100 Waterfalls to see

100. Big Goat Lake Falls

Alaska, United States

THE SKINNY

Named for the lake immediately sourcing the falls, Big Goat Lake Falls is a prominent but rarely visited cascade found in a relatively isolated part of southeastern Alaska between Ketchikan and the Canadian Border. Only visible by plane or helicopter, the falls flume about 800 feet out of a glacially sculpted lake basin and into the long, sinuous valleys of the Misty Fjords.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Alaska surely has hundreds of impressive waterfalls, so what makes this one so special? Frankly, its not the waterfall. The landscape surrounding the falls is almost too perfect to be real, the water streaming directly out of Big Goat Lake and cascading down the valley, snow capped peaks lining the mountains and virgin, untouched forest all around. Though this is a list of the best waterfalls, and were this not nearly as impressive a waterfall it wouldn't be entered here.

99. Browne Falls

Southland, New Zealand

THE SKINNY

While not nearly as visually impressive as many of New Zealand's many other waterfalls, Browne Falls is the country's tallest. Dropping over 2600 feet from Browne Lake to the waters of Doubtful Sound, with the initial drop consisting of a single, long, sinuous horsetailing fall of over 1600 feet alone. The falls can only be seen by boat or aircraft as they descend into the deep waters of the fjord where no roads or trails access. Because the lake feeding the falls has essentially no feeder streams, the volume of water running over the falls drops considerably in the dry season, but it flows perennially. As much rainfall as this part of New Zealand recieves however, visitors are ensured a poignant sight at almost any time of year.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Waterfalls eclipsing the 800 meter mark are not exactly commonplace throughout the world. New Zealand has a couple of them but Browne Falls is the most volumnous and most noteworthy. Beyond height, the fact that the falls begin in a lake perched high up on the steep walls of the fjord and end almost directly in the ocean makes this unique for a totally different reason - practically the entire length of the stream is spent as waterfall, a characteristic that is very likely a globally rare occurence.

98. Hagoromo-no-taki

Hokkaido, Japan

THE SKINNY

Japan's fourth tallest waterfall, Hagaromo Falls is a centerpiece to Daisetzusan National Park. The falls drop 820 feet from a plateau on the lower slopes of Hokkaido's tallest mountains. A second stream plunges parallel to the main stream, the two joining just above the two final tiers of the falls, creating a very unique Y-shape not seen in many globally significant waterfalls.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Japan's waterfalls are known for their grace and exceptionally eye-catching shapes, but are rarely known for great height. Hagaromo Falls represents a rare combination of significant height and incredible grace that can be found nowhere else in the world.

97. Cascada del Cinca

Aragón, Spain

THE SKINNY

Plunging off of a glacially scoured plateau in the middle of the Spanish Pyranees, Cascada del Cinca is a series of airy plunges and horsetails thundering over 1600 feet down the the head of a sweeping glacial valley. Glaciers on the slopes of Monte Perdido ensure the falls flow well throughout the year as well as provide a spectacular backdrop.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

As Spain's tallest waterfall, the falls are among the most impressive and imposing in the Pyranees and stand up well against the biggest and best waterfalls in southern Europe.

96. Bridalveil Fall

California, United States

THE SKINNY

Though not overwhelming in height, Yosemite National Park's Bridalveil Fall is without question one of the most easily identifiable waterfalls on earth. Glistening in front of Cathedral Rock, the 620 foot falls serve as a gateway and greeting to visitors to spectacular Yosemite Valley. If that weren't enough, the falls are renowned for producing impressively vibrant rainbows across its face during the late spring afternoons.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

A 620 foot free-falling waterfall that behaves somewhat seasonally may not necessarily be the best candidate for this list, but when the scenery and the iconic status of the falls are thrown into the picture, it becomes a more obvious choice.

95. Kjelfossen

Sogn Og Fjordane, Norway

THE SKINNY

While nowhere near as overpowering and visually impressive as many of the waterfalls in Norway, Kjelfossen excels in one feature above almost all other: height. Dropping over 2400 vertical feet, the falls are one of the 25 tallest waterfalls known to exist on the planet. Though the drainage feeding the falls is modest at best, the spring flow is great and the site of the falls hurtling over a sheer plunge of 500 feet before cascading further is attention grabbing to say the least. Additionally, two parallel streams flume alongside the main fall, creating a very eye-catching triple fall of absolutely immense height.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Waterfalls which fall for this distance are not exactly common, and those that do so with a relatively consistent amount of flow are even rarer. That Kjelfossen is visible from the window of a passing car - and though no trail is known to exist to the base, the fall lies mere minutes from the road - cements its place on this list.

