ıslands

Definition of ıslands in English English dictionary
ABC Islands: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles|Leeward Antilles]] in the Caribbean
Aegadian Islands: A group of islands of Italy off the west coast of Sicily
Aeolian Islands: Alternative name for the Lipari Islands
Aleutian Islands: An archipelago of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming an island arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, between Alaska and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Asia. They are part of the United States
Andaman Islands: A group of islands in the Bay of Bengal
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Indian union territory in the Bay of Bengal which has Port Blair as its capital
Balearic Islands: A group of Mediterranean islands of the east coast of Spain, formed by Mallorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera
Balearic Islands: Catalan-speaking region formed by these islands that now is an autonomous communty of Spain
Borromean Islands: A group of three small islands and two islets in the Italian part of Lago Maggiore, chiefly consisting out of Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori
British Virgin Islands: A British overseas territory in the Caribbean
Canary Islands: An archipelago off the coast of north-western Africa, near Morocco and belonging to Spain
Cape Cod and the Islands: A peninsula in Massachusetts, in the United States of America
Cayman Islands: A British territory in the Caribbean
Channel Islands: A group of islands in the English Channel - Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm, Brecqhou, Lihou, Jethou and Burhou
Channel Islands: A group of islands off the coast of California
Chatham Islands Penguins: plural form of Chatham Islands Penguin
Chatham Islands penguin: An extinct species of penguins, scientific name Eudyptes sp, which lived on the Chatham Islands
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: The official name of the Northern Marianas
Cook Islands: A self-governing country in Oceania, in free association with New Zealand
Cook Islands Maori: The official language of the Cook Islands
Falkland Islands: Overseas territory of the United Kingdom, located in the South Atlantic. Official name: Falkland Islands. Argentine contests the British sovereignty in the islands
Faroe Islands: Group of islands in the north Atlantic Ocean between Scotland and Iceland; a self-governing territory of Denmark
Galápagos Islands: An archipelago off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, home to many endemic species
Highlands and Islands: Another name for the Highlands
Ionian Islands: A group of islands in the Ionian Sea - one of the 13 peripheries of Greece The main islands are Corfu, Ithaca, Kefallonia, Kythira, Lefkada, Paxoi and Zante
Kuril Islands: A group of islands between Japan and Kamchatka, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean
Leeward Islands: The northern of the Lesser Antilles, consisting of the islands or nations of the Virgin Islands, Antigua, Saint Martin, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Sint Eustatius, Saba and Dominica
Lipari Islands: A group of islands of Italy off the north coast of Sicily
Maltese Islands: An archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea making up the Republic of Malta
Marshall Islands: A country in Oceania. Official name: Republic of the Marshall Islands
Mascarene Islands: An archipelago in the Indian Ocean, consisting of Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues and the Cargados Carajos
Midway Islands: a small group of islands in the central Pacific; a US territory
New Siberian Islands: An archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia, in the East Siberian Sea
Nicobar Islands: An archipelago in the Indian Ocean
North Frisian Islands: A group of islands in the Wadden Sea, a part of the North Sea, off the western coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Northern Mariana Islands: An archipelago in the Western Pacific Ocean
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: the small islands and atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest (in some cases, far to the northwest) of the islands of Kauai and Niihau
Orkney Islands: The region of Scotland comprising these islands
Orkney Islands: A group of islands off north-east Scotland
Pelagian Islands: A group of islands of Italy south of Sicily
Philippine Islands: islands of the Malay Archipelago on which the country of Philippines is situated
Pitcairn Islands: British territory in the south Pacific Ocean
Sandwich Islands: Hawaiian Islands (an early name for the archipelago of nineteen Hawaiian Islands)
Scilly Islands: A group of islands off the south-west tip of Cornwall, England
Senkaku Islands: A chain of islands in the East China Sea
Shetland Islands: A group of islands of Scotland, roughly north-east of the Orkney Islands
Shetland Islands: The region of Scotland comprising these islands
Society Islands: A group of islands in the South Pacific; part of French Polynesia
Solomon Islands: A country in Melanesia. Official name: Solomon Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: A British-owned territory of inhospitable islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean
South Shetland Islands: A group of islands in the Antarctic Circle, lying north of the Antarctic Peninsula
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands: Two distinct dependencies of Norway. Official name: Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands: Country in the Caribbean. Official name: Turks and Caicos Islands
US Virgin Islands: A group of islands in the Caribbean that is a dependency of the United States. Official name: Virgin Islands of the United States
United States Virgin Islands: An island group in the Virgin Islands, a dependency of the United States of America
Virgin Islands: An archipelago in the Caribbean Sea, comprised of the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands
West Frisian Islands: A chain of islands in the North Sea, belonging to the Netherlands, part of the Frisian Islands
Westman Islands: an archipelago off the south coast of Iceland
Windward Islands: The southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, comprised of the island nations of Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago
island: To set, dot (as if) with islands
island: To isolate
Islanded in Severn stream''.
island: To surround with water; make into an island
We paused at little river cities along the way and walked upon their bushy dikes, and heard tales of overflows in flood seasons, when four feet or more of water islanded the houses.
island: A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, totally surrounded by water
Sumatra is the second largest island in the East Indies and the fourth largest in the world covering 182,859 square miles.
island: A superstructure on an aircraft carrier's deck
Admiralty Islands: A group of volcanic islands of the southwest Pacific Ocean in the Bismarck Archipelago. Discovered by the Dutch in 1616, the islands are now part of Papua New Guinea. Island group (pop., 2000 est.: 41,748), Papua New Guinea. An extension of the Bismarck Archipelago comprising about 40 islands, the Admiralty Islands lie about 190 mi (300 km) north of the mainland of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean. Most of the land area of the islands is contained in Manus Island, which is the site of Lorengau, the islands' principal settlement. First sighted by the Dutch explorer Willem Schouten in 1616, it was named by the British captain Philip Carteret in 1767. Subsequently ruled by the Germans, Australians, and Japanese, the islands were made part of the UN Trust Territory of New Guinea in 1946. When Papua New Guinea attained independence in 1975, the islands became part of that country
Aegean Islands: Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, particularly the Cyclades, Sporades, and Dodecanese groups. The Cyclades consist of about 220 islands. The Dodecanese, or Southern Sporades, include Kálimnos, Kárpathos, Cos, Léros, Pátmos, Rhodes, and Sími. The Sporades, or Northern Sporades, include Skyros, Skópelos, and Skíathos
Aleutian Islands: A chain of rugged volcanic islands of southwest Alaska curving about 1,931 km (1,200 mi) west from the Alaska Peninsula and separating the Bering Sea from the Pacific Ocean. The islands were explored in 1741 by Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator employed by Russia, and remained under Russian control until Alaska was purchased by the United States in 1867. The islands are the site of U.S. military bases and research stations. a group of islands off the southwest coast of Alaska. Chain of small islands, Alaska, U.S. They form a border of the Bering Sea, extending in an arc about 1,100 mi (1,800 km) west from the tip of the Alaska Peninsula to Attu Island. The major island groups, from east to west, are the Fox Islands (including Unimak and Unalaska), Islands of the Four Mountains, Andreanof Islands (including Adak), and Near Islands (including Attu). The main settlements are on Unalaska and Adak. Originally inhabited by Aleuts, the islands were explored by Russian-sponsored ships in 1741. As Siberian fur hunters moved eastward through the islands, the Russians gained a foothold in North America but nearly caused the extinction of the Aleuts. Russia sold the islands, with the rest of Alaska, to the U.S. in 1867
