Tiny peninsula. The smallest inhabited islands. Islands for sale
A large number of tiny continents constantly appear in the ocean, but not all of them remain “afloat”; they simply sink back into the abyss of the water. But there are also those that become inhabited, that is, populated by people. Surely many people don’t know what the smallest island in the world is and where it is located. This will be discussed in this article.
Bishop Rock
This piece of land rightfully received the title of the tiniest island. The rock is even listed in the Guinness Book. It is located in the south of Great Britain and is a protective barrier between England and is so small that only a lighthouse stands on it - nothing else fits on the rock, it is not intended for habitation. The height (including the structure) reaches 52 meters. The main task of a lighthouse is to signal nearby sailing ships about the location of a tiny piece of land and not allow them to run aground.
Bishop Rock is the smallest of the Thousand Islands. Famous rich history. There were many shipwrecks near its shores. However, throughout the history of its existence, the lighthouse has repeatedly saved ships from destruction. The building was founded in the 19th century (1847). The builders had difficulty installing the lighthouse; this was hampered by powerful waves and strong winds, which simply demolished the structure. As a result, the lighthouse was built from durable stone, iron beams and granite blocks. Already in 1858 the structure illuminated
Tiny inhabited island of Dunbar Rock
Another one of the world's tiny sites. The smallest island, Dunbar, is located in the bay of the Guanaia Peninsula, 70 km from the coast. According to official data, its area does not exceed half a hectare, and the rock itself is more like a beautiful one. Many times this piece of land has been resold; today a white three-story hotel has been built on the mysterious land, which is surrounded by an oak forest. It turned out to be a truly heavenly place in the middle of a bottomless ocean. Frequent clients of this villa are fans
Nomadic Continent Sable
What is the smallest island on earth? This is a small sandy piece of land off the coast of Nova Scotia - Sable. It constantly wanders along the surface of the water, this happens due to the countercurrent of the cold and warm seas. Sailors called it the island of death, because during a strong storm, 15-meter waves completely absorbed the earth, and ships crashed on it.
This is a real cemetery in the middle. Only about five hundred disasters have been documented. After the installation of service beacons, the tragedies stopped. Today, this “ship devourer” is home to a small group of people who protect the local flora from destruction. However, the island does not shine with rich vegetation; trees have difficulty taking root on it.
Residential island Caye Caulker
There are the most beautiful corners on our planet where you feel like a real Robinson. Tourists consider Cay Caulker one of the best places in the world. The smallest island is, of course, Bishop Rock, but this piece of land is also not very large. Its area is about 7 square meters. m. This is a real exotic for tourists from big cities. The abundance of unusual vegetation combined with the blue sea makes this place truly fabulous.
St. Simons Island
Located in the Atlantic. Lively small resort village in the middle of the deep ocean. Size land plot- a little more than 10 sq. m. About 30 people permanently live and work here, the rest come to relax, enjoy the magnificent landscape and privacy.
Natural heritage of Croatia - the small island of Visovac
An ancient piece of land, on which the temples of Our Lady of Visovac and Mother of Mercy were built, is located in the middle of the picturesque Krka River. Of course, this is not the smallest island on earth, but definitely the most beautiful and religious. Outside the natural heritage of the republic there is a lake teeming with trout. Tall cypress trees grow along the entire perimeter of the site, protecting the island from scorching rays and winds. An atmosphere of peace is in the air. You can only get here by boat from the village of Bristane.
There are many fabulous and mysterious mini-continents in the world. It is unlikely that anyone will be able to see the smallest island in the bottomless ocean; it is simply impossible to get to it. But there are also those that, thanks to man, have become real public property and small resorts that bring in enormous profits. Moreover, the names of some of them are associated with ancient legends and tales.
Each island lives an original life, characterized by a special flavor, its own concepts of culture and civilization. Exotic small corners in the middle of the water surface attract with their pristine beauty, extraordinary landscape created by nature itself, and pristine beaches. Surely none of us would refuse to visit this amazing place, feel the pristine flavor and plunge into a sea of pleasure.
The number and total area of the territory of the Russian peninsulas is much less than. The following peninsulas adjoin the territory of the country: Gydansky, Kamchatka, Kanin, Kolsky, Taimyr, Tamansky, Chukotka and Yamal. They are mainly located in the Asian part and have a harsh climate. Below is a list, maps and short description the six largest peninsulas of Russia in order of increasing area.
