List of island countries
This is a list of island countries. An island is a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water.[1] Many island countries are spread over an archipelago, as is the case with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Philippines (which consists of thousands of islands). Others consist of a single island, such as Nauru, or part of an island, such as Haiti. Although Australia is designated as a continent, it is often referred to as an island and has no land borders.[2] Some declared island countries are not universally recognized as politically independent, such as Northern Cyprus.
Current
Sovereign states
Name | Geographic configuration | Geologic location | Population | Area (km²) | Density (per km²) | Geographic location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antigua and Barbuda | Two main islands | Continental shelf | 85,632 | 440 | 194 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Australia[n 1] | One main island | Australian continent | 22,547,870 | 7,686,848 | 2.93 | Australia |
Bahamas | Archipelago | Continental shelf | 330,000 | 13,878 | 23.27 | Atlantic Ocean, Bahamas |
Bahrain | One main island | Continental shelf | 791,000 | 750 | 1,189.5 | Persian Gulf |
Barbados | One main island | Continental shelf | 269,556 | 430 | 627 | Caribbean Sea, Windward Islands |
Brunei | Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 388,190 | 5,765 | 67.3 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
Cape Verde | Archipelago | Oceanic | 567,000 | 4,033 | 125.5 | Atlantic Ocean, Africa |
Comoros | Archipelago | Oceanic | 798,000 | 2,235 | 275 | Indian Ocean, Africa |
Cook Islands[n 2] | Archipelago | Oceanic | 10,777 | 236 | 45.7 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Cuba | One main island | Continental shelf | 11,241,161 | 109,884 | 102.3 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
Cyprus[n 3] | Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 793,963 | 9,251 | 85 | Mediterranean Sea |
Dominica | One main island | Continental shelf | 72,660 | 754 | 105 | Caribbean Sea, Lesser Antilles |
Dominican Republic | Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 10,990,000 | 48,442 | 208.2 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
East Timor | Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 1,066,582 | 14,874 | 76.2 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
Federated States of Micronesia | Archipelago | Oceanic | 111,000 | 702 | 158.1 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
Fiji | Archipelago | Oceanic | 849,000 | 18,274 | 46.4 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
Grenada | One main island | Continental shelf | 110,000 | 344 | 319.8 | Caribbean Sea, Windward Islands |
Haiti | Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 9,700,000 | 27,750 | 350 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
Iceland | One main island | Oceanic | 316,252 | 103,000 | 3.1 | Atlantic Ocean |
Indonesia | Archipelago | Two continental shelves | 237,556,363 | 1,904,569 | 124.7 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
Republic of Ireland | Shares one main island | Continental shelf | 4,588,252 | 70,273 | 65.3 | Atlantic Ocean, British Isles |
Jamaica | One main island | Continental shelf | 2,847,232 | 10,991 | 252 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
Japan | Archipelago | Continental shelf | 127,433,494 | 377,873 | 337 | Pacific Ocean, East Asia |
Kiribati | Archipelago | Oceanic | 98,000 | 811 | 135 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
Madagascar | One main island | Oceanic | 20,653,556 | 587,041 | 35.2 | Indian Ocean, Africa |
Maldives | Archipelago | Oceanic | 329,198 | 298 | 1,105 | Indian Ocean |
Malta | Two main islands | Continental shelf | 404,500 | 316 | 1,282 | Mediterranean Sea |
Marshall Islands | Archipelago | Oceanic | 62,000 | 181 | 342.5 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
Mauritius | Archipelago | Oceanic | 1,244,663 | 2,040 | 610 | Indian Ocean, Africa |
Nauru | One island | Oceanic | 13,635 | 21 | 649 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
New Zealand | Two main islands | Continental shelf | 4,027,947 | 268,680 | 15 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Niue[n 2] | Single island | Oceanic | 1,269 | 260 | 4.9 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Northern Cyprus[n 4] | Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 285,359 | 3,355 | 78 | Mediterranean Sea |
Palau | Archipelago | Oceanic | 20,000 | 459 | 43.6 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
