Wikipedia

Island country

(Redirected fromIsland nation)
"Island nation" redirects here. For the Taiwanese TV series, seeIsland Nation.
For a more comprehensive list, seeList of island countries.
Not to be confused withIceland.

Anisland country,island state,orisland nationis acountrywhose primary territory consists of one or moreislandsor parts of islands. Approximately 25% of all independent countries are island countries.[1]Island countries are historically more stable[1]than many continental states but are vulnerable to conquest bynaval superpowers.Indonesiais the largest and most populated island country in the world.[2][3]

Sovereign statesand a de facto state (Taiwan) fully on islands: those with land borders shaded green, and those without shaded dark blue.

Countries/territories not shown on the map:Antarctica(aq) (continentaldisputed territory),Australia(au) (continentalcountry), theCook Islands(ck) (free associationwithNew Zealand),Greenland(gl) (constituent countryof theKingdom of Denmark),Niue(nu) (free associationwithNew Zealand), andPuerto Rico(pr) (unincorporated U.S. territory).

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 andports;such states may bevulnerable to the effects of the climate,especiallysea level changes.

Remote or significant islands andarchipelagosthat are not themselves sovereign are often known asdependenciesoroverseas territories.

History

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Politics

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Historically, island countries have tended to be less prone to political instability than their continental counterparts. The percentage of island countries that aredemocraticis higher than that ofcontinentalcountries.[1]

Island territories

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While island countries by definition aresovereign states,there are also several islands andarchipelagosaround the world that operatesemi-autonomouslyfrom their official sovereign states. These are often known as dependencies or overseas territories and can be similar in nature to proper island countries.

War

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Island countries have often been the basis of maritime conquest and historical rivalry between other countries.[4] Island countries are more susceptible to attack by large, continental countries due to their size and dependence onseaandair lines of communication.[5] Many island countries are also vulnerable to predation by mercenaries and other foreign invaders,[6] although their isolation also makes them a difficult target.

Natural resources

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Many developing small island countries rely heavily onfishfor their main supply of food.[7] Some are turning torenewable energy—such aswind power,hydropower,geothermal powerandbiodieselfromcopra oil—to defend against potential rises inoil prices.[8]

Geography

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Some island countries are more affected than other countries byclimate change,which produces problems such as reducedland use,water scarcity,and sometimes even resettlement issues. Some low-lying island countries are slowly being submerged by the rising water levels of thePacific Ocean.[9] Climate change also impacts island countries by causing natural disasters such astropical cyclones,hurricanes,flash floodsanddroughts.[10]

Climate change

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This section is an excerpt fromEffects of climate change on small island countries.[edit]
A sign onSouth Tarawa,Kiribati pointing out the threat ofsea level riseto the island, with its highest point being only three metres above sea level.
Theeffects of climate change on small island countriesare affecting people in coastal areas throughsea level rise,increasing heavy rain events,tropical cyclonesandstorm surges.[11]: 2045 Theseeffects of climate changethreaten the existence of many island countries, their peoples and cultures. They also alterecosystemsand natural environments in those countries.Small island developing states(SIDS) are a heterogenous group of countries but many of them are particularlyat risk to climate change.[12]Those countries have been quite vocal in calling attention to the challenges they face from climate change.[12]For example, theMaldivesand nations of theCaribbeanandPacific Islandsare already experiencing considerable impacts of climate change.[13]It is critical for them to implementclimate change adaptationmeasures fast.[13]

Some small and low population islands do not have the resources to protect their islands and natural resources. They experienceclimate hazardswhich impact on human health, livelihoods, and inhabitable space. This can lead to pressure toleave these islandsbut resources to do so are often lacking as well.

Efforts to combat these challenges are ongoing and multinational. Many of the small island developing countries have a high vulnerability to climate change, whilst having contributed very little to globalgreenhouse gas emissions.Therefore, some small island countries have made advocacy for global cooperation onclimate change mitigationa key aspect of theirforeign policy.

Economics

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Japanis an archipelago inAsiathat constitutes one of the richest and most populated nations onEarth.
Singapore,an affluent and highly developed sovereign island country by which its territories consists of amain island and other smaller islands

Many island countries rely heavily onimportsand are greatly affected by changes in theglobal economy.[14]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, Taiwan[citation needed]and the United Kingdom.[15][16][17] The dominant industry for many island countries istourism.[18]

Composition

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Island countries are typically small with low populations, although some, likeIndonesia,Japan,and thePhilippinesare notable exceptions.[19]

Some island countries are centred on one or two major islands, such as theUnited Kingdom,Trinidad and Tobago,New Zealand,Cuba,Bahrain,Singapore,Sri Lanka,Iceland,Malta,andTaiwan.Others are spread out over hundreds or thousands of smaller islands, such asJapan,Indonesia, thePhilippines,The Bahamas,Seychelles,and theMaldives.Some island countries share one or more of their islands with other countries, such as the United Kingdom andIreland;Haitiand theDominican Republic;and Indonesia, which shares islands withPapua New Guinea,Brunei,East Timor,andMalaysia.Bahrain, Singapore, and the United Kingdom havefixed linkssuch as bridges and tunnels to the continental landmass: Bahrain is linked to Saudi Arabia by theKing Fahd Causeway,Singapore to Malaysia by theJohor–Singapore CausewayandSecond Link,and the United Kingdom has a railway connection to France through theChannel Tunnel.

