Array ( [0] => {{Short description|Piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water}} [1] => {{Other uses}} [2] => {{pp-vandalism|small=yes}} [3] => {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2013}} [4] => {{Original research|date=December 2021}} [5] => [6] => [[File:Cyprus ESA356100.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|[[Geography of Cyprus|Cyprus]] the third largest island in the Mediterranean, Cyprus is about 240 km long and 100 km wide.]] [7] => [8] => An '''island''' or '''isle''' is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on [[atoll]]s can be called [[islet]]s, [[skerry|skerries]], [[cay]]s or keys. An [[river island|island in a river]] or a [[lake island]] may be called an [[ait|eyot or ait]], and a small island off the coast may be called a [[holm (island)|holm]]. Sedimentary islands in the [[Ganges Delta]] are called [[list of islands of Bangladesh|chars]]. A grouping of geographically or geologically related islands, such as the [[Philippines]], is referred to as an [[archipelago]]. [9] => [10] => There are two main types of islands in the sea: [[#Continental islands|continental islands]] and [[#Oceanic islands|oceanic islands]]. There are also [[artificial island]]s (man-made islands). [11] => [12] => There are about 900,000 official islands in the world. This number consists of all the officially-reported islands of each country. The total number of islands in the world is unknown. There may be hundreds of thousands of tiny islands that are unknown and uncounted.{{Cite web |title=How Many Islands are there in the World? |url=https://a-z-animals.com/blog/how-many-islands-are-in-the-world/ |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=AZ Animals}} The number of sea islands in the world is estimated to be more than 200,000. The total area of the world's sea islands is approx. 9,963,000 km2, which is similar to the area of [[Canada]] and accounts for roughly 1/15 (or 6.7%) of the [[Earth#Surface|total land area of Earth]].[http://rdbk1.ynlib.cn:6251/Qk/Paper/170949#anchorList 形形色色的海洋岛屿] {{in lang|zh}} [13] => [14] => == Etymology == [15] => The word ''island'' derives from [[Middle English]] ''{{linktext|iland}}'', from [[Old English]] ''igland'' (from ''ig'' or ''ieg'', similarly meaning 'island' when used independently, and [[-land]] carrying its contemporary meaning; cf. [[Dutch language|Dutch]] ''eiland'' ("island"), [[German language|German]] ''Eiland'' ("small island")).The spelling of the word was modified in the 15th century because of a [[false etymology]] caused by an incorrect association with the [[Etymology|etymologically]] unrelated [[Old French]] loanword ''isle'', which itself comes from the [[Latin]] word ''insula''.{{cite dictionary |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Island |title=Island |access-date=March 5, 2007 |dictionary=[[Dictionary.com]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307143713/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/island |archive-date=March 7, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}{{cite journal|last=Wedgwood|first=Hensleigh|author-link=Hensleigh Wedgwood|title=On False Etymologies|journal=Transactions of the Philological Society|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3924121;view=1up;seq=76|year=1855|issue=6|pages=66|access-date=September 22, 2018|archive-date=November 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106160600/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3924121;view=1up;seq=76|url-status=live}} [[Old English]] ''ieg'' is actually a [[cognate]] of [[Swedish language|Swedish]] ''ö'' and [[German language|German]] ''Aue'', and more distantly related to Latin ''{{linktext|aqua}}'' (water).{{cite book [16] => |title=A Linguistic History of English: From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic [17] => |first=Donald A. [18] => |last=Ringe [19] => |publisher=Oxford University Press [20] => |year=2006 [21] => |isbn=0-19-928413-X [22] => |page=109 [23] => }} [24] => [25] => == Relationships with continents == [26] => === Differentiation from continents === [27] => {{Fuller projection with largest islands.svg|1=left{{!}}upright=1.35}} [28] => [29] => There is no standard of size that distinguishes islands from [[continent]]s,{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Mike |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uHq_8awQIbgC&dq=island+continent+pluto&pg=PT179 |title=How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419000758/https://books.google.com/books?id=uHq_8awQIbgC&pg=PT179&dq=island+continent+pluto&hl=en&ei=BpAyTo6zI4PKgQfnhZH4DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA |archive-date=April 19, 2016 |location=New York |publisher=Random House Digital |date=2010 |isbn=978-0-385-53108-5 |pages=186–187}} or from [[islet]]s.