A country whose territory is completely within the archipelago and has no connection with the mainland is called an "island state". Of the 194 officially recognized countries in the world, 47 are considered as such. They should be distinguished from coastal areas and political entities that do not have access to the sea at all. Most often, the island states of the world are located near the outskirts of the continents, but some, such as the archipelagos of Oceania, may be located at a sufficient distance from the coastline. For convenience of classification, the countries are divided into groups. The main criterion for separation is belonging to one or another part of the world or mainland. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Europe
The island states of Europe are located in the Atlantic Ocean. Their shores are washed by the coastal and inland seas of the region (Northern, Irish, Mediterranean, etc.). Countries lie on islands such as Great Britain, Ireland, as well as Iceland, M alta and Cyprus.
1. England
An island nation located in northwestern Europe in the North Sea. The territory of the country includes Great Britain and the northern part of Ireland, as well as a large number of small nearby archipelagos of the Atlantic Ocean, such as the Faroe, Orkney, Shetland, Hebrides and others. The two largest islands are separated by the Irish Sea, through which a large number of transit routes pass. The capital is the city of London on the legendary River Thames.
2. Ireland
A state located in the northwestern part of Europe. It is located in the southern and central part of the island of the same name. It has the only land border with England. The capital is the city of Dublin. It is believed that all red-haired and green-eyed people come from this country.
3. Iceland
This is a small country in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean belongs to Northern Europe. Despite the etymology of the name - "ice country", Iceland is by no means distinguished by an arctic climate. The island is influenced by the warm North Atlantic current, so the temperature in the capital Reykjavik can reach +20 degrees during the summer months.
4. Cyprus and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
These island nations in the Mediterranean divided small areas of Cyprus and several nearby archipelagos among themselves. The main sector of the economy of these countries is tourism. The picturesque islands of the Mediterraneanattracted lovers of antiquity and snow-white beaches. An interesting feature is that the capital of both countries is the same city located in the center of the island. In Cyprus it is called Nicosia, and in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus it is called Lefkosha.
5. M alta
In Europe, the smallest island state in terms of area is M alta. It is conveniently located in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily in the archipelago of the same name. The largest islands are M alta, Gozo and the sparsely populated Comino. This is the only state in Europe, on the territory of which there is not a single river and lake with fresh water.
Asia
The island states of Asia are distinguished by their monsoonal climate and the picturesque nature of the tropics. Most of them are in the Pacific Ocean. The countries are located on the Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, the Philippine, Moluccas, Maldives and Japanese archipelagos. They are quite far removed from the mainland. And the states on the islands of Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Bahrain are located near the coastline.
1. Indonesia
The largest island nation in the world by area. It occupies several separate geographical objects at once. A significant part of its territories lies in the Malay Archipelago, namely the Greater and Lesser Sunda and Moluccas. This cluster is washed by many inland seas of the same name. Part of the country lies in the west of New Guinea. The capital Jakarta is located on the island of Java.
2. Japan
OldestEast Asian state. It is located on the Japanese islands (the largest of them is Honshu, followed by Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu) and the Ryukyu archipelagos (the largest object is Okinawa) and Nampo. A dangerous seismic zone passes through the country. The capital Tokyo is located in the center of the island of Honshu.
3. Philippines
Often island states are located on the archipelagos of the same name. The Republic of the Philippines is a vivid confirmation of this. The capital of this country in Southeast Asia is the city of Manila on the island of Luzon. This state is considered one of the poorest in Asia.
4. Sri Lanka
Small South Asian state. The territory is located right on the island of the same name, south of Hindustan. The capital city is Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. It is best known for its historical name - Ceylon, and has also been famous for its unique varieties of mountain tea since ancient times.
5. Republic of China
Partially recognized state located in Southeast Asia. Located on the island of Taiwan and several adjacent archipelagos, the capital is the city of Taipei. A major commercial and economic region on the Asian coast.
6. East Timor
The state in the southern part of the Malay Archipelago occupies the eastern part of Timor and the small islands of Atauro and Jacou. The capital and largest city is Dili.
7. Brunei
The state belongs to Southeast Asia. It is located on the island of Kalimantan, which is part of the Greater Sunda Archipelago. One of the mostsmall states of the Asian region and around the world. The capital is a large and picturesque city with the exotic name of Bandar Seri Begawan, which translates from the local language as “City of His Excellency.”
8. Bahrain
A small island state located in Southwest Asia, on the island of the same name in the Persian Gulf. Very rich in oil, is one of the active members of OPEC. The capital and main economic center of the country is the city of Manama.
9. Singapore
This country belongs to the region of Southeast Asia. It lies on the territory of 63 islands, the largest of which are Singapore, Ubin, Sentosa. It is a free trade and economic zone of Asia. The capital is the city of the same name on the main island with the same name.
10. Maldives
A state located on a group of atolls of the same name in South Asia. It is not a secret for many that this is the most picturesque and attractive country for tourism in the world. The only city of Male is the capital and a major tourist center. Approximately 97% of the territory is occupied by the water surface.
America
Almost all the island states of America are located in the Atlantic Ocean and are washed by the waters of the warm Gulf of Mexico and the restless Caribbean Sea. Sometimes this part of the world is called the West Indies. In the past, these territories were ruled by large European colonizers, but now they have the status of independent countries.
Island states of this regionlocated on the territory of the Large (the largest - Cuba, followed by Haiti and Puerto Rico) and Small (Lee and Windward) Antilles, Bahamas and other small archipelagos. The countries are distinguished by a special warm Caribbean climate and picturesque nature with lush reed beds.
The island states of America: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bahamas, also Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Saint Lucia, together with Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and countries such as Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Other island nations
In addition to the listed countries, the island states of Africa and Oceania should be singled out as a separate group. The independent African territories in the east include Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius and the Seychelles, and in the west - Sao Tome and Principe, Cape Verde. Basically, the territories of these countries are located on the archipelagos of the same name.
The island states of Oceania are divided into Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia. But many of them are uninhabited or are dependent territories. Pacific Independent Island Countries: Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Nauru, also New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and of course the Marshall Islands.
