World Records
The Largest Islands in the World: Why Greenland Wins and Australia Doesn't Count
Greenland is the largest island on Earth at about 2.16 million square kilometres — but Australia, which is more than three times bigger, isn't on the list at all. The reason isn't size; it's a definition. Australia is classified as a continent, and the moment a landmass becomes a continent, it stops being an island. That single rule explains the entire ranking, and a famous map projection explains why Greenland looks even bigger than it is.