Almost every student can answer the question about the name of the largest island on our planet. That is Greenland. It is located between the Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans, at a distance of 740 kilometers from the North Pole. The island, with an area of 2,130,800 square kilometers, is considered part of the North American mainland. As for political status, it has independent management, but belongs to Denmark.
First settlers
According to historical information, this island was first discovered by Europeans in 877, when an expedition led by Gunbjörn was driven back by a hurricane westward from Iceland. As for the first settlers on this land, they are considered to be the Vikings who arrived on its western coast in 982–983 under the leadership of Erik Raudi Turvaldson. They opted for several flat areas, well protected from the effects of winds. This area so impressed the Vikings with its lush green vegetation, contrasting with the surrounding glacial desert in the summer, that they called the island Green Land, which translates as: “Green land”. It should be noted that such a name was originally used only for the south-west coast. It fully spread to the largest island in the world, it was only in the fifteenth century.
Features of the territory
Most of Greenland is covered by glaciers. They occupy an area exceeding 1800 thousand square kilometers. A significant proportion of them, like Antarctica, is a solid block of ice, which practically does not melt even in relatively warm summer time. Speaking about which island of the world is the largest, one cannot but note the fact that in recent years there has been a tendency to actively reduce the volume of this shield. This threatens a global catastrophe, because if all the ice of Greenland completely melts, according to approximate estimates of scientists, the water level in the oceans will rise by as much as seven meters.
As for the remaining territory, it is a continuous strip, which is located mainly in the northern and southwestern parts and stretches along the coast. In width, they sometimes reach the mark of 250 kilometers. In the areas of contact of the glacier with the shores, icebergs of gigantic sizes are constantly breaking off from it. One of these in 1912 broke away from here and led to the collapse of the world famous ship "Titanic".
Climate
The largest island in the world has a rather variable climate. In summer, the average air temperature in the coastal areas of Greenland is nine degrees. Along with this, there are periods when the thermometer can jump up to twenty degrees of heat or go down to zero. The lowest temperatures are characteristic of the east coast. Here they are, on average, -27 ° C.
Flora and fauna
The largest island - Greenland - cannot boast of an abundance of vegetation and animals. Flora here is predominantly represented by forest tundra sites, which are concentrated in the southern part. They consist mainly of dwarf birch. Thickets of dwarf willow, lichens and mosses are quite developed on the west coast. The eastern part of the island is a polar desert, so there are no plants here. A common distinguishing feature that is characteristic of the entire flora of Greenland is that there are no tall trees.
Poverty is also characteristic of the local fauna. The most common animals that inhabit the largest island in the world include polar bears, ermines, hares, reindeer, lemmings and arctic foxes. Wolves are very rare. Birds, walruses, seals and narwhals live mainly on rocky coasts. What is rich in local surroundings is fish, which is represented by different species - flounder, cod, catfish and so on.
Population and cities
Speaking about which island of the world is the largest, one cannot fail to note the fact that even despite the relatively harsh climate, Greenland is quite populated. Currently, approximately 58 thousand people live here. Most of them are descendants of indigenous people (Eskimos), as well as colonizers (Danes and Norwegians). Greenlanders are mainly engaged in industrial hunting and fishing. On the island's territory, two languages are considered official - Greenlandic and Danish.
The capital and at the same time the largest city in Greenland is Nuuk (the name translates as “good hope”), the photo of which is located above. Its population is just over fifteen thousand people. This settlement was founded in 1756. The main local attraction is considered the Greenland National Museum.
Flag and coat of arms
The largest island in the world has its own symbolism. Its emblem is an image of a polar bear (the animal most widespread here) on a blue background (which symbolizes two oceans). As for the flag, it has a red and white color. It should be noted that the use of the second color is dictated by the political dependence of the island on Denmark. A circle is also placed on the banner for the sun. However, there is another version regarding this symbolism. In particular, some researchers suggest that the circle indicates the main local attraction - glaciers.
Other major islands of the planet
The largest islands in the world are scattered in all its parts. In second place the largest after Greenland is New Guinea, which is located in the Pacific Ocean. It was discovered by one of the Portuguese expeditions in 1526. The island covers an area of 786 thousand square kilometers and is considered a real paradise for tourists. The local flora and fauna are so diverse that now scientists from time to time find new species of plants and animals.
In third place in size is the island of Kalimantan, with an area of 737 thousand square kilometers. It is washed simultaneously by two straits and four seas. In terms of vegetation (which the largest island of the planet can not boast), it is the exact opposite of Greenland. The fact is that about 80% of its territory is covered by forests. Kalimantan has substantial reserves of diamonds, gas and oil, due to which local residents live.
Not far from the African continent is the island of Madagascar, which is the largest in the Indian Ocean. Its area is 587 thousand square kilometers. On the territory of the island is the republic of the same name. The bowels of the earth are rich in various minerals, including iron and gold ores. As for the animal and plant world, about 80% of the species are found exclusively in Madagascar.
Honshu island
Separate words deserve the largest island of Japan - Honshu. Its length is 1400 kilometers, and the maximum width is 300 kilometers. About 60% of Japanese territory is located on it. There is also the capital of the country - Tokyo, as well as some other major cities - Osaka, Yokohama and Nagoya. As for the administrative structure of the island, its entire territory is divided into 34 prefectures.
The local climate, vegetation and topography vary greatly in the regions. Indeed, if the northern part is characterized by medium and low mountains, in the south they are much higher. There are numerous volcanoes on the island. About twenty of them are considered active in our time. The largest and most famous is Fuji.
Honshu, among other things, is the most developed region in Japan from an economic point of view. Most of the national attractions are concentrated here, including unusual natural landscapes, parks, as well as architectural monuments.