern Alps mountain range, it s home to Aoraki Mt. Cook and several national parks. Eastern Christchurch is a garden city recovering after earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. The TranzAlpine scenic railway crosses the Southern Alps from Christchurch to Greymouth. .....

Java Indonesia

13. Java, lying between Sumatra and Bali, is a volcanostudded island that s at the geographic and economic center of Indonesia, and home to more than half its people. Java s largest city is modern, sprawling Jakarta, the nation s capital. Its home to the expansive National Museum, an old town, Kota Tua, with Dutch colonial buildings, as well as upscale hotels, malls and nightspots. .....

North Island New Zealand

14. North Island is one of New Zealand s 2 main islands, known for its volcanic activity, national parks and cosmopolitan cities. Its home to about threequarters of New Zealand s population. Harbourside capital Wellington, home to the Te Papa national museum, is at its southern tip. Northern Auckland has 2 major harbours and is known as the City of Sails. .....

Newfoundland Canada

15. Newfoundland and Labrador form the most easterly province of Canada. On Newfoundland island, the medieval Norse archaeological site LAnse aux Meadows is famous as the reputed settlement of Viking explorer Leif Erikson. Gros Morne National Park, on the Gulf of St Lawrence, has dramatic cliffs, waterfalls and glacial fjords. Hilly capital St. John s, in the southeast, is known for 17thcentury Signal Hill citadel. .....

Cuba

16. Cuba, a large Caribbean island nation under communist rule, is known for its whitesand beaches, rolling mountains, cigars and rum. Its colorful capital, Havana, features wellpreserved Spanish colonial architecture within its 16thcentury core, Old Havana, loomed over by the prerevolutionary Capitolio. Salsa emanates from the citys dance clubs and cabaret shows are performed at the famed Tropicana. .....

Luzon Philippines

17. Luzon sits at the northern end of the Philippines, and is the country s largest and most populous island. It s known for its mountains, beaches, reefs and scuba diving, and is home to Manila, the sprawling Philippine capital. Set on a deep bay with famed sunsets, the city offers Spanishcolonial landmarks, national memorials and monuments, a centuriesold Chinatown and a diversity of museums. .....

Iceland

18. Iceland, a Nordic island nation, is defined by its dramatic volcanic landscape of geysers, hot springs, waterfalls, glaciers and blacksand beaches. The capital, Reykjavik, home to the majority of the population, runs on geothermal power and offers a renowned nightlife scene as well as Viking history museums. The glaciers in Vatnajkull and Sn .....

Mindanao Philippines

19. Mindanao is the second largest and southernmost major island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, consisting of the island of Mindanao and smaller outlying islands. .....

Ireland

20. Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St Georges Channel. .....

Hokkaido Japan

21. Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan s main islands, is known for volcanoes, natural hot springs and ski resorts. National parks include rugged Daisetsuzan, home to steaming, volcanic Mt. Asahi, and ShikotsuT?ya park, containing caldera lakes, geothermal springs and Mt. Fuji lookalike Mt. Yotei. Rusutsu, Furano and Niseko are popular ski destinations, with Niseko also offering fishing, biking and rafting in the summer. .....

Sakhalin Russia

22. Sakhalin is a large Russian island in the North Pacific Ocean, lying between 45 .....

Hispaniola Dominican Republic Haiti

23. Hispaniola is the 22ndlargest island in the world, located in the Caribbean island group, the Greater Antilles. It is the second largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba, and the tenth most populous island in the world.Two sovereign nations share the 76,192 square kilometres (29,418 sq mi) island. The Dominican Republic with 48,445 square kilometres (18,705 sq mi) is nearly twice as large as its neighbor, Haiti, which contains 27,750 square kil .....

Banks Island Canada

24. Banks Island is one of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Situated in the Inuvik Region of the Northwest Territories, it is separated from Victoria Island to its east by the Prince of Wales Strait and from the mainland by Amundsen Gulf to its south. The Beaufort Sea lies to its west, and to its northeast MClure Strait separates the island from Prince Patrick Island and Melville Island.It is home to barrenground caribou, polar .....

