Island countries in the world
Countries without land borders
An
island country (also
island nation) is a
country whose primary territory consists of one or more
islands or parts of islands. As of 2008, forty-seven (appoximately 25%
) of the
world's countries are island countries.
Politics
The percentage of island countries that are
democratic is higher than that for
continental countries, although historically they have been more prone to political instability.
War
Island countries have often been the target of maritime
greed and historical rivalry between other countries.
Island countries are more susceptible to attack by large, continental countries due to their size and dependence on
sea lines of communication and
air lines of communication.
Many island nations are also vulnerable to predation by mercenaries and other foreign invaders.
Natural resources
Many island countries rely heavily on fish for their main supply of food.
Some are turning to
renewable energy—such as
wind power,
hydropower,
geothermal power and
biodiesel from
copra oil—to combat the rise in
oil prices.
Geography
Some island nations are more affected by climate change than other nations. Some low-lying Pacific island nations are slowly being submerged by the rising water levels of the
Pacific Ocean.
Climate change also impacts island countries by causing natural disasters such as
tropical cyclones, hurricanes,
flash floods and
drought.
Economics
Many island countries rely heavily on imports and are greatly affected by changes in the global economy.
The economies of island nations are usually smaller and more vulnerable to shipping costs, environmental damage to infrastructure, and isolation from other economies than those of larger, continental countries (excluding Japan and the U.K.)
The dominant industry for many island nations is
tourism.
Composition
Many island countries are small with relatively low populations.
Some island countries are centred on one or two major islands, such as the
United Kingdom,
Trinidad and Tobago,
New Zealand, and
Japan. Others are spread out over hundreds or thousands of smaller islands, such as the
Philippines,
Indonesia, and the
Maldives. Some island countries share their islands with other countries; these include the United Kingdom and
Ireland,
Haiti and
Dominican Republic, and
Indonesia, which shares islands with
Papua New Guinea,
Brunei,
East Timor and
Malaysia.
Australia is geographically considered a
continent, not an island, although in the past it was considered an island country.
It is sometimes still considered an island country.
See also
