An island country is a country that is wholly confined to an island, several islands, an island group or several island groups, and has no territory on the mainland of a continent. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian Mainland is usually the Continental part of a region as opposed to the Islands nearby A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions Forty-seven of the world's countries are island countries (2008), including most of the smallest ones. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically
Island countries can be divided in two approximate groups. A group of large, relatively populous nations which are usually close to a continent including Japan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Cuba, the United Kingdom, Madagascar, and Indonesia. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. These countries typically share cultural and political similarities with their continental neighbours. Island locations have frequently been advantageous, providing isolation from invasion and the maritime abilities of the population gave advantage in regional and international trade.
The other group comprises smaller island countries such as Malta, the Comoros, the Bahamas, Tonga, and the Maldives. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands The Comoros (ˈkɒməroʊz; جزر القمر Juzur al-Qumur) officially the Union of the Comoros (Union des Comores الإتّحاد القمريّ The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and The Kingdom of Tonga is an Archipelago in the south Pacific Ocean comprising 169 islands 36 of them inhabited stretching over a distance of about 800 kilometres (500 miles The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching 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. Natural resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified ( natural) form However, in modern times, smaller island countries around the world have become centres for tourism, which in many is the dominant industry. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel
Some island countries are centered on one or two major islands, such as the United Kingdom, New Zealand or Japan. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Others are spread out over hundreds or thousands of smaller islands, such as the Philippines, Indonesia or the Maldives. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching Some island countries share their islands with other countries; these include the United Kingdom and Ireland, Haiti and Dominican Republic, and Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Papua New Guinea (or ˈpæpjuːə in Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini) officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania