Talk:List of island countries

"List of borderless country" listed at Redirects for discussion

A discussion is taking place to address the redirect List of borderless country. The discussion will occur at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2021 January 30#List of borderless country until a consensus is reached, and readers of this page are welcome to contribute to the discussion. Matthew hk (talk) 11:37, 30 January 2021 (UTC)

There's no need to maintain a List of borderless countries. Except Australia, all continental countries share at least one land border with another country. In total, there are 24 borderless countries in the world (countries with no land or maritime borders) and an additional 16 countries share only maritime border(s) with other countries. Other than Australia, all 39 countries without land borders are island countries already listed in this article. 120.16.171.146 (talk) 02:47, 15 May 2022 (UTC)

Oppose I reckon we should create the List of borderless countries as a new article. 42.200.36.189 (talk) 10:01, 3 September 2023 (UTC)

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Oppose I am opposing any attempt to suppress the promotion of local political and cultural identities among the world's dependent territories. Eventually, they all deserve to become independent countries. 42.200.36.189 (talk) 10:07, 3 September 2023 (UTC)

Australia

Australia is not just "often referred to as" (= weasel words). It really is an island. If Greenland is an island, why is not Australia?

Australia has its own continental shelf. Greenland is part of the North American continental shelf. End of discussion. Ddum5347 (talk) 22:56, 26 March 2021 (UTC)

Same thoughts exactly. Def of an island is a territory surrounded by water regardless of how big or how small; Australia is an island the same as Africa is almost an island of not for the Sinai which locks with Israel that made it not being an island Nlivataye (talk) 16:52, 28 April 2021 (UTC)

Huge continental mainlands are generally not considered to be islands. Greenland is generally considered the largest island in the world and Australia is generally considered the smallest continent in the world. Australia is not a true island country but it deserves a honourable mention. 2001:8003:9008:1301:501E:2EC1:45D6:B919 (talk) 00:28, 23 October 2021 (UTC)

We follow sources. Most sources recognise Australia as a continent - it has it's own continental plate - that is why there is an article about the Australia (continent). Some sources also call it an island but it's not 'really' an island but one that has been defined as both with a preponderance of sources calling it a continent. It is nonsense to say Australia is an island because of being surrounded by water because Africa is almost an island - this type of argument merely confuses the issue and there are no sources that say Africa is an island anyway. Robynthehode (talk) 12:53, 23 October 2021 (UTC)

If mainland Australia is an island, then Afro-Eurasia, the Americas, and Antarctica are also islands. Greenland would become the world's fifth-largest island.

I think you have confused landmass with continent and island. 120.16.171.146 (talk) 02:34, 15 May 2022 (UTC)

United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Denmark

I think there is a problem with the definition of the term island country. Does an island country have to have 100% of its territory on islands? If so, why is the United Kingdom considered to be an island country? Gibraltar, however small it might be, is a continental territory on the Iberian Peninsula which is administered by the United Kingdom.

If the United Kingdom can be classified as an island country, then the Kingdom of Denmark (including the Faroe Islands and Greenland) should be classified as an island country too. Over half of the Danish population live on the islands, the capital city Copenhagen is also located on an island. The Jutland Peninsula is the only continental part of the Danish Kingdom but it only makes up less than 1 percent of the Kingdom’s land.

For consistency purposes, I reckon we should either include both the UK and Denmark in the list or exclude both of them. 2001:8003:9008:1301:10C6:CA0D:C6F:5069 (talk) 12:41, 10 April 2022 (UTC)

@2001:8003:9008:1301:10C6:CA0D:C6F:5069: Before defining whether the UK itself as an island country, a basic cognition you should know is that, as of now, the British Overseas Territories are not considered as parts of the United Kingdom in strict legal sense,[1][2][3][4] this concept has also been explained in the citing annotation to the UK. LVTW2 (talk) 23:56, 10 April 2022 (UTC)

I don't buy into all that "not an integral part of the country" stuff. It doesn't matter what kind of wording is used, if a territory is not independent and it is under the sovereignty of another country, then it is technically a part of that country. Otherwise, it should be treated as an independent country. Some classical examples of an independent country are: Taiwan, Palestine, Kosovo, and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Some classical examples of a dependent territory are: Gibraltar, Greenland, Puerto Rico, and Hong Kong.

The fact is that the UK does have a small piece of land on the European continent, so the inclusion criteria for this article needs to be clarified. Otherwise, the inclusion of the United Kingdom and the exclusion of the Kingdom of Denmark is controversial.

