Which Countries Have The Most Islands? (2023)

FAQs

Which countries have the most islands? ›

With 221,831 named islands (and an estimated 267,570 total), Sweden has the most islands of all countries. But, only 1,000 of them are inhabited. Below are some of the main islands you can find in the country.

Indonesia – 17,504

The Indonesia archipelago encompasses 17,504 islands, with about 6,000 being inhabited. Known as the nation with the fourth-highest population in the world at over 270 million, Indonesia is also the country with the most inhabited islands.

Sweden has thousands of islands for two primary reasons. First, the islands are the result of the ice age. The presence and eventual retreat of glaciers helped shape the land, sea, and islands of Sweden. Second, Sweden owns the islands as a result of winning historical boundary disputes with neighbors.

Indonesia is the world's largest island country by area (1,904,569 km²), and by total number of islands (17,504 islands).

Of the approximate number of 900,000 islands globally, around 16,000 are inhabited. Approximately 11% of the world's total population, over 730 million people, lives on these islands.

Singapore was part of Malaysia for two years before it was expelled from the federation in 1965, becoming an independent republic, a city and a sovereign country. The Economist refers to the nation as the "world's only fully functioning city-state".

That's right, the United States comes in fifth place with 18,617 islands. Alaska alone is composed of at least 2,670 named islands, possessing the most of any state, including Hawaii. Although it hasn't one-tenth as many islands as Norway, Indonesia is the country in the world with the most inhabited islands.

How many islands are in Africa? ›

How many islands are there in Africa? There are six islands that are located off the African coast and hence, considered the part of the continent. These are Cape Verde, Sí£o Tomé and Príncipe, Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, and Mauritius. What six island nations are considered part of Africa?

Philippines is made up of over 7000 islands - this is one of them - Picture of Yachting Boracay, Panay Island.

Indonesia. The CIA World Factbook states that Indonesia has 17,508 islands but other sources put the number over 18,000.

Countries in the World:

There are 195 countries in the world today. This total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

The Japanese archipelago consists of 6,852 islands in total according to the Japan Statistical Yearbook, published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Statistics Bureau of Japan. Five of these are defined as “mainland” islands: Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku, Kyūshū, and Okinawa Island.

The mountains then follow the border in a northeasterly direction and are known as Kjølen (the "keel"). The mountains intersect many fjords in Nordland and Troms, where they become more alpine and create many islands after they meet the sea.

The three smallest countries in the world are Vatican City, an enclave within Rome, Italy. Monaco, a principality at the Mediterranean coast and an enclave within Southern France, and Nauru, an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

According to Britannica, an island is a mass of land that is both “entirely surrounded by water” and also “smaller than a continent.” By that definition, Australia can't be an island because it's already a continent.

Is America a island? ›

Strictly speaking, the American continent consists of two continents and the largest island in the world, North America, South America and Greenland. Central America and the Caribbean are usually considered part of North America.

Indonesia and Papua New Guinea: Two countries share one island called New Guinea. New Guinea is the world's second-largest island located north of Australia and it is an island shared by two countries. New Guinea is split almost equally, between Papua New Guinea to the east and Indonesia to the west.

The winner — by quite some margin — is Sweden. This Northern European nation is home to a whopping 221,800 mostly uninhabited islands, according to Statista (opens in new tab), a German company that provides statistics.

There are around 2000 Islands in the ocean and millions in the world. Some of them are tiny, and others are huge. All these islands vary in size, temperature, climate, and flora and fauna.

Great Britain and the British Isles are a collection of islands. Over 6,000 of them in fact though sources vary from 6,289 to 7,700 islands in total. Most are uninhabited.

Nauru is the world's smallest island nation, covering just 21 square kilometres (8 sq mi), the smallest independent republic, and the only republican state in the world without an official capital.

Greenland is the biggest island on the list.

Andorra has no standing army but has signed treaties with Spain and France for its protection.

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in July 2011 after 98% of the population voted for it in January 2011 referendum. Unfortunately, even after gaining independence, civil wars continued in this young country until a recent peace agreement in 2020. Currently, South Sudan is the youngest country in the world.

Sealand, or the Principality of Sealand, is a micronation located in the North Sea about 7.5 miles from Suffolk, England. Sealand is the home of Roughs Tower, which was used as a gun platform by the British in World War II. Data recorded in 2002 shows that the area has a population of just 27 people.

Which state has the largest island? ›

Hawaii Island is the largest island in the United States. It is located in the southeastern part of the Hawaiian Islands. People also call it “The Big Island.”

Alkebulan. According to experts that research the history of the African continent, the original ancient name of Africa was Alkebulan. This name translates to “mother of mankind,” or according to other sources, “the garden of Eden.” Alkebulan is an extremely old word, and its origins are indigenous.

It's brimming full of BIG things. As the second biggest continent in the world, Africa is jam-packed with some of the world's biggest things: The largest desert in the world, the Sahara Desert (explore it on our Morocco itineraries). The longest river in the world, the Nile River, runs for 6,853km (4,258mi).

Japan, island country lying off the east coast of Asia. It consists of a great string of islands in a northeast-southwest arc that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through the western North Pacific Ocean.

There are 48 countries in Asia today, according to the United Nations.

Malay Archipelago, largest group of islands in the world, consisting of the more than 17,000 islands of Indonesia and the approximately 7,000 islands of the Philippines.

Which country is No 1 in world? ›

The continent of Asia includes many islands, some of them countries. The Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan are major island nations in Asia.