Chukotka Peninsula
Chukotka Peninsula on the map/Wikipedia
The area of the peninsula is 49 thousand km². It is located between the Bering and Chukchi Seas. The capital is the city of Anadyr. At the heart of the peninsula lies Mountain landscape. Some mountain ranges exceed 1 km in height. Closer to the sea bays of the Chukotka Peninsula there are lowlands. Due to its location in the Far North of Russia, the climate is very harsh. January temperatures average -40º C. In summer the thermometer rises to +10º C.
The territory is also forest-tundra. Trees include alder, poplar and larch. The wooded area is home to a few species: wolverine, polar bear and a wolf. There are several hundred species of birds, and walruses are also found on the shores of the peninsula.
Kola Peninsula
Kola Peninsula on the map/Wikipedia
The area of the Kola Peninsula is approximately 100 thousand km². The lands are located at the junction of Bely and Barents. The largest cities are Murmansk, Kirovsk, Apatity, Severomorsk.
Thanks to the collision of tectonic plates, the peninsula was formed unique landscape: mountains, forests covered with conifers, and plateaus. The Arctic climate contributed to the formation of numerous lakes, swamps, lowlands and depressions. The main attraction of the peninsula is considered to be the Khibiny Mountains. Their highest point is 1200 m. Skiing is possible most of the year: snow covers the slopes from November to June. There are unique ones in the region. One of them is a small desert. The second is the coast White Sea, which is strewn with fragments of minerals.
On Kola Peninsula There are three nature reserves. The area is famous for eider nesting sites. occupies 20% of land Murmansk region. In the forests of the peninsula you can see spruce, birch and larch. There are many berry bushes, edible mushrooms, and rare medicinal plants. Animal world It is customary to divide into and forests. More than sixty species of mammals are found on the Kola Peninsula. In addition to them, there are many, and. The forests are inhabited by bears, arctic foxes, and foxes. Reindeer, lemmings, and voles live on the tundra.
Char, salmon and brown trout spawn in the waters of the adjacent seas. Navaga, cod, herring and haddock are commercial fish species. Pinnipeds include the spotted seal, bearded seal, and ringed seal. Whaling has led to the fact that there are fewer than ten species of whales on the Murmansk coast.
Yamal
Yamal Peninsula on the map/Wikipedia
The area of the peninsula is about 122 thousand km², the length of the peninsula is 700 km, the width is up to 240 km. It lies in the northern part Western Siberia and is washed by the Kara Sea. Large settlements Panaevsk, Cape Kamenny, Salemal are considered. Gas and oil deposits have been discovered in Yamal, so the infrastructure of the peninsula is constantly developing.
Due to its location in northern Russia, the peninsula has an arctic climate. Winters with winds and snowstorms continue most of the year. Summer temperatures on average rise to +6º C. At the border with the continent, the tundra turns into forest-tundra. The mossy ground is gradually covered with bushes. There are no heights on the peninsula; the landscape is dominated by flat land. The rivers flow into the Kara Sea.
The vegetation is represented by conifers and deciduous trees. Heather and wild rosemary can be found. The fauna is also diverse. The most common mammals are wolves, arctic foxes and reindeer. There are a lot of birds, especially representatives of the Red Book. The rivers are rich in commercial fish. The local population catches whitefish, lenok, char, muksun and Siberian perch.
Gydan Peninsula
Gydan Peninsula on the map/dic.academic.ru
The area of the peninsula is approximately 160 thousand km², length is about 400 km, width is up to 400 km. The Gydan Peninsula is located in the West Siberian Lowland, abutting the Kara Sea. The peninsula has an arctic climate, and winter lasts more than six months. Summer is short and cold, there is a polar night and a polar day. There are many rivers and lakes on the peninsula. Often the surface is lowlands and swamps.
Animal and vegetable world adapted to extreme living conditions. The flora is sparse due to cold winds. The most common species are lichens, mosses, dwarf trees and creeping shrubs. Forest-tundra vegetation appears near the southern border: saxifrage, polar poppy.
The species composition of animals is determined low temperatures. Reindeer, arctic fox and fox feel good on the Gydan Peninsula. In summer, a variety of birds fly to the nesting grounds: geese, plovers, and white-fronted geese. Some of them are included in the Red Book. Walruses, fin whales and polar bears are considered rare visitors. A huge number of species of freshwater fish live in reservoirs.
