What is the world's largest island?

[CivLuvah]

This question is on debate ever since the discovery of Australia. What's the world's largest island? Greenland or Australia? Let's look at some factors (I think this thread would have 15 pages.):

1. Generalization
Greenland is generally the world's largest island because, DUH, it IS an island. Australia is generally considered a continent & a country all in a two-in-one package. Almost every person on earth except for the Brits, and Britian's former colonies know that the world's largest island is Greenland.

2. Geography
Greenland is, of course, an island. Australia is generally not an island although Australians & Brits think so. It has a mountain range, a desert, a rainforest, a temperate zone... that's just abnormal for an "island". An island should have just one habitat. Either it is completely a desert, or a temperate island, or a jungle island. Plus there is that little island called Tasmania. If you think that Australia is an island & you think that Tasmania should be part of that island, you must be absurd. An island isn't called an island if geographers also count nearby islands as part of that island. And finally, the size. IT'S TOO BIG TO BE AN ISLAND PEOPLE!!!!!

So, YOU, the people will choose the verdict. Whatever your nationality. What is the world's largest island? Greenland or Australia?

 

[RedRalph]

Greenland. If you call Australia an island, then theres no reason not to call Eurasia one too.

 

[CivLuvah]

Greenland. If you call Australia an island, then theres no reason not to call Eurasia one too.

I don't call Australia an island. I call Greenland an island.

 

[Nobody]

australia is both the worlds smallest continent and the worlds largest island

 

[Mise]

The world's LARGEST island is TOO BIG to be an island?!?!?!?!?!?

WTH have you been smoking...

 

[CivLuvah]

australia is both the worlds smallest continent and the worlds largest island

Australia is the world's smallest continent but not the world's largest island. IT'S TOO BIG!!!!!

 

[Mise]

Australia is the world's smallest continent but not the world's largest island. IT'S TOO BIG!!!!!

Fine then I arbitrarily declare all islands larger than Great Britain as being TOO BIG to be an island.

Therefore, Great Britain is the largest island.

 

[CivLuvah]

The world's LARGEST island is TOO BIG to be an island?!?!?!?!?!?

WTH have you been smoking...

I'm too young to smoke. I'm only twelve. Yes. It's too big. Smoking is bad. May I ask you. HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING????? Well then, I suppose you call the Americas or even Eurasia or even the Moon an island.

 

[RedRalph]

Fine then I arbitrarily declare all islands larger than Great Britain as being TOO BIG to be an island.

Therefore, Great Britain is the largest island.

I arbitrarily declare Africa to be an island. Surrounded by water on all sides, so it dosent matter thats its a continent, does it?

 

[CivLuvah]

Fine then I arbitrarily declare all islands larger than Great Britain as being TOO BIG to be an island.

Therefore, Great Britain is the largest island.

Haha. How sarcastic.

 

[Aleksey_aka_al]

Continent or not - it is a question of tectonics.

 

[Mise]

I'm too young to smoke. I'm only twelve. Yes. It's too big. Smoking is bad. May I ask you. HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING????? Well then, I suppose you call the Americas or even Eurasia or even the Moon an island.

I arbitrarily declare Africa to be an island. Surrounded by water on all sides, so it dosent matter thats its a continent, does it?

Africa isn't surrounded by water on all sides.

Eurasia isn't surrounded by water on all sides.

The moon isn't surrounded by water.

North America and South America are two distinct land masses, connected by a hairsbreadth.

Australia is one single distinct homogenous land mass.

Oh, and, AUSTRALIA ISN'T A CONTINENT!!!!

The continent is AUSTRALASIA, or alternatively OCEANIA, and encompasses New Zealand as well as many other Pacific islands. Australia is a country.

 

[RedRalph]

On which side is Africa not surrounded by water?

 

[The Last Conformist]

The world's LARGEST island is TOO BIG to be an island?!?!?!?!?!?

WTH have you been smoking...

If there is no such thing as too big to be an island, the world's largest island is Eurasia (and was Afro-Eurasia till they dug the Suez canal).


Considering Greenland to be an island but Australia not is geologically reasonable in that Greenland is located on the continental shelf of a bigger landmass whereas Australia is the biggest landmass on its continental shelf. One should not, however, prusue this definition too far, because it suggests one should consider some landmasses smaller than Greenland, most notably Madagascar, as continents, since they're chunks of continental crust with their own continental shelf disconnected to that of any larger continent (most islands outside the continental shelfs of the continents are made of oceanic crust), which would defy common usage.

 

[Tee Kay]

Africa isn't surrounded by water on all sides.

Eurasia isn't surrounded by water on all sides.

Suez Canal...

I consider Australia a continent, so Greenland is largest island.

 

[The Last Conformist]

Oh, and, AUSTRALIA ISN'T A CONTINENT!!!!

The continent is AUSTRALASIA, or alternatively OCEANIA, and encompasses New Zealand as well as many other Pacific islands. Australia is a country.

Considering Australasia or Oceania a continent is bizarrerie on a level with considering Europe one.

 

[Samson]

I was taught that the definition of an island is a land mass that is all one country, so australia is the largest. If say queensland had a war of independance and became a seperate country then it would no longer be an island.

If you belive ausralia to not be an island, can you give a definative defanition of one?

 

[The Last Conformist]

I was taught that the definition of an island is a land mass that is all one country, so australia is the largest. If say queensland had a war of independance and became a seperate country then it would no longer be an island.

Does this mean that Märket is a continent?

 

[Mirc]

Considering Australasia or Oceania a continent is bizarrerie on a level with considering Europe one.

I just wanted to say I also agree that Europe is not a continent and I consider it merely a peninsula with lots of smaller peninsulas and gulfs inside it, but I don't want to derail the thread.

 

[RedRalph]

I was taught that the definition of an island is a land mass that is all one country, so australia is the largest. If say queensland had a war of independance and became a seperate country then it would no longer be an island.

If you belive ausralia to not be an island, can you give a definative defanition of one?

Hang on, so Ireland isnt an island? Nor is Borneo? Or Hispaniola?