The island is a piece of land, separated from other continents. On planet Earth, there are more than half a million such sections of land. And some may disappear, others may appear. So the youngest island appeared in 1992 due to volcanic ejection. But some of them amaze with their scale. In the rating, the largest islands of the world represent the 10 most impressive positions in the area.
10
Ellesmere 196 thousand sq.km
Opens the top ten of the largest islands of the planet Elsmir .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 land area is located north of all Canadian islands. Due to severe climatic conditions, it is not widely inhabited by people( on average the number of inhabitants is 200 people), but it is of great value for archaeologists, as there are always found the remains of ancient animals. The land remains icebound since the Ice Age.
9
Victoria 217 thousand sq. Km
Ninth place among the of the largest islands on earth is occupied by Victoria .Like Elmsmere Victoria belongs to the Canadian islands. Its name was received from Queen Victoria. The land area is 217 thousand square kilometers.and is washed by the waters of the Arctic Ocean. The island is famous for its many lakes of fresh water. The surface of the whole island has practically no elevations. And only two settlements are located on its territory. The population density is very low, since there are a little more than 1,700 people living in this zone.
8
Honshu 28 thousand square kilometers
located in the ranking is the eighth largest rating in the Japan archipelago. It covers an area of 228 thousand square kilometers. On this island are the largest Japanese cities, including the capital of the state. The highest mountain, which is the symbol of the country - Fujiyama is also located on Honshu. The island is covered with mountains and on it there are many volcanoes, including those active. Because of the mountain relief, 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 by the number of inhabitants.
7
United Kingdom 230 thousand sq.km
The UK , ranked seventh in the list of the largest islands in the world , is also the largest among the British Isles and in Europe as a whole. Its territory occupies 230 thousand square kilometers, on which 63 million people live. Great Britain belongs to the main part of the United Kingdom. The high population puts Britain on the third place in the world among the islands by the number of inhabitants. And this is the most densely populated region of Europe. It is located on the island and the capital of the Kingdom is London. The climate is more moderate than on other lands in this natural zone. This is due to the warm current of the Gulf Stream.
6
Sumatra 43 thousand sq. Km
Sumatra has settled on the sixth position of the rating of the largest islands of the planet .Equator divides Summatra into two almost equal halves, so it is located immediately in two hemispheres. The area of the island is more than 443 thousand square kilometers, which is home to more than 50 million people. The island belongs to Indonesia and is part of the Malay Archipelago. Sumatra is buried in tropical vegetation and is washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. It is in the zone of frequent earthquakes and tsunamis. In Sumatra, there are large deposits of precious metals.
5
Baffinova Land 500 thousand sq.km
Opens the top five of the largest islands Baffinova Land .This is the largest island in Canada, the territory of which exceeds 500 thousand square kilometers. It is covered with numerous lakes, but it is only half occupied by people. The island's population is only about 11 thousand people. This is due to the harsh climatic conditions of the Arctic. The average annual temperature is at -8 degrees. Here the weather is dictated by the waters of the Arctic Ocean. Baffin Land is cut off from the mainland. You can get to the island only by air.
4
Madagascar 587 thousand sq.km
The next largest in the list of the most impressive islands is the Madagascar .The island is located east of Africa, once it was part of the Hindustan Peninsula. The Mozambique Channel shares them with the mainland. The area of the site and the state of the same name Madagascar is more than 587 thousand square kilometers.with a population of 20 million. The locals call Madagascar a red island( this is the color of island soil) and boar( because of the large population of wild boars).More than half of the animals living in Madagascar, you will not find on the mainland, and 90% of the plants are represented only in this geographical area.
3
Kalimantan 748 thousand sq.km
The third stage of the rating of the largest islands of the world is occupied by Kalimantan 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 at once to three states: Indonesia( most), Malaysia and Brunei. Borneo is washed by the four seas and is covered with dense tropical forests, which are considered to be the oldest in the world. The sights of Borneo are the highest point of Southeast Asia - Mount Kinabalu 4 thousand meters high. The island is rich in natural resources, particularly diamonds, which gave it the name. Kalimantan in the local language means a diamond river.
2
New Guinea 786 thousand sq.km
The new Guinea is the second largest on the list of the largest islands in the world .786 thousand square kilometers.settled in the Pacific Ocean between Australia and Asia. Scientists believe that once the island was one part with Australia. The population is approaching the level of 8 million people. New Guinea is divided between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The name was given to the island by the Portuguese."Papua", which translates as curly, is associated with curly hair of local Aborigines. In New Guinea there are still places where there was no man. This place attracts researchers of flora and fauna, as they can meet here rare species of animals and plants.
1
Greenland 2.13 million sq.km
The most impressive island in the world - Greenland .Its area exceeds the area of many European countries and is 2.13 million square kilometers. Greenland is part of Denmark, and several dozen times more than the mainland of this state. The green country, as this island is also called, is washed by the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Due to weather conditions, most of it is not inhabited( about 57 thousand people live), and is covered with ice. In the glaciers are concentrated huge reserves of fresh water. By the number of glaciers it is second only to Antarctica. The Greenland National Park is considered the most northern and largest in the world.