94. Chinak Meru

Bolivar, Venezuela

THE SKINNY

Though nowhere near as tall as its dozens of counterparts which veil from the massive table-mountain Tepuis in the Guyana Highlands in southeastern Venezuela, Chinak Meru is a very noteworthy waterfall in its own right. Thundering 344 feet over the edge of a horseshoe canyon in the otherwise flat Gran Sabana, the falls establish themselves quite resoundingly as a major feature - both from a tourism standpoint and as a geologic structure. The large volume of the Rio Aponwao ensures the falls retain their impressive stature even during the driest of seasons when many of the taller waterfalls in the area shrivel.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

While certainly pale in comparison to South America's other behemoth waterfalls, the combination of consistently significant volume dropping over a 344 foot canyon elevates this cataract to a level that isn't seen many other places around the world.

93. Cachoeira da Fumaça

Espirito Santo, Brazil

THE SKINNY

While certainly the lesser known of Brazil's waterfalls which carry the title of Cachoeira da Fumaça (Smoke Falls in english), this particular cataract is by far the best of those carrying this title. Found about 180 miles northeast of Rio de Janiero amid a landscape pockmarked with endless rolling hills, this massive 460-odd foot tall cataract seems out of place in its setting. The North Right Branch of Rio Itapemirim pitches over a long concave cataract, beginning as a steep slide which progresses more and more vertical as it descends. About halfway down the falls, the river splits into two channels, creating a striking two-pronged formation at the base of the falls.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

While the taller and more famous Cachoeira da Fumaça in Bahia lives up to its name quite well, this cataract fits its title for an entirely different reason. The power of the falls thundering over the escarpment ensures an almost constant billow of spray soaks the basin surrounding the waterfall. At flood stage, the falls are so violent that it becomes difficult to photograph or even approach the waterfall due to the volume of mist in the air. Compound the power of the falls with a very striking shape and we've got a formula for a really impressive waterfall.

92. Strupen

Sogn Og Fjordane, Norway

THE SKINNY

Fed by a large portion of the Myklebustbreen, Strupen is a moderate to high volume series of falls which stairstep down the side of its valley in a very underappreciated display. The main portion of the falls drop for around 1570 feet, draining from the main tongue of the glacier, but several tributary streams which are fed by ice higher up stream down to join the main watercourse as it is already falling, which - depending on whether this can be considered the same waterfall - could increase the height of the falls to well over 2600 feet in all.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Not only is this a waterfall of significant height and volume, but it is also quite unique in shape. The uppermost drop along the main watercourse splits into several channels, creating a weaved diamond pattern as it falls down the fractured, glacially polished bedrock. Such odd forms are not common for such large waterfalls.

91. Vinnufossen

Møre Og Romsdal, Norway

THE SKINNY

Plunging over 2800 feet down the side of one of Norway's most massive glacially carved valleys, Vinnufossen is the tallest recorded waterfall on the Eurasian continent. The falls don't exhibit a significantly large volume of water, but being fed by a modest glacier allows them to flow consistently and with moderate volume for the warmest months of the year (though due to the high northern latitude, the falls do freeze "dry" during 4-6 months that winter temperatures occur). The falls are not widely publicized, but can be seen from a major thoroughfare between Oslo and Trondheim, two of the countrys four largest cities.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

The neck-craining height of Vinnufossen alone is precedent for inclusion on the Top 100 list. Disregarding the height though, the falls are just downright impressive. The stream spouts out of a narrow crack in the cliff and veils out further and further in a very eye-catching form, and while its difficult to truly appreciate the size involved with this waterfall, I doubt anybody would disagree that it is simply impressive.

90. Giessbachfälle

Bern, Switzerland

THE SKINNY

The falls of the Giessbach have long enjoyed notoriety, thanks to 18th century artists who frequented the falls, the famous Grandhotel Giessbach, built in 1870 and the throngs of tourists who have visited throughout the ages. All this popularity rightly stems from the incredibly scenic and eye catching shape of the 1,280 foot falls. Coupled with the scenery of the Swiss countryside, the falls are one of the most charming of the worlds major waterfalls.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Though not nearly the tallest in Europe (or even in Switzerland for that matter), the height coupled with the consistency and volume of the stream make for a winning package at virtually any time of year. The nearby Hotel, though somewhat touristy, doesn't exactly hurt the situation either.

89. Cachoeira do Paulo Afonso

Bahia / Alagoas, Brazil

THE SKINNY

One of the world's true massive cataracts, the falls of the Rio Paulo Afonso are second only to those of the Rio Iguazu in sheer size on the continent. Unlike its sibling to the south, however, Paulo Afonso Falls was not graced with isolation and the river was identified and harnessed for hydroelectric use before the falls could be properly protected. The cataracts, dropping a total of about 275 feet only flow heavily during the rainy season when the dams can't handle the full volume of the river, but this seasonal display alone is worthy of sustaining the falls' reputation.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Hydroelectric project or no, a waterfall of this height on a river the size of the Paulo Afonso is a clear cut case of a world class cataract. Were the dams not in place and were the falls allowed to run free, they would very likely rank among the top 20 on the planet, if not higher.

