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Encyclopedia > Island country
Island countries in the world
Island countries in the world

An island country is a country that is wholly confined to an island or island group, and has no territory on the mainland of a continent. Forty-seven of the world's countries are island countries, including most of the smallest ones. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 352 pixelsFull resolution (1427 × 628 pixel, file size: 28 KB, MIME type: image/png) Island_nation countries as of 2005, based on Image:Landlocked_countries. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 352 pixelsFull resolution (1427 × 628 pixel, file size: 28 KB, MIME type: image/png) Island_nation countries as of 2005, based on Image:Landlocked_countries. ... In political geography and international politics a country is a geographical entity, a territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation. ... An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ... This article is about the geomorphological/geopolitical term; MAINLAND is also a cheese brand owned by Fonterra, a New Zealand dairy company. ... Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ...


Island countries can be divided in two approximate groups. One group comprises those that are large, relatively populous, and usually close to a continent. These include Japan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Cuba, the United Kingdom, Iceland and Madagascar. The largest member of this group, and the world's largest island country, is Indonesia. These countries typically share cultural and political similarities with their continental neighbours. Their island status has sometimes been an important advantage that has isolated them from invasion and made them important in regional trade because of their locations and the maritime abilities of the population. Australia can be considered this category of country taken to an extreme: an island country so large it is considered a continent. Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ... Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ...


The other group comprises smaller island countries such as Malta, Cyprus, the Comoros, the Bahamas, Tonga, and the Maldives. These countries tend to be very different from continental countries. Their small size usually means there is little agricultural land and rarely many natural resources. However, in modern times, smaller island countries around the world have become centres for tourism, which in many is the dominant industry. Tourists on Oʻahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. ...


Some island countries are centered on one or two major islands, such as the United Kingdom. Others are spread out over hundreds or thousands of smaller islands, such as Indonesia or the Maldives. Some island countries share their islands with other countries; these include the Republic of Ireland, Hispaniola ( Haiti and Dominican Republic ), Saint Martin and Papua New Guinea. St. ...


See also


  Results from FactBites:
 
Island Vulnerability (723 words)
Island Vulnerability explores the challenges which isolated geographies face when dealing with risk and disasters by examining the processes which create, maintain, and could be used to reduce their vulnerability.
Island vulnerability investigates the processes which lead to a high proportional impact in disasters, and, more importantly, looks at ways in which vulnerability could be reduced by lessening proportional impact in such a small environment.
"Island countries and countries of islands have, in their relative smallness, an extraordinary vulnerability [and] Islands could inform the continents, were they given the chance" (Lewis, 1999).
A/51/255 Specific Measures in Favour of Island Developing Countries (7432 words)
Some small island economies which used to be regarded as acutely disadvantaged have actually demonstrated significant growth over time and are now classified among high-income countries, while some of the larger and less remote among them are facing severe challenges in the context of trade liberalization and globalization.
Some countries should however be encouraged to reduce their heavy dependence on imports by striving to create more integrated production structures based on available domestic resources in such areas as food and artisanal fisheries so as to build up and maintain a nutritional "safety net".
Island developing countries should seek to exploit fully, within the limits of sustainability, their agricultural potential and marine resources in the exclusive economic zones by enhancing relevant skills and carrying out specialized studies on the conservation, management and surveillance of these resources.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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