Island country
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Countries/territories not shown on the map: Antarctica (aq) (continental disputed territory), Australia (au) (continental country), the Cook Islands (ck) (free association with New Zealand), Greenland (gl) (constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark), Niue (nu) (free association with New Zealand), and Puerto Rico (pr) (unincorporated U.S. territory).
An island country, island state, or island nation is a country whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Approximately 25% of all independent countries are island countries.<ref name="Small is Democratic">Template:Cite book</ref> Island countries are historically more stable<ref name="Small is Democratic"/> than many continental states but are vulnerable to conquest by naval superpowers. Indonesia is the largest and most populated island country in the world (and the fourth most populated country overall).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
There are great variations between island country economies: they may rely mainly on extractive industries, such as mining, fishing and agriculture, and/or on services such as transit hubs, tourism, and financial services. Many islands have low-lying geographies and their economies and population centers develop along coast plains and ports; such states may be vulnerable to the effects of climate change, especially sea level rise.
Remote or significant islands and archipelagos that are not themselves sovereign are often known as dependencies or overseas territories.
History
Prehistory
Early settlements and indigenous populations
Many island countries were first inhabited by indigenous peoples who mastered long-distance ocean navigation and maritime skills. The Polynesians are one of the most notable groups; they used advanced wayfinding techniques to colonize vast areas of the Pacific Ocean, including islands such as Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand, and Hawaii. These migrations occurred over centuries, showcasing remarkable seafaring capabilities in pre-modern times.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Similarly, Madagascar’s population is the result of early maritime migrations from both Southeast Asia and East Africa, resulting in a unique cultural and genetic blend that reflects the island's strategic location in the Indian Ocean trade routes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Modern times
Colonial era and European exploration
The Age of Discovery in the 15th century brought European explorers to many island regions, including the Caribbean, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. European powers, primarily Spain, Portugal, Britain, France, and the Netherlands, established colonies to exploit resources and secure strategic naval positions. Islands in the Caribbean became key centers for sugar plantations, which relied heavily on enslaved labor, significantly altering local demographics and economies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Colonization also introduced new crops, animals, and cultural influences, but frequently led to displacement and decline of indigenous populations.
Independence movements and modern nationhood
In the 20th century, many island territories began asserting their sovereignty amid the global wave of decolonization. Countries such as Jamaica (independence in 1962) and Mauritius (1968) transitioned from colonial rule to independent states. These nations often faced unique challenges due to their geographic isolation, limited landmass, and economies dependent on a narrow range of exports like sugar, tourism, or minerals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Meanwhile, Singapore evolved from a British colonial trading post into a major global financial and technological hub, demonstrating how strategic policy and geographic position can transform an island economy despite scarce natural resources.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
20th century
Geopolitical and environmental challenges
Many island countries, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as the Maldives and Tuvalu, face acute environmental challenges, notably rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and increased frequency of extreme weather events. These factors threaten their very existence, impacting freshwater supplies, infrastructure, and biodiversity.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Consequently, island nations have become vocal advocates for ambitious global climate action, emphasizing the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting climate resilience efforts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In addition to environmental pressures, many island states navigate complex geopolitical dynamics due to their strategic maritime locations. They often maintain critical partnerships with regional powers and international organizations to enhance security, economic development, and disaster preparedness.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Balancing sovereignty and collaboration, these countries work to secure sustainable development pathways while managing vulnerabilities associated with their size and location.
Politics
Historically, island countries have tended to be less prone to political instability than their continental counterparts. The percentage of island countries that are democratic is higher than that of continental countries.<ref name="Small is Democratic" />
Island territories
While island countries by definition are sovereign states, there are also several islands and archipelagos around the world that operate semi-autonomously from their official sovereign states. These are often known as dependencies or overseas territories and can be similar in nature to proper island countries.
War
Island countries have often been the basis of maritime conquest and historical rivalry between other countries.<ref name="The quest for identity">Template:Cite news</ref> Island countries are more susceptible to attack by large, continental countries due to their size and dependence on sea and air lines of communication.<ref name="Measures of Effectiveness">Template:Cite book</ref> Many island countries are also vulnerable to predation by mercenaries and other foreign invaders,<ref name="Mercenary Holding Island Nation">Template:Cite news</ref> although their isolation also makes them a difficult target.
Natural resources
Many developing small island countries rely heavily on fish for their main supply of food.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some are turning to renewable energy—such as wind power, solar power, hydropower, geothermal power, and biomass.<ref name="renewable energy">Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
Some island countries are more affected than other countries by climate change, which produces problems such as reduced land use, water scarcity, and sometimes even resettlement issues. Some low-lying island countries are slowly being submerged by the rising water levels of the Pacific Ocean.<ref name="Leader of disappearing island nation">Template:Cite web</ref> Climate change also impacts island countries by causing natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, hurricanes, flash floods and droughts.<ref name="Climate change threatens food security">Template:Cite web</ref>
Climate change
Economics
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Many island countries rely heavily on imports and are greatly affected by changes in the global economy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Due to the nature of island countries their economies are often characterised by being smaller, relatively isolated from world trade and economy, more vulnerable to shipping costs, and more likely to suffer environmental damage to infrastructure; exceptions include Japan, TaiwanTemplate:Citation needed and the United Kingdom.<ref name="Trade Policy Course">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="NZ calls for global solutions">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="U.N. ambassador gives keynote">Template:Cite web</ref> The dominant industry for many island countries is tourism.<ref name="tourist destinations">Template:Cite news</ref>
Composition
Island countries are typically small with low populations, although some, like Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines are notable exceptions.<ref name="Wen pledges new aid to Pacific countries">Template:Cite web</ref>
Some island countries are centred on one or two major islands, such as Bahrain, Cuba, Iceland, Malta, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom. Others are spread out over hundreds or thousands of smaller islands, such as The Bahamas, Indonesia, Japan, the Maldives, the Philippines, and Seychelles. Some island countries share one or more of their islands with other countries, such as Ireland and the United Kingdom; the Dominican Republic and Haiti; and Indonesia, which shares islands with Brunei, Timor-Leste, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. Bahrain, Singapore, and the United Kingdom have fixed links such as bridges and tunnels to the continental landmass: Bahrain is linked to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway, Singapore to Malaysia by the Johor–Singapore Causeway and Second Link, and the United Kingdom has a railway connection to France through the Channel Tunnel.
Geographically, the country of Australia is considered a continental landmass rather than an island, covering the largest landmass of the Australian continent. In the past, however, it was considered an island country for tourism purposes<ref name="nla.gov.au">Template:Cite web</ref> (among others) and is sometimes referred to as such.<ref name="China, Pacific island countries">Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
- Archipelagic state
- Effects of climate change on island nations
- Landlocked country
- List of Caribbean island countries by population
- List of island countries
- List of islands by area
- List of islands by country
- List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Oceania
- List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Indian Ocean
- Microstate
- City state
- Pacific Islands Forum
- Small Island Developing States
- Thalassocracy
References
External links
- Island countris – NationsOnline.org