Largest Islands in the World: 10 Colossal Coastlines

Largest Islands in the World: 10 Colossal Coastlines

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

We spent quite a bit of time on islands. Not only were we born and raised on an island, but island destinations seem to be a recurring theme in our travels.

In 2014 we launched Atlas & Boots with a six-month voyage through the South Pacific via Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Hawaii. Our last long trip saw us spend a month in Sri Lanka, shortly followed by another in Mauritius.

I love the sea and on an island it is rarely far away. In the UK you are never more than 113 km (70 miles) from the coast. I grew up by the sea and of course I always feel drawn to it. I feel at home by the sea, I can orientate myself and feel at home. I love the vastness that a sea or ocean brings with it: the loneliness, the continuity, the relentlessness.

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

10 largest islands in the world

1. Greenland

Area: 2,130,800 sq km (822,700 sq miles)Population: 56,483Population density: 0.028/km2 (0.1/sq miles)Location: North America (Denmark)

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Apart from continental landmasses such as Afro-Eurasia, America, Antarctica and Australia, Greenland is the largest island in the world. This autonomous constituent country within the Danish Kingdom is the most sparsely populated area in the world.

Nestled between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, Greenland is an inhospitable land surrounded by even more inhospitable waters. The island has long attracted the attention of polar explorers and today positions itself as an adventure tourism destination.

Despite the long winters and short summers, state tourism agency Visit Greenland promotes whale watching, local culture, winter sports and hiking as reasons to visit. I've decided to hike the 160km Arctic Circle Trail.

2. New Guinea

Area: 785,753 square kilometers (303,381 sq mi)Population: 11,306,940Population density: 14/km2 (36/sq mi)Location: Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, Oceania

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The world's second largest island, New Guinea, is divided almost equally between Papua New Guinea to the east and Indonesia to the west. Furthermore, it is arguably divided (at least geopolitically) between two continents: Oceania and Asia.

The coasts on both sides of the island offer excellent diving opportunities. Both are world-famous diving destinations with excellent conditions throughout most of the year. The biodiversity beneath the waves is teeming with colorful coral and fish species. There is also an incredible collection of World War II plane wrecks and shipwrecks for diving.

Oceania's highest mountain and member of the Seven Peaks, Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid), is located just across the Indonesian border on the island. Although it's not the island's biggest attraction for most tourists, it's the main reason I want to visit.

3. Borneo

Area: 743,330 square kilometers (288,869 sq mi)Population: 19,804,064 Population Density: 21.52/km2 (55.74/sq mi)Location: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, Asia

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The world's third largest island is made up of three countries, although the vast majority, about 73%, is Indonesian territory. The sovereign state of Brunei makes up only 1% of the island and the remaining territory is Malaysian.

Interestingly, Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world and is an antipode to Brazil's Amazon rainforest. The island is also home to exotic and rare wildlife in its inner jungle and surrounding waters. Wild orangutans swing through the jungle canopy, while Irrawaddy dolphins swim and saltwater crocodiles lurk in the waters of the South China Sea.

4. Madagascar

Area: 587,713 square kilometers (226,917 sq mi)Population: 22,005,222Population density: 33/km2 (85/sq mi)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 visit Madagascar this year as it is an incredibly diverse island with vast, virtually uninhabited tracts of land to explore. It is also home to stunning scenery and unusual wildlife. In fact, 5% of all known animal and plant species occur in Madagascar alone.

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

5. Baffin Island

Area: 507,451 square kilometers (195,928 sq mi)Population: 10,745Population Density: 0.02/km2 (0.05/sq mi)Location: Canada, North America

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Canada has three islands on this list, which is hardly surprising since 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 both want to visit Canada. We recently added it to our list of countries we most want to see, highlighting Baffin Island, with its wild and expansive landscapes, as a must-see. The peaks of Mount Asgard and Mount Thor look otherworldly, with the latter having the largest elevation gain on Earth at 1,250 m (4,101 ft).

6. Sumatra

Area: 443,066 square kilometers (171,069 sq mi)Population: 50,000,000Population density: 106/km2 (275/sq mi)Location: Indonesia, Asia

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Unlike Borneo and New Guinea, Indonesia has this one all to itself. Sumatra straddles the equator, bringing with it the characteristic equatorial nature and geography.

Eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis are typical of Sumatra, while rare and endangered wildlife fills the jungles within. Orangutans, tigers, rhinos and elephants stalk the tangled forests, while below at sea level, picturesque beaches and clear surf barrels offer fantastic diving and watersports.

7. Honshu

Area: 225,800 square kilometers (87,200 sq mi)Population: 103,000,000Population density: 447/km2 (1,158/sq mi)Location: Japan, Asia

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Honshu is considered mainland Japan and is the largest of Japan's four main islands. It is the most densely populated island on this list and the second largest island in the world after the Indonesian island of Java with its 139 million inhabitants. This is no surprise since the megacity of Tokyo and its metropolitan population of nearly 38 million people are located on the island.

Aside from the odd sprawling metropolis, there's world-class skiing, hiking and mountaineering in the island's striking alpine highlands - all of Japan's 30 highest peaks are on Honshu (including Mount Fuji), as is its largest lake, Lake Biwa.

8. Victoria Island

Area: 217,291 square kilometers (83,897 sq mi)Population: 1,875 Population Density: 0.009/km2 (0.02/sq mi)Location: Canada, North America

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

It is also highly unlikely that anyone has ever set foot on the unnamed “sub-sub-sub-island.” Although Victoria Island is larger than 36 of the 50 U.S. states, it has fewer than 2,000 residents. Instead of humans, there are tens of thousands of caribou and musk oxen, both of which are endemic to Canada. Unusually, caribou seasonally cross the sea ice to graze on mainland Canada.

9. Great Britain

Area: 209,331 sq km (80,823 sq miles)Population: 60,800,000Population 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 includes the countries of England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland. Amazing, isn't it? The diagram above explains it to some extent.

I've obviously spent a lot of time exploring Britain, much of it along the coast. Last summer I walked part of the South West Coast Path in Cornwall, the longest national path in the UK and one of the most beautiful long-distance walks in the world.

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Britain is less dramatic than the world's other largest islands. There are no active volcanoes, arctic mountain systems or wildlife in the UK. But don’t write it off just yet – there are rolling hills, rugged coastlines, quaint villages and the best cream teas in the world.

10. Ellesmere Island

Area: 183,965 square kilometers (71,029 sq mi)Population: 146Population Density: 0.000744/km2 (0.0019/sq mi)Location: Canada, North America

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Like Victoria Island, Ellesmere lies entirely within the Arctic Circle and is last on our list of the world's largest islands. No wonder hardly anyone lives here - just 146 souls.

The Arctic Cordillera mountain system covers much of Ellesmere Island, making it the most mountainous island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and quite inhospitable to the few human inhabitants.

So inhospitable, in fact, that it wasn't until 2011 that the first known circumnavigation of Ellesmere Island was completed. Jon Turk and Erik Boomer completed the 2,400 km (1,500 mile) journey by sea kayak.

If you consider yourself an avid kayaker, then also consider that it took the two men 104 days and once had to fend off an "invading 3,000-pound walrus from the cockpit of a small sea kayak." Apparently Erik Boomer recommends paddling, although I'm not sure what else you'd have to give up on a sea kayak...

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