6 Largest Islands To Visit In The World

According to the Cambridge dictionary, an island is a piece of land completely surrounded by water. They can be in any type of water body an ocean, sea, lake or even a river. There are believed to be millions of islands on the surface of this planet. And, while it might be really tough to track all of them, we can at least list down the largest islands in the world. Islands have fascinated most of us for millennia, as they usually invoke a feeling of escape or luxury. With their natural beauty, indigenous flora and fauna, and proximity to bustling cities, these large islands must feature on your bucket lists. So get adventurous and ready to explore the world’s largest islands with us.

# Greenland

The largest island in the world, Greenland, is sandwiched between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. This autonomous constituent country within the Danish realm has an arctic to sub-arctic climate, with cool summers and very cold winters. The island is the least densely populated territory in the world, as more than 80 per cent of the land is covered by ice caps and glaciers. The island is known for its magnificent deep fjords, floating icebergs, whale watching, distinct local culture, winter sports and hiking. While the country is part of the North American continent geopolitically, the island forms part of Europe. It attracts tourists and scientists with its magical and stark Arctic beauty.

# New Guinea

Located in the Western Pacific Ocean, New Guinea is the world’s second-largest island, after Greenland. It is split almost equally between Papua New Guinea to the east and Indonesia to the west, and is administered by both countries. This island is 1,500 miles long and 400 miles wide, with coastlines on both sides offering excellent diving destinations with near-perfect weather conditions throughout the year. You will be astounded with the biodiversity found beneath the waves here, colourful arrays of coral and fish. While diving, don’t be surprised by the incredible collection of World War II plane wrecks and shipwrecks waiting to be explored. If you are up for some mountain climbing, try hiking up the highest mountain here, the Oceania, a member of the seven summits Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid), located just inside the Indonesian border on the island.

# Borneo

This giant rugged island is located in the west mid-Pacific Ocean and comprises three countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. However, the vast majority, which is approximately 73 per cent, is Indonesian territory. The third-largest island in the world, Borneo in Southeast Asia’s Malay Archipelago is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world (link to forests article). The island is known for its beaches, and the exotic and rare wildlife in its jungles and surrounding waters. Interestingly, the highest peak in Southeast Asia, Mt Kinabalu, is located in Borneo. Watch out for endangered wild orangutans swinging through the jungle canopy, Irrawaddy dolphins, and saltwater crocodiles lurking in the waters of the South China Sea.

# Madagascar

Located on the east coast of Africa, in the Indian Ocean, this huge island nation is fourth on the list of largest islands in the world. This incredibly diverse island was created about 88 million years ago when this land mass separated from the Indian subcontinent. Madagascar is home to thousands of unique species of plants and animals; in fact, 70 per cent of the 250,000 species of animals in Madagascar are not found anywhere else in the world. Similarly, 90 per cent of 14,000 different species of plants in Madagascar are endemic to the island. As the largest island in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar boasts huge swathes of virtually uninhabited land for you to explore.

# Baffin

The largest island of Canada, Baffin Island is located in the Nunavut territory. Located in the Arctic archipelago, it’s the fifth-largest island in the world and is known for its many fjords and freshwater lakes. As most of the island lies north of the Arctic Circle, it receives extremely cold weather with an annual average temperature of -8 degrees Celsius. It offers stunning wild and expansive landscapes along with breathtaking views from the peaks of Mount Asgard and Mount Thor. The island is also home to a large number of mammals, such as polar bears, Arctic wolves and lemmings.

# Sumatra

The second-largest island in Indonesia and sixth in the list of the world’s biggest islands, Sumatra is located west of Java and south of the Malay Peninsula in northeast Indian Ocean. Straddling the equator, the island is prone to powerful earthquakes and tsunamis because it is positioned at the subduction zone of Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The island is known for its rugged tropical terrain, endangered wildlife, smouldering volcanoes and rich forests. This is where you can catch a glimpse of some critically endangered species, such as the Sumatran tiger, the Sumatran orangutan, the Sumatran rhinoceros and Sumatran ground-cuckoo, while the picturesque beaches and clear barrels of surf will lure you down to the sea.