Lyla Lindsey
Australia is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. There are 8,222 islands within its maritime borders, including the 334 islands (or islets) within the state of Tasmania. The islands vary in size, with some being classified as low islands, meaning they barely rise above sea level. These low islands often form atolls, which are rings of small islands surrounding a lagoon. Australia is the largest country in Oceania, a region of thousands of islands in the South Pacific, and its vast number of small islands contribute to its megadiverse landscapes and climates.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of islands within maritime borders | 8,222 |
| Number of islands in Tasmania | 334 |
| Largest islands by area | Tasmania, Melville Island, Kangaroo Island, Groote Eylandt, Bathurst Island, K'gari, Flinders Island, King Island, Mornington Island |
| Largest islands by population | Tasmania, Bribie Island, Phillip Island |
| Example of a small island | Lord Howe Island |
| Example of a group of small islands | Brook Islands |
| Example of a coral atoll | Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands |
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What You'll Learn
Australia has 8,222 islands within its maritime borders
Tasmania, the largest of Australia's islands, covers 64,519 square kilometres (24,911 sq mi). It is located off the southeast coast of mainland Australia and is home to around 570,000 people. While Tasmania is considered a separate state, it does not have a defined name for its main island, which comprises 94% of the state's land area. This island is sometimes referred to as the "Tasmanian mainland". There are 334 islands (or islets) within the state of Tasmania, each with a land area greater than 100 hectares (250 acres).
The other large islands of Australia include Melville Island in the Northern Territory (NT), covering 5,786 square kilometres (2,234 sq mi); Kangaroo Island in South Australia (SA), with 4,416 square kilometres (1,705 sq mi); and Groote Eylandt in the NT, spanning 2,285 square kilometres (882 sq mi). These islands showcase the diversity of Australia's landscapes, ranging from the tropical rainforests along the coast to the arid interior.
Some of the smaller islands within Australia's maritime borders include Lord Howe Island, a remote island located 600 kilometres (370 mi) east of the Australian mainland in the Tasman Sea. There are also the Brook Islands, consisting of North, Tween, and Middle islets. Additionally, Australia has remote offshore territories, such as the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, further extending its presence in the vast Oceania region.
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The island of Tasmania has 334 islands
The island state of Tasmania, Australia, has 334 islands within its territory. Tasmania is located 240 kilometres (150 miles) south of mainland Australia, and the state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-largest island in the world, and the surrounding 1000 islands. The Tasmanian mainland itself is an island, with an area of 64,519 square kilometres (24,911 square miles), making up 94.1% of the state's total land area. The remaining 5.9% is made up of over 1000 smaller islands, with a combined area of 4,055 square kilometres (1,566 square miles).
Tasmania was named after Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, who made the first reported European sighting of the island in 1642. The main island of Tasmania, also known as the "Tasmanian mainland", does not have a defined name but is sometimes referred to as Lutruwita in the constructed palawa kani language of the Aboriginal Tasmanians. This name was derived from the Bruny Island Tasmanian language.
Tasmania has a diverse geography and is known for its unique place names. The island has the world's largest areas of dolerite, with distinctive mountains and cliffs formed from this rock type. The central plateau and southeast portions of the main island are mostly composed of dolerites. The state also has two major river systems, the Derwent in the southeast and the South Esk in the northeast, as well as thousands of lakes on the Central Plateau. Tasmania's soils are typically leached, acidic, poorly drained, high in humus, and low in fertility, and the state enjoys a mild and moist climate, with rain throughout the year.
The 334 islands of Tasmania are generally distinguished by the coast they are adjacent to, as well as the Bass Strait, which separates Tasmania from the mainland state of Victoria. The islands are grouped into regions, with five regions aligned with the north coast and Bass Strait: the North West Islands (including King Island), North Coast Islands, North Bass Strait Islands, Furneaux Islands, and North East Islands. The southern groups are the South and West Islands and the East Coast Islands. Only sixteen of the 334 islands are listed as private islands, with most of these having a conservation covenant restricting future development.
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Lord Howe Island is 600km east of the mainland
Australia has 8,222 islands within its maritime borders. One of these islands is Lord Howe Island, a small oceanic island in the Tasman Sea, 600 kilometres (370 miles) east of the Australian mainland. It is part of the Australian state of New South Wales and is about 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) long and between 0.3 and 2.0 kilometres (0.19 and 1.24 miles) wide, with an area of 14.55 square kilometres (5.62 square miles).
