Greenland is the largest island in the world. It covers about 2,166,000 km². New Guinea comes next, followed by Borneo. This is the full list of the largest islands, ranked from biggest to smallest. You will get the sizes. You will get the locations. You will get the facts that make each island stand out. Let's dive right into the top 10 largest islands on Earth.
What Counts as an Island?
An island is a piece of land. Water surrounds it. That sounds simple enough, but size makes things tricky. At some point, a landmass gets so big that we stop calling it an island; we start calling it a continent instead. That distinction matters a lot when ranking the biggest islands in the world.
Why Australia Is Classified as a Continent, Not an Island?
Australia sits on its own tectonic plate. That is the real reason. Size plays a role, too. Australia spans about 7.69 million km². That is more than three times bigger than Greenland. So even though water surrounds it, geologists group it with continents, not islands.
Top 10 Largest Islands in the World
Here is the full list of the largest islands, ranked by area from largest to smallest.
1. Greenland
Area: 2,166,000 km² (836,330 sq mi). Greenland belongs to Denmark, though it runs its own local government. It sits in the North Atlantic, east of Baffin Bay. Ice covers most of the surface. Only around 57,000 people live there, mostly Inuit. Greenland stands as the clearest example of the biggest islands in the world, more than twice the size of the next island on this list.
2. New Guinea
Area: 785,753 km² (303,381 sq mi). Ranked second among the largest islands by area, this island sits north of Australia, in the Pacific. Indonesia holds the western half. Papua New Guinea holds the east. Rainforests blanket most of the land. Over 1,000 languages are spoken here, roughly one-sixth of all languages on Earth.
3. Borneo
Area: 748,168 km² (288,869 sq mi). Borneo ranks third on this island size ranking, sitting in Southeast Asia. Three countries share it: Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Dense rainforest covers the island. Orangutans live here in the wild, alongside the Rafflesia flower, the largest bloom on the planet.
4. Madagascar
Area: 587,041 km² (226,597 sq mi). Madagascar floats off Africa's east coast, about 250 miles out. It broke away from the mainland millions of years ago. That isolation created strange wildlife. Nearly 40 lemur species live only here, and every lemur species on Earth calls Madagascar home.
5. Baffin Island
Area: 507,451 km² (195,928 sq mi). Baffin Island is located in the northern part of Canada in the Arctic, part of the territory of Nunavut. This landscape is dominated by cold weather all year round. It is sparsely populated, with mostly Inuit populations living according to the ice and sea.
6. Sumatra
Area: 473,481 km² (182,812 sq mi). Sumatra is located just south of Malaysia in Indonesia. They are formed by the inside of active volcanoes. Tigers and rhinos still roam these parts; the Sumatran and critically endangered species of both. There is dense jungle on many of the islands.
7. Honshu
Area: 227,960 km² (88,020 sq mi). Honshu is Japan's largest and main island. It includes Tokyo and is home to most of Japan's population. Most cities are located along the coast, while the island's centre is mountainous.
8. Great Britain
Area: 209,331 km² (80,823 sq mi). Great Britain comprises England, Scotland and Wales. Europe's largest island in terms of area. Millions of people reside here and are crammed into cities such as London, Manchester and Edinburgh.
9. Victoria Island
Area: 217,291 km² (83,897 sq mi). Victoria Island is located in the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. The land is covered with ice and tundra. Very few people reside here, in small Inuit communities.
10. Ellesmere Island
Area: 196,236 km² (75,767 sq mi). Ellesmere sits further north than almost any other landmass on Earth. Canada owns it, though barely anyone lives there. Glaciers and mountains cover most of the surface, and some of the world's northernmost settlements sit right on this island.
Largest Islands by Size
This table sums up the full island size ranking in one place, showing the largest islands by area side by side.
Rank | Island Name | Area (km²) | Area (sq mi) | Country/Territory | Continent/Region |
| 1 | Greenland | 2,166,000 | 836,330 | Denmark | North America |
| 2 | New Guinea | 785,753 | 303,381 | Indonesia, Papua New Guinea | Oceania/Asia |
| 3 | Borneo | 748,168 | 288,869 | Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei | Asia |
| 4 | Madagascar | 587,041 | 226,597 | Madagascar | Africa |
| 5 | Baffin Island | 507,451 | 195,928 | Canada | North America |
| 6 | Sumatra | 473,481 | 182,812 | Indonesia | Asia |
| 7 | Honshu | 227,960 | 88,020 | Japan | Asia |
| 8 | Great Britain | 209,331 | 80,823 | United Kingdom | Europe |
| 9 | Victoria Island | 217,291 | 83,897 | Canada | North America |
| 10 | Ellesmere Island | 196,236 | 75,767 | Canada | North America |
Note: exact figures shift slightly depending on the source. Some counts include nearby offshore islands, others do not.
Largest Islands by Continent
Let's break this down by region. This angle covers the largest islands' names and locations across different parts of the globe.
Asia: Borneo is the largest, shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.
Africa: Madagascar takes the lead here, sitting off the continent's eastern coast.
North America: Greenland technically wins this one, too, since it sits on the North American tectonic plate. Baffin Island ranks as the largest island fully governed within Canada.
Europe: Great Britain claims this spot, home to three nations in one landmass.
Oceania: New Guinea leads by a wide margin, dwarfing every other island in the Pacific.
Conclusion
- Greenland ranks first, and it is not close.
- New Guinea and Borneo hold second and third place.
- Madagascar and Baffin Island round out the top five.
- Australia never makes this list, since it counts as a continent.
- Size, location, and geology all shape these rankings.
From freezing ice and snow to tropical rainforests, these top 10 largest islands are a lot more diverse than you may think. This is a list of the largest islands, whether you were looking for the biggest islands in the world or just the largest islands' names and locations. This article has it all.
FAQs
1. Which is the biggest island in the world?
The area of Greenland is approximately 2,166,000 km².
2. Is Greenland the bigger land mass than Australia?
No. Australia is approximately 3 times the size at 7.69 million km². Australia is not an island; it is a continent.
3. What is the second biggest island in the world?
New Guinea, at about 785,753 km².
4. What is the largest island in the USA?
Hawaii's Big Island (although Alaska is not an island); however, no other US state territories have that distinction.
5. What is the size of an island measured in terms of?
Geographers measure land area, typically in square kilometres or square miles.
6. What is the name of the Great Barrier Reef?
It is also on its own tectonic plate and is fairly big, so it falls under the continental category.
7. What is the number of the largest island which is owned by the country?
Canada has several locations here, such as Baffin, Victoria and Ellesmere Island.
8. Are New Guinea and Borneo one country?
No, they are not one island in one country, like Madagascar or Great Britain, but are shared between several countries.