Sri Lanka

25. Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), a tiny island nation south of India in the Indian Ocean, is a rugged land of rainforest, diverse wildlife and endless beaches. It s famed for its ancient Buddhist ruins, including the 5thcentury citadel Sigiriya, with its palace and frescoes, and the sacred city of Anuradhapura. Its flavorful cuisine reflects its history as a maritime hub and cultural melting pot. .....

Tasmania Australia

26. Tasmania, an isolated island state off Australia s south coast, is known for its vast, rugged wilderness areas, largely protected within parks and reserves. On the Tasman Peninsula, the 19thcentury Port Arthur penal settlement is now an openair museum. In Hobart, the port capital, Salamanca Places Georgian warehouses now house galleries and boutiques. Its Museum of Old and New Art has a contemporary edge. .....

Devon Island Canada

27. Devon Island, claimed to be the largest uninhabited island on Earth, is located in Baffin Bay, Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. .....

Severny Novaya Zemlya Russia

28. Severny Island is the northern island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, lying approx 400 km north of the Russian mainland. It has an area of 48,904 square kilometres, making it the 30th largest island in the world. .....

Grande de Tierra del Fuego Argentina Chile

29. Tierra del Fuego literally Fire Land, formerly Isla de Xativa and also known as Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego .....

Alexander Island Antarctica

30. Alexander Island, which is also known as Alexander I Island, Alexander I Land, Alexander Land, Alexander I Archipelago, and Zemlja Alexandra I, is the largest island of Antarctica. .....

Axel Heiberg Island

31. Axel Heiberg Island is an island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Located in the Arctic Ocean, it is the 31st largest island in the world and Canadas seventh largest island. According to Statistics Canada,it has an area of 43,178 km2 (16,671 sq mi).One of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is also a member of the Sverdrup Islands and Queen Elizabeth Islands. It is known for its unusual fossil forests, which date .....

Melville Island Canada

32. Melville Island is a vast, uninhabited island of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago with an area of 42,149 Square kilometre. It is the 33rd largest island in the world and Canadas eighth largest island. .....

Southampton Island Canada

33. Southampton Island is a large island at the entrance to Hudson Bay at Foxe Basin. One of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Southampton Island is part of the Kivalliq Region in Nunavut, Canada. .....

Marajo Para Brazil

34. Marajo is an island located at the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. It is part of the state of Par .....

Vestspitsbergen Svalbard

35. Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in northern Norway. Constituting the westernmost bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea, and the Greenland Sea. Spitsbergen covers an area of 39,044 km2 (15,075 sq mi), making it the largest island in Norway and the 36thlargest in the world. The administrative centre is Longyearbyen. Other settlements, in addition to resea .....

Kyushu Japan

36. Kyushu, the southwesternmost of Japan s main islands, has a mostly subtropical climate. It s known for its active volcanoes, beaches and natural hot springs, such as at Beppu. Its city of Fukuoka is home to museums, megamalls and Kushidajinga, an 8thcentury Shinto shrine. The city of Nagasakis 1945 devastation by an atomic bomb is commemorated at the Nagasaki Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum. .....

New Britain Papua New Guinea

37. New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. Georges Channel. .....

Taiwan

38. Taiwan is a small island nation 180km east of China with contemporary cities, hot springs resorts and dramatic mountainous terrain. Taipei, the country s capital in the north, is known for its busy night markets and streetfood vendors, Chinese Imperial art at the National Palace Museum and Taipei 101, a 509mtall, bambooshaped skyscraper with an observation deck. .....

Hainan China

39. Hainan, an island province of China and the nation s southernmost point, is known for its tropical climate, beach resorts and forested, mountainous interior. The southern city Sanyas many beaches range from popular, 22kmlong Sanya Bay to crescent Yalong Bay and its quiet luxury hotels. Outside Sanya, the hilly hiking trails of Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone pass over suspension bridges and by waterfalls. .....

Prince of Wales Island Canada

40. One of the larger members of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Prince of Wales Island is an Arctic island in Nunavut, Canada, lying between Victoria Island and Somerset Island and south of the Queen Elizabeth Islands. .....

Yuzhny Novaya Zemlya Russia

41. Yuzhny is the southern island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, lying north of Russia. It has an area of 33,275 square kilometres, which while smaller than the northern island of Severny, makes it one of the largest islands in the world. .....