{{cite book |last=Royle |first=Stephen A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XFqpb6gjwbwC&dq=definition+island+continent&pg=PP1 |title=A Geography of Islands: Small Island Insularity |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921214815/https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=XFqpb6gjwbwC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=definition+island+continent&ots=ayRjsuKnhf&sig=4wLnbYB8HsxyCpE9hkN73waPOPA |archive-date=21 September 2015 |publisher=Psychology Press |date=2001 |pages=7–11 |isbn=1-85728-865-3}} [30] => [31] => There is a widely accepted difference between islands and continents in terms of [[geology]].{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/story/is-australia-an-island |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |edition=Online |title=Is Australia an Island? |last=Cunningham |first=John M. |access-date=20 August 2022 |archive-date=January 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125074036/https://www.britannica.com/story/is-australia-an-island |url-status=live }} Continents are often considered to be the largest [[landmass]] of a particular [[plate tectonics|continental plate]]; this holds true for [[Australia (continent)|Australia]], which sits on its own continental [[lithosphere]] and tectonic plate (the [[Australian Plate]]).{{cite web |title=Continent |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/Continent/ |website=National Geographic |publisher=National Geographic Society |access-date=20 August 2022 |archive-date=July 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716045120/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/continent/ |url-status=live }} [32] => [33] => By contrast, islands are usually seen as being extensions of the [[oceanic crust]] (e.g. [[volcanic island]]s), or as belonging to a [[Plate tectonics|continental plate]] containing a larger landmass (continental islands); the latter is the case of [[Greenland]], which sits on the [[North American Plate]].{{Cite web |date=2012-08-27 |title=Island |url=http://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/island/ |access-date=2022-05-02 |website=National Geographic Society |archive-date=June 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617165729/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/island/ |url-status=live }} [34] => [35] => === Continental islands === [36] => {{Further|Continental shelf}} [37] => [38] => Continental islands are bodies of land that lie on the [[continental shelf]] of a [[continent]].{{cite web|title=Island (geography)|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/295958/island#ref234009|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=16 September 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008102906/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/295958/island#ref234009|archive-date=October 8, 2014|df=mdy-all}} Examples are [[Borneo]], [[Java (island)|Java]], [[Sumatra]], [[Sakhalin]], [[Taiwan]] and [[Hainan]] off [[Asia]]; [[New Guinea]], [[Tasmania]], and [[Kangaroo Island]] off [[Australia]]; [[Great Britain]], [[Ireland]], and [[Sicily]] off [[Europe]]; [[Greenland]], [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]], [[Long Island]], and [[Sable Island]] off [[North America]]; and [[Barbados]], the [[Falkland Islands]], and [[Trinidad]] off [[South America]]. [39] => [40] => ==== Microcontinental islands ==== [41] => A special type of continental island is the microcontinental island, which is created when a continent is horizontally displaced or [[rift]]ed.{{Citation |last=Scrutton |first=Roger A. |title=Geodynamics: Progress and Prospects |chapter=Microcontinents and their Significance |date=2013 |chapter-url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1029/SP005p0177 |series=Special Publications |pages=177–189 |editor-last=Drake |editor-first=Charles L. |place=Washington, D.C. |publisher=American Geophysical Union |doi=10.1029/sp005p0177 |isbn=978-1-118-66490-2 |access-date=2022-08-20}}{{Cite journal |last1=Broek |first1=J. M. |last2=Gaina |first2=C. |date=August 2020 |title=Microcontinents and Continental Fragments Associated With Subduction Systems |journal=Tectonics |language=en |volume=39 |issue=8 |doi=10.1029/2020TC006063 |bibcode=2020Tecto..3906063V |s2cid=225376789 |issn=0278-7407|doi-access=free |hdl=10852/81785 |hdl-access=free }} Examples are [[Madagascar]] and [[Socotra]] off [[Africa]], [[New Caledonia]], [[New Zealand]], and some of the [[Seychelles]]. [42] => [43] => ==== Subcontinental islands ==== [44] => A lake such as [[Wollaston Lake]] drains in two different directions, thus creating an island. If this island has a seashore as well as being encircled by two river