Papua New Guinea | Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 6,732,000 | 462,840 | 14.5 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
Philippines | Archipelago | Continental shelf | 101,398,120 | 300,000 | 295 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Two main islands | Continental shelf | 51,300 | 261 | 164 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Saint Lucia | One main island | Continental shelf | 173,765 | 616 | 298 | Caribbean Sea, Windward Islands |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Archipelago | Continental shelf | 120,000 | 389 | 307 | Caribbean Sea, Windward Islands |
Samoa | Archipelago | Oceanic | 179,000 | 2,831 | 63.2 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
São Tomé and Príncipe | Two main islands | Continental shelf | 163,000 | 1,001 | 169.1 | Atlantic Ocean, Africa |
Seychelles | Archipelago | Oceanic | 87,500 | 455 | 192 | Indian Ocean, Africa |
Singapore[3] | One main island | Continental shelf | 5,469,700 | 718.3 | 7,615 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
Solomon Islands | Archipelago | Oceanic | 523,000 | 28,400 | 18.1 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
Sri Lanka | One main island | Continental shelf | 23,650,000 | 65,610 | 314 | Indian Ocean |
Taiwan [n 5] | One main island | Continental shelf | 22,911,292 | 36,188 | 633 | Pacific Ocean, East Asia |
Tonga | Archipelago | Oceanic | 104,000 | 748 | 139 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Trinidad and Tobago | Two main islands | Continental shelf | 1,299,953 | 5,131 | 254.4 | Caribbean Sea, South America |
Tuvalu | Archipelago | Oceanic | 12,373 | 26 | 475.88 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | One main island; part of second island | Continental shelf | 60,587,300 | 244,820 | 246 | Atlantic Ocean, British Isles |
Vanuatu | Archipelago | Oceanic | 243,304 | 12,190 | 19.7 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
Dependencies and other notable regions
Name | Geographic configuration | Geologic location | Sovereign state | Population | Area (km²) | Density (per km²) | Geographic Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Åland[n 6] | Archipelago | Continental shelf | Finland | 28,355 | 1,580 | 17.9 | Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia |
Alderney | Single island | Continental shelf | Guernsey | 2,400 | 7.8 | 307.7 | English Channel |
American Samoa[n 7] | Archipelago | Oceanic | United States | 54,947 | 199 | 276 | Polynesia |
Anguilla | One main island | Continental shelf | United Kingdom | 15,423 | 91 | 169 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Aruba | Single island | Continental shelf | Netherlands | 107,635 | 180 | 598 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Antilles |
Bermuda | Archipelago | Oceanic | United Kingdom | 62,500 | 53.3 | 1,170 | Atlantic Ocean, North America |
British Virgin Islands | Archipelago | Continental shelf | United Kingdom | 31,148 | 151 | 206 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Caribbean Netherlands | Three main islands | Continental shelf | Netherlands | 21,133 | 127 | 166 | Caribbean Sea |
Cayman Islands | Three islands | Continental shelf | United Kingdom | 52,560 | 264 | 199 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
Christmas Island | One main island | Australia | 1,496 | 135 | 11.1 | Maritime Southeast Asia | |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands | Two main islands | Australia | 596 | 14 | 42.6 | Maritime Southeast Asia | |
Curaçao | One main island | Continental shelf | Netherlands | 145,834 | 444 | 328 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Antilles |
Falkland Islands[n 8] | Two main islands | Continental shelf | United Kingdom | 3,140 | 12,173 | 0.26 | Atlantic Ocean, South America |
Faroe Islands | Archipelago | Denmark | 49,483 | 1,393 | 35.5 | Atlantic Ocean, British Isles | |
French Polynesia | Archipelago | Oceanic | France | 274,512 | 3,827 | 71.7 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Greenland | One major island | Continental shelf | Denmark | 57,695 | 2,166,086 | 0.03 | North America |
Guadeloupe | One main island | Continental Shelf | France | 405,500 | 1,628 | 250 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Guam[n 7] | Single island | Oceanic | United States | 159,914 | 544 | 293 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
Guernsey[n 9][4] | One main island | Continental shelf | United Kingdom | 65,345 | 78 | 838 | English Channel |
Hawaii (formerly Territory, Republic, and Kingdom of Hawaii) |
Archipelago | Oceanic | United States | 1,392,313 | 28,311 | 82.6 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Hong Kong | Two main islands and a peninsula | PRC | South China Sea | ||||