Kamchatka
Kamchatka Peninsula on the map/Wikipedia
The area of the territory is 270 thousand km², length 1200 km, width up to 440 km. Kamchatka is washed by waters Sea of Okhotsk in the west, as well as by waters Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean in the east. Kamchatka Krai occupies the lands of the peninsula, Karaginsky Island and the Commander Islands. Major cities are Vilyuchinsk, Elizovo, and regional center- Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The peninsula is famous active volcanoes and sources mineral waters. Mountain ranges occupy two thirds of the territory. In the center is Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the most powerful volcano in the country. There are several ski resorts in the vicinity of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The diverse flora is due to a combination of volcanic activity, the presence mountain ranges and precipitation. More than two hundred Red Book plants are found in Kamchatka. The peninsula is home to the Kamchatka brown bear, ermine, bighorn sheep and polar wolf. In the last century, a squirrel came to these lands. In the forests there are rodents such as muskrats and. Sometimes, from the tundra side, a polar bear visits the peninsula.
Taimyr
Taimyr Peninsula on the map/Wikipedia
Area 400 thousand km². The peninsula is the largest in the country and the tenth largest in the world. It is located in the central part of Siberia, between the mouths of the Yenisei and Khatanga. Located in the Far North of Russia, Taimyr is characterized by a harsh climate. Winter lasts 8 months. The landscape is represented by tundra and arctic deserts. Rocky lands with lichens and bushes give way to cedar forests. Taimyr is home to reindeer, musk ox, arctic fox, and sable. Walruses set up rookeries on the coasts. Internal and external reservoirs are rich in fish.
By definition, an island is a piece of land surrounded on all sides by water. A British law of 1861 amends this definition: only that piece of land surrounded by water on which there is room for at least one pasture where at least one sheep can graze can be considered an island.
Bishop Rock
One of the islands of the Scilly Archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean falls under this definition. It's called Bishop Rock. Its dimensions are uniquely small - only 730 square meters! It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as “the smallest island on Earth.”
Belongs to Bishop Rock UK. Its entire area is occupied by a 45-meter-high lighthouse, which illuminates the sea within a radius of 20 miles. Nothing else can fit on such a limited plot of land.
The history of the lighthouse itself is very interesting. The seas around the Isles of Scilly have always been some of the most dangerous in the world. There is a busy shipping route in these places Northern Europe, fixed incredible amount shipwrecks The reasons lie in the rocks scattered around the perimeter, in the shallows and huge waves, which, accelerating in the vastness of the Atlantic, rise to a height of 35 meters! The biggest tragedy was the death in 1707 of an entire squadron of ships under the control of Admiral Cloudesley. The depths of the sea took the lives of more than 2 thousand sailors.
The question of building a lighthouse near the archipelago was first raised by the British Parliament in the mid-19th century. Unanimously, the Lords of the House of Commons decided to erect a lighthouse that could protect the passage of ships. The project was entrusted to the Trinity House pilotage corporation. The place of construction was chosen western part archipelago and Great Britain - the tiny island of Bishop Rock. Work began in 1847 and ended only in 1858. In total, 6 thousand tons of granite slabs were used and over £30 thousand were spent. That's why the world's most expensive lighthouse stands on the world's smallest island.
Lake Urmia is the largest in Iran. It is famous not only for its healing, bitter-salty waters, but also for the beauty of the coast and islands. There are a total of 102 islands scattered in the lake. The smallest one, “Osman’s Fist,” claims second place in the “Smallest Island in the World” category. “Fist” has an amazing shape and rises above the lake to a height of 140 meters. Its base area is less than one square kilometer. The island is uninhabited and has no vegetation. How transhipment point it is used by migratory birds.
The main competitor of “Osman’s Fist” is the island-cliff Baklaniy, located in the Chivyrkuisky Bay of Lake Baikal.
Its area is approximately 0.2 km sq. The northern part of the island consists of rocky massifs cut by grottoes, South part more flat. This favorite place cormorant nesting.