88. Sivlefossen

Hordaland, Norway

THE SKINNY

Standing as the larger of a pair of "gatekeeper" waterfalls at the head of the jaw-dropping Næroydalen, Sivlefossen steps and veil a total of about780 feet in explosive fashion, with its final drop standing 382 feet alone, making a fantastic first impression on visitors to the upper end of the valley. Located immediately across the valley is Stalheimsfossen, an equally powerful waterfall of 413 feet in height. The two make a lasting impression on all who visit.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Even as a stand-alone waterfall, Sivlefossen makes the Top 20 list for Norway's best waterfalls, but pairing it with Stalheimsfossen and setting it against the backdrop of the Næroyfjord - easily one of Norway's most scenic inlets - is just icing on the cake.

87. Stirling Falls

Southland, New Zealand

THE SKINNY

Leaping from a classic hanging valley and plunging directly into the calm waters of New Zealand's iconic Milford Sound, 495 foot tall Stirling Falls is a spectacle in itself, but set against the backdrop of Mitre Peak and Milford Sound - not to mention the countless other waterfalls in the area - and the end result is a package deal with a fantastic centerpiece waterfall. During the rainy season, unpleasant as it may be, Stirling Falls can balloon to immense proportion and send a tidal wave of mist gushing outward from its impact with the ocean.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Similar in shape and character (sans the whole 'dropping into the ocean' thing) to California's Bridalveil Falls, Stirling Falls ranks as better in our minds simply because of its volume. Stirling Creek can resemble a river during the wet season, and not just on a sporadic basis but rather quite consistently. Add in the fact that tour boats will steer right up to the falls so that visitors can literally reach out and touch the falling water and Bridalveil just can't compete.

86. Bowen Falls

Southland, New Zealand

THE SKINNY

Visible at the head of New Zealand's iconic Milford Sound, 508 foot tall Bowen Falls is lofty, powerful, accessible and most importantly, just downright impressive. Though the basin which the falls drains from doesn't possess any permanent snow pack, the almost constantly wet weather of New Zealand's west coast keeps the falls flowing heavily all year long. Come the wettest months of the winter, however, and the falls swell to a juggernaut so powerful that the mist kicked off the falls can temporarily reduce the visibility at the nearby airstrip.

WHY IT'S DESERVING

Height, power, a rather unique shape and jaw dropping scenery - this one has it all. While not the best in New Zealand, Bowen Falls is certainly among the contenders for the country's Top 5.

Unique Places Around The World

Pamukkale (Turkey)

Pamukkale means cotton castle, and has also been called the white castle because of the vast whiteness caused by the high concentration of calcite in the water. Travertine sedimentary deposits have created the white terraces, petrified waterfalls and mineral forests that make up the landscape. The 17 hot springs are heated by an underground volcano. The beautiful area of Pamukkale, Turkey, has been used as a healing spa for thousands of years. The healing properties of the area drew people from all over, and the Romans built the ancient city of Hieropolis there. To help preserve the area, hotels and access roads were taken down and man-made pools were created to help in keeping the natural beauty of Pamukkale. 

Nine Hells Of Beppu (Japan)

Beppu is home to over 2,800 hot springs and is found on the island of Kyushu. The Nine hells of Beppu are some of the more unique springs in the area. Hell 1 is Umi Jigoku meaning “sea hell”. The pool is a turquoise blue and is hot enough to boil eggs. Hell 2 is Oniishibou, meaning “shaven head hell” and gets its name from the boiling gray mud. The mud bubbles to the surface and resembles the shaved head of Buddhist monks. Hell 3 is Shiraike Jigoku meaning “white pond hell” and is filled with boiling white water caused by the high calcium concentrations. Hell 4 is Yama Jigoku meaning “mountain hell. Yama Jigoku was made by a mud volcano that spewed so much that it created a small mountain surrounded by small pools. Hell 5 is Kamada Jigoku “cooking pot hell”. This is a collection of boiling hot springs that are flanked by a red devil statue featured as the cook. Hell 6 is Oniyama Jigoku, meaning “devil’s mountain hell”. Oniyama is a very strong stream that can pull 1 ½ train cars, and is also home to about 100 hellish crocodiles. Hell 7 is Kinryu Jigoku “golden dragon hell”. This spring is featured with a steaming dragon. The steam is supplied by the steam of the spring and is directed out of the dragon’s nostrils. The dragon gives the illusion of flying when water spouts out at sunrise. Hell 8 is Chinoike Jigoku, meaning “blood pond hell”. Chinoike gets its name from the bright reddish colored water caused by ferrous (containing iron) minerals in the pond. Hell 9 is Tatsumaki Jigoku, meaning “spout hell”. Tatsumaki is a geyser that spouts every 30 minutes and has a temperature of about 105 degrees Celsius.

