The ten biggest islands on Earth by land area, from ice-capped Greenland down to the far-northern Ellesmere Island.
Quick answer: 1. Greenland, 2. New Guinea, 3. Borneo, 4. Madagascar, 5. Baffin Island, 6. Sumatra, 7. Honshu, 8. Great Britain, 9. Victoria Island, 10. Ellesmere Island.
Islands are landmasses smaller than a continent and entirely surrounded by water, and the largest of them rival small continents in scale. This list ranks the world's ten biggest islands by total land area, spanning the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. It's a quick reference for anyone comparing the giants of world geography — students, quiz-goers, and map lovers alike. Australia is treated as a continental landmass and excluded, so Greenland tops the list, and the ranking runs strictly from largest to smallest.
The world's largest island by a wide margin — more than 2.7 times the size of second-place New Guinea — and the only island exceeding one million square kilometers. Roughly 80% of it is covered by an ice sheet.
The second-largest island and the highest: its summit, Puncak Jaya, is the tallest island peak anywhere on Earth. It is divided between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The third-largest island and the only one in the world shared by three countries — Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
The largest island that is a single sovereign nation, lying in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa.
The largest island in Canada and fifth-largest in the world, sitting in the Arctic within the territory of Nunavut.
The largest island lying entirely within Indonesia, crowned by the active volcano Mount Kerinci.
Japan's main and largest island, home to Tokyo and the iconic Mount Fuji.
The largest island in Europe, comprising England, Scotland, and Wales.
Canada's second-largest island, straddling the border between Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
The most northerly large island on Earth and tenth-largest overall, part of Nunavut's Queen Elizabeth Islands.
| # | Name | country | oceanRegion | highestPoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greenland | Denmark (autonomous territory) | North Atlantic / Arctic Ocean | Gunnbjørn Fjeld, 3,694 m |
| 2 | New Guinea | Indonesia; Papua New Guinea | Western Pacific Ocean | Puncak Jaya, 4,884 m |
| 3 | Borneo | Brunei; Indonesia; Malaysia | Western Pacific / South China Sea | Mount Kinabalu, 4,095 m |
| 4 | Madagascar | Madagascar | Indian Ocean | Maromokotro, 2,876 m |
| 5 | Baffin Island | Canada | Arctic Ocean / Canadian Arctic Archipelago | Mount Odin, 2,147 m |
| 6 | Sumatra | Indonesia | Indian Ocean / Western Pacific | Mount Kerinci, 3,805 m |
| 7 | Honshu | Japan | Northwest Pacific Ocean | Mount Fuji, 3,776 m |
| 8 | Great Britain | United Kingdom | North Atlantic Ocean | Ben Nevis, 1,345 m |
| 9 | Victoria Island | Canada | Arctic Ocean / Canadian Arctic Archipelago | Shaler Mountains, 655 m |
| 10 | Ellesmere Island | Canada | Arctic Ocean / Queen Elizabeth Islands | Barbeau Peak, 2,616 m |
Islands are ranked by total land area in square kilometers, using the figures from the UNEP Island Directory as compiled in Wikipedia's "List of islands by area," cross-checked against Encyclopaedia Britannica. Australia is excluded because it is classified as a continental landmass rather than an island. Only true islands (land entirely surrounded by water) are included; the list runs from largest to smallest, so rank 1 is the island with the greatest land area. Areas are rounded to the nearest square kilometer as reported by the source.
Greenland is the largest island in the world, with a land area of about 2,130,800 km² — more than 2.7 times the size of the second-largest island, New Guinea. It is an autonomous territory of Denmark and roughly 80% covered by ice.
Australia is excluded because geographers classify it as a continental landmass, not an island. If it were counted as an island, its roughly 7.6 million km² would place it far above Greenland.
New Guinea is larger. It covers about 785,753 km² versus Borneo's roughly 748,168 km², making New Guinea the second-largest island in the world and Borneo the third.
Three of the top ten belong to Canada: Baffin Island (5th), Victoria Island (9th), and Ellesmere Island (10th), all part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.