Curious about the biggest island in the world? Don’t worry, we are going to present the list of the top 18 largest islands of the world shortly. Before diving into the list, let’s know what is actually meant by an island.
Definition of an Island
Any piece of the landmass that is surrounded by water bodies, is called an island or isle. The word island came from the Old English “igland” that also meant an island.
Types of Islands
There are mainly two types of islands:
- Continental Islands (Example: Borneo, New Guinea, Great Britain, Greenland, etc.)
- Oceanic Islands (Example: Saint Peter, Paul Rocks, Macquarie Island, etc.)
There is another kind of island which is called artificial islands. These islands are man-made. Some examples of artificial islands are the island in Osaka Bay, Vasilyevsky Island, etc.
World’s Largest Islands
Here’s the list of the top 18 largest islands of the world. The list contains the names of the islands which are greater than 100,000 km² or 38,600 sq mi in area.
Before beginning, here’s a quick fact about Australia.
Why is Australia not regarded as the largest island in the World?
As Australia is a continental landmass, it is not regarded as an island. Otherwise, it would be in the first position on our list.
Let’s begin…
1. Greenland (Main Island)
- Area (km²): 2,130,800
- Area (sq mi): 822,700
- Location: Between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean
greenland from space
Greenland is the largest island of the planet. The island is situated between northeast of Canada and northwest of Iceland. Greenland comprises more than a hundred smaller islands. This island also contains the world’s second-largest ice sheet. Being in the colder region it is not that green as its name seems to be!
2. New Guinea
- Area (km²): 785,753
- Area (sq mi): 303,381
- Location: West Pacific Ocean
new guinea from space
New Guinea is the world’s second-largest island. It covers an area of 785,753 km². The island is located in the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania. This island is also known as Papua. The literal meaning of Papua is, “the territory that geographically is far away and thus not united.”
3. Borneo
- Area (km²): 748,168
- Area (sq mi): 288,869
- Location: Indian Ocean
borneo from space
Borneo is the third-largest island in the world. It is the largest island in Asia. The island is located north of Java and east of Sumatra. Another important fact about Borneo. This island is home to one of the oldest rainforests of the planet.
4. Madagascar (Main Island)
- Area (km²): 587,041
- Area (sq mi): 226,658
- Location: Indian Ocean
madagascar from space
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. This large island is in the Indian Ocean. It is located between the eastern coast of southern Africa and east of Mozambique. It has a total area of 587,040 square kilometers.
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5. Baffin Island
- Area (km²): 507,451
- Area (sq mi): 195,928
- Location: Canada, Arctic Ocean
Baffin island coastline
Baffin Island is the fifth-largest island in the world. It is the largest island in Canada. Its area is 507,451 square kilometers. The island is named after the English explorer William Baffin.
6. Sumatra
- Area (km²): 443,065
- Area (sq mi): 171,068
- Location: Indian Ocean
Sumatra is the sixth-largest island in the world. It is one of the Sunda Islands of Indonesia located in the western part. The literal meaning of Sumatra is the “island of Gold”. In Sanskrit, the name of the island was Suwarnadwipa. “Suwarna” means “golden” and “dwipa” means island in the Sanskrit language.
7. Honshu
- Area (km²): 225,800
- Area (sq mi): 87,200
- Location: Japan, Northwest Pacific Ocean
Honshu island from space
Honshu is the seventh-largest island in the world. It is the largest and main island of Japan. This island also contains the majority of the population. Here’s a quick fact about Honshu. It is the second-most populous island after the Indonesian island of Java.
8. Victoria Island
- Area (km²): 217,291
- Area (sq mi): 83,897
- Location: Canada, Arctic Ocean
victoria island from space
Victoria Island is the eighth largest island in the world. It is a large island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The total area of the island is 217,291 square kilometers.
9. Great Britain
- Area (km²): 209,331
- Area (sq mi): 80,823
- Location: North Atlantic Ocean
great britain from space
Great Britain is located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has an area of 209,331 square kilometers. It is one of the famous islands in the world. This island is the ninth largest island on the planet.
10. Ellesmere Island
- Area (km²): 196,236
- Area (sq mi): 75,767
- Location: Canada, Arctic Ocean
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is the tenth largest island in the world. It contains an area of 196,236 square kilometers. Here’s an interesting fact about Ellesmere Island. On the island, only one woody species grows and it is the Arctic willow.
11. Sulawesi
- Area (km²): 174,600
- Area (sq mi): 67,413
- Location: East of Borneo, Indian Ocean
Sulawsei island
Sulawesi is the eleventh largest island in the world. It covers an area of 174,600 square kilometers. The island is one of the four Greater Sunda Islands.
12. South Island
- Area (km²): 145,836
- Area (sq mi): 56,308
- Location: Oceania, Pacific Ocean
South Island, New Zealand from space
The South Island is the twelfth largest island in the world. The official name of the island is Te Waipounamu. It is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand.
13. Java
- Area (km²): 138,794
- Area (sq mi): 53,589
- Location: Indonesia, Indian Ocean
Java, indonesia from space
Java is the thirteenth largest island on the planet. This island is a part of Indonesia. It covers an area of 138,794 square kilometers.
14. North Island
- Area (km²): 111,583
- Area (sq mi): 43,082
- Location: Oceania, Pacific Ocean
North Island, New Zealand from space
The North Island is the fourteenth largest island in the world. The official name of the island is Te Ika-a-Māui. The island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand.
15. Luzon
- Area (km²): 109,965
- Area (sq mi): 42,458
- Location: Southeast Asia, the South China Sea on the west and the Philippine Sea on the east
luzon from space
Luzon is the fifteenth largest island in the world. It is the largest and most populated island in the Philippines. The literal meaning of the word Luzon is a large wooden mortar.
16. Newfoundland
- Area (km²): 108,860
- Area (sq mi): 42,030
- Location: Atlantic Ocean
newfoundland from space
Newfoundland is the sixteenth largest island in the world. It covers an area of 108,860 square kilometers. It is the fourth largest island in Canada.
17. Cuba (Main Island)
- Area (km²): 105,806
- Area (sq mi): 40,852
- Location: North America, Caribbean Sea
cuba from space
Cuba is the seventeenth-largest island in the world. It is an island nation located in the Caribbean Sea. It is the eighth largest island country in the world.
18. Iceland (Main Island)
- Area (km²): 101,826
- Area (sq mi): 39,315
- Location: Atlantic Ocean
Iceland from spaceIceland is the eighteenth largest island in the world. It is also an island country like Cuba. The island is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world.
Phew! After this long list of the world’s largest islands, we’ve come to an end. There is no need to move elsewhere.
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Frequently asked questions about “world’s largest islands”
Is Australia the largest island in the world?
No, Australia is a continental landmass. It is not a proper island. That’s why Greenland is the largest island in the world.
Why Australia is not an island?
Australia is not an island. It is actually a continent. An island is a piece of land surrounded by water. Australia is not a part of a landmass. It is a continent in itself.
How many islands are in the world?
There are a total of 322 significant islands in the world. Apart from that, there are a lot more islands in the world.
What is the smallest island in the world?
Bishop Rock is regarded as the smallest island in the world. The Guinness Book of Records enlisted it as the world’s smallest island with a building on it.
And that’s our take on the world’s longest rivers. Have you visited any of these stunning waterways? Let us know in the comments section below!