Great Blue Hole Of Belize (Bahamas)

In the oceans of Bahamas and the national waters of Belize,there are some strange and wonderful deep circular cavities commonly known as Blue Holes.These holes are suggested to be the entrances to the cave networks.Some of them are reported to be around 14 km in length.According to the divers,deep inside of these cavities,there is a great variety of sea life and many of them are still new to science.Moreover the chambers there are filled with stalactites and stalagmites which are found in dry caves only.

Sanqingshan (China)

Sanqingshan has been considered a sacred place. Used by Taoists for meditation, and believed to lead to immortality it’s easy to see why. Sanqingshan is shrouded in mists for 200 days of the year. The mist gives an otherworldly quality to the mountain, along with thousands of streams that pour into pools, granite formations that resemble silhouettes of humans and animals, and strangely shaped pine trees. The pools and vegetation create unique environments that lure many exotic and rare birds and animals to make their home there. Sanqingshan is home to about 2,500 plant species. This is one of the only places to find the plants that are used in making traditional Chinese medicines. 

Spotted Lake of Osoyoos (Canada)

Spotted Lake of Osoyoos was sacred to the First Nations of Okanagan Valley Indians. Osoyoos means narrowing waters in the Okanagan language, and is used to describe what happens to the lake. The lake is a saline endorheic lake, which means it is a closed body of water with no outflow or inflow from other bodies of water. The lake has high concentrates of many different minerals, and contains some of the highest quantities of magnesium sulfate, calcium and sodium sulfates in the world. There are also eight other lesser minerals in the water, including small amounts of silver and titanium. The minerals in the lake are very beneficial, and were mined during WWI to use in the making of ammunition for the war. The minerals are what give the lake its uniqueness. During the summer, as the water evaporates, spots are formed which have different colors depending on which mineral is most present. The spots crystallize and form walkways of different colors. The colors can be white, yellow, blue or green. The lake is on private property and they allow very little public access.

Chamarel Falls and the Colored Earth (Mauritius)

The Republic of Mauritius is an island nation located off the southeast coast of Africa. It is part of an archipelago formed from a now dormant undersea volcano. Mauritius is home to two natural wonders. The first is Chamarel Falls, which are three thin waterfalls that fall about 300 ft. down a plateau. They are the tallest waterfalls in Mauritius. Mauritius was once known only for its waterfalls, then in the 1960s, the colored dunes were discovered. The colored sand was created from clay made of lava cooling off at different times. The effect caused the 7 different colors of sand to form; they include red, brown, violet, green, blue, purple and yellow. The most unique aspect of the sands is the fact that if you take all the colors and mix them together, they will naturally separate and rejoin the correct color grouping that they belong to. How this happens is a mystery to scientists who have tried to solve the strange properties of the sand. Another mystery of the sand is that there is no visible erosion. The area has a heavy rainy season so erosion should be a definite effect of nature. 

Rio Tinto (Spain)

The Rio Tinto runs from the Sierra Moreno Mountains down to the Gulf of Cádiz in Huelva, Spain. Rio Tinto translates into red river and this is exactly how the river appears. High levels of iron in the water cause the red coloring of the river. The river has been mined for copper, gold and silver from ancient times, and continues as of today. The Rio Tinto has the oldest mines in the world, which are believed to be the fabled King Solomon’s mines. Due to all the mining, the river has a high acidic content and is home to organisms that survive in extreme conditions. This has led to scientific study of the river, used in the study of the underground lakes of Mars and Jupiter. The link to outer space seems appropriate, as the Rio Tinto area has an alien lunar like landscape. The mining has created walls of terraced rock that has formed a natural amphitheater. 

Strange Islands

GUNKANJIMA (Japan): the Ghost (and forbidden) Island

Gunkanjima is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. The island was populated from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility. The island's most notable features are the abandoned concrete buildings and the sea wall surrounding it. It is known for its coal mines and their operation during the industrialization of Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 and began the project, the aim of which was retrieving coal from the bottom of the sea. They built Japan's first large concrete building, a block of apartments in 1916 to accommodate their burgeoning ranks of workers, and to protect against typhoon destruction. 

In 1959, its population density was 835 people per hectare for the whole island, or 1,391 per hectare for the residential district, one of the highest population density ever recorded worldwide. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima's mines were no exception. Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine in 1974, and today it is empty and bare, which is why it's called the Ghost Island. Travel to Hashima is currently prohibited. 