systems, it becomes what might be called a ''subcontinental island''. The one formed by [[Wollaston Lake]] is very large, about {{convert|2000000|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web |title=Technical Program |url=https://www.earmp.ca/technical-program |access-date=2022-10-29 |website=Eastern Athabasca Regional Monitoring Program |language=en-US |archive-date=October 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221029170950/https://www.earmp.ca/technical-program |url-status=live }} [45] => [46] => ==== Bars ==== [47] => Another subtype is an island or [[shoal|bar]] formed by deposition of tiny rocks where water current loses some of its carrying capacity. This includes: [48] => * [[barrier island]]s, which are accumulations of [[sand]] deposited by sea currents on the [[Continental shelf|continental shelves]]{{Cite journal |title=Barrier Island Formation |url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-abstract/78/9/1125/6224/Barrier-Island-Formation |doi=10.1130/0016-7606(1967)78[1125:bif]2.0.co;2 |access-date=2022-08-21 |date=1967-09-01 |first=John H. |last=Hoyt |journal=GSA Bulletin |volume=78 |number=9 |pages=1125–1136 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119034448/https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-abstract/78/9/1125/6224/Barrier-Island-Formation |url-status=live }}{{Citation |last=Davis |first=Richard A. |title=Barrier Island Systems — a Geologic Overview |date=1994 |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-642-78360-9_1 |work=Geology of Holocene Barrier Island Systems |pages=1–46 |editor-last=Davis |editor-first=Richard A. |place=Berlin, Heidelberg |publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-78360-9_1 |isbn=978-3-642-78362-3 |access-date=2022-08-21 |archive-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821154154/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-78360-9_1 |url-status=live }} [49] => * [[fluvial processes|fluvial]] or [[alluvium|alluvial]] islands formed in [[river delta]]s or midstream within large rivers. While some are transitory and may disappear if the volume or speed of the current changes, others are stable and long-lived.{{Cite thesis |type=MSc |last=Cooperman |first=Michael S. |date=1997-01-01 |title=The process of mid-channel alluvial island formation as inferred from plant distribution patterns on islands of the Swan River northwest Montana |url=https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/6939 |publisher=The University of Montana |access-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-date=December 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215134545/https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/6939/ |url-status=live }} [50] => [51] => === Oceanic islands === [52] => Oceanic islands are typically considered to be islands that do not sit on [[continental shelf|continental shelves]]. Other definitions limit the term to only refer to islands with no past geological connections to a [[continent]]al [[landmass]].{{cite book |last1=Zug |first1=George R. |title=Reptiles and Amphibians of the Pacific Islands: A Comprehensive Guide |date=2013 |publisher=University of California Press |page= |quote=}} The vast majority are [[volcano|volcanic]] in origin, such as [[Saint Helena]] in the [[Atlantic Ocean|South Atlantic Ocean]], and the archipelago of [[Bermuda]] in the [[North Atlantic Ocean]] (a limestone capped volcanic seamount).{{cite web |date=2009 |title=Origin of Bermuda and its Caves |website=Ocean Explorer |series=U.S. [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] |publisher=[[United States Department of Commerce]] |url=https://www.oceanexplorer.woc.noaa.gov/explorations/09bermuda/background/bermudaorigin/bermudaorigin.html |access-date=2021-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320115156/https://www.oceanexplorer.woc.noaa.gov/explorations/09bermuda/background/bermudaorigin/bermudaorigin.html |archive-date=20 March 2021 |quote=Extending toward the ocean's surface are four northeast-to-southwest trending volcanic peaks, including the emergent Bermuda Pedestal and the submerged Challenger, Argus, and Bowditch seamounts (figure 1). The islands of Bermuda are located along the southeast margin of the largest peak, the Bermuda Pedestal.