Almost every student can answer the question about the name of the largest island on our planet. That is Greenland. It is located between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, at a distance of 740 kilometers from the North Pole. The territory of the island, whose area is 2,130,800 square kilometers, is considered part of the North American mainland. As for the political status, it has an independent government, but belongs to Denmark.
First settlers
According to historical records, this island was first discovered by Europeans in 877, when an expedition led by Gunbjorn was driven westward from Iceland by a hurricane. As for the first settlers on this land, they are considered to be the Vikings who arrived on its western coast in 982-983 under the leadership of Eirik Raudi Turvaldson. They opted for several equalareas well protected from winds. This area so impressed the Vikings with its lush green vegetation, which contrasted with the surrounding glacial desert in the summer, that they called the island Green Land, which translates as “Green Land”. It should be noted that this name was originally used only for the southwestern coast. It only fully spread to the largest island in the world in the fifteenth century.
Features of the territory
Most of Greenland is covered in glaciers. They occupy an area exceeding 1800 thousand square kilometers. A significant proportion of them, similar to Antarctica, is a solid block of ice, which practically does not melt even in relatively warm summers. Speaking about which island in the world is the largest, one cannot fail to note the fact that in recent years there has been a tendency to actively reduce the volume of this shield. This threatens with a global catastrophe, because if all the ice of Greenland completely melts, according to rough estimates of scientists, the water level in the world's oceans will rise by as much as seven meters.
As for the remaining territory, it is a continuous strip, which are located mainly in the northern and southwestern parts and stretch along the coast. In some places, they reach a mark of 250 kilometers in width. In areas of contact between the glacier and the shores, icebergs of gigantic size are constantly breaking off from it. One of these in 1912 broke off from here and led to the crashthe world-famous Titanic ship.
Climate
The largest island in the world has a rather changeable climate. In summer, the average air temperature in the coastal regions of Greenland is nine degrees. Along with this, there are periods when the thermometer can jump up to twenty degrees Celsius or go down to zero. The lowest temperatures are typical for the east coast. Here they average -27 oS.
Flora and fauna
The largest island - Greenland - cannot boast of an abundance of vegetation and animals. The flora here is mainly represented by forest-tundra areas, which are concentrated in the southern part. They consist mainly of dwarf birch. On the west coast, thickets of dwarf willow, lichens and mosses are quite developed. The eastern part of the island is a polar desert, so there are no plants here. A common feature common to all of Greenland's flora is that there are no tall trees.
The scarcity is also characteristic of the local fauna. The most common animals inhabiting the largest island in the world include polar bears, stoats, hares, reindeer, lemmings and arctic foxes. Wolves are very rare. Birds, walruses, seals and narwhals live mainly on the rocky coasts. What the local neighborhood is rich in is fish, which is represented by different species -flounder, cod, catfish and so on.
Population and cities
Speaking of which is the largest island in the world, one cannot fail to note the fact that even despite the relatively harsh climate, Greenland is quite populated. Currently, about 58 thousand people live here. Most of them are descendants of the indigenous people (Eskimos), as well as colonizers (Danes and Norwegians). The Greenlanders are mainly engaged in industrial hunting and fishing. On the territory of the island, two languages are considered official - Greenlandic and Danish.
The capital and at the same time the largest city in Greenland is Nuuk (the name translates as "good hope"), the photo of which is located above. Its population is just over fifteen thousand people. This settlement was founded in 1756. The main local attraction is the Greenland National Museum.
Flag and coat of arms
The largest island in the world has its own symbols. Its emblem is the image of a polar bear (the most common animal here) on a blue background (which symbolizes two oceans). As for the flag, it has a red and white color. It should be noted that the use of the second color is dictated by the political dependence of the island on Denmark. A circle denoting the sun is also placed on the banner. However, there is another version regarding this symbolism. In particular, some researchers suggest that the circle denotes the main local attraction -glaciers.
Other major islands of the planet
The largest islands in the world are scattered throughout its parts. In second place in size after Greenland is New Guinea, which is located in the Pacific Ocean. It was discovered by one of the Portuguese expeditions in 1526. The island covers an area of 786 thousand square kilometers and is considered a real paradise for tourists. The local flora and fauna are so diverse that even now scientists find new species of plants and animals from time to time.
The third largest island is Kalimantan, with an area of 737 thousand square kilometers. It is simultaneously washed by two straits and four seas. In terms of vegetation (which is the largest island on the planet cannot boast), it is the complete opposite of Greenland. The fact is that about 80% of its territory is covered with forests. Kalimantan has solid reserves of diamonds, gas and oil, due to which the locals live.
Not far from the African continent is the island of Madagascar, which is the largest in the Indian Ocean. Its area is 587 thousand square kilometers. The republic of the same name is located on the island. The bowels of the earth here are rich in various minerals, including iron and gold ores. As for the animal and plant world, about 80% of their species are found exclusively in Madagascar.
Honshu Island
The largest island in Japan, Honshu, deserves a special mention. Histhe length is 1400 kilometers, and the maximum width is 300 kilometers. About 60% of Japanese territory is located on it. Here is the capital of the country - Tokyo, as well as some other major cities - Osaka, Yokohama and Nagoya. As for the administrative structure of the island, its entire territory is divided into 34 prefectures.
The local climate, vegetation and topography vary greatly by region. Indeed, if the northern part is characterized by medium and low mountains, then in the south they are much higher. There are numerous volcanoes on the island. About twenty of them are considered active in modern times. Fujiyama is the largest and most famous.
Honshu, among other things, is the most developed region in Japan from an economic point of view. Most of the national attractions are concentrated here, including unusual natural landscapes, parks, and architectural monuments.