India has a total of 1,382 off-shore identified islands. The development potential of these islands and maritime resources has been accorded high priority.

Islands. China s vast sea area has more than 5,000 islands, with a total area of 80,000 square kilometers.

Russia is the largest country in Europe, and also the largest in the world, its total size amounting to 17 million square kilometers (km²).

Japan is about 1.6 times bigger than United Kingdom.

United Kingdom is approximately 243,610 sq km, while Japan is approximately 377,915 sq km, making Japan 55% larger than United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the population of United Kingdom is ~65.8 million people (59.7 million more people live in Japan).

(CNN) — Fact: If you tried to travel one island a day in South Korea, it would take you more than nine years to get to them all (there are 3,358 officially affirmed islands off the South Korean coast).

What is Japan known for? ›

Japan is famous for natural sights like cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji, cutting-edge technology like Japanese cars and bullet trains, wacky inventions like karaoke and vending machines, cultural values like politeness and punctuality, popular anime and manga, and mouth-watering food like ramen and sushi.

Sweden has thousands of islands for two primary reasons. First, the islands are the result of the ice age. The presence and eventual retreat of glaciers helped shape the land, sea, and islands of Sweden. Second, Sweden owns the islands as a result of winning historical boundary disputes with neighbors.

Of the approximate number of 900,000 islands globally, around 16,000 are inhabited. Approximately 11% of the world's total population, over 730 million people, lives on these islands.

The world's smallest country comprises 33 people and is situated at 6.3 acres. All know that India and China are counted in most of the world's most populous countries. According to an estimate, China's population is 1.4 and India's 1.3 billion.

1. Iceland. According to the Global Peace Index, Iceland is the safest country in the world for the 14th year in a row. Iceland is a Nordic nation with a relatively small population of 340,000.

Australia is the planet's sixth largest country after Russia, Canada, China, the USA, and Brazil. At 7 692 024 km², it accounts for just five percent of the world's land area of 149 450 000 km², and although it is the smallest continental land mass, it is the world's largest island.

Indonesia is the world's largest island country by area (1,904,569 km²), and by total number of islands (17,504 islands). It is also the world's most populous island country, with a population of over 270 million (the fourth most populous country in the world, after China, India, and the United States).

The centre's hot, dry conditions are helped by its location so far from the sea. Moist sea breezes don't make it so far inland and most rain-bearing systems have dropped their rain by the time they make it to the outback. The high pressure ridge is why high pressure systems are so common at this latitude.

There are six major kinds of islands: continental (1), tidal (2), barrier (3), oceanic (4), coral (5), and artificial (6). Continental islands (1) were once connected to a continent. They still sit on the continental shelf. Some formed as Earth's shifting continents broke apart.

Who is America named after? ›

The LOC.GOV Wise Guide : How Did America Get Its Name? America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who set forth the then revolutionary concept that the lands that Christopher Columbus sailed to in 1492 were part of a separate continent.

In this week's Maphead column, Ken Jennings looks at the island of Borneo, which is technically divided between three different countries, as well as its small-but-divided brethern.

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after years of civil war, but violence continues to ravage the world's newest country. Civil War erupted in South Sudan in 2013 and continues today, as political leaders from different ethnic groups vie for power.

Philippines is made up of over 7000 islands - this is one of them - Picture of Yachting Boracay, Panay Island.

The continent of Asia includes many islands, some of them countries. The Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan are major island nations in Asia.

Indonesia. The CIA World Factbook states that Indonesia has 17,508 islands but other sources put the number over 18,000.

The Japanese archipelago consists of 6,852 islands in total according to the Japan Statistical Yearbook, published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Statistics Bureau of Japan. Five of these are defined as “mainland” islands: Hokkaidō, Honshū, Shikoku, Kyūshū, and Okinawa Island.

North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean.

That's right, the United States comes in fifth place with 18,617 islands. Alaska alone is composed of at least 2,670 named islands, possessing the most of any state, including Hawaii. Although it hasn't one-tenth as many islands as Norway, Indonesia is the country in the world with the most inhabited islands.

1. Greenland. With a total covered area of 2,130,800 sq km, Greenland is 1st largest island in the world. Located between the Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean, Greenland was considered to be an inhospitable land, but now it has been converted to an adventure spot.

How many islands are in Europe? ›

The winner — by quite some margin — is Sweden. This Northern European nation is home to a whopping 221,800 mostly uninhabited islands, according to Statista (opens in new tab), a German company that provides statistics.

How many islands are there in Africa? There are six islands that are located off the African coast and hence, considered the part of the continent. These are Cape Verde, Sí£o Tomé and Príncipe, Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, and Mauritius.

Maine and Alaska are the U.S. states with the most islands. Maine has 3166 coastal islands, a number that includes the largest islands, starting with Mount Desert Island (108 sq mi) and the smallest islets. Alaska has approximately 2,670 named islands.

Japan, island country lying off the east coast of Asia. It consists of a great string of islands in a northeast-southwest arc that stretches for approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 km) through the western North Pacific Ocean.

China s vast sea area has more than 5,000 islands, with a total area of 80,000 square kilometers.

Japan is about 1.6 times bigger than United Kingdom.

United Kingdom is approximately 243,610 sq km, while Japan is approximately 377,915 sq km, making Japan 55% larger than United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the population of United Kingdom is ~65.8 million people (59.7 million more people live in Japan).

(CNN) — Fact: If you tried to travel one island a day in South Korea, it would take you more than nine years to get to them all (there are 3,358 officially affirmed islands off the South Korean coast).