}}{{cite book |chapter=The Biota of Long-Distance Dispersal: I. Principles of Dispersal and Evolution |last=Carlquist |first=Sherwin |editor-last1=Lomolino |editor-first1=Mark V. |editor-last2=Sax |editor-first2=Dov F. |editor-last3=Brown |editor-first3=James H. |date=2004 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KbkCgsEPv6YC&dq=Oceanic+island&pg=PA316 |title=Foundations of Biogeography: Classic Papers with Commentaries |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418233729/https://books.google.com/books?id=KbkCgsEPv6YC&pg=PA316&dq=Oceanic+island&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NlR_UaycEMqhigLGhYHoAw&ved=0CEEQ6AEwAw |archive-date=18 April 2016 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |page=316 |isbn=0-226-49236-2}} [53] => ==== Tectonic ==== [54] => The few oceanic islands that are not volcanic are [[tectonics|tectonic]] in origin and arise where plate movements have lifted up the ocean floor above the surface. Examples are the [[Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago]] in the [[Atlantic Ocean|North Atlantic Ocean]] and [[Macquarie Island]] in the [[Pacific Ocean|South Pacific Ocean.]] [55] => [56] => ==== Volcanic islands ==== [57] => {{Main|Volcanic island}} [58] => [59] => ===== Arcs ===== [60] => One type of volcanic oceanic island is found in a volcanic island arc. These islands arise from volcanoes where the [[subduction]] of one plate under another is occurring. Examples are the [[Aleutian Islands]], the [[Mariana Islands]], and most of [[Tonga]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]].{{Cite journal |last=Marsh |first=B. D. |date=1979-11-01 |title=Island Arc Development: Some Observations, Experiments, and Speculations |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/628460 |journal=The Journal of Geology |volume=87 |issue=6 |pages=687–713 |doi=10.1086/628460 |bibcode=1979JG.....87..687M |s2cid=129932810 |issn=0022-1376 |access-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-date=March 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309064935/https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/628460 |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last=Katili |first=John A. |date=1975-04-01 |title=Volcanism and plate tectonics in the Indonesian island arcs |url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951%2875%2990088-8 |journal=Tectonophysics |language=en |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=165–188 |doi=10.1016/0040-1951(75)90088-8 |bibcode=1975Tectp..26..165K |issn=0040-1951 |access-date=August 23, 2022 |archive-date=March 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230303042647/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0040195175900888?via%3Dihub |url-status=live }} The only examples in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] are some of the [[Lesser Antilles]] and the [[South Sandwich Islands]]. [61] => [62] => ===== Oceanic rifts ===== [63] => {{Further|Divergent boundary}} [64] => [65] => Another type of volcanic oceanic island occurs where an [[divergent boundary|oceanic rift]] reaches the surface. There are two examples: [[Iceland]], which is the world's second-largest volcanic island, and [[Jan Mayen]]. Both islands are in the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. [66] => [67] => ===== Hotspots ===== [68] => {{Main|Hotspot (geology)}} [69] => [70] => A third type of volcanic oceanic island is formed over volcanic hotspots. A [[hotspot (geology)|hotspot]] is more or less stationary relative to the moving [[plate tectonics|tectonic plate]] above it, so a chain of islands results as the plate drifts. Over long periods of time, this type of island is eventually "drowned" by [[isostasy|isostatic adjustment]] and eroded, becoming a [[seamount]].{{Cite journal |last1=Huppert |first1=Kimberly L. |last2=Perron |first2=J. Taylor |last3=Royden |first3=Leigh H. |date=2020-01-03 |title=Hotspot swells and the lifespan of volcanic ocean islands |journal=Science Advances |language=en |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=eaaw6906 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aaw6906 |issn=2375-2548 |pmc=6938699 |pmid=31911939|bibcode=2020SciA....6.6906H }} Plate movement across a hot-spot produces a line of islands oriented in the direction of the plate movement. An example is the [[Hawaiian Islands]], from [[Hawaii]] to [[Kure Atoll|Kure]], which continue beneath the sea surface in a more northerly direction as the [[Emperor Seamounts]]. Another chain with similar orientation is the [[Tuamotu Archipelago]]; its older, northerly trend is the [[Line Islands]]. The southernmost chain is the [[Austral Islands]], with its northerly trending part the atolls in the nation of [[Tuvalu]]. [[Tristan da Cunha]] is an example of a hotspot volcano in the [[Atlantic Ocean]].{{Cite journal |last1=Schlömer |first1=Antje |last2=Geissler |first2=Wolfram H. |last3=Jokat |first3=Wilfried |last4=Jegen |first4=Marion |date=2017-03-15 |title=Hunting for the Tristan mantle plume – An upper mantle tomography around the volcanic island of Tristan da Cunha |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X16307415 |journal=Earth and Planetary Science Letters |language=en |volume=462 |pages=122–131 |doi=10.1016/j.epsl.2016.12.028 |bibcode=2017E&PSL.462..122S |issn=0012-821X}} Another hotspot in the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] is the island of [[Surtsey]], which was formed in 1963.