Aleutian Islands: {i} chain of approximately 200 small volcanic islands that extend over a thousand miles westward from the tip of the Alaska Peninsula
Andaman Islands: group of islands located in the Bay of Bengal
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Union territory (pop., 2001 prelim.: 356,265), India. It consists of two groups of islands in the Bay of Bengal about 400 mi (650 km) west of Myanmar; the total area is 3,185 sq mi (8,249 sq km). The chief islands are North Andaman, Middle Andaman, and South Andaman (known collectively as Great Andaman), and Little Andaman. The Nicobar group includes Car Nicobar, Camorta (Kamorta) and Nancowry, and Great Nicobar. Most of the population lives in the Andaman group. The first European settlement was at Port Blair, South Andaman, now the union territory capital. In the Nicobar group there are remnants of inhabitation dating to AD 1050
Andreanof Islands: Group of the Aleutian Islands, southwestern Alaska, U.S. Lying between the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, the islands extend east to west about 270 mi (430 km) between the Fox and Rat island groups. They were strategically important in World War II, when U.S. military bases were developed, especially on Adak Island. Other islands in the group include Atka, Tanaga, and Kanaga
Antilles Islands: chain of islands in the West Indies
Aran Islands: the Aran Islands a group of three small islands off the west coast of the Republic of Ireland. Islands (pop., 2001: 543), Galway Bay, western Ireland. The group of small islands, totaling about 18 sq mi (47 sq km), includes Inishmore (or Aranmore), Inishmaan, and Inisheer. Their main town is Kilronan on Inishmore. The islands contain impressive prehistoric and early Christian forts. Novelist Liam O'Flaherty was born on Inishmore
Aru Islands: Island group, eastern Indonesia. The easternmost island group of the Moluccas, located off southwestern New Guinea, it consists of one large island and about 90 small ones. The main island, Tanabesan, is about 120 mi (195 km) long and is divided into six sections by narrow channels. Dobo, on Wamar Island, is the principal harbour. The islands became part of Indonesia in 1949
Ashmore and Cartier Islands: {i} Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands, islands in southeastern Asia in the Indian Ocean
Austral Islands: Group of islands (pop., 1996: 6,563), southern French Polynesia. The southernmost part of French Polynesia (austral is Latin for "south"), the islands form a chain about 850 mi (1,370 km) long. They were sighted by Capt. James Cook in 1769 and 1777. They were taken over by the French in the late 19th century. The inhabited islands are Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raevavae, and Rapa
Babuyan Islands: Island group, northern Philippines. Lying north of Luzon, it consists of about 24 islands with a total area of 225 sq mi (583 sq km). The chief islands are Babuyan, Camiguin, Calayan, Fuga, and Dalupiri. Calayan is the largest town and only port
Bahama Islands: Bahamas, island group located in the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Florida; country located on the Bahama Islands
Balearic Islands: the Balearic Islands a group of islands in the western Mediterranean Sea, including Ibiza, Majorca, and Minorca, which belong to Spain. Spanish Islas Baleares Archipelago, (pop., 2001: 841,669), western Mediterranean Sea, constituting an autonomous community and province of Spain. It occupies an area of 1,927 sq mi (4,992 sq km); its capital is Palma. The most important islands are Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Formentera, and Cabrera. Long inhabited, the islands were ruled by Carthage in the 5th century BC, by Rome from 120 BC, and by the Byzantine Empire from AD 534. Raided by the Arabs, the area was conquered in the 10th century by the Umayyad dynasty at Córdoba. It was reconquered by the Spanish and united with the kingdom of Aragon in 1344. Fought over in the 18th century by the Spanish, British, and French, the islands came under Spanish rule in 1802. Their modern economy is fueled by tourism
Balearic Islands: small group of Mediterranean islands located off the eastern coast of Spain
Bay of Islands: Inlet, South Pacific Ocean, on the northeastern coast of North Island, New Zealand. The bay was formed when the sea flooded an old river valley system. It has a 500-mi (800-km) shoreline and about 150 islands. It opens to the ocean through a passage between Brett Cape and Wiwiki Cape. The first European to enter the bay was Capt. James Cook in 1769. The bay was the site of the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between Britain and native Maori. It is now a popular resort area
Bonin Islands: Japanese Ogasawara-gunto Island group, western Pacific Ocean. Located about 600 mi (950 km) south of Tokyo and consisting of 27 volcanic islands with a total area of about 40 sq mi (104 sq km), the group includes Chichi (the largest), Haha, Muko, and Yome islands. They were colonized in 1830 by a group of Europeans and Hawaiians. The islands were formally annexed by Japan in 1876; they were administered by the U.S. in 1945-68
British Solomon Islands: A former British protectorate in the Solomon and Santa Cruz islands of the southwest Pacific Ocean
British Virgin Islands: A British colony in the eastern Caribbean east of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Road Town, on Tortola Island, is the capital. Population: 12,034. v. Dependent territory (pop., 2002 est.: 21,272) of the United Kingdom, eastern Caribbean Sea. Part of the island chain of the Virgin Islands, which are divided between the U.K. and the U.S., it consists of four larger islands (Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke) and many smaller uninhabited islands. The chief town and port is Road Town on Tortola. The majority of British Virgin Islanders are black or of mixed ancestry, the descendants of African slaves. English is the chief language and Protestantism is the chief religion. The islands are generally hilly, and many have lagoons with coral reefs and barrier beaches. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy. For the early history, see Virgin Islands of the U.S. The islands were a haunt for pirates, and Tortola was held by Dutch buccaneers until it was taken by English planters in 1666; it was annexed by the British-administered Leeward Islands in 1672. The British sugar plantations declined after slavery was abolished in the 19th century. The islands were part of the Colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872 until 1956, when the British Virgin Islands became a separate colony
British Virgin Islands: {i} group of islands in the West Indies that are under the political administration of Britain
Canary Islands: group of islands in the Atlantic ocean near the northwest coast of Africa
Canary Islands: the Canary Islands a group of islands near northwest Africa which belong to Spain and are popular with tourists. Spanish Islas Canarias Island group and autonomous community (pop., 2001: 1,694,477) of Spain. Located in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwestern coast of Africa, the islands lie 823 mi (1,324 km) southwest of the Spanish mainland. They comprise two provinces, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas, with an area of 2,875 sq mi (7,447 sq km). The capital is Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Known in ancient times as the "Fortunate Islands," they were written about by both Plutarch and Pliny the Elder. Believed to be the western limit of the world, they were visited in the Middle Ages by Arabs, Portuguese, and French. They were taken by Castile (see Castile-León) in 1402, and their indigenous inhabitants, the Guanche and Canario, were gradually conquered during the 15th century. The islands became a stop on the usual route for Spanish trading vessels with the New World. Today agriculture is an economic mainstay, as is an expanding tourist trade
Cape Verde Islands: country comprised of group of islands located west of Senegal on the western coast of Africa
Caribbean Islands: islands of Western India, group of islands located between North America and South America
Caroline Islands: {i} group of about 600 islands in the Pacific
Caroline Islands: An archipelago of the western Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines. The islands were controlled successively by Spain, Germany, and Japan before being included in the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands after 1947. All of the islands except Palau joined (1979) the Federated States of Micronesia. Archipelago (pop., 2000 est.: 137,200), western Pacific Ocean. Lying south of the Philippines, the islands and their lagoons cover an area of 3,740 sq mi (9,687 sq km). Formerly part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the group consists of more than 550 islands, including Yap, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae, and Palau, as well as many coral islets and reefs. Though explored by the Spanish in the 17th century, they were rarely visited until Germany took them in 1899. Granted as a mandate to Japan after World War I, they were placed under U.S. trusteeship in 1947. With the exception of Palau, the islands became the Federated States of Micronesia in 1979. Palau became independent in 1994
