You, like us, have probably ever wondered what the biggest islands in the world are. And no, it's not Australia as we all might think. Such a ranking is more technical and less subjective because we are talking about an occupied surface, but also other criteria, not as we prefer.
First we should understand what an island is, as opposed to a continent. At the same time, we should understand why Australia does not enter the list of the largest islands in the world, but Greenland does. But you will find all this information at the end of this list of the largest islands in the world.
The largest islands in the world
Below you have 25 of the largest islands on the planet, ranked according to their areas. And in this top you will find islands from Great Britain to Papua New Guinea.
25. Sri Lanka (65 km268) – Formerly known as Ceylon, Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, consisting of the main island and an archipelago rich in numerous satellite islands.
24. Banks Island (70028 km2) is the westernmost island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and administratively belongs to the Inuvik region of Canada's Northwest Territories. It is the fifth largest Canadian island.
23. Sakhalin Island (72 km493), also known as Sakhalin, is the largest island in Russia and the 23rd in the world.
22. Island of Hispaniola (73 km929) is one of the first European colonies in the New World. It is also one of the most populous islands in the Americas and the 22nd largest in the world by area. It is part of the Greater Antilles archipelago, bathed by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.
21. Hokkaido Island (Hokkaido) (78 km719), formerly known as Ezo, is the second largest island in Japan.
20. Island of Ireland (84.421 km2) it is the third largest island in Europe, but also an archipelago consisting of about 80 different islands, of which only 20 are permanently inhabited. Ireland itself is politically divided into the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
19. Mindanao Island (97 km530), also known as the Southern Philippines, is the second largest island in the Philippines (after Luzon). Mindanao is home to over 20 million people.
18. Island of Iceland (101.826 km2) it is the second largest island in Europe. But this tourist destination probably needs no introduction. Despite its size, Iceland is one of the most sparsely populated islands in the world.
17. Island of Cuba (105.806 km2) At over 1400 kilometers long, the main island of Cuba has a pleasant mix of Spanish colonial architecture, beautiful beaches and, of course, tobacco fields used to create the famous Cuban cigars.
16. Island of Newfoundland (108.860 km2) it is Canada's fourth largest island and the easternmost Canadian province. It is also the largest Canadian island outside of the north and a popular place to see the northern lights.
15. Luzon Island (109.965 km2) it is the most populated island in the Philippines and one of the most densely populated islands in the world. The capital Manila, as well as Quezon City, can be found on the island of Luzon.
14. North Island (111,583 km2), New Zealand's glorious island also known as Te Ika-a-Maui, is separated from the South Island by the Cook Strait and is a kaleidoscope of geothermal wonders, multicolored beaches and national parks.
13. Java Island (138 km794) is one of the largest islands in the Indonesian archipelago. It is home to more than half of Indonesia's population and is the most populous island in the world.
12. South Island (145,836 km2), also known as Te Waipounamu, is the larger of New Zealand's two main islands.
11. Sulawesi Island (180.681 km2) is one of the islands belonging to Indonesia. It is located between Borneo and New Guinea, south of the Celebes Sea.
Top 10 largest islands in the world
10. Ellesmere Island (196.236 km2) is an island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, in northern Canada and North America, part of the group called the Queen Elizabeth Islands.
09. Great Britain Island (209.331 km2), one of the largest British Isles, is located in the North Atlantic Ocean and separated from mainland Europe by the English Channel and the North Sea. It is the largest island in Europe.
08. Victoria Island (217.291 km2) it is the second largest island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Despite being around for centuries, the island is still sparsely populated, being home to around 2000 people.
07. Honshu Island (225.800 km2), the largest of Japan's four major islands. The island of Honshu is home to some of Japan's most iconic cities, such as Tokyo, Hiroshima and Osaka.
06. Sumatra Island (443.065 km2) it is the second largest in Indonesia. Located in the subduction zone of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates, it often experiences earthquakes and tsunamis. Surrounded by gorgeous rainforest, most of the island's appeal is its nature and wildlife.
05. Baffin Island (507451 km2) is a large island in the eastern part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, in the Arctic Circle. It belongs administratively to the Qikiqtaaluk region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. With an area of 507451 km² it is the largest island in Canada and the 5th largest in the world. Despite its fantastic landscape of fjords, freshwater lakes and glacier-filled national parks, it is one of the most hostile islands on Earth
04. Madagascar Island (587.041 km2) it is located on the east coast of Africa, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. This island is celebrated for its amazing wildlife, with about 250000 species of animals, including the famous striped-tailed lemurs. Interestingly, two-thirds of wildlife cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.
Top 3 largest islands in the world
03. Borneo Island (748.168 km2) it is huge, having twice the area of Germany. It is also the only island that is governed by a trio of countries – Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia, but most of the island is Indonesian territory.
02. New Guinea Island (785.753 km2) is a in the Pacific Ocean, near northern Australia, from which it is separated by the Torres Strait. Interestingly, New Guinea is also the largest island found in both the Southern Hemisphere and Oceania.
01. Greenland Island (2 130 800 km2) it is the largest in the world. Located between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean, it is an independent territory of Denmark and, despite its size, is largely uninhabited. It is home to about 50 people.
Greenland is an island, Australia is a continent
Although there are no official rules establishing the differences between an island and a continent to define Greenland as a potential continent, Greenlanders are adamant – they consider themselves islanders. Instead Australia is considered a country - continent. Australia can be distinguished on geological grounds – it is situated on a distinct tectonic plate of its own. Australia equally possessed its own fauna and flora not found elsewhere in the world.
From the primary classes we learn from Geography that there are 7 continents on Earth: Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Australia, Asia, Antarctica. So Australia is and will continue to be a continent, not an island.