It could be said that there are thousands of islands on this planet. After so many years of expenditures in the early age, scientists and researchers discovered a number of islands. Some of those islands were inhabited, while the other were uninhabited. In this present day, those islands are in the possession of different countries. Here are the countries that have the most islands in the world.
1. Sweden – 267,570
Looking for a place with incredible view of the sea and the nature to visit? Sweden should be the place that could give the tourists an unforgettable memory. It capital city is Stockholm. As the survey stated in 2013, there were267,570 islands located there However, only 984 islands are inhabited. In fact, Sweden is popular for 3 Archipelagos. They are Archipelago in northern Sweden, the Archipelago of Ostergotland and the southeast coast archipelago. At Luleå and Piteåthe, tourists could experience the cultural heritage uniqueness. These 2 cities are at the northern part. As for Archipelago of Ostergotland, it is at the eastern coast of Sweden. There tourists can enjoy the recreational activities such as camping, sunbathing, swimming and etc. Lastly, at the southeast coast of archipelago, it attracts a lot of tourists. The reasons are because the sea there is shallow and it has ancient sites.
2. Norway – 239,057
Norway has attracted many visitors for many years. It ranks as a second country that has a lot of islands in the world. People will spend their time visiting Lofoten Islands since they will provide an extraordinary experience. The government preserves the culture and the nature pretty well. This, as a result, strengthens its social economic and value. Besides, watching the northern lights is another popular activity the tourists do in the winter. At the Western Fjords, there are also many islands, too. However, the Western Fojrds has spectacular scenes where tourists can see hills, waterfall, rivers and islands. The south coast, which is also known as Norway lowland, is the home of countless islands.
3. Finland – 178,947
Finland is considered one of the most popular countries in Europe. Besides, Finland ranks in the third place as the country that has a lot of islands. According to geographical map, it has 178,947 islands. Despite having abundant islands, it is also famous for its dense forests. Approximately, almost two-third of this country is covered by lavish thick woods. Over 1 kilometer square there are 789 islands in the borders. Most of these islands are inhabited, and the government built roads to connect the mainland. However, 549 islands where Finns reside have no road connections to the mainland.
4. Canada – 52,455
Besides having the second largest land in the world, Canada also has 52,455 islands. These islands lie along the Atlantic Oceans, Pacific and Arctic. Furthermore, among its islands, there are three significant islands, which are Baffin Island, Ellesmere Island and Victoria Island. Literally, they are all within Arctic Archipelago, and its land is more than 550,000 square miles. Due to its geographical map to the southeast, the landmasses become the Canadian Shield. Moreover, the landmasses to the south are the Arctic lowlands and parts of Innuitian Mt to the north.
5. United States – 18,617
Being one of the top powerful countries in the world, the United States possesses 18,617 islands. With these islands, the US earns a lot of dollars from the tourist industry. As the statistic in 2013, almost three million tourists visit the islands per year. One of the enticing islands attracting many tourists is Hawaii Island. Once the tourists visit there, they can enjoy a lot of activities. For example, they can visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, dive with Manta Rays, etc. Do not forget to visits one of these islands once you visit US. They namely are Santa Catalina, Amelia Island, Sea Island, Mount Desert Island and many more. While the visitors spend their time there, they can do any recreational activities. For instance, they can visit botanical gardens, go camping, visit farmer markets and so on.
6. Indonesia – 17,504
Indonesia is the biggest single archipelago in the world, and it has 17504 islands. What is special about it is its islands make an intersection of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. There are five important islands in the Indonesian Archipelago. There are Java, Kalimantan, Papua, Sulawesi and Sumatra. However, the Indonesian Archipelago also has other 30 smaller islands. According to the survey, around 6,000 are inhabited. Java island consists the most population among the other islands. Approximately, about 60% of the Indonesian population resides there, while Sumatra has only one-third of the population. It is known that there are about 100 active volcanoes around the islands.
7. Australia – 8,222
Located at the Pacific Ocean, Australia contains approximately 8,222 islands. People also call Australia as an island continent, and its capital city is Canberra. Additionally, it owns quite a number of islands locating in Indian, Pacific and the Coral and Timor Seas as its external territories. Here are the 3 largest islands exist in Australia: Tasmania, Melville Island and Kangaroo Island. Visitors should visit those islands where they could enjoy awesome natural views and other leisure activities.
8. Philippines – 7,641
The Philippines are famous for its archipelagos, and its islands are categorized into 3 zones. The first zone is Luzon in the north. Luzon is the area where the capital city of the Philippines lays. The second zone is Visayas. In this area, there are lot of beaches and coves which are very attractive. According to the statistic from the Department of Tourism, 8.2 million international tourists visit the Philippines. As for the last zone, it is Mindanao. In that area, people can enjoy natural environment where many trees grow lavishly.
9. Japan – 6,852
Not much different from Indonesia and the Philippines, Japan is also an archipelago. There are around 6,852 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu are the major islands of Japan. If visiting Hokkaido Island, tourists would be fascinated with top quality fresh seafood. As for Honshu, it is renewed for its mountains. It is the location that Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, resides. There the tourists can visit Lake Biwa. For Shikoku, it is famous for religion as tourist could visit 88-temple pilgrimage of temples. Lastly, Kyushu can satisfy the visitors if they want to have a good vacation. They can enjoy hot springs, porky ramen, peaceful beach and friendly people.
10. Chile – 5,000
Chiles is considered as the last top 10 countries that have a lot of islands. There are about 5,000 islands exist in this country. Its archipelago is dominated by flora and fauna and it is called the paradise for farming and fishing. However, there is a volcanic region away from mainland. It is probably 540 miles from Chile and it is called Islas Desventuradas.