Cayman Islands: {i} group of islands southeast of Cuba (in the Caribbean Sea)
Cayman Islands: a group of three islands in the Caribbean Sea, northwest of Jamaica, which are a British dependency. Population: 36,000 (2001). Capital: George Town. British colony (pop., 2000 est.: 34,763), Caribbean Sea. Located about 200 mi (320 km) northwest of Jamaica, it has a total land area of 118 sq mi (306 sq km). The islands include Grand Cayman (the largest and the location of the capital, George Town), Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. Though discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503, the islands were never occupied by the Spanish. Ceded to the British in 1670, they were subsequently settled by the English arriving from Jamaica. The islands were administered as a dependency of Jamaica until Jamaican independence in 1962; a constitution providing for an elected governor was enacted in 1972. The Cayman Islands are a popular tourist area and a financial centre
Channel Islands: {i} group of islands in the English Channel which are under British control
Channel Islands: the Channel Islands a group of British islands in the English Channel near the coast of France. The main islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark. or Santa Barbara Islands Chain of islands, southern California, U.S. Extending 150 mi (240 km) along and 25-90 mi (40-145 km) off the coast, it is divided into the Santa Barbara group (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa) and the Santa Catalina group (Santa Barbara, San Nicolas, Santa Catalina, and San Clemente). The islands range in size from Santa Cruz (98 sq mi [254 sq km]) to the small Anacapa islets. Rugged and mountainous, they are frequented by colonies of sea lions, seals, and birds and are noted for their distinctive plant life (about 830 varieties). The larger islands support sheep and cattle ranches, and Santa Catalina is a noted resort. Channel Islands National Park (established as a national monument in 1938) embraces Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa. Island dependencies, United Kingdom. Located in the English Channel 10-30 mi (16-48 km) off the western coast of France, they cover an area of 75 sq mi (194 sq km) and include the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark and several islets. They are domestically independent of the British government. Structures, including menhirs, are evidence of prehistoric occupation. A part of Normandy in the 10th century AD, the islands came under British rule at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. The islets of Ecrehous and Les Minquiers were disputed between England and France until 1953, when the International Court of Justice confirmed British sovereignty. The dispute revived in the late 20th century because sovereignty determines the rights to the continental shelf's economic development (especially petroleum). The Channel Islands were the only British territory occupied by Germany in World War II. The islands are famous for their cattle breeds, including the Jersey and Guernsey
Chatham Islands: An island group of New Zealand in the southwest Pacific Ocean east of South Island. The islands were discovered in 1791
Cocos (Keeling) Islands: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, group of islands that are located in the Indian Ocean and are under Australian administration
Cocos Islands: or Keeling Islands Territory (pop., 1996: 558) of Australia. Lying in the eastern Indian Ocean about 580 mi (930 km) southwest of Java, it consists of two isolated atolls and 27 small coral islets and has a total land area of 5.6 sq mi (14.4 sq km). They were discovered in 1609 by William Keeling and first settled in 1826. Declared a British possession in 1857, the Cocos at times came under the government of Ceylon but ultimately passed to Australia in 1955. In 1984 the residents voted to merge with Australia
Cocos Islands: group of islands that are located in the Indian Ocean and are under Australian administration
Comoro Islands: group of islands off the east coast of Africa
Cook Islands: An island group of the southern Pacific Ocean southeast of Samoa. Probably first inhabited by Polynesians more than 1,500 years ago, the islands were sighted by Capt. James Cook in 1773. They are now self-governing under the sovereignty of New Zealand. a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand. It is a territory of New Zealand but has its own government. Population: 20,611 (2001). Capital: Avarua. Island group (pop., 1998 est.: 17,100), southern Pacific. Located 2,000 mi (3,000 km) northeast of New Zealand, the 15 islands, scattered from north to south over 900 mi (1,450 km) of ocean, are divided into a southern group of eight islands, including Raratonga (the seat of government), and a northern group of seven. All of the northern Cooks are true atolls; most of the southern group have volcanic interiors. They were probably settled by Polynesians from Tonga and Samoa; there is evidence of a highly organized society AD 1100. Capt. James Cook explored many of them during the 1770s. Established as a British protectorate in 1888, they were annexed by New Zealand in 1901. Self-government in free association with New Zealand was achieved in 1965
Cook Islands: group of islands that are located in the south Pacific Ocean and are ruled autonomously under a loose association with New Zealand
Coral Sea Islands: {i} Coral Sea Islands Territory, islands in the Coral Sea that are the territory of Australia (situated northeast of Australia)
Coral Sea Islands Territory: {i} Coral Sea Islands, islands in the Coral Sea that are the territory of Australia (situated northeast of Australia)
Corn Islands: Spanish Islas del Maíz Two small islands, Caribbean Sea. Known as Great Corn and Little Corn, they lie about 40 mi (64 km) off the coast of Nicaragua and were leased to the U.S. by Nicaragua for use as a naval base (1916-71). The islands produce copra, coconut oil, lobsters, and frozen shrimp. Tourism is important on Great Corn Island
D'Entrecasteaux Islands: Island group, Papua New Guinea. Located in the South Pacific Ocean, the group includes Normanby, Fergusson, and Goodenough islands and many islets, atolls, and reefs. Most are volcanic, precipitous, and forested. They have a combined land area of 1,213 sq mi (3,142 sq km). They were named by the French navigator Bruni d'Entrecasteaux in 1793. The chief settlement is Dobu, located on an islet between Normanby and Fergusson
Diomede Islands: Two islands in the Bering Strait. Lying about 2.5 mi (4 km) apart, they are separated by the U.S.-Russian boundary, which coincides with the International Date Line. The larger island, Big Diomede (Russian Ratmonov), belongs to Russia and is the site of an important weather station. To the east lies Little Diomede Island, a part of Alaska
Elizabeth Islands: Chain of small islands, southeastern Massachusetts, U.S. Extending southwest for 16 mi (26 km) from the southwestern tip of Cape Cod, the group lies between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. The islands were visited in 1602 by the English navigator Bartholomew Gosnold, who established a short-lived (three-week) colony on the westernmost island of Cuttyhunk 18 years before the arrival of the Mayflower at Plymouth. Naushon, the largest island, was a British naval base during the War of 1812. The islands, covering an area of about 14 sq mi (36 sq km), are mostly privately owned. Cuttyhunk is a popular base for sportfishing
Ellice Islands: {i} country composed of a group of islands in the central Pacific Ocean (former name for Tuvalu)
Eolie Islands: or Lipari Islands Volcanic island group, Tyrrhenian Sea. Located off the northern coast of Sicily, the seven major islands and several islets have a total land area of 34 sq mi (88 sq km). The main islands are Alicudi, Stromboli, Vulcano, Lipari (the largest; 13 sq mi [34 sq km]), Salina, Filicudi, and Panarea. Vulcano and Stromboli are active volcanoes. The Greeks believed the islands to be the home of the god Aeolus, who kept the winds confined in one of their caves. They have been inhabited since the Neolithic Period (New Stone Age) and were held successively by the Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Saracens, Normans, and Aragonese
Faeroe Islands: Faroe Islands, group of islands located in the northern Atlantic Ocean between Great Britain and Iceland
Faeroe Islands: the Faroe Islands the Faeroes the Faroes a group of islands in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. They belong to Denmark, but have their own government