Geographically, the country ofAustraliais considered acontinentallandmass rather than an island, covering the largest landmass of theAustralian continent.In the past, however, it was considered an island country for tourism purposes[20](among others) and is sometimes referred to as such.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abcOtt, Dan (1996).Small is Democratic.Routledge. p. 128.ISBN0-8153-3910-0.RetrievedMarch 23,2019.
  2. ^Chepkemoi, Joyce (April 25, 2017)."Which Are The Island Countries Of The World?".WorldAtlas.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2017-12-07.Retrieved2019-08-10.
  3. ^"Population, total 2015-2019".World Bank Open Data.Retrieved21 April2021.
  4. ^Chasle, Raymond (1 Oct 1986)."The quest for identity. (island countries)".UNESCO Courier. Archived fromthe originalon 22 May 2015.Retrieved2009-02-01.
  5. ^Perry, Walt L.; Robert W. Button; Jerome Bracken; Thomas Sullivan; Rand Corporation; United States Navy; Jonathan Mitchell (2002).Measures of Effectiveness for the Information-age Navy.Rand Corporation. p. 7.ISBN0-8330-3139-2.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-03-30.Retrieved2020-11-01.
  6. ^WREN, CHRISTOPHER S. (December 9, 1989)."Mercenary Holding Island Nation Seeks Deal".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-01-22.Retrieved2009-02-01.
  7. ^"Many of the world's poorest people depend on fish".Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2005-06-07. Archived fromthe originalon 2019-08-26.Retrieved2017-09-30.
  8. ^Xingwei, Huang (2008-10-17)."Pacific Islands countries switch to renewable energy source due to increasing fuel prices".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-04-02.Retrieved2009-02-01.
  9. ^"Leader of disappearing island nation says climate change an issue of survival, not economics".June 5, 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 2008-06-05.Retrieved2009-02-01.
  10. ^"FAO: Climate change threatens food security of Pacific island countries".December 2, 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 2008-12-07.Retrieved2009-02-01.
  11. ^Mycoo, M., M.Wairiu, D. Campbell, V. Duvat, Y. Golbuu, S. Maharaj, J. Nalau, P. Nunn, J. Pinnegar, and O.Warrick, 2022: "Chapter 15: Small Islands".In:"Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change"[H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 2043–2121,doi:10.1017/9781009325844.017.
  12. ^abThomas, Adelle; Baptiste, April; Martyr-Koller, Rosanne; Pringle, Patrick; Rhiney, Kevon (2020-10-17)."Climate Change and Small Island Developing States".Annual Review of Environment and Resources.45(1): 1–27.doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-012320-083355.ISSN1543-5938.Text was copied from this source, which is available under aCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
  13. ^abBetzold, Carola (2015-12-01)."Adapting to climate change in small island developing states".Climatic Change.133(3): 481–489.Bibcode:2015ClCh..133..481B.doi:10.1007/s10584-015-1408-0.ISSN1573-1480.S2CID153937782.
  14. ^"Hardship and Vulnerability in the Pacific Island Countries".The World Bank Group. 27 March 2014.Retrieved15 November2023.
  15. ^"WTO/FORSEC Trade Policy Course for Pacific island countries".9 March 2001.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-10-02.Retrieved2009-02-01.
  16. ^"NZ calls for global solutions to problems faced by small island nations".2005-01-18. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-10-24.Retrieved2009-02-01.
  17. ^Garg, Sarika."U.N. ambassador gives keynote".Archivedfrom the original on 2019-10-29.Retrieved2017-09-05.
  18. ^"China enlists Pacific island countries as tourist destinations, XINHUA".The America's Intelligence Wire.10 August 2004.Archivedfrom the original on 2 January 2013.Retrieved1 February2009.
  19. ^"Wen pledges new aid to Pacific countries".International Herald Tribune. April 5, 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 2007-02-17.Retrieved2013-08-21.
  20. ^"Australian Naval Defence".The Brisbane Courier. 24 July 1897.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-12-06.Retrieved2009-01-31.
  21. ^"China, Pacific island countries discuss cooperation at forum meeting".Archivedfrom the original on 2012-10-13.Retrieved2009-02-01.
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