2.1million km² · Greenland
Short answer: Greenland is the largest island in the world, at more than 2.1 million km². It is followed by New Guinea, Borneo, Madagascar and Baffin Island.
Australia is much larger than Greenland, but it counts as a continent rather than an island. Without Australia, the top 5 largest islands look like this:
The 5 largest islands in the world
- Greenland (Denmark): more than 2.1 million km²
- New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea): about 821,000 km²
- Borneo (Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei): about 755,000 km²
- Madagascar: the fourth-largest island
- Baffin Island (Canada): about 507,000 km²
Greenland
Greenland lies in the North Atlantic and is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with extensive self-government. Most of the island is covered by a thick ice sheet. According to Britannica, it is the largest island in the world. Travellers come for the icebergs at Ilulissat, the northern lights and the silence.
New Guinea
According to Britannica, New Guinea, north of Australia, is the second-largest island. The western part belongs to Indonesia; the eastern part is the country of Papua New Guinea. The island has vast rainforests and a huge diversity of languages and cultures.
Borneo
Borneo is divided between three countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei (Britannica). The island is known for its rainforest and orangutans.
Madagascar
Madagascar lies in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. According to Britannica, it is the fourth-largest island in the world. Many plants and animals, such as lemurs, live nowhere else.
Baffin Island
Baffin Island is Canada’s largest island and the fifth largest in the world (Britannica). It lies mostly above the Arctic Circle and is sparsely populated.
Final edit: Jan Willem Beumer, editor-in-chief of Mindbogglingmedia
