The world's largest islands: 10 colossal coasts

The world's largest islands: 10 colossal coasts

We take a look at the largest islands in the world, from the abandoned island of Ellesmere on the Arctic Circle to the metropolis of Honshu in Japan

We spent a lot of time on islands. We were not only born and grew up on an island, but island goals seem to be a recurring topic on our travels.

2014 we started Atlas & Boots with a six-month trip through the South Pacific via Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, French-Polynesia and Hawaii. Our last longer trip spent a month in Sri Lanka, followed briefly by another in Mauritius.

I love the sea and on an island it is rarely far away. In the UK, they are never further than 113 km (70 miles) from the coast. I grew up by the sea and of course I feel dressed again and again. I feel comfortable by the sea, can orient myself and feel comfortable. I love the vastness that a sea or ocean brings with it: loneliness, continuity, the relentlessness.

At the same time, I enjoy extensive land that offer anonymity. You can find the best of both worlds on some of the largest islands in the world. That's why they are fantastic travel destinations for adventurous travelers.

10 largest islands in the world

1. Greenland

area: 2,130,800 QKM (822,700 SQ Miles) Population: 56.483 population density: 0.028/km2 (0.1/sq Miles) Location: North America (Denmark)

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Apart from continental land masses such as Afro-Eurasia, America, Antarctic and Australia, Greenland is the largest island in the world. This autonomous constituent country within the Danish kingdom is the most populated area in the world.

embedded between the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean is Greenland an inhospitable country in the middle of even more inhospitable waters. For a long time, the island has attracted the attention of polar researchers and today positions itself as a travel destination for adventure tourism.

Despite the long winter and short summer, the state tourism agency VISIT Greenland promotes whale observation, local culture, winter sports and hiking as reasons for a visit. I have firmly decided to hike the 160 km long Arctic Circle Trail.

2. New Guinea

area: 785,753 square kilometers (303,381 square miles) Population: 11:306.940 Location density: 14/km2 (36/square miles) Location: Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, Oceanien

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The second largest island in the world, New Guinea, is almost equally divided between Papua New Guinea in the east and Indonesia in the west. In addition, it is probably (at least geopolitically) divided into two continents: Oceania and Asia.

The coasts on both sides of the island offer excellent diving options. Both are world -famous diving goals with excellent conditions during most of the year. The biodiversity among the waves is teeming with colorful coral and fish species. There is also an incredible collection of aircraft wrecks and shipwrecks from the Second World War.

The highest mountain Oceania and member of the seven peaks, Puncak Jaya (Carstensz-Pyramide), is located directly behind the Indonesian border on the island. Although it is not the biggest attraction on the island for most tourists, it is the main reason why I want to visit them.

3. Borneo

area: 743,330 square kilometers (288,869 square miles) Population: 19.804.064 Population density: 21.52/km2 (55.74/square miles) Location: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, Asia

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The third largest island in the world consists of three countries, although the vast majority, about 73 %, is Indonesian territory. The sovereign state of Brunei is only 1 % of the island and the rest of the territory is Malaysian.

4. Madagascar

area: 587.713 square kilometer (226.917 square miles) Population: 22.005.222 -population density: 33/km2 (85/square miles) Location: Africa

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Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and the largest island in the Indian Ocean. We hope to be able to visit Madagascar this year because it is an incredibly varied island with huge, practically uninhabited areas that need to be explored. It is also home to a breathtaking landscape and an unusual animal world. In fact, 5% of all known animal and plant species occur on Madagascar alone.

With a coastline of 5,000 km (3,100 miles), the Indian Ocean throws every kind of sea on the island: calm and idyllic waters gently hit sandy beaches, while violent and dangerous waves hit rocky cliffs elsewhere.

5. Baffin island

area: 507,451 square kilometers (195,928 square miles) Population: 10.745 population density: 0.02/km2 (0.05/square miles) Location: Canada, North America

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Canada has three islands on this list, which is hardly surprising because it has the longest coastline in the world and an unknown number of islands. It is estimated that there are over 30,000 islands along the east coast of Georgian Bay alone. Thirty Thousand Islands is the largest freshwater archipelago in the world.