{{Citation |last=Claudino-Sales |first=Vanda |title=Surtsey, Iceland |date=2019 |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-94-024-1528-5_35 |work=Coastal World Heritage Sites |series=Coastal Research Library |volume=28 |pages=237–242 |place=Dordrecht |publisher=Springer Netherlands |doi=10.1007/978-94-024-1528-5_35 |isbn=978-94-024-1526-1 |s2cid=240206292 |access-date=2022-08-21 |archive-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821154209/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-024-1528-5_35 |url-status=live }} [71] => [72] => ===== Atolls ===== [73] => {{Main|Atoll}} [74] => [75] => An [[atoll]] is an island formed from a [[coral reef]] that has grown on an eroded and submerged volcanic island. The [[reef]] rises to the surface of the water and forms a new island. Atolls are typically ring-shaped with a central [[lagoon]]. Examples are the [[Line Islands]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]] and [[Maldives]] in the [[Indian Ocean]].{{cite book |last1=Woodroffe |first1=Colin |last2=Biribo |first2=Naomi |date=2011-01-01 |chapter=Atolls |editor-last=Hopley |editor-first=D. |title=Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs: structure, form and process |publisher=Springer |url=https://ro.uow.edu.au/scipapers/1060 |location=The Netherlands |pages=51–71 |access-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025061721/https://ro.uow.edu.au/scipapers/1060/ |url-status=live }} [76] => [77] => [[File:On the structure and distribution of coral reefs BHL40453231.jpg|thumb|upright=3|center|Map from [[Charles Darwin]]'s 1842 ''[[The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs]]'' showing the world's major groups of atolls and coral reefs]] [78] => [79] => == Tropical islands == [80] => {{Main|Coral island}} [81] => {{Further|Coral reef#Formation}} [82] => [83] => [[File:Landing Runway 18 (2121588367).jpg|thumb|Plane landing on an airport island, [[Velana International Airport]], [[Hulhulé Island]], Maldives]] [84] => [85] => Approximately 45,000 [[Tropics|tropical]] islands with an area of at least {{convert|5|ha}} exist.{{cite book [86] => |doi=10.1553/3-7001-2738-3 [87] => |chapter=The Tropical Islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans [88] => |author=Austrian Academy of Sciences [89] => |title=Geographie [90] => |series=Austriaca [91] => |year=2002 [92] => |author-link=Austrian Academy of Sciences}} Examples [[Coral reef#Formation|formed from coral reefs]] include [[Maldives]], [[Tonga]], [[Samoa]], [[Nauru]], and [[Polynesia]]. [[Granite]] islands include [[Seychelles]]{{Citation |last=Upton |first=B. G. J. |title=Oceanic Islands |date=1982 |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-1-4615-8038-6_13 |work=The Ocean Basins and Margins |pages=585–648 |editor-last=Nairn |editor-first=Alan E. M. |place=Boston, MA |publisher=Springer US |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4615-8038-6_13 |isbn=978-1-4615-8040-9 |access-date=2022-08-21 |editor2-last=Stehli |editor2-first=Francis G. |archive-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821154202/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4615-8038-6_13 |url-status=live }} and [[Tioman Island|Tioman]]. [93] => [94] => The socio-economic diversity of tropical islands ranges from the [[Stone Age]] societies in the interior of [[North Sentinel]], [[Madagascar]], [[Borneo]], and [[Papua New Guinea]] to the high-tech lifestyles of the city-islands of [[Singapore]] and [[Hong Kong]].{{Cite book|title = The Tropical Islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans|last = Arnberger|first = Hertha, Erik|publisher = Austrian Academy of Sciences Press|year = 2011|isbn = 978-3-7001-2738-3|location = Vienna}} International [[tourism]] is a significant factor in the economy of many tropical islands including Seychelles, [[Sri Lanka]], [[Mauritius]], [[Réunion]], [[Hawaii]], [[Puerto Rico]] and the [[Maldives]]. [95] => [96] => == De-islanding == [97] => The process of de-islandisation is often concerning [[Bridge|bridging]], but there are other forms of linkages such as [[causeway]]s: fixed transport links across narrow necks of water, some of which are only operative at low tides (e.g. that connecting Cornwall's [[St Michael's Mount]] to the peninsular mainland), while others (such as the [[Canso Causeway]] connecting [[Cape Breton Island|Cape Breton]] to the [[Nova Scotia]] mainland) are usable all year round (aside from interruptions during storm surge periods).