1. Greenland, 822,700 sq mi (2,130,800 sq km)
2. New Guinea, 303,381 sq mi (785,753 sq km)
3. Borneo, 287,000 sq mi (743,330 sq km)
4. Madagascar, 226,660 sq mi (587,040 sq km)
5. Baffin Island, 195,928 sq mi (507,451 sq km)
6. Sumatra, 182,812 sq mi (473,481 sq km)
7. Honshu, 87,200 sq mi (225,800 sq km)
8. Victoria Island, 83,897 sq mi (217,291 sq km)
9. Great Britain, 80,823 sq mi (209,331 sq km)
10. Ellesmere Island, 75,767 sq mi (196,235 sq km).
Although Australia and Antarctica are larger than Greenland, but Australia and Antarctica are generally considered as continental landmasses rather than islands.
Overview of the 10 Largest Islands in The World:
1. Greenland, 822,700 sq mi
In the indigenous Greenlandic language, the name of the country is Kalaallit Nunaat means land of the Kalaallit. But Erik the Red, the early Viking settler, named the island as Grœnland (translated as Greenland) in the hope that people would be attracted there if it had a pleasant name.
Geenland is an autonomous constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Its physical geography is a part of the continent of North America, located at east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. But Greenland has been culturally and politically associated with Europe for more than a millennium.
Denmark affirmed sovereignty over Greenland in 1814. And under the Constitution of Denmark, it was fully integrated in the Danish state in 1953. Greenland still does not have an independent seat at the United Nations.
2. New Guinea, 303,381 sq mi
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The eastern half of the island is the independent state of Papua New Guinea. Meanwhile, the western half of the island has been administered by Indonesia since 1962. New Guinea is considered to be the easternmost island of the Indonesian archipelago.
New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse area in the world, because it is currently populated by almost a thousand different tribal groups with more than a thousand separate languages. According to Ethnologue's 14th edition, there are total 1073 languages.
No wonder if the island has been known by various names. The island is historically called Irian. But it also known as Niugini (Tok Pisin), Nieuw-Guinea (Dutch), Neuguinea (German), and Papua (Indonesian).
Because of the shape of New Guinea is often compared to a bird-of-paradise, the island also has the usual names: the ‘head’ called Vogelkop (Dutch) or Kepala Burung (Bahasa Indonesia), and ‘tail’ is known as Papuan Peninsula.
3. Borneo, 287,000 sq mi
Borneo is politically divided among three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. About 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. While the East Malaysian states make up about 26% of the island. And the sovereign state of Brunei comprises about 1% of Borneo.
Borneo is a home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world, which is estimated to be around 140 million years old. Borneo’s rainforest is the centre of the evolution of many endemic species of plants and animals.
The WWF has classified the island into seven distinct ecoregions: Borneo lowland rain forests, Borneo peat swamp forests, Kerangas or Sundaland heath forests, Southwest Borneo freshwater swamp forests, Sunda Shelf mangroves, Borneo montane rain forests, and Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands.
4. Madagascar, 226,660 sq mi
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, with a total area of 587,040 sq km (226,660 sq mi). Madagascar is located in the Indian Ocean, 250 miles (400 kilometres) east of mainland Africa, east of Mozambique.
The highest point of Madagascar is Maromokotro, at the elevation of 2,876 metres (9,436 ft). There is variation in climate: tropical along the coast, temperate inland, and arid in the south. Because of the prominence of red lateritic soils, Madagascar has been called the "Great Red Island".
Madagascar is also described as a "world apart" or an "alternate world" because of the uniqueness and rarity of many of its plant and animal species. One of the rarest plants is Baobab tree (Adansonia grandidieri) which only exist in Madagascar.
5. Baffin Island, 195,928 sq mi
Baffin Island is the fifth-largest island in the world and the largest island in Canada, with an area of 507,451 sq km (195,928 sq mi). Its highest peak is Mount Odin, with an elevation of around 7,000 ft. Baffin Island was named after English explorer William Baffin.
The island has been continuously inhabited by Inuit peoples for centuries, and its population is about 11,000 (2007 estimate). Today, Baffin Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut.
Baffin Island has an extremely cold climate. All-year-round northern airflow brings long-cold winters and foggy-cloudy summers. Snow can occur at any time of the year, although it is in July and early August.
6. Sumatra, 182,812 sq mi
Sumatra is the sixth-largest island in the world, and the largest island that is entirely located in Indonesia. Sumatra is also known as Andalas or Percha Island. But in ancient times, Sumatra was known as Swarnadwīpa (Island of Gold) and Swarnabhūmi (Land of Gold), because of the gold deposits in the highlands of Sumatra.
Sumatra is the fifth most populous island in the world with more than 50 million people in total. But its great extent makes it not particularly densely populated, with just over 100 people per sq km. The most populated city in Sumatra is Medan, which is also one of the most visited and developed cities in Sumatra.
The climate of the island is tropical, hot and humid. Sumatra island is home to a vast tropical rainforest that once dominated the landscape. But the serious deforestation causing the lost almost half of its tropical rainforest. In October 2008, the Indonesian government announced a plan to protect the remaining of Sumatra's forests.
The several active volcanoes form the backbone of the island. On 26 December 2004, the western coast and islands of Sumatra were struck by a tsunami following the Indian Ocean earthquake. This was the longest earthquake recorded, and killed more than 170,000 Indonesians, primarily in Aceh province.
7. Honshu, 87,200 sq mi
Honshu is the seventh-largest island in the world, also the largest and most populous island of Japan. The total area of Honshu island is 225,800 sq km (87,200 sq mi). Its climate is generally humid and mild.
Honshu island separates the Sea of Japan from the North Pacific Ocean to its south and east. Honshu is linked to the other major Japanese islands by a few bridges and tunnels. Honshu experiences frequent earthquakes because it is home to several mountains and volcanoes.
Nonetheless, Honshu is a rich and populous island. Zinc, copper, and oil have been found on Honshu. Fruits, vegetables, rice, grains, and cotton are grown. Even most of Japan's tea and silk is from Honshu.
8. Victoria Island, 83,897 sq mi
Victoria Island is the eighth-largest island in the world and is the second largest island in Canada, with an area of 83,897 sq mi (217,291 sq km). Victoria Island is located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago that sets the border between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories of Canada.
The Island is also known as Kitlineq. Though it is more well known as the Victoria Island since Peter Warren Dease and Thomas Simpson called it Victoria Land in 1839, named after Queen Victoria.
The population of the island was 2,162 according to the Canada 2016 Census. With the largest settlements on the island is Cambridge Bay.
9. Great Britain, 80,823 sq mi
Great Britain is physically connected with continental Europe via the Channel Tunnel. In 2011, the population of Great Britain was about 61 million people, making Great Britain as the third-most populous island in the world after Java in Indonesia and Honshu in Japan.
Great Britain is politically part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and constitutes most of its territory. Therefore the term of Great Britain is often referred to include the whole of England, Scotland and Wales.
10. Ellesmere Island, 75,767 sq mi
By Inuit people, Ellesmere Island is called Umingmak Nuna, meaning "land of muskoxen". While Ellesmere was named in 1852 after Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere. Today, Ellesmere Island is politically part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region.
The population of Ellesmere Island was only 191, according to the record in 2016. Ellesmere Island is the most mountainous in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. However, the only one woody species to grow on Ellesmere Island is the Arctic willow.
It can be a difficult process to figure out the exact number of islands on earth. But at least, now you know more things about the 10 largest islands in the world.
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