SURTSEY (Iceland): The emerging island

Off the coast of Iceland on the morning of 14 November 1963, the crew of a lone fishing trawler spotted an alarming sight. Off to the southwest of the Ísleifur II, a column of dark smoke was rising from the water. Concerned that it could be another boat on fire, the captain directed his vessel towards the scene. Once there, however, they found not a boat but a series of violent explosions producing ash. This was an unmistakable indication of a volcanic eruption taking place underwater, close to the surface. Very aware of the potential danger but eager to watch, the crew kept their boat nearby. It was indeed a remarkable event that they would witness a small part of over the course of that morning: the formation of a brand-new island. 

Although now quite visible, the eruption lasted for much, much longer than the Ísleifur II would have been able to watch. After several days, the volcano had broken the water's surface, forming an island over 500 meters long and 45 meters tall. Even though the rough tides of the North Atlantic might have soon eroded the new island away, it was named Surtsey, meaning 'Surtur's island' - Surtur (or Surtr) being a fire giant of Norse mythology. The island proved to be tenacious, however. The eruption was ongoing and Surtsey increased in size more quickly than the ocean could wear it down. In the meantime two other nearby volcanic eruptions produced the beginnings of islands, but neither lasted very long. By April 1964, though, the most violent parts of the eruption were over and Surtsey remained. 

It was fairly clear that it was going to be a permanent island - or at least as permanent as anything can be in geology. The explosions returned in August 1966, and only stopped when the entire eruption finally came to an end in June 1967. Since then, the volcano has lain dormant. The island was left 174 meters tall and about 2.8 square kilometers in size. At 33 kilometers south of the mainland, it also marked the new southernmost point of Iceland.

PALM ISLANDS (Dubai): the palm-shaped man-made island

The Palm Islands in Dubai are the three largest artificial islands in the world. They are being constructed by Nakheel Properties, a property developer in the United Arab Emirates, who hired the Dutch dredging and marine contractor Van Oord, one of the world's specialists in land reclamation. The islands are The Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Jebel Ali and The Palm Deira. The Islands are located off the coast of The United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf and will add 520 km of beaches to the city of Dubai. 

The first two islands will comprise approximately 100 million cubic meters of rock and sand. Palm Deira will be composed of approximately 1 billion cubic meters of rock and sand. All materials will be quarried in the UAE. Between the three islands there will be over 100 luxury hotels, exclusive residential beach side villas and apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities and health spas. The creation of The Palm Jumeirah began in June 2001. Shortly after, The Palm Jebel Ali was announced and reclamation work began. In 2004, The Palm Deira, which will be almost as large in size as Paris, was announced. Palm Jumeirah is currently open for development. Construction will be completed over the next 10-15 years.

SEALAND (Principality): World's smallest island

The Principality of Sealand is an island and a micronation located on HM Fort Roughs, a former Maunsell Sea Fort located in the North Sea 10 km (six miles) off the coast of Suffolk, England, in what is claimed as territorial waters using a twelve-nautical-mile radius. 

Since 1967, the installation has been occupied by associates and family of Paddy Roy Bates, a former radio broadcaster and former British Army Major, who claims that it is a sovereign and independent state. Critics, as well as court rulings in the United States and in Germany, have claimed that Roughs Tower has always remained the property of the United Kingdom, a view that is disputed by the Bates family. The population of the facility rarely exceeds ten, and its habitable area is 550 m2 (5920 sq ft). 

Sealand's claims to sovereignty and legitimacy are not recognised by any country, yet it is sometimes cited in debates as an interesting case study of how various principles of international law can be applied to a territorial dispute. 

THE WORLD ISLANDS (Dubai): man-made islands in the form of a world map

Ever wish the world was smaller? The World is a man-made archipelago of 300 islands in the shape of a world map. The World is being built primarily using sand dredged from the sea. Each island ranges from 23,000 m2 to 84,000 m2 (250,000–900,000 square feet or 5.7–21 acres) in size, with 50–100 m of water between each island. The development will cover an area of 9 km in length and 6 km in width, surrounded by an oval breakwater. The only means of transport between the islands will be by boat and helicopter. Prices for the islands will range from $15-45 million (USD). The average price for an island will be around $25 million (USD). Dredging started in 2004 and as of March of 2007 The World is around 90% complete. According to the National Geographic Channel (The Best of Megastructures) the overall price for the World is $14 Billion US Dollars. 

ALCATRAZ ISLAND (USA): home to the first lighthouse on the Pacific Coast

Alcatraz Island (sometimes informally referred to as simply Alcatraz or by its pop-culture name, The Rock) is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States. It served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963, when it became a national recreation area. The first European to discover the island was Juan de Ayala in 1775, who charted the San Francisco Bay and named the island "La Isla de los Alcatraces", which means "Island of the Pelicans". 