Isle of Man | Single island | Continental shelf | United Kingdom | 85,421 | 572 | 149 | Irish Sea, British Isles |
Jersey[n 10] | Single island | Continental shelf | United Kingdom | 94,949 | 116 | 819 | English Channel |
Macau | Two islands and a peninsula on another island | PRC | South China Sea | ||||
Martinique | Single Island | Continental Shelf | France | 403,795 | 1,128 | 360 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Mayotte | One main island | France | 194,000 | 374 | 498.5 | Indian Ocean, Africa | |
Montserrat | One main island | Continental shelf | United Kingdom | 5,164 | 102 | 50.6 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
New Caledonia | One main island | Continental shelf | France | 260,166 | 18,275 | 14.2 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
Norfolk Island | One main island | Australia | 2,182 | 36 | 60.6 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia | |
Northern Mariana Islands[n 7] | Archipelago | Oceanic | United States | 51,395 | 464 | 111 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
Pitcairn Islands | Archipelago | Oceanic | United Kingdom | 48 | 47 | 1.0 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Puerto Rico[n 7] | One main island | Continental shelf | United States | 3,690,923 | 8,870 | 416 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
Réunion | One main island | France | 893,500 | 2,512 | 330 | Indian Ocean, Africa | |
Saint Barthélemy | One main island | Continental shelf | France | 7,332 | 21 | 349 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | Three main islands distant from each other | Oceanic | United Kingdom | 7,728 | 308 | 25.1 | Atlantic Ocean |
Collectivity of Saint Martin | Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | France | 30,959 | 54.4 | 569 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Two main islands | Continental shelf | France | 5,831 | 242 | 24.1 | North America |
Sark | Single island | Continental shelf | Guernsey | 600 | 5.45 | 110 | English Channel |
Sint Maarten | Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | Netherlands | 39,088 | 34 | 1,150 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Svalbard[n 11] | Archipelago | Norway | 1,970 | 62,045 | 0.03 | Arctic Ocean | |
Tokelau[n 2] | Archipelago | Oceanic | New Zealand | 1,368 | 12 | 114 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Turks and Caicos Islands | Archipelago | Continental shelf | United Kingdom | 46,335 | 948 | 48.9 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
U.S. Virgin Islands[n 7] | Archipelago | Continental shelf | United States | 105,275 | 346 | 304 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
Wallis and Futuna | Three main islands | Oceanic | France | 15,289 | 264 | 57.9 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Former nations
- Andros
- Republic of Anguilla
- Anjouan
- Kingdom of Corsica (1736)
- Corsican Republic
- Anglo-Corsican Kingdom
- Cretan State
- Kingdom of Cyprus
- Delos
- Duchy of the Archipelago
- England
- Republic of Ezo
- Republic of Formosa
- Franceville, New Hebrides
- Gozo (independent state)
- Kingdom of Great Britain
- Kingdom of Hawaii
- Commonwealth of Iceland
- Kingdom of Iceland
- Kingdom of Ireland
- Irish Free State[n 12]
- Khios
- Lesbos
- Kingdom of Majorca
- Majapahit
- Kingdom of Man
- Mataram Sultanate
- Merina
- Micronesian Empire
- Milos
- Minoans
- Mohéli
- Republic of the North Solomons
- Pholegandros
- Islands of Refreshment
- Rhodes
- Ryūkyū Kingdom
- Sailendra
- Samos
- Scotland
- Kingdom of Sicily
- Srivijaya
- Principality of Trinidad
- Tuʻi Tonga Empire
- Wales
- West Indies Federation, split up into Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tobago, Trinidad, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
- Zakynthos
Former colonies, possessions, protectorates and territories
- Cape Breton Island, now part of Nova Scotia, Canada
- Danish West Indies, now the United States Virgin Islands
- Hong Kong Island (1841–1860), now part of Hong Kong, a Special administrative region of China[n 13]
- Labuan, briefly part of British North Borneo, the Straits Settlements and Sabah, now a federal territory of Malaysia
- Mayotte, now an overseas department of France
- Colony of Newfoundland (1583–1907), covered the island of Newfoundland before 1809. In 1809, part of the Labrador Peninsula was transferred to Newfoundland from Lower Canada. In other words, before 1809, Newfoundland was an island colony. From 1809 onwards, the Colony of Newfoundland and, since 1907, the Dominion of Newfoundland had been an island plus Labrador (an area on the continent of North America).
