List of islands by area explained

This list includes all islands in the world larger than . For size and location reference, the four continental landmasses are also shown.

Continental landmasses

Continental landmasses are not usually classified as islands despite being completely surrounded by water. However, because the definition of continent varies between geographers, the Americas are sometimes defined as two separate continents while mainland Australia is sometimes defined as an island as well as a continent. Nevertheless, for the purposes of this list, mainland Australia along with the other major landmasses have been listed as continental landmasses for comparison. The figures are approximations and are for the four major continental landmasses only. The artificial Panama and Suez canals are disregarded, as they are not natural waters that separate the continents.

Rank	Continental landmass	Area		Nation(s)	Notes
		(km^2)
1	Afro-Eurasia	79,810,726		126 countries	48 countries on mainland Africa and 78 countries on mainland Eurasia (38 countries on continental Asia and 40 countries on continental Europe). Two states on mainland Africa and five states on mainland Eurasia (three states on continental Asia and two states on continental Europe).
2	Americas	37,699,623		22 countries French Guiana	Ten countries on mainland North America and twelve countries on mainland South America. An overseas department and region of France, located on mainland South America.
3	Antarctica	12,272,800		None	7 countries have made 7 territorial claims. All territorial claims in Antarctica are in abeyance under the Antarctic Treaty System. Antarctica is a special case, for if its ice is considered not as land, but as water, it is not a single landmass, but several landmasses of much smaller area, since the ice-bedrock boundary is below sea level in many regions of the continent.^[1] If its ice cover were to be lifted, some rocks that are currently below sea level would rise as the weight of the ice would be removed,^[2] although this would in part be counteracted, and in some areas of the continent overtaken, by eustatic rises in sea level.^[3]
4	Australia	7,591,608		Australia	Mainland Australia is more than three times the size of Greenland, the largest island. Australia is sometimes dubbed "The Island Continent" or "Earth's largest island, but its smallest continent".^[4]

Islands

Islands and greater

Rank	Island	Area^[5]		Nation(s)	Subnational divisions	Notes
		(km^2)
1	Greenland Kalaallit Nunaat (main island)	2,130,800^[6]		Danish Realm		The largest island in the world.^[7]
2		785,753^[8]			Papua and Central, Highland, South, West, and Southwest Papua Highlands, Momase, and Southern regions
3		748,168				The largest island in Asia. The only island shared by three UN member states.
4	Madagascar (main island)	587,041^[9]					The largest island in Africa.
5		507,451^[10]				The largest island in the Arctic Archipelago.
6		443,065		Indonesia
7		227,938^[11]			Chūbu, Chūgoku, Kansai, Kantō, and Tōhoku regions
8		217,291		Canada
9		209,331				The largest island in Europe.
10		196,236		Canada
11		180,681		Indonesia
12	South Island	145,836
13		138,794		Indonesia
14	North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui)	111,583		New Zealand	Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatū-Whanganui, Northland, Taranaki, Waikato, and Wellington regions
15	Luzon (main island)	109,965
16		108,860		Canada
17	Cuba (main island)	105,806				The largest island in the Caribbean.
18	Iceland (main island)	101,826				The largest volcanic island in the world.

Islands

Rank	Island	Area		Nation(s)	Subnational divisions	Notes
		(km^2)
19	Mindanao (main island)	97,530
20		84,421^[12]
21		77,982
22		73,929
23		72,493
24		70,028
25	Sri Lanka (main island)	65,268^[13]
26	Tasmania (main island)	65,022
27		55,247		Canada		The largest uninhabited island in the world.
28		49,070				Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina (partial), Chile, and the United Kingdom. The largest island in Antarctica.
29		47,992				The largest island in South America.
30		47,079		Russia
31		43,873				Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina (partial), Chile, and the United Kingdom.
32		43,178		Canada
33		42,149		Canada
34		41,214		Canada
35		40,100				Largest river island (at the mouth of the Amazon River where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean).
36		38,981^[14]
37		36,782		Japan
38		35,145			East and West New Britain Provinces
39	Taiwan (main island)	34,507				Claimed by the People's Republic of China.
40		33,339		Canada
41		33,246		Russia
42	Hainan (main island)	33,210
43		31,285		Canada
44		28,418
45		25,711^[15]