Vancouver Island Canada

42. Vancouver Island, off Canada s Pacific Coast, is known for its mild climate and thriving arts community. On its southern tip is Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, and its boatlined Inner Harbour, neobaroque Parliament Buildings, grand Fairmont Empress Hotel and Englishstyle gardens. With abundant parkland, the island is a destination for hiking, biking, and camping. Its rugged west coast is popular for surfing. .....

Timor Indonesia East Timor

43. The Indonesian invasion of East Timor began on 7 December 1975 when the Indonesian military invaded East Timor under the pretext of anticolonialism. .....

Sicily Italy

44. Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is just off the toe of Italys boot. It has been a crossroads of cultures for 3,000 years, a history reflected in its diverse architecture, cuisine and ancient ruins. Palermo, the capital, offers colorful street life, bustling markets and Byzantine mosaics at the Cappella Palatina. On Sicily s eastern edge is Mt. Etna, Europe s highest active volcano. .....

Somerset Island Canada

45. In the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Somerset Island is a large, uninhabited island separated by the 2 km wide Bellot Strait from the Boothia Peninsula in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada, lying between Peel Sound and Prince Regent Inlet. .....

Sardinia Italy

46. Sardinia, a large island in the Mediterranean Sea, has nearly 2,000km of coastline, sandy beaches and a mountainous interior popular for hiking. Its rugged landscape is dotted with thousands of nuraghi ruins of mysterious Bronzeage stone structures shaped like beehives. The southern capital, Cagliari, has a medieval quarter called Castello, with narrow streets, 14thcentury palaces and a 13thcentury cathedral. .....

Bananal Tocantins Brazil

47. Bananal Island is a large river island formed from the bisection of the Araguaia River, in southwestern Tocantins, Brazil. The island is formed by a fork in a very flat section of the Araguaia River. .....

Shikoku Japan

48. Shikoku, the smallest of Japan s major islands, is famously encircled by a 1,200km, 88temple Buddhist pilgrimage route (henro) honoring the 9thcentury monk Kukai. Shikokus major cities include Matsuyama, home to 8 of the pilgrimage temples, plus feudal Matsuyama Castle (1603) and Dogo Onsen, one of Japan s earliest known hotspring spas. The island s rural, mountainous interior has hiking trails and gorges for whitewater rafting. .....

Halmahera Indonesia

49. Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coast of the island. .....

Ceram Indonesia

50. Seram is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Islands historical importance. It is located just north of smaller Ambon Island. .....

New Caledonia

51. New Caledonia, a French territory comprising dozens of islands in the South Pacific, is known for its palmlined beaches and marineliferich lagoon, which, at 24,000sq.km, is among the worlds largest. A massive barrier reef surrounds the archipelago s main island, Grand Terre, a major scubadiving destination. Also on Grand Terre is the capital, Noum .....

Kotelny Russia

52. Kotelny Island is part of the Anzhu Islands subgroup of the New Siberian Islands located between the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea in the Russian Arctic. It is administratively and municipally part of Bulunsky District. .....

Bathurst Island Canada

53. A member of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Bathurst Island is one of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in Nunavut Territory, Canada. .....

Prince Patrick Island Canada

54. A member of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Prince Patrick Island is the westernmost of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in the Northwest Territories of Canada. .....

Thurston Island Antarctica

55. Thurston Island is an icecovered, glacially dissected island, 215 km long, 90 km wide and 15,700 Square kilometre in area, lying a short way off the NW end of Ellsworth Land, Antarctica. .....

Sumbawa Indonesia

56. Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. .....

Flores Indonesia

57. Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 Square kilometre extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1,831,000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. .....

Nordaustlandet Svalbard

58. Nordaustlandet is the secondlargest island in the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, with an area of 14,443 square kilometres. It lies north east of Spitsbergen, separated by Hinlopenstretet. .....

Oktyabrskoy Revolyutsii Russia

59. October Revolution Island is the largest island of the Severnaya Zemlya group in the Russian Arctic. The area of this island has been estimated at 14,170 Square kilometre making it the 56th largest island in the world. .....