Falkland Islands: Spanish Islas Malvinas British self-governing colony (pop., 1996: 2,564), in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Located about 300 mi (480 km) northeast of the southern tip of South America, the Falklands are made up of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, and about 200 smaller islands. The islands are spread out over some 4,700 sq mi (12,200 sq km). The capital is Stanley, on East Falkland. The population is English-speaking and of British descent. The economy is based on sheep raising. The French founded the islands' first settlement, on East Falkland in 1764, and the British settled West Falkland in 1765. In 1770 the Spanish purchased the French settlement and expelled the British, but the latter's settlement was restored in 1771. In 1820 Argentina proclaimed its sovereignty over the Falklands, but the British took them back in 1833. Argentina invaded in 1982, and the British reclaimed the islands after a brief conflict (see Falkland Islands War)
Falkland Islands: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), group of islands in the Atlantic ocean east of Argentina which are an overseas territory of the UK, Islas Malvinas (in Spanish)
Falkland Islands War: or Malvinas War (1982) Brief but undeclared war between Argentina and Great Britain over control of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and associated island dependencies. Both countries long had claimed sovereignty over the Falklands and had been in protracted negotiations over them. On April 2, 1982, Argentina's military government, impatient with the negotiations, occupied the islands with some 10,000 troops. British prime minister Margaret Thatcher responded by sending a naval task force to the region, and within three months British forces had defeated the Argentines and reoccupied the islands. Britain lost about 250 men, and Argentina about 700. Argentina's defeat discredited its military government and helped lead to the restoration of civilian rule in 1983
Faroe Islands: the Faroes another spelling of Faeroe Islands. or Faeroe Islands Group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean that form a self-governing region of Denmark. Area: 540 sq mi (1,399 sq km). Population: (2002 est.) 47,400. Lying north of the British Isles, the islands are politically situated within the kingdom of Denmark. There are 17 inhabited islands and many islets and reefs. The largest, Strømø, holds the capital of Tórshavn. The islands are high and rugged, with coasts that are deeply indented with fjords. The economy is based on fishing and sheep raising. First settled by Irish monks ( 700), the islands were colonized by the Vikings ( 800) and were ruled by Norway from the 11th century until 1380, when they passed to Denmark. They unsuccessfully sought independence in 1946 but received self-government in 1948. In the early 21st century they continued discussions with Denmark on full independence
Faroe Islands: {i} Faeroe Islands, group of islands located in the northern Atlantic Ocean between Great Britain and Iceland which are a Danish territory; self-governing colony possession of Denmark in the Faroe Islands
Fiji Islands: group of islands located in the western South Pacific Ocean (north of New Zealand)
Fox Islands: A group of islands of southwest Alaska in the eastern Aleutian Islands off the southwest tip of the Alaska Peninsula
Frisian Islands: A chain of islands in the North Sea off the coast of the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark. The West Frisian Islands belong to the Netherlands. The East Frisian Islands and most of the North Frisian Islands are part of Germany; the other North Frisians are Danish. Chain of islands, North Sea. They extend 3 to 20 mi (5 to 32 km) off the northern European mainland, along the Dutch and German coasts and the southern part of Denmark's Jutland peninsula. Although they form a single physical feature, it is customary to subdivide them into the West Frisian Islands (held by The Netherlands), East Frisian Islands (Germany), and North Frisian Islands (Germany and Denmark). After the North Sea established a southwestern outlet to the Atlantic about 7,000-5,000 BC, its southeasterly shore probably coincided with the present curve of the Frisians. Periodic subsidence, storms, and flooding have since produced this long chain of islands separated from the mainland by a narrow belt of shallow waters and tidal mud flats. The Dutch and German governments have spent large sums to protect the islands' seaward coasts and reclaim the land for farming. The beaches and resorts attract many tourists
Futuna Islands: or Hoorn Islands Island group (pop., 1996: 4,638), South Pacific Ocean. Lying northeast of Fiji, the islands, Futuna and Alofi, form the southwestern part of the French overseas territory of Wallis and Futuna. Their combined land area is 36 sq mi (93 sq km). Futuna is the site of Mount Singavi, 2,493 ft (760 m) high. The islands became a French protectorate in 1888. Both are well watered, and Alofi is heavily wooded. The main villages are on the southern coast of Futuna. Alofi is uninhabited
Galapagos Islands: a group of islands in the east Pacific Ocean which belong to Ecuador. They were visited by Charles Darwin in 1835, and the information he collected there helped him to develop his ideas about evolution. Very large rare tortoises live on the islands and most of the land is a national park
Galapagos Islands: group of islands in the Pacific Ocean west of and belonging to Ecuador
Gambier Islands: Island group (pop., 1996: 1,087), French Polynesia. It is the southeasternmost extension of the Tuamotu Archipelago. The largest island, Mangareva, is 5 mi (8 km) long and encircled by a barrier reef 40 mi (64 km) in circumference. Mangareva rises to about 1,444 ft (440 m) in the peaks Duff and Mokoto; the chief village, Rikitea, is on Mangareva's eastern side. The Gambier Islands were annexed by the French in 1881. Their economy is based on subsistence agriculture; pearl harvesting is also of economic importance
Gilbert Islands: A group of islands of western Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean. Inhabited by a mixture of Polynesian and Melanesian peoples, the islands were first visited by the British in 1765, made a protectorate in 1892, and later became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (1915-1976). Full independence as the principal islands of Kiribati was achieved in 1979. Group of 16 coral atolls (pop., 1995: 65,939), part of the island nation of Kiribati, western Pacific Ocean. The islands, including Tarawa, the largest, occupy a total land area of 105 sq mi (272 sq km). The British visited them in the 18th and 19th centuries, and in 1892 they became a British protectorate. In 1916 they became part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands crown colony. They were occupied by Japanese forces from 1941 to 1943 and saw heavy fighting. Made a separate territory in 1976, they became part of Kiribati in 1979
Gilbert Islands: {i} group of 16 atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean (part of Kiribati)
Gilbert and Ellice Islands: Former British colony, western central Pacific Ocean. The colony consisted of the Gilbert Islands, Tuvalu (formerly Ellice islands), the northern Line Islands, and the Phoenix Islands. First visited by Europeans by the early 19th century, the group was proclaimed a British protectorate in 1892 and made a crown colony in 1916. In 1979 the colony was divided and formed parts of independent Kiribati and Tuvalu
Goto Islands: Japanese Got-rett Island chain, China Sea, part of Nagasake prefecture, Japan. Lying off the western coast of Japan, the chain comprises more than 100 islands, of which 34 are inhabited. The five main ones are Fukue, Hisaka, Naru, Uku, and Nakadori; the capital is Fukue, on Fukue Island. They have a total area of 266 sq mi (689 sq km), stretching about 60 mi (100 km) from northeast to southwest. The islands were a gateway to Japan for the introduction of Chinese culture. Fishing is the major activity in the northern islands; agriculture predominates in the southern islands
Hawaiian Islands: A group of volcanic and coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean coextensive with the state of Hawaii. There are eight major islands and more than a hundred minor ones. The islands were settled by Polynesians in the sixth century and visited by Capt. James Cook in 1778. They were ruled by native Hawaiian monarchs from 1795 until 1893, when Queen Liliuokalani was deposed. A republic was proclaimed the following year, but petitions for annexation by the United States were finally approved in 1898
Heard Island and the McDonald Islands: {i} deserted and infertile islands located in the Southern Ocean two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica (they have been part of Australia since 1947)
Hebridean Islands: {i} group of islands off the western and northwest coast of Scotland
Highlands and Islands: the Highlands and Islands the northern and northwestern areas of Scotland and the islands off its west coast