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 brought thousands of ships to San Francisco Bay, creating an urgent need for a navigational lighthouse. In response, Alcatraz lighthouse #1 was erected and lit in the summer of 1853. Because of its natural isolation in the middle of a bay, surrounded by cold water and strong sea currents, Alcatraz was soon considered by the U.S. Army as an ideal location for holding captives. Alcatraz was the Army's first long-term prison, and it was already beginning to build its reputation as a tough detention facility by exposing inmates to harsh conditions and iron fisted discipline. Due to rising operational costs because of its location, the Military Department decided to close this famous prison in 1934, and it was subsequently taken over by the Department of Justice and later became the famous federal prision and finally a recreation area.

Tallest Islands

Tallest Islands of the World

Island and location Height from sea level to highest point Tallest mountain feet meters 1. New Guinea 16,024 4,884 Mt. Carstensz (Jaya) 2. Hawaii 13,796 4,205 Mauna Kea 3. Borneo 13,431 4,094 Mt. Kinabalu 4. Taiwan 13,113 3,997 Yu Shan 5. Sumatra, Indonesia 12,467 3,800 Kerinci 6. Ross Island, Antarctica 12,447 3,794 Mount Erebus 7. Honshu, Japan 12,388 3,776 Fuji-san 8. South Island, New Zealand 12,316 3,754 Mt. Cook 9. Lombok, Indonesia 12,224 3,726 Rinjani 10. Tenerife, Canary Islands 12,198 3,718 Pico de Teide 11. Greenland 12,139 3,700 Gunnbjorn 12. Java, Indonesia 12,060 3,676 Semeru 13. Celebes, Indonesia 11,335 3,455 Rantekombola 14. Sicily 10,902 3,323 Mt. Etna 15. Hispaniola, Caribbean 10,417 3,175 Pico Duarte 16. Bali, Indonesia 10,308 3,142 Agung 17. Siple Island, Antarctica 10,170 3,100 Mt. Siple 18. Reunion, Indian Ocean 10,069 3,069 Piton des Neiges 19. Maui, Hawaii 10,023 3,055 Puu Ulaula, Haleakala 20. Ceram, Indonesia 10,023 3,055 Gunung Kobipato 21. Bioko, Equatorial Guinea 9,869 3,008 Pico de Santa Isabel

Island Superlatives

                                Island Superlatives

SIZE

Largest island

The world's largest island is Greenland, with an area of about 822,700 sq mi / 2,130,800 sq km. Largely covered by an ice-cap several thousand feet / meters thick, Greenland has a population of only about 40,000, about 1/40th of Manhattan's, though Manhattan is 37,000 times smaller.

Australia is usually considered to be a continent. 

Lake island

The largest lake island is Manitoulin Island, in Lake Huron, Ontario, at 1,068 sq mi / 2,766 sq km.

Volcanic island

The largest volcanic island is Iceland, at 39,702 sq mi / 102,828 sq km. It was formed by volcanic activity along the mid-Atlantic ridge, and is essentially exposed ocean floor.

Other larger islands, such as Sumatra and Honshu, have complex geologic origins, though they include some volcanic terrain.

River island

The world's largest river island is Ilha do Bananal, a 7,720 sq mi / 20,000 sq km island formed by two channels of the Araguaia River in Tocantins State, Brazil.

Ilha de Marajo, a 15,500 sq mi / 40,100 sq km island in Para, Brazil, is mostly surrounded by channels of the Amazon and Para rivers, but also extends into the Atlantic. It is the world's largest island formed by fluvial processes.

Sand island

The world's largest sand island is Fraser Island, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, at 642 sq mi / 1,662 sq km.

Most large islands

The country with the greatest number of large islands is Canada.

Smallest island

Bishop Rock, in the Isles of Scilly off southwest England, is sometimes called the world's smallest island, but this is an unwarranted claim based on an arbitrary 19th century bureaucratic classification scheme. It is impossible to determine an actual world's smallest island.

Under certain conditions, the criteria for an island—a fairly permanent piece of land surrounded by water and possessing substantial vegetation—can be met by an islet of less than 100 square feet.

Smallest island country

The smallest independent island country is the Pacific island of Nauru, which is 8.2 sq mi / 21.3 sq km.

Island on an island

The largest island on another island is Pulau Samosir, in Lake Toba on Sumatra, Indonesia. Samosir is 245 sq mi / 630 sq km, and is inhabited.

Island on an island on an island

There are several places where islands on islands in turn have lakes with islands – triple islands.  The largest island on an island on an island is a 4 acre / 1.6 ha island in a lake on an island in a lake in south-central Victoria Island, Nunavut, Canada, at 69.7928° north, 108.2411° west.

An island in a crater lake on Volcano Island, Lake Taal, Luzon, in the Philippines, is often said to be the largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island, but the one in Newfoundland is about twice as large.

