List of island countries
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Island_nations.svg/350px-Island_nations.svg.png)
This is a list of island countries. An island is a landmass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water.[1] Many island countries are spread over an archipelago, as is the case with the Federated States of Micronesia and Indonesia (both of which consist of thousands of islands). Others consist of a single island, such as Nauru, or part of an island, such as Haiti. Although Australia is designated as a continent, it is often referred to as an island, as it has no land borders.[2] Some declared island countries are not universally recognized as politically independent, such as Northern Cyprus. Some states, such as Taiwan, officially claim to hold continental territories but are de facto limited to control over islands. Indonesia is the world's largest island country by area (1,904,569 km²), and by total number the islands (more than 18,307); it is also the world's most populous island country, with a population of 255,461,700 (the fourth-largest population in the world, after China, India, and the United States).
Current
Sovereign states and states with limited recognition
Name | Geographic configuration | Geologic location | Population | Area (km²)[3] | Population density (per km²) |
Geographic location |
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Two main islands | Continental shelf | 86,295 | 440 | 194 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | 392,000 | 13,878 | 23.27 | Atlantic Ocean, Bahamas |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | 1,316,500 | 750 | 1,189.5 | Persian Gulf |
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One island | Continental shelf | 285,000 | 430 | 627 | Caribbean Sea, Windward Islands |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 393,372 | 5,765 | 67.3 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 518,467 | 4,033 | 125.5 | Atlantic Ocean, Africa |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 784,745 | 2,235 | 275 | Indian Ocean, Africa |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 10,777 | 236 | 45.7 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
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One main island | Continental shelf | 11,245,629 | 109,238 | 102.3 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 858,000 | 9,251 | 85 | Mediterranean Sea |
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One main island | Continental shelf | 71,293 | 754 | 105 | Caribbean Sea, Lesser Antilles |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 10,652,000 | 48,442 | 208.2 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 1,212,107 | 14,874 | 76.2 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 101,351 | 702 | 158.1 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 859,178 | 18,274 | 46.4 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
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One main island, two dependencies | Continental shelf | 110,000 | 344 | 319.8 | Caribbean Sea, Windward Islands |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 9,700,000 | 27,750 | 350 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
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One main island | Oceanic | 316,252 | 103,000 | 3.1 | Atlantic Ocean |
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Archipelago | Two continental shelves | 255,461,700 | 1,904,569 | 124.7 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 4,588,252 | 70,273 | 65.3 | Atlantic Ocean, British Isles |
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One main island | Continental shelf | 2,847,232 | 10,991 | 252 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | 126,150,000 | 377,975[4] | 337 | Pacific Ocean, East Asia |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 98,000 | 811 | 135 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
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One main island | Oceanic | 20,653,556 | 587,041 | 35.2 | Indian Ocean, Africa |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 329,198 | 298 | 1,105 | Indian Ocean |
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Two main islands | Continental shelf | 404,500 | 316 | 1,282 | Mediterranean Sea |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 62,000 | 181 | 342.5 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 1,244,663 | 2,040 | 610 | Indian Ocean, Africa |
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One island | Oceanic | 13,635 | 21 | 649 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
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Two main islands | Continental shelf | 4,691,194 | 268,680 | 17.4 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
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One island | Oceanic | 1,269 | 260 | 4.9 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 313,626[5] | 3,355 | 93 | Mediterranean Sea |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 20,000 | 459 | 43.6 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | 6,732,000 | 462,840 | 14.5 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | 101,398,120 | 300,000 | 295 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
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Two main islands | Continental shelf | 51,300 | 261 | 164 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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One main island | Continental shelf | 173,765 | 616 | 298 | Caribbean Sea, Windward Islands |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | 120,000 | 389 | 307 | Caribbean Sea, Windward Islands |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 179,000 | 2,831 | 63.2 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
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Two main islands | Continental shelf | 163,000 | 1,001 | 169.1 | Atlantic Ocean, Africa |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 87,500 | 455 | 192 | Indian Ocean, Africa |
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One main island | Continental shelf | 5,469,700 | 718.3 | 7,615 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 523,000 | 28,400 | 18.1 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
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One main island | Continental shelf | 20,277,597 | 65,610 | 314 | Indian Ocean |
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One main island | Continental shelf | 23,550,077 | 36,188 | 633 | Pacific Ocean, East Asia |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 104,000 | 748 | 139 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
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Two main islands | Continental shelf | 1,299,953 | 5,131 | 254.4 | Caribbean Sea, South America |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 12,373 | 26 | 475.88 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
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One main island; part of second island | Continental shelf | 65,587,300 | 244,820 | 246 | Atlantic Ocean, British Isles, The North Sea |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | 243,304 | 12,190 | 19.7 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
Dependencies and other notable regions
Name | Geographic configuration | Geologic location | Sovereign state | Population | Area (km²) | Density (per km²) | Geographic Location |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
15,700 | 254 | 61.8 | Mediterranean Sea |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | ![]() |
28,355 | 1,580 | 17.9 | Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | ![]() |
54,947 | 199 | 276 | Pacific ocean, Polynesia |
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One main island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
15,423 | 91 | 169 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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One Island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
