Trifter

Travel around the world and see for yourself some of the most unique and wonderful islands and the extraordinary features of these islands. Enjoy and have a lot of fun.

1. Madagascar – Indian Ocean

Madagascar is the world’s oldest island. The first island appears on Earth about 4.4 billion years ago when the ocean formed. The island that has existed longest is Madagascar which separated from India perhaps 85 to 90 million years ago, after the two had split off from Antarctica about 125 million years ago.

It’s the world’s fourth largest island, and is home to 5% of the world’s plants and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to Madagascar. They include the lemur infra order of primates, the carnivorous fossa, three bird families and six baobab species. Aside from this, there are numerous scenic views in the island.

2. Maldives – Indian Ocean

For those seeking a private piece of paradise, Maldives’ 1,200 coral islands are one of the best. These islands are ideal destination for swimmers, snorkelers, fishermen, and other tourists. Maldives is the lowest island nation in the world. Its tallest island, Wilingili rises only 8 feet/ 2.4 meters above sea level. The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population. It is also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world.

The Maldives holds the record for being the flattest country in the world, with a maximum natural ground level of only 2.3 m (7½ ft). Maldives is one of the best diving spots in the world.

3. Borneo – Southeast Asia

The only island shared by three countries which is split between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Visiting this island would mean you have visited three counties in all. The island is also the third largest in the world. Mount Kinabalu which is located in the island is a major center of biodiversity.

Borneo is also known for its extensive cave systems. Clearwater Cave has one of the world’s longest underwater rivers. Deer Cave, thought to be the largest cave passage in the world, is home to over three million bats and guano accumulated to over 100 meters high.

4. New Guinea – Indonesia

The Tallest Island with a towering height of 16,503 m/5,030 ft above sea level is the island of New Guinea. It is also the second largest island in the world and the world’s fourth highest landmass.

Mount Wilhelm is the highest point in the island.

5. Manitoulin Island – Canada

Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater island in a lake in the world. It is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario with an area of 1,068 sq.mi/2,766 sq. km.

During summer, boating is a very popular activity in the area.

6. Iceland – Europe

Do you know that Iceland is the largest volcanic island? It has an area of 39,702 sq.mi/102,828 sq. kilometers. It was formed by volcanic activity along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and essentially exposed ocean floor.

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland – A Geothermal Spa which is Iceland’s most unique and popular attraction.

Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe with an average about three inhabitants per square km. Almost four-fifths of the country are uninhabited and mostly uninhabitable, the population being concentrated in a narrow coastal belt, valleys and the southwest corner of the country. Iceland has some of the world’s highest levels of economic freedoms as well as civil freedoms. As of 2007, Iceland is the most developed country in the world with fellow Nordic country Norway according to the Human Development Index and one of the most egalitarian, according to the calculation provided by the Gini coefficient.

Strokkur, a geyser, is in the process of erupting. Lying on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is one of the most geologically active areas on Earth.

7. Fraser Island – Australia

Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island off the coast of Queensland, Australia at 642 sq. m/ 1,662 sq. km. It was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1992. Fraser Island is stretching over 123 kilometers along the southern coast of Queensland and is the largest sand island in the world.

It is the only place in the world where tall rainforests are found growing on sand dunes. There are long uninterrupted white sandy beaches surrounded by sand cliffs, over 100 freshwater lakes, some tea-colored and many crystal-clear creeks.

8. Palau Samosir – Indonesia

Palau Samosir is the largest island on another island situated in Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia. It is 245 sq. m/630 sq. km.

The island is a popular tourist destination with lots of wild animals in its jungle like orang utan and many others.

9. Great Britain – UK

Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles, the largest island in Europe and the eighth-largest island in the world. It is the largest island ever joined to a continent by a fixed link, which is now tied to Europe by the Channel Tunnel.

Channel Tunnel is a 31.35 mile long rail tunnel beneath the English Channel connecting Folkestone to Coquelles near Calais. It consists of three separate tunnels; two 7.6m diameter single tracks, single direction rail tunnels which are 30m apart, and one 4.8m diameter service tunnel between them.

It was a mega project with several false starts, but was finally completed in 1994. It is the second-longest rail tunnel in the world, but the undersea section at 23.55 miles is the longest undersea tunnel in the world. The American Society of Civil Engineers has declared the tunnel to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

10. Isla Ometepe – Lake Nicaragua

Isla Ometepe, in Lake Nicaragua, is the world’s tallest lake island. Concepcion Volcano rises 5,183 feet / 1,580 meters above lake level. The Island of Ometepe was formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Its name derives from the Nahuatl words Ome – two and Tepetl – mountain, meaning two mountains.

Concepcion and Maderas volcanoes are joined by a low isthmus to form one island, giving it the form of an hourglass. Ometepe has an area of 276 sq. km. It is 31 km long and 5 to 10 km wide. The island has a population of 35,000, and an economy based on livestock, agriculture, and tourism.

11. Lake of the Woods – Canada – USA

Lake of the Woods, shared by Ontario, Minnesota, and Manitoba, is said to contain 14,452 islands.

Lake of the Woods is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. It is over seventy miles long and wide, and contains over 14,552 islands and 65,000 miles (105,000 km) of shoreline, which would amount to the longest coastline of any Canadian lake, except that the lake is not entirely within Canada.

The lake’s islands provide nesting habitat for the Piping Plover and large numbers of American White Pelicans. There are also several hundred nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in this area.

12. Mauna Kea – Hawaii

Some of the many telescopes operated by various universities from the world are positioned atop the highest island mountain in the world – Mauna Kea. It is above the clouds and because of this, the remote location, the lack of light pollution, and its position near the equator, make this one of the very best places on earth to watch the stars and planets. It also has a mars like surface and seems like you are on another planet.

Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, one of five volcanoes which together form the island of Hawaii. Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from base to summit, since its base is located on the seafloor about 19,000 feet (5,800 m) beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, bringing its total height to about 33,000 ft (10,000 m). In the Hawaiian language, Mauna Kea means “white mountain”, a reference to its summit being regularly snow-capped during the Northern Hemisphere winter.

I hope you enjoyed your brief trip on these magnificent and unique islands from around the world. And for those who are bound to visit these beautiful islands – von voyage.

For more unique and beautiful tourist attractions from around the world see the ff;

 The World’s Most Attractive Atolls

 10 Unique Tourist Destinations in the World

 The Top Five Best Beaches in the World

 20 Spectacular Natural and Man-made Wonders From Around the World

 Earth’s Amazing Landscape: Natural Wonders Worth Seeing

World’s Magnificent Castles: Perfect Tourist Destinations

For related article see

World’s Most Well Preserved Forests

Peru’s Natural and Manmade Wonders: World Class Tourist Destinations

World’s Most Beautiful Reefs

Grandest Canyons From Around the World

World’s Most Beautiful and Unique Valleys

Countries With Unique Shapes

World’s Most Amazing Cliffs and Fascinating Dunes

10 Unique Natural Springs in the Philippines