Artificial island

The largest island created by human action is the Île René-Levasseur, a 780 sq mi / 2,020 sq km island in Manicouagan Reservoir, Quebec. The reservoir was formed by the damming of a river to flood a 210 million-year-old meteor crater, whose central uplift became the island.

Atoll

The atoll with the largest land area is Kiritimati (formerly Christmas Island), in eastern Kiribati, with some 150 square miles / 388 sq km of land.

The largest atoll in total enclosed sea area is Kwajalein, in the Marshall Islands, encircling a lagoon of 1,100 sq miles / 2,850 sq km.

Raised coral atoll

The largest raised coral atoll is Lifou (Lifu) in the Loyalty (Loyauté) Islands of New Caledonia. With an area of 443 sq miles / 1,146 sq km, it is larger than Rennell Island (255 / 660) in the Solomons, as well as smaller islands such as Aldabra.

LOCATION

Remotest inhabited island

Tristan da Cunha, a 38 sq mi / 98 sq km volcanic island in the South Atlantic with a population of 300, is 1,320 miles / 2,120 km from the island of St. Helena, the nearest inhabited land, and 1,700 miles / 2,740 km from the nearest continent, Africa.

Easter Island (Rapa Nui / Isla de Pascua) is sometimes described as the most isolated inhabited island on Earth, but is closer to inhabited land (Pitcairn I.) than Tristan da Cunha, and closer to a continent than many islands of the central Pacific.

Highest islands

Orba Co, a lake in Tibet, stands at 17,090 feet / 5,209 meters above sea level, and contains several islands.

Lowest island

There is an island in Afrera Ye'ch'ew Hayk, a lake in northern Ethiopia that lies at 337 ft / 103 m below sea level.

Northernmost and southernmost islands

The most northerly island, and the northernmost point of land in the world, is a tiny unnamed island at 83^o 40' 34.8"N, off the north coast of Greenland. It was not discovered until 1996, and is north of Oodaaq Island, the previous holder of the record.

The southernmost named island is Deverall Island, a small ice-covered island in the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, at 81^o 28' S, 161^o 54' E.

AGE

Oldest island

The first islands appeared on Earth about 4.4 billion years ago, when the oceans formed. However, most islands now in existence are extremely young, the result of sea level changes and glacial retreat over the last 12,000 years or so.

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.

Youngest volcanic island

A volcanic island erupted from the sea on June 6, 1995, at Metis Shoal near Tonga's Vava'u Group. By the following month, it was estimated to be 21 ac / 8.4 ha in area, and 178 feet / 54 meters high. Some proposed naming it Lomu Island, after a rugby player of Tongan ancestry.

However, it was thought that the island may be merely the latest incarnation of an island which has appeared near that site several times before, most recently as Lateiki Island, which existed from 1976 to 1978. The new island might survive for only a few years before eroding or subsiding beneath the waves.

Fukoto Kuokanaba, a volcanic islet in the Pacific near the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, was first reported in January, 1986, and is about 50 acres / 20 hectares in area.

Kavachi, an undersea volcano in the Solomon Islands, erupted in spring 2000, but is not known to have formed an island.

COUNTING

Islands in a country

Though Finland claims to have more islands than any other country, with a stated total of 179,584, Sweden has counted 221,800.

While these counts may essentially be accurate, Canada probably has far more islands than either country, as it has immense areas of island-strewn lakes and thousands of miles of rocky coastline.

Several small countries have no islands at all.

Extravagantly named groups

The most extravagantly named group is the Lakshadweep islands off southwestern India, whose name translates "One Hundred Thousand Islands." In fact, there are 27.

The Thirty Thousand Islands of Georgian Bay, Ontario, probably do include several thousand islands.

The Thousand Islands of New York and Ontario number about 1,500.

Islands in a lake

Lake of the Woods, shared by Ontario, Minnesota, and Manitoba, is said to contain 14,000 islands.

POPULATION

One of every nine people is an islander: 700 million people live on about 9,000 inhabited islands.

Most populous island country

The most populous island country is Indonesia, which has 235 million inhabitants scattered over a thousand or more inhabited islands.

Most populous island

The most populous island is Java, in Indonesia, which has about 120 million inhabitants living in 48,900 sq mi / 126,700 sq km (a density of 2,250 people per sq mi / 950 per sq km).

Most populous lake island

The world's most populous lake island is Ukerewe, in southeastern Lake Victoria, Tanzania. It is home to around 150,000 people.

Largest uninhabited island

The largest uninhabited island is Devon Island, in the Canadian Arctic, at 21,331 square miles 55,247 square kilometers.

Cocos Island off Costa Rica is often said to be the world's largest uninhabited island, but in fact there are several hundred larger islands without people.

