An island country, island state, or island nation is a
country whose primary territory consists of one or more
islands or 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 by
naval superpowers.
Indonesia is the largest and most populated island country in the world.[2][3]
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 and
ports; such states may be
vulnerable to the effects of climate change, especially
sea level rise.
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Politics
Historically, island countries have tended to be less prone to political instability than their continental counterparts. The percentage of island countries that are
democratic is higher than that of
continental countries.[1]
Island territories
While island countries by definition are
sovereign states, there are also several islands and
archipelagos around the world that operate
semi-autonomously from their official sovereign states. These are often known as dependencies or overseas territories and can be similar in nature to proper island countries.
War
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 on
sea and
air 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.
Some island countries are more affected than other countries by
climate change, which produces problems such as reduced
land use,
water scarcity, and sometimes even resettlement issues. Some low-lying island countries are slowly being submerged by the rising water levels of the
Pacific Ocean.[9]
Climate change also impacts island countries by causing natural disasters such as
tropical cyclones, hurricanes,
flash floods and
droughts.[10]
Some small and low population islands are without adequate resources to protect their islands, inhabitants, and natural resources. In addition to the risks to human health, livelihoods, and inhabitable space, the pressure to leave islands is often barred by the inability to access the resources needed to
relocate. The nations of the
Caribbean,
Pacific Islands and
Maldives are already experiencing considerable impacts of climate change, making efforts to implement
climate change adaptation a critical issue for them.[13]
Efforts to combat these environmental changes are ongoing and multinational. Due to their vulnerability and limited contribution to
greenhouse gas emissions, some island countries have made advocacy for global cooperation on
climate change mitigation a key aspect of their foreign policy. Governments face a complex task when combining gray infrastructure with green infrastructure and nature-based solutions to help with disaster risk management in areas such as flood control, early warning systems, nature-based solutions, and integrated water resource management.[14] As of March 2022, the
Asian Development Bank has committed $3.62 billion to help small island developing states with climate change, transport, energy, and health projects.[15]
Economics
Many island countries rely heavily on
imports and are greatly affected by changes in the
global economy.[16] 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.[17][18][19]
The dominant industry for many island countries is
tourism.[20]
Composition
Island countries are typically small with low populations, although some, like
Indonesia,
Japan, and the
Philippines are notable exceptions.[21]
Geographically, the country of
Australia is considered a
continental landmass rather than an island, covering the largest landmass of the
Australian continent. In the past, however, it was considered an island country for tourism purposes[22] (among others) and is sometimes referred to as such.[23]