Islands

Rank	Island	Area		Nation(s)	Subnational divisions	Notes
		(km^2)
46		24,786
47		24,000
48		23,949
49		20,000				Largest river island not situated at the mouth of a river and largest island entirely surrounded by fresh water.
50		18,296
51		18,040
52		17,454		Indonesia
53		16,648				Sui generis collectivity.
54		16,042		Canada
55		15,848		Canada
56		15,700				Unclaimed island.
57		14,467
58		14,386		Indonesia
59		14,204		Russia
60		14,154		Indonesia
61		13,111		Canada
62		13,075
63		12,849		Philippines
64		12,189		Philippines
65		12,011		Philippines
66	Yos Sudarso Island (Dolak)	11,742		Indonesia
67		11,413		Indonesia
68		11,295		Canada
69		11,206		Russia
70	Jamaica (main island)	11,190
71		11,067		Canada
72		10,711		Indonesia
73		10,572		Philippines
74		10,531			Central and Western Divisions
75	Hawaiʻi (Big Island)	10,434
76		10,311		Canada

Islands

Rank	Island	Area		Nation(s)	Subnational divisions	Notes
		(km^2)
77		9,521
78		9,318
79			3,595^[16]
80	Cyprus (main island)	9,234				Sovereign Base Areas of the United Kingdom and Northern Cyprus. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus claims and controls one third of the island of Cyprus although this is not recognised by any country except Turkey.
81	Puerto Rico (main island)	8,868^[17]				Insular area of the United States.
82		8,812
83		8,741
84		8,612		Danish Realm
85		8,500				Unclaimed island of Antarctica.
86		8,478
87		8,473
88		8,350
89		7,941		Canada
90		7,910				Antarctic territorial claim by New Zealand. Status as an island is disputed.
91	Wrangel Island (Vrangelya)	7,866		Russia
92		7,700				If taken as a fluvial or river island.
93		7,405		Papua New Guinea
94		7,368
95		7,040				A British Overseas Territory administered by the United Kingdom and disputed by Argentina.
96		7,031^[18]		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)	Denmark, Zealand and Capital regions
97		6,995		Canada
98		6,675		United States
99	Grande Terre (Kerguelen)	6,617		France
100		6,390				Unclaimed island.
101		6,361		Canada
102	New Siberia (Novaya Sibir)	6,201		Russia
103		5,765
104		5,620		Canada
105		5,587
106		5,556		Chile
107		5,498		Canada
108		5,416		Indonesia
109		5,388		United States
110		5,353
111		5,255		Canada
112		5,157		Russia
113		5,135		United States
114		5,110^[19]		Chile
115		5,073
116		5,048		Canada
117		5,009
118		5,000		Brazil

Islands

Rank	Island	Area		Nation(s)	Subnational divisions	Notes
		(km^2)
119		4,968
120		4,864
121		4,711
122		4,685		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)		Physically part of the Jutland peninsula until 1825.
123		4,625
124		4,531				A British Overseas Territory administered by the United Kingdom and disputed by Argentina.
125		4,478		Indonesia
126		4,468
127		4,463				Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina Chile and United Kingdom.
128		4,463
129		4,429		Indonesia
130		4,408		Indonesia
131		4,374
132		4,362
133		4,209		United States
134		4,119		United States
135		4,117
136		4,100				Antarctic territorial claims by Chile and United Kingdom.
137		4,065		United States
138		4,048		Indonesia
139		3,956
140		3,913		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)
141		3,836
142		3,829		Indonesia
143		3,821		Philippines
144		3,718				Part of the British Overseas Territories territories under sovereignty of the United Kingdom.
145		3,707
146		3,688		Chile
147		3,667
148		3,665		Solomon Islands
149		3,629		United States
150		3,607
151		3,600		Indonesia
152	Tupinambarana (northern part)	3,600		Brazil
153		3,542		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)
154		3,500				Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina Chile and United Kingdom.
155		3,439
156		3,329		Russia
157		3,268		Philippines
158	Makira (San Cristóbal)	3,190		Solomon Islands
159		3,180		Canada
160	Iturup (Etorofu)	3,167		Russia		Territorial dispute initially part of Japan (Hokkaidō region and prefecture then claimed by Russia
161		3,100		Indonesia
162		3,060		Indonesia
163		3,001		Canada
164		2,994^[20]
165		2,985		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)
166		2,971		Solomon Islands
167		2,965		United States
168		2,913		Indonesia
169		2,889		Indonesia
170		2,821		Russia
171		2,813		United States
172		2,794		Canada
173		2,781
174		2,766^[21]		Canada		Largest lake island (including both freshwater and saltwater lakes).
175		2,722		United States
176		2,672			Saare County (Saaremaa)
177		2,608		Canada
178		2,598				Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina Chile and United Kingdom.
179		2,542		Indonesia
180	Réunion (main island)	2,535				Overseas department.
181		2,514^[22]		Chile

