Which Are The Island Countries Of The World?

Indonesia is an archipelago in Southeast Asia and it is the biggest island nation both by population and by the size of the land area. Throughout history, island nations have been vulnerable to the rivalry between nations, maritime greed, as well as political upheaval. Due to their position, island countries have had to depend on sea and air lines of communication rendering them susceptible to invasion from larger mainland countries. Most of the island countries are small in size and are home to relatively low populations.

What Is An Island Nation?

An island by definition refers to a land mass surrounded by water. An island nation denotes an independent state consisting of one or more islands. An island country does not border other countries except where they control their islands with other countries as in the case of Haiti and the Dominican Republic and are therefore not borderless. Some island countries including Madagascar govern one or more islands and are thus described as borderless. An island country can cover an archipelago such as in the case of the Philippines.

Indonesia: The Biggest Island Nation By Size And Population

Indonesia is situated in Southeast Asia, strategically between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The island country stretches for 1,760 km from north to south and 5,120 km from east to west. The number of islands making up the archipelago has been estimated to be over 18,000. There are five major islands namely Sulawesi, Borneo, Java, New Guinea, and Sumatra and two primary archipelagos: The Maluku Islands and Nusa Tenggara as well as sixty smaller archipelagos. Some of the islands are shared with other countries including Borneo (Brunei and Malaysia), Timor (East Timor), and New Guinea (Papua New Guinea). The country’s land area totals to 1,904,569 Km2, with a population of 255,461,700. Java is the most populated island in the archipelago as well as in the world.

Does Australia Deserve A Position On The List?

Australia’s geographical characteristics render it a continent rather than an island nation. Its large land mass, calculated at 7,692,024 km2, automatically makes it a continent. Australia has its tectonic plate known as the Australian Plate, one of the criteria required by a region garnering for continental status. Other criteria that Australia meets are having its unique flora and fauna, cultural uniqueness, and a significant population which believes it is a continent.

Privileges Enjoyed By Island Nations

The unique locations of island nations enable them to bank lucratively on tourism. The states have stretches of coastlines, tropical climates, and historical and cultural significance which are some of the factors that drive tourism. The nations are also strategically located for maritime trade as their economies mostly rely on imports and exports. Most of these nations boast numerous natural resources such as fisheries, arable land, minerals, and forestry.

Global Warming: How Can It Affect Island Countries?

The geographical location of island nations makes them particularly susceptible to the effects of global warming. The rising sea level is threatening to submerge the nations. Other adverse effects which have been witnessed in the countries include typhoons, cyclones, tides, floods, and droughts which have had a devastating effect on people’s lives, infrastructure, and vegetation.