Ionian Islands: A chain of islands of western Greece in the Ionian Sea. Colonized by the ancient Greeks, the islands subsequently came under the rule of Rome, Byzantium, Venice, France, Russia, and Great Britain before being ceded to Greece in 1864. ancient Heptanesos Group of seven Greek islands (pop., 2001: 214,274) in the Ionian Sea. They include Corfu, Cephalonia, Zacynthus, Leucas, Ithaca, Cythera, and Paxos and have a combined land area of 891 sq mi (2,307 sq km). Controlled by Venice in the 15th and 16th centuries, they were taken by Russian and Turkish forces in 1799. In 1815 the Treaty of Paris placed them under the control of Britain; the British ceded them to Greece in 1864
Kerguelen Islands: Archipelago, southern Indian Ocean. It consists of the island of Kerguelen (also called Desolation Island) and about 300 islets, which together cover about 2,400 sq mi (6,200 sq km). Kerguelen Island, about 100 mi (160 km) long, has active glaciers and peaks up to 6,445 ft (1,965 m) high. Discovered in 1772 by the French navigator Yves-Joseph de Kerguélen-Trémarec, the archipelago was annexed to France in 1893 and became part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories in 1955. Port-aux-Français is a scientific base on the main island
Kermadec Islands: Volcanic island group, South Pacific Ocean. Located northeast of Auckland, N.Z., it includes Raoul, Macauley, and Curtis islands and l'Esperance Rock, and it has a total land area of 13 sq mi (34 sq km). Explored in the late 18th century by the British and the French, the islands were annexed to New Zealand in 1887. A meteorological communications station was built on Raoul, the largest island, in 1937, but permanent settlement is discouraged
Khuriyya Muriyya Islands: or Kuria Muria Islands Island group, Oman. Located in the Arabian Sea off the country's southeastern coast, it comprises five mainly uninhabited islands with a total land area of 28 sq mi (73 sq km). allniyyah Island, the largest, is sparsely inhabited. The sultan of Oman ceded the islands to Britain in 1854, and they became part of the British colony of Aden in 1937. Britain returned the islands to Oman in 1967
Kuril Islands: Archipelago, eastern Russia. It extends for 750 mi (1,200 km) from the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula to the northeastern coast of Japan's Hokkaido island. The 56 islands cover 6,000 sq mi (15,600 sq km) and together with Sakhalin Island form an administrative region (pop., 2001 est.: 591,000) of Russia. The Kurils were originally settled by the Russians in the 17th-18th centuries. Japan seized the southern islands and in 1875 obtained the entire chain. After World War II they were ceded to the Soviet Union, and the Japanese population was repatriated and replaced by Soviets. Japan still claims historical rights to the southern islands and has tried repeatedly to regain them
Kurile Islands: group of islands between Kamchatka and Japan
Ladrone Islands: {i} former name of Mariana Islands, group of volcanic and coral islands in the West Pacific Ocean
Leeward Islands: {i} chain of islands in the West Indies
Leeward Islands: the Leeward Islands a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, between Puerto Rico and Martinique, which includes the islands of Antigua, Montserrat, and Guadeloupe, and the Virgin Islands. Arc of West Indian islands that constitute the most westerly and northerly of the Lesser Antilles, northeastern Caribbean Sea. The major islands are, from north to south, the Virgin Islands of the U.S. and the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St. Martin, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, and Guadeloupe. Just south of this chain is Dominica, sometimes classified as part of the Leeward Islands but usually designated as part of the Windward Islands
Line Islands: A group of islands in the central Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii and astride the equator. First visited by American sailors in 1798, they were formerly part of the British Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony and are now part of Kiribati. Chain of islands, central Pacific Ocean, south of the Hawaiian Islands. The Line Islands extend 1,600 mi (2,600 km) and have a land area of 193 sq mi (500 sq km). Of the northern group, Teraina (Washington) Island and the Tabuaeran (Fanning) and Kiritimati (Christmas) atolls belong to the Republic of Kiribati, while Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Jarvis Island are U.S. territories. Kiribati also holds the central group (Malden and Starbuck islands) and the southern group (Vostok and Flint islands and Caroline Atoll)
Madeira Islands: Island group (pop., 2001 prelim.: 242,603) and autonomous region of Portugal, in the North Atlantic Ocean. Madeira, the largest of the Madeira Islands, is the site of the region's capital, Funchal. Madeira Island is 34 mi (55 km) long and 14 mi (22 km) wide and has deep ravines and rugged mountains. Possibly known to ancient Phoenicians, it was rediscovered by the Portuguese navigator João Gonçalves Zarco, who founded Funchal in 1421. It allegedly had the world's first sugarcane plantation. Its Madeira wine has been an important export since the 17th century. Tourism is also important
Magdalen Islands: French Îles de la Madeleine Island group of eastern Quebec, Canada. Located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, the group comprises several islands and islets, with a total area of 88 sq mi (228 sq km). The largest include Havre-Aubert (Amherst) and Cap aux Meules (Grindstone). Discovered by Jacques Cartier in 1534, the islands are inhabited mainly by French Canadians
Maldive Islands: Maldives, country made up of approximately 2000 islands in the Indian Ocean southwest of India
Maluku Islands: {i} Moluccas, archipelago in Indonesia
Mariana Islands: formerly Ladrone Islands Island group, western Pacific Ocean. Located east of the Philippines, it comprises 15 islands and is divided politically into Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The population is descended from the pre-Spanish Chamorro people and Spanish, Mexican, German, Philippine, and Japanese settlers. Spanish cultural traditions are strong. After Ferdinand Magellan became the first European to discover them in 1521, they were visited frequently but were not colonized until 1668, at which time Jesuit missionaries changed their name to honor Mariana of Austria, regent of Spain
Mariana Islands: {i} chain of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean
Marquesas Islands: Island group (pop., 1996: 8,064), French Polynesia. Located in the central South Pacific Ocean northeast of Tahiti, the Marquesas comprise 10 islands. The southeastern group includes Hiva Oa, the largest and most populous island and the burial place of artist Paul Gauguin; Fatu Hiva and Tahuata; and the uninhabited Motane and Fatu Huku. The northwestern group comprises Nuku Hiva, Ua Pu, Ua Huka, Eiao, and Hatutu. The Spanish explorer Àlvaro de Mendaña de Neira named the islands for the marquesa de Mendoza in 1595. Annexed by France in 1842, the Marquesas form an administrative division of French Polynesia with headquarters at Taiohae on Nuku Hiva
Marshal Islands: Republic of the Marshall Islands, republic consisting of islands that are in the northern Pacific Ocean and under the control of the USA
Marshall Islands: Republic of the Marshall Islands, republic consisting of islands that are in the northern Pacific Ocean and under the control of the USA
Marshall Islands: a country consisting of two 800-mile-long chains of coral Atolls in the central Pacific Ocean. Population: 70,822 (2001). Capital: Majuro. officially Republic of the Marshall Islands Island country, central Pacific Ocean
Near Islands: {i} group of islands located in southwest Alaska (United States)
Near Islands: A group of islands of southwest Alaska. The westernmost of the Aleutian Islands, they were occupied by Japan from June 1942 until May-June 1943. Attu is the chief island of the group
New Siberian Islands: An archipelago of northeast Russia in the Arctic Ocean between the Laptev and East Siberian seas. Discovered in the 1770s, they are used for meteorological and other scientific stations. Island group, Arctic Ocean, northeastern Russia, north of eastern Siberia. The islands divide the Laptev Sea from the East Siberian Sea. They are separated from the Siberian mainland by Dmitry Laptev Strait. With an area of about 14,500 sq mi (38,000 sq km), they are snow-covered for more than nine months of the year. Arctic fox, northern deer, lemming, and many species of birds inhabit the islands
Northern Mariana Islands: A commonwealth in political union with the United States comprising most of the Mariana Islands (except Guam) in the western Pacific Ocean. The islands were part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands from 1947 to 1978, when they became internally self-governing. The largest island, which serves as the capital, is Saipan. Population: 52,284. Self-governing commonwealth (pop., 2002 est.: 70,000) in political union with the U.S., in the western Pacific Ocean. Composed of 22 islands north of Guam, the Northern Marianas extend 450 mi (720 km) and have an area of 184 sq mi (477 sq km). The capital, Chalan Kanoa, is on Saipan. Saipan, Tinian, and Rota are the principal inhabited islands. Others include Alamagan and Agrihan; Pagan was evacuated for a time after a 1981 volcanic eruption. The indigenous people are Micronesian; other inhabitants are Chamorro and Filipino. The islands were discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. They were colonized by Spain in 1668. Sold by Spain to Germany in 1899, they were occupied by Japan in 1914 and became a Japanese mandate from the League of Nations after 1919. They were the scene of fierce fighting in World War II; Tinian was the base for U.S. planes that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Northern Marianas were granted to the U.S. in 1947 as a UN trust territory, became self-governing in 1978, and became a commonwealth under U.S. sovereignty in 1986, when the residents became U.S. citizens. The UN trusteeship ended in 1990