Islands

Rank	Island	Area		Nation(s)	Subnational divisions	Notes
		(km^2)
182		2,471
183		2,460				Antarctic territorial claim by New Zealand.
184		2,437		Danish Realm
185		2,432				Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina Chile and United Kingdom.
186		2,358
187		2,346
188		2,285
189		2,278		Indonesia
190		2,266		Indonesia
191		2,251		Canada
192		2,237
193		2,198
194		2,183^[23]
195		2,165		Canada
196		2,156^[24]		Russia
197		2,149		Indonesia
198		2,120		Indonesia
199		2,100				An inland fluvial or river island in the Magdalena River not to be confused with the Margarita Island a Caribbean Venezuelan island.
200		2,086
201		2,057		Indonesia
202		2,041			(Malampa Province)
203		2,037
204		2,034		Indonesia
205		2,025
206		2,020		Canada		Largest artificial island.
207		2,008
208		2,000^[25]		Russia
209		1,962		United States
210		1,940
211		1,936^[26]		Russia
212		1,935
213		1,904		Indonesia
214		1,903		United States
215		1,900		Indonesia
216	Žitný ostrov (Rye Island)	1,900^[27]			Bratislava, Trnava, and Nitra regions
217	Mauritius (main island)	1,874
218		1,840^[28]		Australia		World's largest sand island.
219		1,826^[29]
220	Stewart Island (Rakiura)	1,815
221		1,810		Russia
222		1,809		United States
223		1,793		United States
224		1,766		Russia
225		1,764		Russia
226		1,754		Indonesia
227		1,723		Indonesia
228		1,720		Canada
229		1,718
230		1,717		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)
231		1,692		Australia
232		1,667^[30]		Russia
233		1,659		United Kingdom
234		1,641
235		1,635^[31]
236		1,633		Spain
237		1,633^[32]		Indonesia
238		1,623		Indonesia
239		1,615
240		1,607				Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina Chile and United Kingdom.
241	Tanahbesar (Wokam)	1,604		Indonesia
242	Tebing Tinggi Island (Rantau)	1,598		Indonesia
243		1,590		Norway
244		1,585		Canada
245		1,583		United States
246	Unguja (Zanzibar)	1,575			Unguja North, Unguja South, and Mjini Magharibi regions
247		1,557		Russia
248		1,541		Canada
249		1,536
250		1,535		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)
251		1,530		Spain
252		1,527		Russia
253		1,523
254		1,508
255		^[33]	560	United States		Did not exist until dredging in the 1860s.
256		1,490		Indonesia
257	Kunashir (Kunashiri)	1,489		Russia		Territorial dispute initially part of Japan (Hokkaidō region and prefecture then claimed by Russia.
258		1,488
259		1,466		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)
260		1,453
261		1,448		The Bahamas
262		1,437		Papua New Guinea
263		1,437		Russia
264		1,435		United States
265		1,410
266		1,410		Greece
267		1,384				Antarctic territorial claims by Argentina Chile and United Kingdom.
268		1,378		Canada
269		1,375		Canada
270		1,372		Canada
271		1,370^[34]
272		1,352		Chile
273		1,350
274		1,347
275		1,330		Australia
276		1,308		Canada
277		1,295^[35]		Bangladesh
278		1,290		Chile
279	Barentsøya (Barents)	1,288^[36]		Norway
280	Lembata (Lomblen)	1,270		Indonesia
281		1,266		Philippines
282		1,259		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)
283		1,258				Antarctic territorial claim by Australia.
284		1,250
285		1,243		Danish Realm (Kingdom of Denmark)
286		1,229		Indonesia
287	New Hanover Island (Lavongai)	1,227		Papua New Guinea
288		1,227		Indonesia
289		1,211		India
290		1,208
291		1,207^[37]		Sweden		Unclear if it is a true island, because the Södertälje Canal was built where it was a small waterway before.
292	Oleny Island (Oleniy Island)	1,197		Russia
293		1,190
294		1,188		Chile
295		1,173		Indonesia
296		1,167		France		Overseas department.
297		1,164		Chile
298		1,159
299		1,150		Canada
300		1,146		The Bahamas
301		1,146		France		Sui generis collectivity.
302		1,137		Canada
303		1,126		Canada
304		1,125		Samoa
305		1,121		Australia
306		1,111		Chile
307		1,109		Indonesia
308		1,096		The Bahamas
309	Alexandra Land (Zemlya Aleksandry)	1,095		Russia
310		1,090		Canada
311		1,069		France		Overseas collectivity.
312		1,069		Finland		Not a true island because it is detached from the mainland by an artificial canal.
313		1,063		Chile
314		1,061		United States
315		1,059		Canada
316		1,055		China
317	Hall Island (Gallya)	1,049		Russia
318		1,043		Chile
319		1,040		Papua New Guinea
320		1,031			Hiiu County (Hiiumaa)
321		1,020
322		1,018^[38]		Australia
323		1,015		Canada
324		1,013