The island is crescent-shaped and is a volcanic remnant. It was named after Richard Howe, a British admiral, by Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball, the Commander of the "Supply", the oldest and smallest of the First Fleet ships, in 1788. The island is known for its natural attractions, including its rugged coast and pristine beaches. It is also home to a semi-enclosed, sheltered coral reef lagoon with white sand. The north and south sections of the island are forested, with the south dominated by volcanic mountains, including Mount Lidgbird and Mount Gower, which is the island's highest point at 875 metres (2,871 feet).
Lord Howe Island has a humid subtropical climate, with warm and humid summers and mild winters. The island is accessible by flights from Sydney and Brisbane, which take less than two hours. It is also known for its excellent surfing conditions, with ten different surf breaks across two sides of the island. The waters around the island are home to a diverse range of marine life, including 90 coral species and 500 species of fish. The island is a popular destination for snorkelling, swimming, and diving, as it is free of marine stingers.
Lord Howe Island was World Heritage Listed in 1982 by UNESCO, recognising its exceptional beauty, biodiversity, and unique geology. Over 70% of the island is a permanent park reserve, and it is considered one of Australia's last unspoiled island paradises.
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The Brook Islands are made up of North, Tween and Middle
Australia has 8,222 islands within its maritime borders, including the Brook Islands, which are located in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The Brook Islands are made up of North, Tween, and Middle, with North Brook being the largest island in the group. These islands are part of the Brook Islands National Park and are some of the few undisturbed island groups between the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns. They have a maximum elevation of 62m and are generally surrounded by rocky foreshores and beaches made of coarse sand and coral rubble.
The Brook Islands are characterized by their lush rainforest vegetation with many vines, known as a notophyll vine forest. This unique ecosystem has been relatively untouched by human activity, feral animals, and fires, making it an important representative sample of island ecosystems. The islands are home to rare plant species, such as the palm Arenga australasica and golden orchids Dendrobium discolor, which flourish along the shoreline. The abundant plant life suggests a relationship with the pied imperial-pigeons, which transport seeds over long distances, enhancing the islands' species diversity.
North Brook Island, in particular, boasts well-developed vegetation, including common canopy species such as Semecarpus australiensis (tar tree), Palaquium galactoxylum, Myristica insipida, and Alstonia scholaris. During World War II, this island was used for military testing of mustard gas by the British and Americans. While there are no visible traces of this history today, it was documented in a film released by Film Australia in 1989.
The Brook Islands are also significant for their role as nesting and roosting sites for several bird species. Between October and March, the islands host a large colony of pied imperial-pigeons, which migrate from New Guinea to breed. The pigeons commute daily to the mainland and nearby islands to feed on rainforest fruits, returning to the Brook Islands each evening. The islands have been classified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International due to their global importance for pied imperial-pigeons and lesser crested terns. Other bird species found on the islands include bridled, black-naped, little, and roseate terns, with vulnerable beach stone-curlews recorded on North Island.
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Atolls are rings of small islands surrounding lagoons
Australia has 8,222 islands within its maritime borders, including the large island state of Tasmania off the southeast coast of mainland Australia. However, this response will focus on atolls, which are rings of small islands surrounding lagoons.
Atolls are ring-shaped coral reefs or islands that encircle a lagoon either partially or completely. They are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Atolls require warm ocean waters, which are essential for coral growth, and proximity to volcanic activity for their formation. The base geographic feature upon which atolls form is volcanic islands. As the volcanic island subsides, the coral reef along the edges continues to grow upward toward the light, maintaining its position near the ocean surface. Eventually, the central island disappears completely beneath the ocean's surface, leaving behind a ring of growing coral. This coral reef becomes a barrier reef for the reason that the outer part of the reef maintains itself near sea level through biotic growth, while the inner part of the reef falls behind, becoming a lagoon.
There are approximately 440 atolls in the world, most of which are in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. The largest atoll in the world in terms of land area is Kiritimati, a raised coral atoll with a land area of 321 km2 (124 sq mi) and a main lagoon of 160 km2 (62 sq mi). Other large atolls include Lifou, with a land area of 1,146 km2 (442 sq mi), and Rennell Island, with a land area of 660 km2 (250 sq mi).
The shape of atolls can vary, with some being elliptical or circular, and others having irregular, angular shapes. Crescent-shaped atolls, for example, are characterized by a curved, arc-like formation of the coral reef, often with a more open lagoon. Irregular shapes can result from factors such as uneven subsidence of the volcanic island, variations in coral growth rates, and past geological events that altered the reef's development.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia has 8,222 islands within its maritime borders.
There are 334 islands or islets within the state of Tasmania.
An atoll is a ring of very small islands that surround a lagoon. An atoll is formed when a coral reef develops around a volcanic island, and then the volcanic island erodes, leaving a lagoon.