Northern Mariana Islands: {i} group of volcanic and coral islands in the West Pacific Ocean
Orkney Islands: Island group (pop., 2001: 19,245), Scotland. Lying north of the Scottish mainland, it comprises more than 70 islands and islets and constitutes the Orkney council area. The Orkney Islands, only 20 of which are inhabited, were the Orcades of ancient Classical literature. There is much evidence of prehistoric inhabitants. Norse raiders arrived in the late 8th century AD and colonized the islands in the 9th century. Thereafter they were ruled by Norway and Denmark until Scotland annexed them in 1472. It is a prosperous agricultural area. Kirkwall is the administrative seat
Pacific Islands: A group of more than 2,000 islands and islets of the northwest Pacific Ocean administered by the United States as a United Nations trust territory from 1947 to 1978. It originally included the Caroline, Marianas (excluding Guam), and Marshall islands. Most parts of the territory, including Palau, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands, are now self-governing
Paracel Islands: Chinese Xisha Qundao or Hsi-sha Ch'ün-tao Vietnamese Quan Dao Hoang Sa Group of about 130 small coral islands and reefs, South China Sea, east of central Vietnam and southeast of Hainan Island, China. The low, barren islands, none of which exceeds 1 sq mi (2.5 sq km) in area, lack fresh water, and there are no permanent human residents. In 1932 the islands were claimed by French Indochina, and Japan occupied some of them during World War II. China, Taiwan, and Vietnam all claim them. In 1974 China assumed control, and they have remained a matter of contention
Paracel Islands: group of islands located in the South China Sea
Parry Islands: A group of islands of northern Canada, in the Arctic Ocean north of Victoria Island
Phoenix Islands: A group of eight small islands in the central Pacific Ocean north of Samoa. Discovered between 1823 and 1840 by British and American explorers, they were administered at various times by one or both of the countries and are now part of Kiribati. Group of eight small coral atolls, Kiribati. Lying in the west-central Pacific Ocean 1,650 mi (2,650 km) southwest of Hawaii, the low, sandy atolls have a total land area of about 11 sq mi (28 sq km) and were discovered in the 19th century by U.S. whaling ships. Annexed by Britain in 1889, they were joined to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1937. They became part of independent Kiribati in 1979. Kanton is the only inhabited atoll
Pitcairn Islands: British colony made up of a cluster of islands in the south central Pacific Ocean
Pribilof Islands: Group of islands, southeastern Bering Sea, Alaska, U.S. It includes St. Paul, St. George, and three islets, and it lies about 300 mi (500 km) west of the mainland. Control of the islands was transferred from Russia to the U.S. with the Alaska Purchase (1867). The islands are hilly and treeless with no harbours. They are breeding grounds from April to November for most of the world's fur seals. Commercial harvesting of seals was discontinued in 1986. The islands are also home to enormous numbers of birds and both blue and white phases of Arctic foxes. The indigenous population is made up of Aleuts
Queen Charlotte Islands: Group of about 150 islands (pop., 2001: 4,935) off western British Columbia, Canada. They have an area of 3,705 sq mi (9,596 sq km). The two largest islands, Graham and Moresby, are irregular in shape and rise to nearly 4,000 ft (1,200 m). The inhabitants, including Haida Indians, engage in fishing and ranching
Queen Elizabeth Islands: A group of islands of northern Canada, in the Arctic Archipelago north of Parry Channel. Oil deposits were first exploited here in the 1960s. the Queen Elizabeth Islands a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean that are part of Canada. Island group, northern Canada. Part of the Canadian Arctic archipelago, it comprises all the islands north of latitude 74°30 N, including the Parry and Sverdrup island groups. The islands, the largest of which are Ellesmere, Melville, Devon, and Axel Heiberg, have a total land area of over 150,000 sq mi (390,000 sq km). Probably first visited by the Vikings AD 1000, they were partially explored (1615-16) by English navigators William Baffin and Robert Bylot. The islands, which are administratively split between the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, were named in 1953 to honour Queen Elizabeth II
Rat Islands: A group of islands in the western Aleutian Islands of southwest Alaska. Kiska and Rat Island are included in the group
Ryukyu Islands: Island chain (pop., 2000 prelim.: 1,329,000), Japan. It extends in an arc 600 mi (970 km) long from southern Japan to the northern tip of Taiwan. The 55 islands and islets have a total land area of 871 sq mi (2,255 sq km). In ancient times it was an independent kingdom, but Chinese and Japanese sovereignty were successively imposed on the archipelago from the 14th to the 19th century. In 1879 the Ryukyus became an integral part of Japan. After Japan's defeat in World War II, the U.S. took control of the islands; it returned them all by 1972. The U.S. maintains military bases on Okinawa. The islands are primarily rural, and agriculture is the dominant occupation
San Juan Islands: An archipelago of northwest Washington off the southeast coast of Vancouver Island north of Puget Sound. The islands were named c. 1790 by Spanish explorers and were later claimed by both Great Britain and the United States. The boundary dispute was finally settled in 1872
Sandwich Islands: {i} archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands, group of volcanic and coral islands in central Pacific Ocean, Hawaiian Islands
Santa Barbara Islands: A chain of islands and islets off southern California in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are separated from the mainland by Santa Barbara Channel in the north and San Pedro Channel in the south
Santa Cruz Islands: An island group of the southwest Pacific Ocean in the southeast Solomon Islands. They were discovered in 1595
Schouten Islands: Archipelago, across the entrance to Cenderawasih Bay of the Pacific Ocean, off the northern coast of Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia. The islands cover an area of 1,231 sq mi (3,188 sq km). The chief islands, Biak, Supiori, and Numfoor, are among the most densely populated areas of Papua. Another island group of the same name is located off the northeastern coast of New Guinea island; it is part of Papua New Guinea
Sea Islands: A chain of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off South Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida. The Spanish discovered and first inhabited the islands in the 16th century but were displaced by English colonists after the 17th century
Shetland Islands: group of islands north of Scotland in the Northern Sea
Shetland Islands: An archipelago of northern Scotland in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the Orkney Islands. The islands were occupied by Norse invaders and colonists after the late ninth century and were annexed by Scotland in 1472. the Shetland Islands a group of about 100 small islands off the north coast of Scotland, further north than the Orkneys. The main industries of the islands are fishing, farming, producing woollen clothes, and, more recently, dealing with the oil which is taken from nearby areas of the North Sea. People from the Shetland Islands are called Shetlanders. or Zetland Islands Island group (pop., 2001: 21,988), Scotland. The Shetlands comprise some 100 islands located 130 mi (210 km) north of the Scottish mainland and about 400 mi (640 km) south of the Arctic Circle. They form the Shetland administrative region; the region's capital is Lerwick. Fewer than 20 of the islands are inhabited. The northernmost part of Britain, the islands have fjordlike coasts and a climate warmed by the North Atlantic Current. The Norse ruled the Shetlands from the 8th to the 15th century. In 1472 the islands, with Orkney, were annexed to the Scottish crown. They are famous for their livestock, which includes the Shetland pony and the Shetland sheep. The latter's fine wool is used in the distinctive Shetland and Fair Isle knitted patterns. The North Sea oil industry has contributed to the economy
