
Islands by country
When we hear the word 'island' we think of azure waters and shallow sandy beaches. But by no means every island is really inviting for a swim. The northernmost countries Norway, Sweden, Canada and Finland captivate with a uniquely rugged landscape and have the most islands worldwide - by far. The dreamy island worlds of Southeast Asia come only in the second line.Here you will find a ranking of the 50 countries with the most islands in the open sea (without inland islands). Wherever possible, official figures were used. However, please note the explanations below.
Country | Islands | Coastline |
---|---|---|
Norway | 239,057 | 25,148 km |
Sweden | 221,831 | 3,218 km |
Canada | 52,455 | 202,080 km |
Finland | 40,000 | 1,250 km |
United States | 18,617 | 19,924 km |
Indonesia | 18,307 | 54,716 km |
Australia | 8,222 | 25,760 km |
Philippines | 7,641 | 36,289 km |
Japan | 6,852 | 29,751 km |
Chile | 5,000 | 6,435 km |
China | 5,000 | 14,500 km |
South Korea | 4,400 | 2,413 km |
Cuba | 4,195 | 3,735 km |
Vietnam | 4,000 | 3,444 km |
North Korea | 3,579 | 2,495 km |
Greece | 3,054 | 13,676 km |
Estonia | 1,520 | 3,794 km |
Thailand | 1,430 | 3,219 km |
Denmark | 1,419 | 7,314 km |
Papua New Guinea | 1,400 | 5,152 km |
Saudi Arabia | 1,285 | 2,640 km |
Croatia | 1,246 | 5,835 km |
India | 1,200 | 7,000 km |
Maldives | 1,196 | 644 km |
Marshall Islands | 1,156 | 370 km |
United Kingdom | 1,000 | 12,429 km |
Burma | 1,000 | 1,930 km |
Solomon Islands | 900 | 5,313 km |
Malaysia | 878 | 4,675 km |
Greenland | 800 | 44,087 km |
Falkland Islands | 778 | 1,288 km |
United Arab Emirates | 700 | 1,318 km |
Bahamas | 700 | 3,542 km |
Micronesia | 607 | 6,112 km |
New Zealand | 600 | 15,134 km |
Turkey | 500 | 7,200 km |
Belize | 450 | 386 km |
Venezuela | 418 | 2,800 km |
Svalbard | 400 | 124 km |
Eritrea | 354 | 2,234 km |
Palau | 340 | 1,519 km |
Fiji | 330 | 1,129 km |
Turks and Caicos Islands | 307 | 389 km |
Ireland | 270 | 1,448 km |
Colombia | 270 | 3,208 km |
Hong Kong | 263 | 733 km |
Yemen | 220 | 1,906 km |
Italy | 210 | 7,600 km |
Bermuda | 181 | 103 km |
Tonga | 169 | 419 km |
What is an island?
An island is a land mass permanently above sea level either in an inland waterway or in the open sea. It is completely surrounded by water, but must not be a continent. Therefore Australia is not considered an island, while Greenland is the largest island in the world.
Whether an island is really inhabited or at least habitable is irrelevant for the definition. Nor whether the island was created naturally or by man. The conspicuously high number of islands in the United Arab Emirates is due, for example, to the construction of countless artificial islands. The most famous of these island worlds are "The Palm" and "The World".
Official numbers and counting methods
Where possible, this table is based on official figures from government agencies for geography and tourism. However, in many countries there are only estimates or vague data.While the Swedish government officially names the number of 221,831 islands, taking into account all the smaller island forms, the census in neighbouring Norway is already slightly different. There, 239,057 islands are named, but without the 81,192 rocklike islets. Canada goes one step further and does not count any islets cays. With the Scandinavian counting method, the official number of 52,455 islands would easily be three times higher.