An island /ˈaɪlənd/ or isle /ˈaɪl/ is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island in a river or an island in a lake may be called an eyot /ˈaɪ.ət/ (also ait /ˈeɪt/), or holm. A grouping of geographically or geologically related islands is called an archipelago.
An island may still be described as such despite the presence of an artificial land bridge, for example Singapore and its causeway, or the various Dutch delta islands, such as IJsselmonde. Some places may even retain "island" in their names for historical reasons after being connected to a larger landmass by a wide land bridge, such as Coney Island. Conversely, when a piece of land is separated from the mainland by a man-made canal, for example the Peloponnese by the Corinth Canal, it is generally not considered an island.
There are two main types of islands: continental islands and oceanic islands. There are also artificial islands.
Read more about Island: Etymology, Size, Difference Between Islands and Continents, Natural Vs Artificial Islands
Other articles related to "island, islands":
... (Spanish La Española Haitian Creole Ispayola) is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti ... The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt ... It is the ninth-most-populous island in the world, and the most populous in the Americas ...
... the coasts of Canada, the northeastern United States, Norway, Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Ireland, Great Britain, France, and northern Spain ... their nesting colonies the Great Auks required rocky islands with sloping shorelines that provided access to the seashore ... are known Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands, St ...
... Achill Island Ashford Castle Ballindine Ballintubber Abbey Blacksod Lighthouse Broadhaven Bay Burrishoole Abbey Céide Fields Clare Island Clew Bay Croagh Patrick Eagle Island lighthouse Erris Faulagh Joyce Country ...
... Most of the Earth's islands are natural and have been formed by tectonic forces or volcanic eruptions ... However, there are also artificial or man-made islands ... An example of an artificial island is an island in Osaka Bay off the Japanese island of Honshu, on which Kansai International Airport is located ...
... Enniskillen (Inis Ceithleann, 'Ceithleann's island') ... The island town hosts a range of attractions including the Castle Coole Estate and Enniskillen Castle, which is home to the museum of The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon ... Enniskillen include Belleek Pottery Castle Archdale Crom Estate Devenish Island Florence Court Lough Navar Forest Park Marble Arch Caves ...
Famous quotes containing the word island:
“The very best place to be in all the world is St. Mary’s parish, Jamaica. And the best spot in St. Mary’s is Port Maria, though all of St. Mary’s is fine. Old Maker put himself to a lot of trouble to make that part of the island of Jamaica, for everything there is perfect.”
—Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960)
“When the inhabitants of some sequestered island first descry the “big canoe” of the European rolling through the blue waters towards their shores, they rush down to the beach in crowds, and with open arms stand ready to embrace the strangers. Fatal embrace! They fold to their bosoms the vipers whose sting is destined to poison all their joys; and the instinctive feeling of love within their breasts is soon converted into the bitterest hate.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“I ... would rather be in dependance on Great Britain, properly limited, than on any nation upon earth, or than on no nation. But I am one of those too who rather than submit to the right of legislating for us assumed by the British parliament, and which late experience has shewn they will so cruelly exercise, would lend my hand to sink the whole island in the ocean.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)