All the land of our planet is divided into two categories - continents and islands. The difference between them lies in the size, as well as in the geological structure. Island formations, in turn, are also very different: some are very large, others are very tiny. Therefore, now we will learn in more detail about what an island is, a group of islands, what they are and where they are most often located.
Description of the island as a planetary part of the land
From a geographical point of view, an island is a piece of land that is located in the waters of the oceans. From four sides it is washed by waters, therefore it has no access to the mainland by land. In nature, there are single islands that are very impressive in size and are known to everyone. These are Madagascar, Greenland and many others. Along with this, islands can form archipelagos, which include both large areas of land and very small ones. Each such group of islands has its own name, located in one of the seas or oceans. It can be either an independent state or a province that belongs to one of the mainlandpowers.
Geology and Origins
Few of us know what the origins of the most famous archipelagos of the world actually have. In geology, there are four types of island formation: coral, alluvial, volcanic, and continental. The first ones appear in the waters of the ocean due to the vital activity of the marine organisms of the same name. A well-known group of islands of this type are the Marshall Islands, located in the Pacific Ocean. Alluvial and mainland can be conditionally classified into the same category, since most often they have many common features. These are the British Isles, Sakhalin, Tasmania, Novaya Zemlya. The Canadian Arctic archipelago can also be added to this group. The last type - volcanic, is formed by the elevation of seismically active mountains above sea level. Hawaii is considered the brightest resort with such geology.
To the far Arctic desert…
It is known that in the Arctic Ocean and in the seas of its basin there are many island-provinces that belong to the Russian Federation. Among them, Novaya Zemlya, an archipelago that consists of two huge islands, deserves special attention. They are called North and South and are separated by the Matochkin Shar Strait. This is the same place that is located in the Arctic desert zone. Most of the archipelago is covered with ice 300 meters thick all year round. However, it should be noted that the climate here is very variable. The southern island is washed by the Barents Sea, where warmcurrents. The northern part of the archipelago bathes in the Kara Sea, where the coastal zones are always covered with glaciers.
Relief of the New Earth
This Arctic group of islands is a very mountainous area. The most significant ridges and elevations are observed in the south of the archipelago. In the Matochkino Shara area, the highest point of the island is located, which rises to 1547 meters above sea level. It has no name, although in some sources it is referred to as Mount Kruzenshtern. To the north, the ridges become less steep and high. Here the area plunges into endless swaths of rivers and frozen glaciers. Due to the mountainous landscape, local waters have a shallow depth - up to 3 meters, and their length does not exceed 130 km. All rivers in the summer have a very fast flow, and in winter their waters freeze to the bottom. There are also many lakes of various origins on Novaya Zemlya.
Another Northern Province
In the same Arctic Ocean, the Franz Josef Land archipelago is located. On the map, it can be found near the Arctic Circle itself, in the zone of the Arctic desert and eternal glaciers. This municipality is part of the Arkhangelsk region, but there is not a single settlement in the area. Only a few military bases, border posts and other state branches are located here. The archipelago consists of 192 islands, mostly small in size. All of them are divided into three parts. The eastern one is separated from the rest by the Strait of Austria. Central part - concentrationa large number of small islands between the Austrian Strait and the British Channel. And Western, which includes the largest island of the archipelago - George Land.
Wonders of the Far East
Amazing and unique is the group of Japanese islands, which includes 6852 units. All of them are located in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, in a seismically active zone. It is problematic to list the geological structure of each of them, and if we characterize them in general, it can be noted that some lands are of alluvial origin, while others are of volcanic origin. This archipelago is headed by the island of Honshu - the largest in terms of area and population. This piece of land occupies 60% of the area of the entire country, and over 100,000,000 people live here. The largest cities in Japan rise on Honshu, including the capital Tokyo. Also on this island is Mount Fuji, the symbol of the country, the crater of which is covered with snow.
Other large lands of Japan
The second largest island of the state is Hokkaido. Local residents consider these lands to be the most severe in terms of climate. Although the local latitude is south of the same Europe, however, due to the proximity of the ocean and constant winds, the weather conditions here are completely different. Kyushu is the island of workers. It also has major cities. Here the climate is milder, thanks to which agriculture is highly developed. In the north of Kyushu, plants and factories have been operating for a long time, which provide life for the whole country. Well, the fourth largest island in the countrythe rising sun is Shikoku. Local cities are not as large as in other lands, there are many towns and villages. This area is famous, however, for pilgrimage temples built throughout the history of the state.
The brightest archipelagos on the planet
Today, almost every one of us can afford to travel even to the most distant and little-known islands. Tourists from all over the world have chosen the Seychelles, Bahamas, Hawaii, Maldives… Such regions are famous for their stunning landscapes, unique nature, clear ocean water, hot climate and clean air. An important fact is that each group of sea islands can boast of such conditions if it is located in a tropical or equatorial zone. The largest representative of such a piece of paradise is the Malay Archipelago, which stretches from the Philippines to the coast of Australia. It includes a wide variety of islands where you can enjoy summer all year round.