- Dominion of Newfoundland (1907–1949), now part of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador of Canada
- New Hebrides, now Vanuatu
- Prince Edward Island, now a province of Canada
- Réunion, now an overseas department of France
- Socotra, now part of Yemen
- Tasmania, now a state of Australia, shares a land boundary with Victoria on Boundary Islet
- Vancouver Island, now a part of British Columbia, Canada
- The People's Republic of Zanzibar, now a member of the United Republic of Tanzania.
See also
- List of archipelagos
- List of Caribbean island countries by population
- List of countries that border only one other country
- List of divided islands
- List of islands
- List of islands by area
- List of islands by population
- List of islands by population density
- List of Oceanian countries by population
- List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Oceania
- List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Indian Ocean
- Micronation
- Thalassocracy
Notes
- ↑ Australia is often considered a continent. This makes its status as an island country disputable.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Cook Islands and Niue are in free association with New Zealand. See Niue Constitution Act. Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand.
- ↑ The north part of the island of Cyprus is the de facto independent state of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey. In the south of the island are the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, controlled by the United Kingdom.
- ↑ Recognized as part of Cyprus by all countries except Turkey.
- ↑ The Republic of China (commonly known as "Taiwan") only controls the islands of Taiwan, Matsu, Kinmen, Penghu etc after the Chinese Civil War, but has not renounced claim on areas currently under control of People's Republic of China, Mongolia, Tuva (a Russian republic) etc. If those territories are taken into account, the Republic of China is not a borderless country or a country centered with a major island. The area under ROC control is also claimed by the People's Republic of China. See Legal status of Taiwan, Political status of Taiwan and One-China policy.
- ↑ Market Reef defines the border between Finland and Sweden. The lighthouse on the reef is administered directly from Finland and is usually not considered a part of the autonomous Åland Islands.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 An insular area of the US. See Territories of the United States.
- ↑ The Falkland Islands are also claimed by Argentina.
- ↑ Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom although some aspects of foreign relations and defence are the responsibility of the UK.
- ↑ The Minquiers off Jersey are claimed by France.
- ↑ Administered by Norway under the Svalbard Treaty.
- ↑ Under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the Irish Free State included all of the island of Ireland but Northern Ireland exercised its option to leave the Irish Free State and rejoin the United Kingdom on 8 December 1922. Therefore, from 6 December 1922 to 8 December 1922, the Irish Free State was a borderless island country.
- ↑ The Crown Colony of Hong Kong covered only Hong Kong Island from 1841 to 1860. Kowloon, south of Boundary Street on the continent, was added in 1860, and extended to include the New Territories in 1898.
References
- ↑ "Definition of island". Oxford University Press.
- ↑ Löffler, Ernst; A.J. Rose, Anneliese Löffler & Denis Warner (1983). Australia:Portrait of a Continent. Richmond, Victoria: Hutchinson Group. p. 17. ISBN 0-09-130460-1.
- ↑ Statistics Singapore - Latest Data - Population & Land Area
- ↑ "Channel Islands". Retrieved 22 August 2013.