{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/70884504|title=Bridging islands: the impact of fixed links|date=2007|publisher=Acorn Press|first=Godfrey |last=Baldacchino|isbn=978-1-894838-24-5|location=Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island|oclc=70884504}}{{Cite journal |last=Hayward |first=Philip |date=2016-04-28 |title=Introduction: Towards an Expanded Concept of Island Studies |url=http://shimajournal.org/issues/v10n1/c.-Hayward-Introduction-Shima-v10n1.pdf |journal=Shima: The International Journal of Research into Island Cultures |volume=10 |issue=1 |doi=10.21463/shima.10.1.03 |access-date=August 21, 2022 |archive-date=February 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204223204/https://www.shimajournal.org/issues/v10n1/c.-Hayward-Introduction-Shima-v10n1.pdf |url-status=live }} [98] => [99] => Some places may retain "island" in their names for historical reasons after being connected to a larger landmass by a land bridge or landfill, such as [[Coney Island]] and [[Coronado, California|Coronado Island]], though these are, strictly speaking, [[tied island]]s. Conversely, when a piece of land is separated from the [[mainland]] by a man-made canal, for example the [[Peloponnese]] by the [[Corinth Canal]], more or less the entirety of [[Fennoscandia]] by the [[White Sea Canal]], or [[Marble Hill, Manhattan|Marble Hill]] in northern [[Manhattan]] during the time between the building of the [[United States Ship Canal]] and the filling in of the [[Harlem River]] which surrounded the area, it is generally not considered an island. [100] => [101] => Another type of connection is fostered by [[harbor]] walls/breakwaters that incorporate offshore islets into their structures, such as those in Sai harbor in northern [[Honshu]], Japan, and the connection to the mainland which transformed Ilhéu do Diego from an islet. De-islanded through its fixed link to the mainland, the former islet's name, {{lang|pt|Ilhéu do Diego}}, became functionally redundant (and thereby archaic) and the location took the fort as its namesake. Some former island sites have retained designations as islands after the draining/subsidence of surrounding waters and their fixed linkage to land (England's [[Isle of Ely]] and Vancouver's [[Granville Island]] being respective cases in point). Their names are thereby archaic in that they reflect the islands' pasts rather than their present structures or transport logistics. Other examples include [[Singapore]] and its [[Johor–Singapore Causeway|causeway]], and the various [[Netherlands|Dutch]] delta islands, such as [[IJsselmonde (island)|IJsselmonde]]. [102] => [103] => == Artificial islands == [104] => {{Main|Artificial island}} [105] => [106] => Almost all of [[Earth]]'s islands are natural and have been formed by tectonic forces or [[Types of volcanic eruptions|volcanic eruptions.]] However, artificial (man-made) islands also exist, such as the island in [[Osaka Bay]] off the [[Japanese archipelago|Japanese island]] of [[Honshu]], on which [[Kansai International Airport]] is located. Artificial islands can be built using natural materials (e.g., earth, rock, or sand) or artificial ones (e.g., [[concrete]] slabs or recycled [[waste]]).{{Cite web|url=http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-07/building-artificial-islands-rise-sea|title=Building Artificial Islands That Rise With the Sea |work=Popular Science |last=Gammon |first=Katherine |date=August 6, 2012 |access-date=2016-06-28|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605152821/http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-07/building-artificial-islands-rise-sea |archive-date=June 5, 2016|df=mdy-all}}{{Cite web|url=http://amti.csis.org/what-makes-an-island-land-reclamation-and-the-south-china-sea-arbitration/|title=What Makes an Island? Land Reclamation and the South China Sea Arbitration |publisher=Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative |last=Mirasola |first=Christopher |date=2015-07-15|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-28|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527053430/http://amti.csis.org/what-makes-an-island-land-reclamation-and-the-south-china-sea-arbitration/|archive-date=May 27, 2016|df=mdy-all}} [107] => [108] => Sometimes natural islands are artificially enlarged, such as [[Vasilyevsky Island]] in the [[Russian language|Russian city]] of [[St. Petersburg]], which had its western shore extended westward by some 0.5 km in the construction of the [[Passenger Port of St. Petersburg]].