Archipelago
An archipelago (/ˌɑːrkəˈpɛləɡoʊ/ ⓘ AR-kə-PEL-ə-goh),[1] sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. An archipelago may be on a lake, river, or an ocean.
Etymology
The origin of the word 'archipelago' is in Greek. The Greek word arkhi- means chief and the word pelagos means sea. The combination of these two words, 'arkhipelagos', gradually evolved to become the Italian word 'arcipelago'. During the same time, the term 'the Archipelago' was being used in English to refer to the Aegean Sea. The Aegean Sea was notable for its large number of islands. Subsequently, the proper noun in 'the Archipelago' became the common noun 'archipelago' by the early 16th century. [source: the Oxford Dictionary]
Geographic types
Archipelagos may be found isolated in large amounts of water or neighbouring a large land mass. For example, Scotland has more than 700 islands surrounding its mainland, which form an archipelago.
Archipelagos are often volcanic, forming along island arcs generated by subduction zones or hotspots, but may also be the result of erosion, deposition, and land elevation. Depending on their geological origin, islands forming archipelagos can be referred to as oceanic islands, continental fragments, or continental islands.[2]
Oceanic islands
Oceanic islands are formed by volcanoes erupting from the ocean floor. The Hawaiian Islands and Galapagos Islands in the Pacific, and Mascarene Islands in the south Indian Ocean are examples.
Continental fragments
Continental fragments are islands that were once part of a continent, and became separated due to natural disasters. The Farallon Islands off the coast of California are an example.
Continental Islands
Continental islands are islands that were once part of a continent and still sit on the continental shelf, which is the edge of a continent that lies under the ocean. The islands of the Inside Passage off the coast of British Columbia and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are examples.
Artificial archipelagos
Artificial archipelagos have been created in various countries for different purposes. Palm Islands and The World Islands in Dubai were or are being created for leisure and tourism purposes.[3][4] Marker Wadden in the Netherlands is being built as a conservation area for birds and other wildlife.[5]
Superlatives
The largest archipelago in the world by number of islands is the Archipelago Sea, which is part of Finland. There are approximately 40,000 islands, mostly uninhabited. [6]
The largest archipelagic state in the world by area, and by population, is Indonesia.[7]
See also
- List of landforms
- List of archipelagos by number of islands
- List of archipelagos
- Archipelagic state
- List of islands
- Aquapelago
References
- ^ "archipelago". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
- ^ Whittaker R. J. & Fernández-Palacios J. M. (2007) Island Biogeography: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation. New York, Oxford University Press
- ^ McFadden, Christopher (22 December 2019). "7+ Amazing Facts About Dubai's Palm Islands". Interesting Engineering. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- ^ Wainwright, Oliver (13 February 2018). "Not the end of The World: the return of Dubai's ultimate folly". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- ^ Boffey, Daniel (27 April 2019). "Marker Wadden, the manmade Dutch archipelago where wild birds reign supreme". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- ^ "Nautical chart: International no. 1205, SE61, Baltic Sea, North, Sea of Åland" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ "Indonesia". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 7 December 2008. (Archived 2008 edition.)
External links
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- 30 Most Incredible Island Archipelagos
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