An island country is a sovereign state whose territory consists entirely of one or more islands, with no land border shared with another country. They range from vast archipelagos like Indonesia and Japan to single small islands such as Nauru. Island nations are found in every ocean and dominate the map of the Caribbean and the Pacific.
38 countriesSovereign states with no land borders. Ranges from large archipelagos to single small islands.
Sovereign states with no land borders. Ranges from large archipelagos to single small islands.
Membership of a cultural or political grouping is not always settled, and different sources draw the line in different places. Stating the rule up front is the point: it lets you judge whether this list answers your question, instead of wondering why a country you expected is missing. Every figure in the table comes from the dataset described on the data page.
Frequently asked questions
How many island countries are there?
There are 38 island countries on this list. Sovereign states with no land borders. Ranges from large archipelagos to single small islands.
Which of the island countries is the largest?
Australia, at 7,692,024 km², followed by Madagascar at 587,041 km². The smallest is Nauru.
Which of the island countries has the largest population?
Japan, with about 123,366,734 people, ahead of Philippines at about 116,786,962.
Populations from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL); other fields from open datasets. Membership of cultural regions can vary between sources; this list uses the definition stated above. Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated .Report a correction.