{{Cite web|url=http://top-mark.biz/en/vasilevskiy_ostrov_namyv/|title=Conception of development of the artificial lands of Vasilievsky island |website=top-mark.biz|access-date=2016-06-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160925003154/http://top-mark.biz/en/vasilevskiy_ostrov_namyv/|archive-date=September 25, 2016|df=mdy-all}} [109] => [[File:Kansai International Airport Aerial photograph.2007.jpg|thumb|[[Kansai International Airport]], on an artificial island]] [110] => Artificial islands are sometimes built on pre-existing "low-tide elevation," a naturally formed area of land which is surrounded by and above water at low [[tide]] but submerged at high tide. Legally these are not islands and have no territorial sea of their own.{{cite book|title=United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Article 13 |url=http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm |access-date=25 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902091223/http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm|archive-date=September 2, 2017|df=mdy-all}} [111] => [112] => == Island superlatives == [113] => * Largest island: [[Greenland]]{{Cite web |date=2021-05-18 |title=Largest And Highest Islands Of The World |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/geography/largest-and-highest-islands-of-the-world.html |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US |archive-date=June 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611040215/https://www.worldatlas.com/geography/largest-and-highest-islands-of-the-world.html |url-status=live }} [114] => * Largest island in a lake: [[Manitoulin Island]], [[Ontario|Ontario, Canada]] [115] => ** Largest lake island within a lake island: [[Treasure Island (Ontario)|Treasure Island]], in [[Lake Mindemoya]] on [[Manitoulin Island]]{{Cite web |first=Natalie |last=Wolchover |date=2012-01-24 |title=World's Largest Island-in-a-lake-on-an-island-in-a-lake-on-an-island Seen on Google Earth |url=https://www.livescience.com/33679-world-largest-island-lake-island-lake-island-google-earth.html |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=livescience.com |archive-date=April 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407203407/https://www.livescience.com/33679-world-largest-island-lake-island-lake-island-google-earth.html |url-status=live }} [116] => * Largest island in a river: [[Bananal Island]], Tocantins, Brazil{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Bananal Island |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |edition=Online |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Bananal-Island |access-date=2022-08-20 |archive-date=September 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903083437/https://www.britannica.com/place/Bananal-Island |url-status=live }} [117] => * Largest island in fresh water: [[Marajó]], Pará, Brazil [118] => * Largest sand island: [[Fraser Island]], Queensland, Australia{{Cite web |url=http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/fraser/index.html |date=2008-05-18 |title=Fraser Island |publisher=Government of Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518085657/http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/world/fraser/index.html |archive-date=18 May 2008 |access-date=2022-08-20}} [119] => * Largest artificial island: [[Flevopolder]], the Netherlands (created 1969){{Cite web |title=Netherlands Is Home to the Largest Man-Made Island |url=https://www.tourism-review.com/travel-tourism-magazine-flevoland-worlds-largest-artificial-island-article2372 |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=TourismReview |last=Trout |first=Michael |date=October 24, 2018 |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609082319/https://www.tourism-review.com/travel-tourism-magazine-flevoland-worlds-largest-artificial-island-article2372 |url-status=live }} [120] => * Largest uninhabited island: [[Devon Island]], Nunavut, Canada{{Cite web |date=2016-03-04 |title=Devon Island: The Largest Uninhabited Island on Earth |work=The Basement Geographer |url=https://basementgeographer.com/devon-island-the-largest-uninhabited-island-on-earth/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022605/https://basementgeographer.com/devon-island-the-largest-uninhabited-island-on-earth/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=2022-08-20}} [121] => * Most populous island: [[Java]], Indonesia{{Cite web |date=2010-08-24 |title=Population growth 'good for Papua' |work=The Jakarta Post |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/23/population-growth-%E2%80%98good-papua%E2%80%99.