Society Islands: Archipelago (pop., 1996: 189,522), western French Polynesia. Its chief island is Tahiti. The Society Islands comprise two groups, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands. They are volcanic in origin and mountainous. Claimed for Britain in 1767, the islands were visited in 1769 by Capt. James Cook with a scientific expedition of the Royal Society (hence their name). They were claimed by France in 1768 and became a French protectorate in 1842, a French colony in 1881, and a part of French Oceania in 1903. Their chief products are copra and pearls
Solomon Islands: {i} group of islands in the Pacific ocean
Solomon Islands: A country comprising the Solomon Islands southeast of Bougainville. European planters and missionaries began arriving in the 18th and 19th centuries. The southern islands became a British protectorate in 1893, which later extended to the northern group. The islands became self-governing in 1976 and achieved independence in 1978. Honiara, on Guadalcanal Island, is the capital. Population: 366,000. An island group of the western Pacific Ocean east of New Guinea. Inhabited primarily by Melanesian peoples since at least 2000 , these volcanic islands were first visited by European explorers in the 1560s and were divided between Germany and Great Britain in the late 19th century. Australia assumed control of the northern islands in 1920. Today the northern Solomons are part of Papua New Guinea. The southern islands are an independent country. a country made up of several islands in the southwest Pacific, to the east of Papua New Guinea. Population: 480,442 (2001). Capital: Honiara. Island country, South Pacific Ocean
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: {i} islands in the South Atlantic Ocean that are a dependent territory of the UK
South Orkney Islands: A group of British-administered islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean southeast of Cape Horn. First visited by sealers in 1821, the island group was formerly part of the Falkland Islands Dependency and is now included (since 1962) in the British Antarctic Territory. Island group, southern Atlantic Ocean. Located southeast of South America, the South Orkneys are composed of two large islands (Coronation and Laurie) and many smaller islands; they form part of the British Antarctic Territory. Barren and uninhabited, the islands have a total area of 240 sq mi (620 sq km). They were part of the Falkland Islands Dependencies until 1962. Signy Island is used as a base for Antarctic exploration
South Sandwich Islands: A group of British-administered volcanic islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean east-southeast of Cape Horn. Part of the Falkland Islands Dependency, the islands were discovered in 1775
South Sea Islands: The islands of the southern Pacific Ocean, roughly coextensive with Oceania.South Sea Islander n
South Shetland Islands: An archipelago in the southern Atlantic Ocean off Antarctica. Formerly used as land bases by sealers and whalers, the islands are part of the British Antarctic Territory although they have also been claimed by Argentina and Chile
Spice Islands: group of islands in eastern Indonesia (also known as Moluccas)
Spratly Islands: Group of reefs, China Sea. Located midway between Vietnam and the Philippines, the group is claimed variously by Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines. Of the 12 main islets, the largest is the 90-acre (36-hectare) Itu Aba. Turtles and seabirds are the only permanent inhabitants. After World War II China established a garrison on Itu Aba, which the Chinese Nationalists maintained after their exile to Taiwan. Japan renounced its claim to the islands in 1951
Spratly Islands: group of islands located in the South China Sea near the Philippines
Sunda Islands: Archipelago extending from the Malay Peninsula to the Moluccas. The islands make up most of the land area of Indonesia, with only northern and northwestern Borneo and the eastern portion of Timor not under Indonesian political control. They include the Greater Sunda Islands (Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, and adjacent smaller islands) and the Lesser Sunda Islands (Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Timor, Alor, and adjacent smaller islands). Most of the islands are part of a geologically unstable and volcanically active island arc. Malay cultures and languages predominate in the area
Sverdrup Islands: A group of islands of northern Canada, in the Arctic Ocean west of Ellesmere Island
Tanimbar Islands: Group of about 30 islands, southeastern Moluccas, Indonesia. It includes the large island of Jamdena, 70 mi (113 km) long by 28 mi (45 km) wide, and the nearby islands of Larat and Selaru. Though there is a lack of fresh water, the soil supports corn, rice, coconut palms, and fruits. The Dutch claimed the group in 1639 but did not establish rule until 1900. After World War II, the islands became part of Indonesia
Thousand Islands: A group of more than 1,800 islands of northern New York and southeast Ontario, Canada, in the St. Lawrence River at the outlet of Lake Ontario. The islands, some of which are privately owned, are a popular resort area. Group of about 1,500 small islands extending 80 mi (128 km) in the Saint Lawrence River between New York state, U.S., and Ontario, Canada. Some islands belong to Canada and some to the U.S. The Thousand Islands include summer resort facilities and the Canadian St. Lawrence Islands National Park, which was established in 1904 and covers 988 ac (400 ha). The Thousand Islands International Bridge, which contains five spans linking some of the islands and is 8.5 mi (13.7 km) long, connects New York and Ontario
Thousand Islands: {i} group of over 1500 islands along the Canadian-United States border (in Canada in southeast Ontario and in the US in northern New York State) in the St. Lawrence River at the outlet of Lake Ontario
Thousand Islands dressing: {i} type of salad dressing made of mayonnaise and ketchup and mixture of chopped pickles and onions
Torres Strait Islands: Island group (pop., 1981: 6,000), in the Torres Strait. They are inhabited by a mixture of Polynesians, Melanesians, and Aborigines. They comprise three clusters: Western (high, rocky, and barren), Central (coral), and Eastern (volcanic, with dense vegetation); each has its own local government. The islands may be remnants of a land bridge that once linked Asia and Australia. They were annexed by Queensland in the 1870s. Pearls, fishing, and tourism are the main sources of income
Trobriand Islands: or Kiriwina Islands Group of small coral islands, Solomon Sea, South Pacific Ocean, Papua New Guinea. The islands are low-lying with coral reefs. The group has a total land area of about 170 sq mi (440 sq km). The largest, Kiriwina, is an atoll 30 mi (48 km) long and 3-10 mi (5-16 km) wide, covered largely with swamp; it served as an air and naval base for the Allies in 1943. Anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski conducted research among the Trobriand islanders 1915-18
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands: Former United Nations trusteeship, administered by the U.S. from 1947 to 1986. It consisted of more than 2,000 islands scattered over about 3,000,000 sq mi (7,770,000 sq km) of the tropical western Pacific Ocean, north of the Equator. It covered the region known as Micronesia and comprised three major island groups: the Marianas, the Carolines, and the Marshalls. The seat of government was Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. In 1986 the U.S. declared the trust territory agreements no longer in effect. The Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands became sovereign states, and the Northern Mariana Islands became a commonwealth of the U.S. The Republic of Palau became a sovereign state in 1994
Turks and Caicos Islands: {i} group of islands in the southeastern Bahamas (territories of Britain)
Turks and Caicos Islands: a group of 30 islands in the British West Indies, southeast of the Bahamas. Population: 18,122 (2001). Capital: Grand Turk. British dependency (pop., 2002 est.: 18,738), West Indies. It comprises two small island groups at the southeastern end of The Bahamas. The Turks group includes Grand Turk, Salt Cay, and lesser cays. The Caicos group includes South Caicos, East Caicos, Middle (or Grand) Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales, West Caicos, and several smaller cays. The seat of government is at Cockburn Town on Grand Turk Island. When Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León visited in 1512, the islands were inhabited by Indians. British colonists from Bermuda arrived in 1678. The islands were at first placed under the government of The Bahamas, but in 1874 they were annexed to the colony of Jamaica. The Turks and Caicos Islands became a crown colony in 1962 and shared a governor with The Bahamas from 1965 to 1973. A new constitution was adopted in 1988. The chief industries are tourism and offshore financial services
United States Minor Outlying Islands: {i} collective name for nine islands atolls and reefs (Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island) owned by the United States
