Archipelago

2025-05-19T15:08:59Z

185.147.89.84: Altered "archipelago" to "archipelagic state" to reflect the facts stated in the description further down the page under "Superlatives"

{{Short description|Collection of islands}}
{{Redirect|Island chain|the strategy|Island chain strategy||Archipelago (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|arpeggio|a cappella}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
[[File:Indonesia relief location map.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|The [[Indonesian Archipelago]], located in Asia and [[Oceania]], is the largest archipelagic state in the world.]]
[[File:Aegeansea.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Aegean Sea]] with its large number of islands is the origin of the term ''archipelago''.]]
[[File:MerguiArchipelagoMap.png|thumb|The [[Mergui Archipelago]] in Myanmar]]
An '''archipelago''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɑːr|k|ə|ˈ|p|ɛ|l|ə|ɡ|oʊ|audio=en-us-archipelago.ogg}} {{respell|AR|kə|PEL|ə|goh}}),<ref>{{cite Dictionary.com|archipelago}}</ref> sometimes called an '''island group''' or '''island chain''', is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the [[Aegean Islands]] (the origin of the term), the Canadian [[Arctic Archipelago]], the [[Stockholm Archipelago]], the [[Malay Archipelago]] (which includes the Indonesian and Philippine Archipelagos), the [[Lucayan Archipelago|Lucayan (Bahamian) Archipelago]], the [[Japanese archipelago]], and the [[Hawaiian Islands|Hawaiian Archipelago]].

==Etymology==
The word ''archipelago'' is derived from the Italian ''arcipelago'', used as a proper name for the [[Aegean Sea]], itself perhaps a deformation of the Greek Αιγαίον Πέλαγος.<ref>{{cite Dictionary.com|archipelago}}</ref><ref>Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. "archipelago (n.), Etymology", July 2023, [https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/4069383322]</ref> Later, usage shifted to refer to the [[Aegean Islands]] (since the sea has a large number of islands). The erudite [[paretymology]], deriving the word from [[Ancient Greek]] ἄρχι-(''arkhi-'', "chief") and πέλαγος (''pélagos'', "sea"), proposed by [[Cristoforo Buondelmonti|Buondelmonti]], can still be found.<ref>Maltézou, Chryssa A., ''De la mer Égée à l'archipel: quelques remarques sur l'histoire insulaire égéenne'' In: Mélanges Hélène Ahrweiler Pt. 2 (1998) p. 464-465</ref>

==Geographic types==
Archipelagos may be found isolated in large amounts of water or neighboring a large land mass. For example, Scotland has more than 700 islands surrounding its mainland, which form an archipelago.

Depending on their geological origin, islands forming archipelagos can be referred to as ''oceanic islands'', ''continental fragments'', or ''continental islands''.<ref>Whittaker R. J. & Fernández-Palacios J. M. (2007) ''Island Biogeography: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation''. New York, Oxford University Press</ref>

===Oceanic islands===
Oceanic islands are formed by volcanoes erupting from the ocean floor. The [[Hawaiian Islands]] and [[Galapagos Islands]] in the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], and [[Mascarene Islands]] in the south [[Indian Ocean]] are examples.

===Continental fragments===
Continental fragments are islands that were once part of a continent, and became separated due to natural disasters. The fragments may also be formed by moving glaciers which cut out land, which then fills with water. The [[Farallon Islands]] off the coast of California are examples of continental islands.

===Continental Islands===
[[File:Острова_близ_Турку._Saaret._By_Victor_Belousov._-_panoramio.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[Archipelago Sea]] with many islands in southwestern Finland]]
Continental islands are islands that were once part of a continent and still sit on the continental shelf, which is the edge of a continent that lies under the ocean. The islands of the [[Inside Passage]] off the coast of [[British Columbia]] and the [[Arctic Archipelago|Canadian Arctic Archipelago]] are examples.

===Artificial archipelagos===
Artificial archipelagos have been created in various countries for different purposes. [[Palm Islands]] and [[The World (archipelago)|The World Islands]] in Dubai were or are being created for leisure and tourism purposes.<ref>{{cite web | last=McFadden | first=Christopher | title=7+ Amazing Facts About Dubai's Palm Islands | website=Interesting Engineering | date=22 December 2019 | url=https://interestingengineering.com/7-curious-facts-about-dubais-palm-islands | access-date=8 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Wainwright | first=Oliver | title=Not the end of The World: the return of Dubai's ultimate folly | website=The Guardian| date=13 February 2018 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/13/not-end-the-world-return-dubai-ultimate-folly | access-date=8 July 2020}}</ref> [[Marker Wadden]] in the Netherlands is being built as a conservation area for birds and other wildlife.<ref>{{cite web | last=Boffey | first=Daniel | title=Marker Wadden, the manmade Dutch archipelago where wild birds reign supreme | website=The Guardian| date=27 April 2019 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/27/marker-wadden-islands-netherlands-manmade-archipelago-wild-birds-eco-haven | access-date=8 July 2020}}</ref>

==Superlatives==
The largest archipelago in the world by number of islands is the [[Archipelago Sea]], which is part of Finland. There are approximately 40,000 islands, mostly uninhabited.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sjofartsverket.se/upload/378/Sjokortsbilder/61.pdf|title=Nautical chart: International no. 1205, SE61, Baltic Sea, North, Sea of Åland.|access-date=16 March 2023|archive-date=20 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020134932/http://www.sjofartsverket.se/upload/378/Sjokortsbilder/61.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The largest archipelagic state in the world by area, and by population, is Indonesia.<ref>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Indonesia|access-date=7 December 2008 |year=2008}}</ref>


==See also==
{{Portal|Geography|Islands}}
* [[List of landforms]]
* [[List of archipelagos by number of islands]]
* [[List of archipelagos]]
* [[Archipelagic state]]
* [[List of islands]]
* [[Aquapelago]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category|Archipelagoes}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Archipelago}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090130062925/http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/island-archipelagos/3612 30 Most Incredible Island Archipelagos]

{{coastal geography}}
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[[Category:Archipelagoes| ]]
[[Category:Coastal and oceanic landforms]]
[[Category:Oceanographical terminology]]

Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Archipelago