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824053746/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/23/population-growth-%E2%80%98good-papua%E2%80%99.html |archive-date=24 August 2010 |access-date=2022-08-20}} [122] => * Lowest island: Franchetti Island, [[Lake Afrera]], Ethiopia [123] => * Island shared by largest number of countries: [[Borneo]] (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia) [124] => * Island with the highest point: [[New Guinea]] ([[Puncak Jaya]], {{cvt|4884|m|ft|disp=comma}}), Indonesia [125] => * Northernmost island: [[Kaffeklubben Island]], Greenland [126] => * Southernmost island (not fully surrounded by permanent ice): [[Ross Island]], Antarctica [127] => * Island with the most populated city: [[Honshu]] (Tokyo), Japan [128] => * Most remote island (from nearest land): [[Bouvet Island]]{{Cite web |date=2012-06-03 |publisher=Global Volcanism Program |title=Volcanology Highlights |url=http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/region.cfm?rnum=18&rpage=highlights |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603164123/http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/region.cfm?rnum=18&rpage=highlights |archive-date=3 June 2012 |access-date=2022-08-20}} [129] => * Island with earliest known settlement: [[Sumatra]] ([[List of countries and islands by first human settlement|Lida Ajer cave]]), Indonesia [130] => [131] => == See also == [132] => {{Portal|Islands}} [133] => {{Div col}} [134] => * [[Desert island]] [135] => * [[Great wall of sand]] [136] => * [[Island biogeography]] [137] => * [[Island ecology]] [138] => * [[Island country]] [139] => * [[Island hopping]] [140] => * [[Lake island]] [141] => * [[List of islands#List of ancient islands|List of ancient islands]] [142] => * [[List of archipelagos]] [143] => * [[List of artificial islands]] [144] => * [[List of divided islands]] [145] => * [[List of fictional islands]] [146] => * [[List of island countries]] [147] => * [[List of islands by area]] [148] => * [[List of islands#List of islands by body of water|List of islands by body of water]] [149] => * [[List of islands#List of islands by continent|List of islands by continent]] [150] => * [[List of islands by country]] [151] => * [[List of islands by highest point]] [152] => * [[List of islands by name]] [153] => * [[List of islands by population]] [154] => * [[List of islands by population density]] [155] => * [[List of islands named after people]] [156] => * [[Phantom island]] [157] => * [[Private island]] [158] => * [[River island]] [159] => * [[Rock fever]] [160] => * [[Small Island Developing States]] [161] => * [[Tidal island]] [162] => {{div col end}} [163] => [164] => == References == [165] => {{reflist}} [166] => [167] => == External links == [168] => {{commons and category|Island|Islands}} [169] => {{Wikiquote|Islands}} [170] => {{Wikisource1911Enc|Island}} [171] => * [https://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part8.htm Definition of island] from [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]] [172] => * [http://islands.unep.ch/isldir.htm Listing of islands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214203618/http://islands.unep.ch/isldir.htm |date=February 14, 2008 }} from [[United Nations]] Island Directory. [173] => [174] => {{Coastal geography|state=collapsed}} [175] => [176] => {{Authority control}} [177] => [178] => [[Category:Islands| ]] [179] => [[Category:Coastal and oceanic landforms]] [180] => [[Category:Fluvial landforms]] [181] => [[Category:Oceanographical terminology]] [182] => [[Category:Lacustrine landforms]] [] => )
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Island

An island is a landmass, either surrounded by water or floating on it, that is smaller than a continent. They can be found in oceans, seas, rivers, or lakes.

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They can be found in oceans, seas, rivers, or lakes. Islands have diverse geological and ecological features and can range from tiny islets to large land masses like Greenland and Australia. They are formed through various geological processes, including volcanic activity, tectonic movements, and erosion. Islands play a crucial role in the planet's biodiversity, as they often harbor unique and endemic species that have evolved independently from their mainland counterparts. They also provide habitats for a wide range of plants, animals, and marine life. Human civilizations have been established on islands for thousands of years, and they have served as important centers for trade, exploration, and cultural development. The development of islands can be influenced by various factors, including their size, location, climate, and geological history. Some islands are popular tourist destinations, offering pristine beaches, stunning landscapes, and recreational activities. Others are remote and uninhabited, serving as nature reserves or research sites. The Wikipedia page on islands provides a comprehensive overview of these natural formations. It covers their formation, types, classification, and distribution across the globe. The page also delves into the ecological significance of islands, their human history and cultural impact, as well as notable examples from around the world.

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