Population density

Most densely populated island

Ap Lei Chau, off the southwest side of Hong Kong Island, is the world's most densely populated island, with 80,000 people living in 0.5 sq mi / 1.3 sq km, for a density of 160,000 per sq mi / 60,000 per sq km.

Most densely populated unbridged island

Male, in the Maldives, is the world's most densely populated unbridged island, with about 70,000 people living in 0.68 sq mi / 1.77 sq km, for a density of 103,000 per sq mi / 40,000 per sq km. With an additional 20-30,000 visitors at any one time, Male achieves densities of 130-160,000 per square mile / 50-55,000 per sq km.

Most densely populated island country

Singapore is the most densely populated all-island country. With 4.0 million people (as of 1999) living in 247.6 sq mi / 641.4 sq km, it achieves densities of 16,160 per sq mi / 6,240 per sq km. However, most Singaporeans live on the main island of Singapore, which is connected to the mainland by a solid causeway, and is thus not strictly speaking an island at all.

Before it reverted to China in 1999, Macao held the density record. Occupying the tip of the island of Zhongchan Dao and two small islands, Macao's 502,000 inhabitants live in 6 sq mi / 16 sq km, for a density of 84,700 per sq mi / 31,400 per sq km. All Macao's islands are connected by bridges to the mainland.

Most densely populated non-coastal island country

The non-coastal island country with the highest population density is Malta, with 377,000 people living on islands with a total area of 124 sq mi / 320 sq km. This translates to a density of 3,050 per sq mi / 1,180 per sq km.

A close second is Bermuda, a British colony in the Atlantic east of the United States. With about 62,500 inhabitants in 20.6 sq mi / 53.3 sq km, the island group has a density of 3,040 per sq mi / 1,170 per sq km.

Least densely populated

The least densely populated inhabited island is Ellesmere, in Nunavut, Canada, with 153 people on an island of 75,767 sq miles / 196,236 sq km. Each inhabitant thus has 495 sq miles / 1,283 sq km apiece.

This is 51 million times less than the density of Male, in the Maldives.

One million inhabitants

The smallest island on which one million or more people live is Manhattan, in New York City, with 1.48 million inhabitants living in 22 sq mi / 57 sq km (67,000 per sq mi / 26,000 per sq km).

Highest inhabited islands

There are several inhabited islands at 12,506 feet / 3,812 meters above sea level, in Lake Titicaca, Peru and Bolivia.

Lowest inhabited islands

There are inhabited islands off the coast of Azerbaijan at 92 feet / 28 meters below sea level, in the Caspian Sea.

MISCELLANEOUS

Island visiting

Philip Conkling has apparently visited more islands than anyone else. The director of Maine's Island Institute, he has been to about 1,000 islands in that state.

Some people in the Travelers' Century Club, whose members attempt to visit as many countries as possible, have been to islands in over 100 countries.

Island living

Lawrence Durrell notes that a man named Kimon Friar claims to have lived on 46 different islands.

Tallest island

The world's tallest island is New Guinea, in the western Pacific, which rises 16,024 feet / 4,884 meters from sea level to the top of Puncak Jaya (Mount Djaja).

Tallest lake island

Isla Ometepe, in Lake Nicaragua, is the world's tallest lake island: Concepcion Volcano rises 5,183 feet / 1,580 meters above lake level.

Lowest island nation

The Maldives is the lowest island country. Its tallest island, Wilingili, rises only 8 feet / 2.4m above sea level. The Maldives is among the nations most concerned about potential sea level rise brought on by global climate change.

Fixed links

The largest island ever joined to a continent by a fixed link is Great Britain, which is now tied to Europe by the Channel Tunnel.

The largest island connected to the mainland by a bridge or causeway is Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, at 3,981 sq mi / 10,311 sq km.

The idea of building a bridge to Sumatra, the world's sixth largest island, has been broached.

Lowest point

The lowest point on a sea-level island is Lago Enriquillo, on Hispaniola, at some 130 feet (40 meters) below sea level.

Most common name

The most common name for islands is "big island" and equivalent terms in various languages.

Divided by borders

Smallest

The smallest island shared by two countries is not Saint Martin / Sint Maarten, as commonly asserted, but instead the middle island in Södra Boksjön, a lake on the Norwegian-Swedish border. It is about 0.2 acres / 0.1 hectares. St. Martin is 34 sq miles / 88 sq km.

The smallest sea island shared by two countries is Märket / Märketin, a rock islet divided between Sweden and Finland in the Baltic. It is 8 acres / 3.3 ha, and features a lighthouse.

Three countries

The only island shared by three countries is Borneo, in Southeast Asia, which is split between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Cyprus is divided into Cyprus, Northern Cyprus, and two U.K. Sovereign Base Areas, but Northern Cyprus is a Turkish-supported de facto state in the north part of the island, unrecognized by the international community. The British bases are military outposts.