King William Island Canada

60. King William Island is an island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut and forms part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In area it is between 12,516 Square kilometre and 13,111 Square kilometre making it the 61stlargest island in the world and Canadas 15thlargest island. .....

Samar Philippines

61. Samar is an island in the Visayas, within central Philippines and considered the fourth largest island in the country. The island is divided into three provinces Samar province, Northern Samar province, and Eastern Samar province. .....

Negros Philippines

62. Negros is an island of the Philippines located in the Visayas. It is the third largest island in the country, with a land area of 13,074.5 square kilometres. .....

Tupinambarana Amazon and Uraria rivers Brazil

63. Ilha Tupinambarana is the name of a former fluvial island bordered by rivers of the Amazon system in eastern Amazonas, Brazil. Today, it has been split into four completely separate parts by natural channels, just like those isolating it from the mainland it is no longer one island, but four. The original island stretched from the municipalities of Parintins, in the northeast, to Nova Olinda do Norte, in the southwest. The combined area of the is .....

Palawan Philippines

64. Palawan, officially the Province of Palawan, is an island province of the Philippines that is located in the MIMAROPA region. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. .....

Yos Sudarso Dolak Indonesia

65. Pulau Yos Sudarso is an island in Papua province, Indonesia. It is separated only by narrow channels from the main island of New Guinea. It also known as Pulau Dolok, Pulau Dolak and Pulau Kimaam, has also been known as Kolepom Island, and in the Dutch colonial period was known as Frederik Hendrik Island.The island is leaf shaped, about 165 km long with an area of 11,600 Square kilometre.The current name memorializes Indonesian Admiral Yos Sudars .....

Panay Philippines

66. Panay is an island in the Philippines located in the western part of the Visayas. It is about 100 miles across. Politically, it is divided into four provinces Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo, all in the Western Visayas Region. .....

Bangka Indonesia

67. Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, administratively part of Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of about 1 million. It is the main part of BangkaBelitung Province. The provincial capital, Pangkal Pinang, lies on the island. .....

Bolshevik Russia

68. The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists or Bolsheviki derived from were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903.In the Second Party Congress vote, the Bolsheviks won on the majority of important issues, hence their name.They ultimately became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.The Bolsheviks came to power in Russia during the .....

Ellef Ringnes Island Canada

69. Ellef Ringnes Island is one of the Sverdrup Islands in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. Also a member of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is located in the Arctic Ocean, east of Borden Island, and west of Amund Ringnes Island. It has an area of 11,295 km2 (4,361 sq mi), making it the 69th largest island in the world (slightly larger than Jamaica) and Canadas 16th largest island. Its highest mount is 260 m (850 f .....

Sumba Indonesia

70. Sumba is an island in eastern Indonesia, is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of 11,153 Square kilometre, and the population was 656,259 at the 2010 Census. .....

Bylot Island Canada

71. Bylot Island lies off the northern end of Baffin Island in Nunavut Territory, Canada. Eclipse Sound to the southeast and Navy Board Inlet to the southwest separate it from Baffin Island. Parry Channel lies to its northwest. .....

Jamaica

72. Jamaica, a Caribbean island nation, has a lush topography of mountains, rainforests and reeflined beaches. Many of its allinclusive resorts are clustered in vibrant Montego Bay, with its British colonial architecture, and Negril, renowned for diving and snorkelling. Jamaica is famed as the birthplace of reggae, and its capital Kingston is home to the Bob Marley Museum, dedicated to the city s most famous son. .....

Hawaii Hawaiian Islands United States

73. Hawaii, a U.S. state, is an isolated volcanic archipelago in the Central Pacific. Its islands are renowned for their rugged landscapes of cliffs, waterfalls, tropical foliage and beaches with gold, red, black and even green sands. Of the 6 main islands, Oahu has Hawaii s only big city, Honolulu, home to crescent Waikiki Beach and the Pearl Harbor memorials. .....

Viti Levu Fiji

74. Viti Levu is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji, the site of the nations capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fijis population. .....

Cape Breton Island Canada

75. Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. The name probably derives from Cap Breton near Bayonne, or to the name Breton, the Anglicized version of the French historical region, Bretagne. .....