Other small islands
There are a lot of small islands in the world. The central and southern parts of the Pacific Ocean are especially rich in them. For example, in the Tuamotu archipelago in Pacific Ocean– 48 atolls with an area of up to 10 sq. km. The smallest islands of them are Tepoto South (0.6 sq. km), Tekokota (0.9 sq. km), Akiaki (1.3 sq. km), Pinaki (1.3 sq. km), Motutunga (1 ,38 km sq.), Reitoru (1.39 km sq.), Rekareka (1.6 km sq.). All of them are of coral origin, uninhabited, their flora and fauna are typical of a tropical climate.
The Galapagos Islands includes 5 islands with an area of up to 2 square kilometers. And the Marshall Islands have on their list 7 tiny islands with an area of up to 1 square km, and 3 of them are inhabited.
Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon islands and other archipelagos consist of large, small and tiny areas of land, washed on all sides by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Which of them is the smallest is difficult to say even for experienced geographers, especially considering that there are more than 25 thousand islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Near the large island of Sulawesi (Indonesia) lies a group of Togean Islands.
The archipelago consists of 118 land fragments, most of which are no more than a kilometer in diameter! Among them local residents There are 5 “large” islands, the length of which is more than two kilometers. This world, lost far from civilization, paradise for romantics.
There are also small islands in the Atlantic. For example, 32 of the 36 islands in the Virgin archipelago have an average area of only 0.8 square km. Baby Montagna Clara, owned by Canary Islands, has an area of 1.33 sq. km. and is valued at 9 million euros.
In the Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia are Cocos Islands.
The archipelago consists of 27 crumbs, the total area of which is 14.3 sq. km. The largest of them are West Island (6.23 sq km) and South Island (3.63 sq km), and six have an area of less than 0.1 sq km. This is a kind of world ocean record!
Residential tiny islands
What are the most famous tiny islands in the world? There are not so few of them anymore.
70 km from Honduras (Central America) is the island of Dunbar Rock, whose area is no more than 2 hectares. There is a legend that it was here that the pirate Blackbeard hid the looted treasures. Divers have long been searching for gold in sea depths near the island.
Today, on a rocky cliff stands a snow-white three-story mansion surrounded by an oak grove. The building is on the market for $1.7 million. Currently used as a hotel for tourists.
Another amazing piece of land with a diameter of 1.4 km is the island of Bled in the lake of the same name in Slovenia.
A functioning chapel of the Assumption of the Mother of God with a bell of wishes was built on a green island. They say that if you make a wish while the bell is ringing, it will definitely come true soon. The local attraction attracts thousands of travelers every year.
The island of Visovac is another surprisingly tiny but popular piece of land in the middle of the Krka River in Croatia. Its dimensions are 170 by 120 meters, that is, approximately 20 thousand square meters. In the middle of a beautiful garden there are active monastery 16th century and a museum that displays the main treasures of the monastery - a rich collection of paintings, folk costumes and relics, including a rare copy of Aesop's fables, one of only three in the world.
No less interesting is the small island of St. George in the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. The piece of land is really tiny - only 0.0032 sq. km. In the 9th century, a Benedictine abbey was built on it. The monastery is active and closed to tourists. You cannot even land on the island by private boat.
The smallest artificial island on the planet
People, competing with Mother Nature, have learned to create artificial islands. The largest concentration of man-made landmass is in Persian Gulf, off the coast of Dubai in the UAE.
What does this World archipelago resemble? That's right: a map of the Earth. It consists of 300 islands with total area 55 km sq. Nothing connects it to the mainland - no sandbank, no bridges, no underwater tunnels. You can only get here by sea or air. The construction of the archipelago took 10 years, from 2004 to 2014. It was carried out using the most modern Norwegian and Japanese technologies. First of all, safety and environmental issues were taken into account. According to the estimates of the best engineers on the planet, the islands are not threatened by floods, earthquakes, or tsunamis. They should go under water only after 1000 years. The creators of "Mir" took care of the complete preservation of flora and fauna sea waters.
Not everyone will be able to buy an island, the average price of which is $38 million, because the potential buyers were identified by the developer itself. They were sent special invitations. By the end of 2009, almost all of the land had been sold. It is planned to build here the most luxurious mansions on the planet for the elite. It will be possible to enter the islands only after a special check. The size of the elite community should not exceed 200 thousand people, including staff.