107,635 | 180 | 598 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Antilles |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | ![]() |
62,500 | 53.3 | 1,170 | Atlantic Ocean, North America |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | ![]() |
3,000 | 60 | 0.05 | Indian ocean |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | ![]() |
31,148 | 151 | 206 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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Three main islands | Continental shelf | ![]() |
21,133 | 127 | 166 | Caribbean Sea |
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Three islands | Continental shelf | ![]() |
52,560 | 264 | 199 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
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One main island | Oceanic | ![]() |
1,496 | 135 | 11.1 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
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Two main islands | Oceanic | ![]() |
596 | 14 | 42.6 | Maritime Southeast Asia |
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One main island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
145,834 | 444 | 328 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Antilles |
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One Island | Oceanic | ![]() |
6,148 | 163.6 | 37.5 | Pacific ocean, Polynesia |
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Two main islands | Continental shelf | ![]() |
3,140 | 12,173 | 0.26 | Atlantic Ocean, South America |
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Archipelago | ![]() |
49,483 | 1,393 | 35.5 | Atlantic Ocean | |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | ![]() |
274,512 | 3,827 | 71.7 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
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One main island with archipelagos | Continental shelf | ![]() |
57,695 | 2,166,086 | 0.03 | North America |
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One main island | Continental Shelf | ![]() |
405,500 | 1,628 | 250 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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One Island | Oceanic | ![]() |
159,914 | 544 | 293 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
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Three main islands | Continental shelf | ![]() |
65,849 | 78 | 844 | English Channel, Channel Islands |
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One main island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
85,421 | 572 | 149 | Irish Sea, British Isles |
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One main island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
94,949 | 116 | 819 | English Channel, Channel Islands |
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One island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
403,795 | 1,128 | 360 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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One main island | ![]() |
194,000 | 374 | 498.5 | Indian Ocean, Africa | |
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One main island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
5,164 | 102 | 50.6 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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One main island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
Uninhabited | 5.4 | N/A | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
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One main island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
260,166 | 18,275 | 14.2 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia |
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One main island | ![]() |
2,182 | 36 | 60.6 | Pacific Ocean, Melanesia | |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | ![]() |
51,395 | 464 | 111 | Pacific Ocean, Micronesia |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | ![]() |
48 | 47 | 1.0 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
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One main island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
3,690,923 | 8,870 | 416 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
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One main island | ![]() |
893,500 | 2,512 | 330 | Indian Ocean, Africa | |
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One main island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
7,332 | 21 | 349 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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Three main islands distant from each other | Oceanic | ![]() |
7,728 | 308 | 25.1 | Atlantic Ocean |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
30,959 | 54.4 | 569 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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Two main islands | Continental shelf | ![]() |
5,831 | 242 | 24.1 | North America |
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Part of a larger island | Continental shelf | ![]() |
39,088 | 34 | 1,150 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | ![]() |
30 | 3,903 | 0.008 | Atlantic Ocean |
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Archipelago | ![]() |
2,752 | 62,045 | 0.03 | Arctic Ocean | |
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Archipelago | Oceanic | ![]() |
1,368 | 12 | 114 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | ![]() |
46,335 | 948 | 48.9 | Caribbean Sea, Greater Antilles |
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Archipelago | Continental shelf | ![]() |
105,275 | 346 | 304 | Caribbean Sea, Leeward Islands |
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Three main islands | Oceanic | ![]() |
15,289 | 264 | 57.9 | Pacific Ocean, Polynesia |
Former nations
- Andros
Republic of Anguilla
Anjouan
- Bruneian Empire
- Kingdom of Corsica (1736)
Corsican Republic
Anglo-Corsican Kingdom
Cretan State
Kingdom of Cyprus
- Delos
- Duchy of the Archipelago
Kingdom of England
- Republic of Ezo
Republic of Formosa
- Franceville, New Hebrides
- Gozo (independent state)
Kingdom of Great Britain
Kingdom of Hawaii
Republic of Hawaii
- Commonwealth of Iceland
Kingdom of Iceland
Kingdom of Ireland
Irish Free State[n 12]
- Khios
- Lesbos
- Kingdom of Majorca
- Majapahit
- Kingdom of Man
Mataram Sultanate
- Merina
- Milos
- Minoans
Mohéli
- Soviet Republic of Naissaar
Republic of the North Solomons
Dominion of Newfoundland (1907–1949), now part of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador of Canada
- Pholegandros
- Islands of Refreshment
- Rhodes
Ryūkyū Kingdom
- Sailendra
- Samos
Kingdom of Sarawak
Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Sicily
- Kingdom of Singapura
- Srivijaya
- Principality of Trinidad
- Tuʻi Tonga Empire
West Indies Federation, split up into Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tobago, Trinidad, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
- Zakynthos
Former colonies, possessions, protectorates and territories
- Cape Breton Island, now part of Nova Scotia, Canada
Danish West Indies, now the United States Virgin Islands
The Territory of Hawaii, now Hawaii, a state of the United States
- Hong Kong Island (1841–1860), now part of Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China[n 13]
- Labuan, briefly part of British North Borneo, the Straits Settlements and Sabah, now a federal territory of Malaysia
- Mayotte, now an overseas department of France
- Colony of Newfoundland (1583–1907), covered the island of Newfoundland before 1809. In 1809, part of the Labrador Peninsula was transferred to Newfoundland from Lower Canada. In other words, before 1809, Newfoundland was an island colony. From 1809 onwards, the Colony of Newfoundland and, since 1907, the Dominion of Newfoundland had been an island plus Labrador (an area on the continent of North America).
