Island


What is an island?

 

A land mass, smaller than a continent, that is completely surrounded by water. 

An island has 2 main characteristics

1. Area of land

2. Surrounded by water

 

   There are two main types of islands: continental islands and oceanic islands. Continental islands are bodies of land that lie on the continental shelf of a continent. Examples include Greenland and Long Island. Oceanic islands are ones that do not sit on continental shelves. The vast majority are volcanoes. The Hawaiian islands are examples of oceanic island.

 Greenland is an icy and desolate place. 84 percent of the island is covered by ice, though many scientists believe the percentage to be declining because of global warming. Greenland is the world's largest island.

  Greenland is actually a colony of Denmark. It is now called Kalaallit Nunaat.

 

An island landform is land that is completely surrounded by water. It can be any type of land. The island can also be surrounded different types of water such as a sea, ocean, river and lake.
There are a lot of famous islands in the world. One of the most famous island landforms are the Hawaii islands. There are 100’s of islands in the State of Hawaii. They are all mostly gorgeous and tropical. Another famous island is the Galapagos Islands. It has many different types of species. It was made famous by the famous scientist and explorer Charles Darwin.

 

How are Islands Formed?

Islands are formed in a variety of ways. We will discuss three ways islands are formed. When you take a look at the islands of Hawaii, they were formed by volcanoes. Volcanoes would keep erupting causing land to start to form under water. This land would keep on rising up as the volcano erupted. Over thousands of years, the land would go above the water, thus creating land that is surrounded by water or another word, an island.

Islands can also be formed when continental plates collide. When they collide they push land up creating an underwater mountain that goes above land. This land, when surrounded by water, is called an island.

Another way an island landform can be made is through deposits of sand that came from erosion. When sand and other debris are picked up from a water current through erosion, it can be deposited in certain areas. Over time this land creates an island.

Did you know that islands can also be man made? The country of Qatar (which is an island itself) has made islands in many shapes to build communities on.

  

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