Kia and I want to visit both Canada. We recently included it in our list of countries that we want to see the most, and Baffin Island with its wild and extensive landscapes highlighted as a must. The peaks of Mount Asgard and Mount Thor look like from another world, the latter with 1,250 m (4,101 ft) has the greatest difference in altitude of the earth.

6. Sumatra

area: 443,066 square kilometers (171,069 square miles) Population: 50,000,000 -population density: 106/km2 (275/square miles) Location: Indonesia, Asia

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Indonesia has it all by itself. Sumatra spans the equator and thus brings the characteristic equatorial nature and geography with it.

eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis are typical of Sumatra, while rare and endangered wild animals fill the jungle in it. Orangutans, tigers, rhinos and elephants are stuffing through the confused forests, while picturesque beaches and clear surf barrels offer fantastic diving and water sports.

7. Honshū

area: 225,800 square kilometers (87,200 square miles) Population: 103,000,000,000 population: 447/km2 (1,158/square miles) Location: Japan, Asia

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Honshu is considered a Japanese mainland and is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It is the most densely populated island on this list and after the Indonesian island of Java with its 139 million inhabitants the second largest island in the world. This is not a surprise because the Megacity Tokyo and its cities population of almost 38 million people are on the island.

Apart from one or the other extensive metropolis, there are world-class skiing, hiking and mountaineering in the striking Alpine highlands of the island-all 30 highest peaks of Japan are located on Honshu (including the Mount Fuji) and the largest lake, the Biwa lake.

8. Victoria island

area: 217.291 square kilometers (83,897 square miles) Population: 1,875 population density: 0.009/km2 (0.02/square miles) Location: Canada, North America

Victoria Island is the largest island in the world that is completely within the Arctic Circle. It is far more fascinating that it contains the largest island in the world on an island on an island. I could explain it, but it is probably easier to watch the video above on Google Earth.

It is also highly unlikely that someone has ever set foot on the unnamed "sub-sub-sub-island". Although Victoria Island is larger than 36 of the 50 US states, it has fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. Instead of humans, there are tens of thousands of Caribus and musk oxes, both of whom are endemic in Canada. Unusually, the Caribus crosses the sea ice to graze on the Canadian mainland.

9. Great Britain

area: 209.331 QKM (80.823 SQ Miles) Population: 60,800,000 population density: 302/km2 (782/SQ Miles) Location: United Kingdom, Europe

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The island of Great Britain is the largest island in Europe, the ninth largest in the world and the largest island in the United Kingdom. It comprises England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland. Astonishing, isn't it? The above diagram explains it in a way.

of course I spent a lot of time to explore the UK, a large part of it along the coast. Last summer I hiked part of the South West Coast Path in Cornwall, the longest National Path of the UK and one of the most beautiful long -distance hiking trails in the world.

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Great Britain is less dramatic than the other largest islands in the world. In the UK there are no active volcanoes, arctic mountain systems or wild animals. But don't write it down yet - there are gentle hills, rugged coasts, picturesque villages and the best cream teas in the world.

10. Ellesmere island

area: 183,965 square kilometers (71,029 square miles) Population: 146 population density: 0.000744/km2 (0.0019/square miles) Location: Canada, North America

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like Victoria Island, Ellesmere is also completely within the Arctic Circle and is the last one on our list of the world's largest islands. No wonder that hardly anyone lives here - only 146 souls.

The mountain system of the Arctic Cordillers covers a large part of the island of Ellesmere, which makes it the most mountainous island of the Canadian-Arctic Archipelago and is quite inherently for the few human residents.

actually so inhospitable that the first known circulation of Ellesmere Island was only completed in 2011. Jon Turk and Erik Boomer completed the 2,400 km (1,500 miles) long journey with the Seekajak.

If you consider yourself as an enthusiastic kayak driver, then keep in mind that the two men needed 104 days and once had to ward off a "breaking 3,000 pound walross from the cockpit of a small nautical kayak". Apparently, Erik Boomer recommends paddling, although I am not sure what else you would have to hand over to a Seekajak ...

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