Islands of unconfirmed area

Rank	Island	Area		Nation(s)	Subnational divisions	Notes
		(km^2)
—		3,287				Antarctic territorial claims by Chile and United Kingdom. It is long and between wide.^[39]
—		1,580				Antarctic territorial claims by Australia. Island has a diameter of .^[40]
—		1,500				Antarctic territorial claims by Chile and United Kingdom. Island is .^[41]

See also

• Lake island
• List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands
• List of countries and dependencies by area
• List of countries by largest island
• List of divided islands
• List of islands by highest point
• List of islands by name
• List of islands by population
• List of islands by population density
• Lists of islands by continent and country
• Recursive islands and lakes
• River island

Citations

• Web site: Haug . Per Ivar . Islands of Greenland . Gazetteer of Greenland . . August 2005 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110615162130/http://www.ntnu.no/ub/formidl/utgivelser/til_opplysning/to_nr15.php . 15 June 2011 .
• Web site: Islands by Land Area. Island Directory Tables. United Nations Environment Programme. 18 February 1998.
• Web site: The Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. 4 June 2015.
• Web site: World Island Information. Joshua Calder. 2010.

External links

• Global Island Network – Island Links Directory

Notes and References

1. https://www.asg.ed.tum.de/fileadmin/w00cip/iapg/Forschung/Earth/Earth2014_03.jpg 3D visualisations of the Earth2014 SUR, BED, TBI and RET topography layers over the Southern Hemisphere, centred to Antarctica
2. http://www.geo.utexas.edu/courses/387h/PAPERS/Oppenheimer%201998%20Nature.pdf Global warming and the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
3. Jonathan L. Bamber. River. Vermeersen. LeBrocq. Reassessment of the Potential Sea-Level Rise from a Collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Science. May 2009. 324. 59295. 901–903. 10.1126/science.1169335. 19443778. 2009Sci...324..901B. 11083712.
4. Web site: Australia in Brief - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade . https://web.archive.org/web/20030820155859/http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/island_continent.html . 20 August 2003 . Dfat.gov.au . 30 August 2010 .
5. Web site: Islands By Land Area . Islands.unep.ch . 1 August 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221207141131/http://islands.unep.ch/Tiarea.htm . 7 December 2022.
6. http://www.worldislandinfo.com/SUPERLATIVESV2.html Island Superlatives
7. Web site: Joshua Calder's World Island Info – Continent or Island?. Worldislandinfo.com. 28 December 2021.
8. Book: Ganeri, Anita . Island Life . Raintree. 2014 . 9781406249453 . 43.
9. Book: Africa South of the Sahara 2004. Europa Publications. Psychology Press. 2003. 9781857431834 . 629.
10. Web site: 12 August 2009 . Sea Islands . https://web.archive.org/web/20130122002132/http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/islands.html . 22 January 2013 . 30 August 2010 . Atlas of Canada.
11. Web site: The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI). 1 July 2023. 23 October 2023.
12. Web site: Geography of Ireland . . 11 November 2009 . Nolan . Professor William . https://web.archive.org/web/20091124012641/http://www.gov.ie/en/essays/geography.html . 24 November 2009 .
13. Web site: Joshua Calder's World Island Info - Largest Islands of the World . Worldislandinfo.com . 30 January 2016.