- New Hebrides, now Vanuatu
- Prince Edward Island, now a province of Canada
- Réunion, now an overseas department of France
- Socotra, now part of Yemen
- Tasmania, now a state of Australia, shares a land boundary with Victoria (Australia) on Boundary Islet
- Vancouver Island, now a part of British Columbia, Canada
- The People's Republic of Zanzibar, now a member of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Island countries with man-made fixed links to continents
Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway
Singapore via the Johor-Singapore Causeway
United Kingdom via the Channel Tunnel
See also
- Archipelagic state
- List of archipelagos
- List of Caribbean island countries by population
- List of countries that border only one other country
- List of divided islands
- List of islands
- List of islands by area
- List of islands by population
- List of islands by population density
- List of Oceanian countries by population
- List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Oceania
- List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Indian Ocean
- Thalassocracy
Notes
- ^ a b c The Cook Islands and Niue are in free association with New Zealand. See Niue Constitution Act. Tokelau is a territory of New Zealand.
- ^ The northern part of the island of Cyprus is the de facto independent state of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey. In the south of the island are the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, controlled by the United Kingdom.
- ^ a b c The Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau are in free association with the United States, under the Compact of Free Association.
- ^ In 1983, Northern Cyprus declared independence from Cyprus. Northern Cyprus' sovereignty has been recognized by one United Nations member state (Turkey). It is not a member of the United Nations. Most states recognize Cyprus' claim to sovereignty over Northern Cyprus.
- ^ Taiwan (official name "Republic of China") (ROC) only controls the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu etc. since the Chinese Civil War, but has not renounced its claims on areas currently under the control of People's Republic of China, Mongolia, Tuva (a Russian republic) etc. If those territories were taken into account, the Republic of China would not be a borderless country, nor a country centered with a major island. The area under ROC control is also claimed by the People's Republic of China. See Political status of Taiwan and One-China policy.
- ^ Shares the small island of Märket with Sweden; however, the property including the lighthouse is owned by the Finnish rather than Åland government.
- ^ a b c d e An insular area of the US. See Territories of the United States.
- ^ a b The Falkland Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, are also claimed by Argentina.
- ^ a b c The Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey and the Isle of Man are peculiars of the British Crown and not part of the United Kingdom; foreign relations and defence are provided by the UK.
- ^ Navassa Island is also claimed by Haiti.
- ^ Administered by Norway under the Svalbard Treaty.
- ^ Under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the Irish Free State included all of the island of Ireland but Northern Ireland exercised its option to leave the Irish Free State and rejoin the United Kingdom on 8 December 1922. Therefore, from 6 December 1922 to 8 December 1922, the Irish Free State was a borderless island country.
- ^ The Crown Colony of Hong Kong covered only Hong Kong Island from 1841 to 1860. Kowloon, south of Boundary Street on the continent, was added in 1860, and extended to include the New Territories in 1898.
References
- ^ "Definition of island". Oxford University Press.
- ^ Löffler, Ernst; A.J. Rose, Anneliese Löffler & Denis Warner (1983). Australia:Portrait of a Continent. Richmond, Victoria: Hutchinson Group. p. 17. ISBN 0-09-130460-1.
- ^ "Island Countries Of The World". WorldAtlas.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-07. Retrieved 2019-08-10.
- ^ "令和元年全国都道府県市区町村別面積調(10月1日時点), Reiwa 1st year National area of each prefecture municipality (as of October 1)" (in Japanese). Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ TRNC SPO, Economic and Social Indicators 2014, pages=2–3
- ^ Statistics Singapore - Latest Data - Population & Land Area
- ^ a b c "Channel Islands". Archived from the original on 21 September 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2013.