Virgin Islands: the Virgin Islands a group of about 100 small islands in the east Caribbean Sea, some of which are ruled by the US as the US Virgin Islands, and some by the UK, as the British Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands National Park: Conservation area, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Covering 14,696 acres (5,947 hectares), it has steep mountains, white beaches, and coral reefs. Though most of the tree cover was removed for sugarcane cultivation in the 17th-18th century, the land has reverted to forest. Some 100 species of birds and the only native land mammal, the bat, can be found there. It has remains of Arawak Indian villages
Virgin Islands of the U.S: Unincorporated U.S. island territory at the eastern end of the Greater Antilles, northeastern Caribbean Sea. It consists of the islands of Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas and about 50 small islets. Area: 136 sq mi (352 sq km). Population, 2002 est.: 123,498. Capital: Charlotte Amalie. About 80% of the population is black or of mixed descent; most of the remainder are Hispanic (mainly Puerto Rican) or recent white immigrants. The people are U.S. citizens and elect a nonvoting representative to the U.S. House of Representatives, but they do not vote in U.S. national elections. Languages: English (official), French, Spanish. Religions: Protestantism, Orthodox Judaism. The islands are hilly and surrounded by coral reefs. Tourism dominates the economy. They probably were originally settled by Arawak Indians, but they were inhabited by the Caribs by the time that Christopher Columbus landed on St. Croix in 1493. St. Croix was occupied by the Dutch, English, French, and Spanish and at one time was owned by the Knights of Malta. Denmark occupied St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix and established them as a Danish colony in 1754. The U.S. purchased the Danish West Indies in 1917 for $25 million and changed the name to the Virgin Islands. They were administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior from 1931. In 1954 the Organic Act of the Virgin Islands created the current governmental structure, and in 1970 the first popularly elected governor took office. The area suffered extensive damage by hurricane in 1995
Virgin Islands of the United States: group of islands in the West Indies that is an incorporated territory of the United States of America
Visayan Islands: An island group of the central Philippines in and around the Visayan Sea between Luzon and Mindanao. Group of islands, central Philippines. Covering 23,944 sq mi (62,015 sq km), they are surrounded by the Visayan, Samar, and Camotes seas. The main islands are Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Masbate, Negros, Panay, and Samar. These islands and their smaller neighbours make up the central group of the Ph ilippine archipelago. Agriculture and fishing are important. The major urban centres are Cebu City on Cebu and Iloilo City on Panay
Visayan Islands: {i} group of islands in central Philippines
Volcano Islands: Group of three small volcanic islands, western Pacific Ocean, southern of Bonin Islands, Japan. After they were visited by Japanese fishermen and sulfur miners in 1887, the three islands of Kita Iwo, Iwo Jima (the largest), and Minami Iwo were claimed by Japan in 1891. After World War II, Japan retained residual sovereignty over the islands, but the U.S. administered them from 1951 until their return to Japan in 1968
Wallis Islands: Island group (pop., 1996: 9,528), forming the northeastern part of the French overseas territory of Wallis and Futuna, South Pacific Ocean. It comprises the main island of Uvea and eight islets, all enclosed in one coral reef, and it has an area of 23 sq mi (60 sq km). Visited in 1767 by the British navigator Capt. Samuel Wallis, the islands were occupied by the French in 1842. They became a French protectorate in 1887 and part of the overseas territory in 1959
Wallis and Futuna Islands: Island group, South Pacific Ocean. It is a self-governing overseas territory (pop., 2000 est.: 15,283) of France; it includes Wallis Island (also known as Uvea), the Futuna Islands (Futuna and Alofi), and a number of islets. The administrative seat is the village of Matautu, on Uvea. Until 1961 Wallis and Futuna was a protectorate under French authority attached to New Caledonia
Wallis and Futuna Islands: French territory in the southwestern Pacific Ocean that consists of the two island groups of Wallis and Futuna
Windward Islands: the Windward Islands a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, which includes Martinique, Grenada and St Lucia. Island group, Lesser Antilles, West Indies. Located at the eastern end of the Caribbean Sea, they include Dominica (sometimes classified as part of the Leeward Islands), Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, and the chain of small islands known as the Grenadines. Though near the general area, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados are usually not considered part of the group
island: a zone or area resembling an island a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
island: Land that has water on all sides
island: Continent
island: {f} make into an island; furnish with islands; seclude, isolate
island: A portion of a power system or several power systems that is electrically separated from the interconnection due to the disconnection of transmission system elements
island: A tract of land surrounded by water, and smaller than a continent
island: An island is a piece of land that is surrounded by water
island: Inner domain of a pocket that is to be avoided during machining It has a closed hard boundary
island: An island is a piece of land that is completely surrounded by water. the Canary Islands. a piece of land completely surrounded by water. Any area of land smaller than a continent and entirely surrounded by water. Islands may occur in oceans, seas, lakes, or rivers. A group of islands is called an archipelago. Continental islands are simply unsubmerged parts of a continental mass that are entirely surrounded by water; Greenland, the world's largest island, is of the continental type. Oceanic islands are produced by volcanic activity, when lava accumulates to enormous thickness until it finally protrudes above the ocean surface. The piles of lava that form Hawaii rise as high as 32,000 ft (9,700 m) above the ocean floor. Holy Island Sandalwood Island Alcatraz Island Alexander Island Anticosti Island Baffin Island Banks Island Bathurst Island Block Island Cape Breton Island Coney Island Devils Island Easter Island Ellesmere Island Ellis Island Fire Island Gorée Island Isabela Island island arc Kangaroo Island Kavaratti Island Kodiak Island Long Island Long Island Sound Mackinac Island Melville Island Muna Island Norfolk Island Norfolk Island pine North Island Padre Island Pitcairn Island Prince Edward Island Rhode Island Rhode Island and Providence Plantations Rhode Island School of Design Roanoke Island Roosevelt Island Welfare Island Blackwell's Island Sakhalin Island San Cristóbal Island San Juan Island National Historical Park South Island Southampton Island Staten Island Three Mile Island Vancouver Island Victoria Island Wake Island Wrangel Island Sandwich Islands Brooks Islands Admiralty Islands Aegean Islands Åland Islands Aleutian Islands Andaman and Nicobar Islands Andreanof Islands Aran Islands Aru Islands Austral Islands Babuyan Islands Balearic Islands Bonin Islands Canary Islands Caroline Islands Cayman Islands Channel Islands Santa Barbara Islands Cocos Islands Keeling Islands Cook Islands Corn Islands D'Entrecasteaux Islands Diomede Islands Elizabeth Islands Eolie Islands Lipari Islands Falkland Islands Falkland Islands War Faroe Islands Faeroe Islands Frisian Islands Futuna Islands Hoorn Islands Galápagos Islands Gambier Islands Gilbert and Ellice Islands Gilbert Islands Goto Islands Ionian Islands Islands Bay of Juan Fernández Islands Kerguelen Islands Kermadec Islands Khuriyya Muriyya Islands Kuria Muria Islands Kuril Islands islands of Langerhans Leeward Islands Line Islands Madeira Islands Magdalen Islands Mariana Islands Ladrone Islands Marquesas Islands Marshall Islands Republic of the Marshall Islands New Siberian Islands Northern Mariana Islands Orkney Islands Pacific Islands Trust Territory of the Phoenix Islands Pribilof Islands Queen Charlotte Islands Queen Elizabeth Islands Ryukyu Islands Schouten Islands Shetland Islands Zetland Islands Society Islands Solomon Islands South Orkney Islands Spratly Islands Sunda Islands Tanimbar Islands Thousand Islands Torres Strait Islands Trobriand Islands Kiriwina Islands Turks and Caicos Islands Virgin Islands British Virgin Islands National Park Virgin Islands of the U.S. Visayan Islands Volcano Islands Wallis and Futuna Islands Wallis Islands Windward Islands Paracel Islands

ıslands

Turkish pronunciation

aylındz

Pronunciation

/ˈīləndz/ /ˈaɪləndz/

Etymology

[ 'I-l&nd ] (noun.) before 12th century. alteration of earlier iland, from Middle English, from Old English Igland , from ig island + land land.

Resimler

Google Resimler

Bing Resimler

History

ıslands

Favorites

Online English Turkish and Multilingual Dictionary 20+ million words and idioms.

ıslands

Definition of ıslands in English Turkish dictionary

Related Terms

Definition of ıslands in English English dictionary

Related Terms

Turkish pronunciation

Pronunciation

Etymology

Resimler