A discussion is needed. 120.16.171.146 (talk) 03:16, 15 May 2022 (UTC)

The Kingdom of Denmark is not a country, it is a sovereign state and a realm. Denmark is a country. The British Overseas Territories are not part of the country of the United Kingdom, regardless of whether you "buy into" it or not. JM2023 (talk) 05:05, 12 September 2023 (UTC)

Dude, your argument is invalid. All sovereign states are countries, but not all countries are sovereign states. Constituent countries and dependent territories can also be classified as countries. The first list in this article is clearly a "list of island sovereign states" while the second one is a "list of island dependent territories". 120.16.127.229 (talk) 02:51, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

The presence of the Kiel Canal actually makes Denmark a de facto island country. 42.200.36.189 (talk) 09:59, 3 September 2023 (UTC)

Suggestion

I suggest that the number of islands that make up a country be added to the chart. Although, not all nations have a clear exact number, due to islets and rock/sand formations, so a general estimate could be added instead. Tankpiggy18 (talk) 16:35, 22 June 2022 (UTC)

That's a good idea. 42.200.36.189 (talk) 09:46, 3 September 2023 (UTC)

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Taiwan

I reckon this guy has raised a good point about Taiwan. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China, still claims the whole of China as its territory. If we are treating Taiwan as a partially recognized state, we should respect its territorial extent as per its Constitution, then Taiwan should be removed from our list since it is not a de jure island country (although it is a de facto island country). 2001:8003:913E:5D01:C11F:31DB:E162:B781 (talk) 15:11, 27 February 2023 (UTC)

The lead article has explained it clearly, the list includes states with limited diplomatic recognition which have de facto control over territories entirely on the islands LVTW2 (talk) 06:11, 9 July 2023 (UTC)

But the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is not listed as a landlocked country due to its claim of Western Sahara as its de jure territory, despite the fact that its entire coast is under Moroccan control. Similarly, the State of Palestine is not listed as a landlocked country due to its claim of the Gaza Strip (under Hamas control) as a part of its de jure territory, even though its entire coast is currently under Israeli control. We should have some consistencies in our inclusion criteria for country-related articles. 42.200.36.189 (talk) 09:45, 3 September 2023 (UTC)

Taiwan should not be included as an island country unless its national government amends its constitution to formally detach the island from China. 103.137.210.73 (talk) 21:46, 22 October 2024 (UTC)

Denmark

Why is Denmark not included in the list of island countries? Isn't the presence of the Kiel Canal makes Denmark a de facto island country? Taiwan is already included as a de facto island country in our article. 42.200.36.189 (talk) 09:53, 3 September 2023 (UTC)

Yes, Denmark should be included as an island country. 103.137.210.73 (talk) 21:23, 22 October 2024 (UTC)

Malaysia

East Malaysia constitutes about 60 percent of Malaysia, shouldn't we include Malaysia in the list of island countries since the majority of the country's territory is consisted of islands? 42.200.36.189 (talk) 09:57, 3 September 2023 (UTC)

No, West Malaysia is not on an island. Island countries have to be 100% on islands. 103.137.210.73 (talk) 21:25, 22 October 2024 (UTC)

Belize, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, and Suriname

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs includes Belize, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, and Suriname in its list of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Should we include these four countries in our list of island countries too? 42.200.36.189 (talk) 10:27, 3 September 2023 (UTC)

Yes for Guyana and Suriname, but no for Belize and Guinea-Bissau. Due to the presence of the Casiquiare Canal, Guyana and Suriname can be classified as island countries. Belize is a peninsular country as it is completely located on the Yucatán Peninsula. Guinea-Bissau is a continental country, it has nothing to do with island countries. 103.137.210.73 (talk) 21:35, 22 October 2024 (UTC)

Philippines

The Philippines' category should be various. Only Palawan and associated islands are continental, on a fragment rifted from mainland Asia and occasionally connected to Borneo on the Sunda Shelf. The rest of the Philippines are oceanic islands on the Philippine Mobile Belt, with both the Sunda Plate and the Philippine Plate subducting beneath it on the Manila Trench in the West and the Philippine Trench in the East. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 119.94.177.225 (talk) 09:56, 19 March 2024 (UTC)

Could you provide sources for that? 120.16.127.229 (talk) 03:01, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

Totally agree with you. 103.137.210.67 (talk) 00:02, 23 October 2024 (UTC)

Singapore

Is Singapore still an island country? Due to the presence of the Johor–Singapore Causeway (which is built on a sea embankment, not on a bridge), Singapore is technically a tied island which is physically connected to Mainland Southeast Asia. 103.137.210.73 (talk) 23:34, 22 October 2024 (UTC)

A bridge does not make an island technically a tied island. CMD (talk) 01:18, 23 October 2024 (UTC)

The Johor–Singapore Causeway is not on a bridge, it is on a seawall (embankment). The Tuas Second Link is on a bridge. 2001:8003:9100:2C01:4C6F:58F7:2736:7176 (talk) 13:25, 23 October 2024 (UTC)

Do you have sources that treat the causeway as a tombolo? CMD (talk) 13:33, 23 October 2024 (UTC)

A causeway is not a tombolo. The article tied island is poorly written, tombolo is not the only object which turns a normal island into a tied island. Any solid object which blocks the flow of seawater and connects an island to the mainland is turning that island into a tied island.

A tied island is not a real island though, it is actually a "peninsula". Xiamen Island became the Xiamen Peninsula after the completion of the Amoy Seawalls in 1955. When the Amoy Seawalls were demolished in 2014, the Xiamen Peninsula became Xiamen Island again. 2001:8003:9100:2C01:4C6F:58F7:2736:7176 (talk) 15:50, 23 October 2024 (UTC)