14. Web site: Statistisk årbok 2009: Geografisk oversikt . no . Ssb.no . 1 August 2010.
15. Book: Popescu, Gabriel. Agricultural Management Strategies in a Changing Economy. IGI Global. 2015. 9781466675223. 310.
16. News: Dunham . Mike . Turns out Kodiak is largest U.S. island depending on viewpoint . 1 August 2010 . Anchorage Daily News . 31 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100802230249/http://www.adn.com/2010/07/31/1389864/turns-out-kodiak-is-largest-us.html . 2 August 2010 .
17. Web site: State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates . United States Census Bureau . 24 February 2024.
18. Web site: Kort & Matrikelstyrelsen - Střrste řer . 23 September 2003 . 1 August 2010 .
19. Web site: Joshua Calder's World Island Info - Largest Islands of the World by Region . Worldislandinfo.com . 30 January 2016.
20. http://www.scb.se/statistik/MI/MI0812/2000I02/MI50SM0101.pdf Öar i Sverige Islands in Sweden
21. Web site: Joshua Calder's World Island Info - Largest Lake Islands of the World . Worldislandinfo.com . 30 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928120332/http://www.worldislandinfo.com/LAKEV1.htm . 28 September 2011 .
22. Web site: Navarino . world-islands.net . 8 August 2024.
23. Book: The Essential Desk Reference. 279. Oxford University Press. 2002. 9780195128734.
24. Web site: Ayon . world-islands.net . 7 August 2024.
25. Web site: Wilczek Land. In: The Western Arctic Seas Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Seas . 2017 . . 7 August 2024.
26. Web site: Karaginski Island, Bering Sea . 7 August 2024.
27. Web site: Influence of surface water level fluctuation and riverbed sediment deposits on groundwater regime . Márta Koczka . Bara . Yvetta . Velísková . Renáta . Dulovičová . Radoslav . Schügerl . 15 August 2014 . 7 August 2024.
28. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/heritage/places/world/kgari-fraser-island World Heritage Places - K'gari
29. Web site: Joshua Calder's World Island Info - Largest Islands of Selected Countries . Worldislandinfo.com . 30 January 2016.
30. Web site: Diatoms of Bering Island, Kamchatka, Russia . Marina . Potapova . 8 August 2024 . July 2014 . Nova Hedwigia.
31. Web site: Suomen suurimmat saaret . Kauko Huotari . 1 August 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100412133934/http://personal.inet.fi/koti/kauko.huotari/saaret.htm . 12 April 2010 .
32. Web site: Natuna Besar . world-islands.net . 7 August 2024.
33. Web site: Is Michigan's Largest Island Hiding in the Keweenaw Peninsula? . Brad . Barnett . 28 July 2022 . 8 August 2024.
34. Web site: 崇明概况 . 上海市崇明区人民政府 . 11 August 2021.
35. Web site: Bhola . 8 August 2024 . world-islands.net.
36. Web site: Svalbard Statistics 2005. no . 1 August 2010.
37. Web site: De 50 största öarna. https://web.archive.org/web/20141213010449/http://www.scb.se/sv_/Hitta-statistik/Statistik-efter-amne/Miljo/Markanvandning/Kust-strander-och-oar/13042/13049/21205/ . 13 December 2014.
38. Web site: Mornington . 8 August 2024 . world-islands.net.
39. Web site: Smyley Island, Antarctica . 29 August 2023 . 9 August 2024 . Gianni . Varetto.
40. Web site: Fletcher Island . https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214114/https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:5:::NO::P5_ANTAR_ID:5030 . 2 June 2021 . 9 August 2024 . United States Geological Survey.
41. Web site: Charcot Island . . 9 August 2024.