The world's largest islands are extraordinary landmasses that shape global geography, biodiversity, and human civilization. From the frozen tundra of Greenland to the biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar, these islands range from nearly continental in scale to still enormous by any standard. Here is the definitive ranking of the top 20 largest islands on Earth by total area.
What Qualifies as an Island?
Geographically, an island is a body of land completely surrounded by water that is smaller than a continent. Australia, at 7.69 million km², is classified as a continent rather than an island. This distinction makes Greenland, at 2.17 million km², the world's largest island — roughly one-third the size of Australia.
The line between islands and continents is somewhat arbitrary and historically determined. Australia sits on its own tectonic plate, which helps justify its continental status, while Greenland shares the North American plate with Canada. Regardless of the technicality, the top 20 islands represent some of the most geographically diverse and ecologically important landmasses on the planet.
Top 10 Largest Islands
- 1. Greenland — 2,166,086 km² (Denmark/autonomous territory, North America)
- 2. New Guinea — 786,380 km² (Papua New Guinea & Indonesia, Oceania)
- 3. Borneo — 748,168 km² (Malaysia, Indonesia & Brunei, Southeast Asia)
- 4. Madagascar — 587,041 km² (Madagascar, Africa)
- 5. Baffin Island — 507,451 km² (Canada, North America)
- 6. Sumatra — 473,481 km² (Indonesia, Southeast Asia)
- 7. Honshu — 225,800 km² (Japan, East Asia)
- 8. Great Britain — 209,331 km² (United Kingdom, Europe)
- 9. Victoria Island — 217,291 km² (Canada, North America)
- 10. Ellesmere Island — 196,236 km² (Canada, North America)
Greenland dominates this list at more than 2 million km², but roughly 80% of its surface is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet, the second-largest body of ice in the world after Antarctica. New Guinea, the second-largest, is split between two countries and contains some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet, with thousands of endemic species in its highland forests.
Borneo, shared among three nations, hosts the oldest tropical rainforests on Earth — estimated at 130 million years old. Madagascar, the fourth-largest, has been isolated from the African mainland for approximately 88 million years, resulting in extraordinary endemism: over 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else, including all lemur species.
Islands 11 Through 20
- 11. Sulawesi (Celebes) — 180,681 km² (Indonesia)
- 12. South Island — 145,836 km² (New Zealand)
- 13. Java — 129,000 km² (Indonesia)
- 14. North Island — 111,583 km² (New Zealand)
- 15. Luzon — 109,965 km² (Philippines)
- 16. Mindanao — 97,530 km² (Philippines)
- 17. Ireland — 84,421 km² (Ireland & United Kingdom)
- 18. Hokkaido — 77,984 km² (Japan)
- 19. Hispaniola — 76,192 km² (Haiti & Dominican Republic)
- 20. Sakhalin — 72,493 km² (Russia)
The second tier of the world's largest islands includes several that punch far above their weight in population. Java, ranked 13th by area, is the most populous island on Earth with over 150 million residents, making it home to more people than the vast majority of countries. Luzon and Mindanao together form the core of the Philippines, supporting over 80 million people.
New Zealand's South Island is notable for its dramatic glacial landscapes, including the Southern Alps and fiordlands, while Sulawesi's unusual K-shape results from its position at the intersection of several tectonic plates. Hispaniola, divided between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, was the first island in the Americas permanently settled by Europeans after Columbus's arrival in 1492.
Geographic Distribution
- Southeast Asia: 6 islands (Borneo, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, Luzon, Mindanao)
- North America/Arctic: 4 islands (Greenland, Baffin, Victoria, Ellesmere)
- East Asia: 3 islands (Honshu, Hokkaido, Sakhalin)
- Oceania: 3 islands (New Guinea, South Island, North Island)
- Europe: 2 islands (Great Britain, Ireland)
- Africa: 1 island (Madagascar)
- Caribbean: 1 island (Hispaniola)
Southeast Asia dominates the list with six of the top 20, reflecting the region's position within the Malay Archipelago, the world's largest island group. The Canadian Arctic contributes three massive but sparsely populated islands, while the Pacific and Atlantic each contribute several entries. Notably absent from the top 20 are islands from South America and most of Africa, continents with relatively few large islands.
Islands and Climate Change
Many of the world's largest islands face significant impacts from climate change. Greenland's ice sheet is losing an estimated 270 billion metric tons of ice per year, contributing to global sea level rise. Borneo and Sumatra face massive deforestation driven by palm oil production and logging, destroying critical rainforest ecosystems. Madagascar's unique biodiversity is threatened by habitat loss, with over 90% of its original forest cover already destroyed.
Rising sea levels threaten low-lying coastal areas on nearly every large island. Java's northern coast is subsiding at alarming rates, and Indonesia has announced plans to move its capital from Jakarta to Borneo partly due to flooding and subsidence. The Arctic islands — Baffin, Victoria, and Ellesmere — are warming at roughly three times the global average, with permafrost thawing and glaciers retreating at accelerating rates.
Population Comparison
The contrast between the most and least populated large islands is staggering. Java, the 13th-largest island, has over 150 million residents and a population density exceeding 1,100 people per km². Meanwhile, Ellesmere Island, the 10th-largest, has a permanent population of fewer than 200 people across its nearly 200,000 km² — a density approaching zero.
In total, the top 20 islands are home to well over 700 million people, with the bulk concentrated on the tropical islands of Southeast Asia and Japan. The Arctic islands of Canada are among the least inhabited large landmasses on Earth, with vast stretches of tundra, ice, and rock that have never been permanently settled.
Key Facts
- Greenland is the world's largest island at 2,166,086 km², but roughly 80% is covered by an ice sheet.
- Java, only the 13th-largest island, is the most populated island on Earth with over 150 million people.
- Southeast Asia contains 6 of the top 20 largest islands, more than any other region.
- Madagascar has been isolated for 88 million years, giving it over 90% endemic wildlife.
- Borneo's rainforests are estimated to be 130 million years old, among the oldest on Earth.
Fun Facts
- If Greenland's ice sheet melted entirely, global sea levels would rise by approximately 7.2 meters — enough to submerge most coastal cities.
- Borneo is the only island in the world shared by three sovereign nations: Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
- New Guinea has over 1,000 distinct languages, making it the most linguistically diverse place on Earth per capita.
- Great Britain is the only island in the top 20 that contains three countries: England, Scotland, and Wales.
Final Thoughts
The world's 20 largest islands encompass an extraordinary range of climates, cultures, and ecosystems. From the ice-bound Arctic archipelago of Canada to the tropical megadiversity of Southeast Asia, these landmasses collectively shape global weather patterns, ocean currents, and biodiversity. Understanding their geography provides a window into some of the most important environmental and demographic trends shaping our planet today.