Reading time: 4 minutes. Views 7.7k. Published May 9, 2013
1. Arabian Peninsula, 2730 thousand km²
The largest in the world is the Arabian Peninsula, its area reaches almost three million square kilometers. Considerable size, isn't it? This square can accommodate ten Italias. But most of it is Saudi Arabia, there is still room for Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and United United Arab Emirates. Located in southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula is bordered by the Red and Arabian Seas, as well as the Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf and Oman. The sun shines here tirelessly! The peninsula is rich in oil fields and natural gas.
2. West Antarctica, 2690 thousand km²
Unlike hot Arabia, West Antarctica is the coldest of the peninsulas. It is smaller in area than its hot predecessor and is one of two main regions of Antarctica that are separated by the Transarctic Mountains. This peninsula is not just cold, but very cold - most of it is covered with ice. It is interesting that although this name existed for a long time, it was documented during the International Geophysical Year - 1958.
3. Indochina, 2088 thousand km²
Let's return to Asia, to the warm sun - we move east and see the Indochina Peninsula. Its area is a little over two million square kilometers. This peninsula is washed by the Andaman and South China Seas, as well as the Gulf of Thailand, Bengal and Tonkin and the Strait of Malacca. There are many rivers here, the climate is quite humid, so rice is mostly grown here. Local states - Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam.
4. Hindustan, 2000 thousand km²
The area of Hindustan is exactly two million square kilometers and it is again located in Asia. There are only three states here - Bangladesh, Pakistan and, of course, India. Residents of these countries have access to the waters of the Indian Ocean, and the only one is the Bay of Bengal.
5. Labrador, 1600 thousand km²
For now, let's leave Asia and head to the shores North America, or rather to the shores of the Labrador Peninsula. More than one and a half million square kilometers in eastern Canada. Here you have easy access to the waters of the Atlantic, Hudson Bay and Strait, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. There are also many rivers here - Churchill, Arno, Fay, La Grande, Koksoak, Grand Balen, Petite Balen, George, Povungkituk, and many lakes. Interesting vegetation and significant fur resources - lynx, muskrat, fox.
6. Scandinavian Peninsula, 800 thousand km²
All other peninsulas on our list are significantly smaller in area than those in the first part. 800 thousand km² is the area of the Scandinavian Peninsula, which is located in northwestern Europe, where it is the largest. The peninsula contains Norway and Sweden, as well as part of Finland. It is on this peninsula that most interesting rock– The troll tongue we mentioned recently.
7. Somalia, 750 thousand km²
The Somali Peninsula is slightly smaller in size. We return to the scorching sun again - this time to Africa. Somalia is also called the Horn of Africa - it very much resembles it in its shape. Washes this horn Indian Ocean And Gulf of Aden. There are several national parks and reserves of international importance, however, nature still suffers from depletion. Many of the animals here are endangered, and there are more reptiles in Somalia than anywhere else, with 90 of them found exclusively in the Horn of Africa.
8. Iberian Peninsula, 582 thousand km²
The Iberian or Iberian Peninsula is washed by waters Mediterranean Sea, Bay of Biscay and Atlantic Ocean. Most of the peninsula is occupied by Spain, 15% by Portugal and a tiny part belongs to France, Andorra and Great Britain. The second name appeared thanks to the Iberian people who lived in this territory before.
9. Balkan Peninsula 505 thousand km²
We remain in Europe and look at the third largest Balkan Peninsula here. Half a million square kilometers cover Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is such an impressive list. And here are the Balkan Mountains, which is why the peninsula was also named. The First began here World War with the assassination of Prince Franz Ferdinand.
10. Asia Minor and Taimyr, 400 thousand km²
The last place in our top ten is shared by two large peninsulas with a roughly equal area of four hundred thousand km² - Asia Minor and Taimyr. As you may have guessed, we are back in Asia again. This place is also called Anatolia - beautiful, isn’t it? The waters here are Black, Marble, Mediterranean and Aegean seas, as well as the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. The entire territory of the peninsula is occupied by Türkiye.
Taimyr is located in Russia, and here it is washed by the Laptev and Kara Seas. This is the territory Krasnoyarsk Territory, there are several large lakes and rivers on the peninsula. It is quite cool here, summer is short and far from the warmest. Of course, northern animals live here, adapted to such an environment. The peninsula was uninhabited for quite a long time, but later people learned to adapt to the harsh climate.
