Island country - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia a.new,#quickbar a.new{color:#ba0000} /* cache key: enwiki:resourceloader:filter:minify-css:4:f2a9127573a22335c2a9102b208c73e7 */ if ( window.mediaWiki ) { mw.config.set({"wgCanonicalNamespace": "", "wgCanonicalSpecialPageName": false, "wgNamespaceNumber": 0, "wgPageName": "Island_country", "wgTitle": "Island country", "wgCurRevisionId": 456368243, "wgArticleId": 525000, "wgIsArticle": true, "wgAction": "view", "wgUserName": null, "wgUserGroups": ["*"], "wgCategories": ["All articles with dead external links", "Articles with dead external links from September 2010", "All articles with unsourced statements", "Articles with unsourced statements from February 2009", "Island countries", "Political geography"], "wgBreakFrames": false, "wgRestrictionEdit": [], "wgRestrictionMove": [], "wgSearchNamespaces": [0], "wgFlaggedRevsParams": {"tags": {"status": {"levels": 1, "quality": 2, "pristine": 3}}}, "wgStableRevisionId": null, "wgVectorEnabledModules": {"collapsiblenav": true, "collapsibletabs": true, "editwarning": true, "expandablesearch": false, "footercleanup": false, "sectioneditlinks": false, "simplesearch": true, "experiments": true}, "wgWikiEditorEnabledModules": {"toolbar": true, "dialogs": true, "hidesig": true, "templateEditor": false, "templates": false, "preview": false, "previewDialog": false, "publish": false, "toc": false}, "wgTrackingToken": "5b45b3c7b32d5bb318040a1d13bdf203", "wikilove-recipient": "", "wikilove-edittoken": "+\\", "wikilove-anon": 0, "mbEditToken": "+\\", "Geo": {"city": "", "country": ""}, "wgNoticeProject": "wikipedia"}); } if ( window.mediaWiki ) { mw.loader.load(["mediawiki.page.startup"]); } Island country From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Island countries in the world Countries without land borders

An island country is a state whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islandscitation needed. As of 2011, 47 (approximately 25%1) of the 193 UN member states are island countries. Contents 1 Politics 2 War 3 Natural resources 4 Geography 5 Economics 6 Composition 7 Climate Change 8 See also 9 References Politics The percentage of island countries that are democratic is higher than that of continental countries, although historically they have been more prone to political instability.1 War Island countries have often been the basis of maritime conquest and historical rivalry between other countries.2 Island countries are more susceptible to attack by large, continental countries due to their size and dependence on sea lines of communication and air lines of communication.3 Many island countries are also vulnerable to predation by mercenaries and other foreign invaders.4 However, their isolation also makes them a difficult target. Natural resources

Many island countries rely heavily on fish for their main supply of food.5 Some are turning to renewable energy—such as wind power, hydropower, geothermal power and biodiesel from copra oil—to combat the rise in oil prices.6 Geography Some island countries are more affected by climate change than other countries. Some low-lying island countries are slowly being submerged by the rising water levels of the Pacific Ocean.7 Climate change also impacts island countries by causing natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, hurricanes, flash floods and drought.8 Economics Many island countries rely heavily on imports and are greatly affected by changes in the global economy.9 The economies of island countries are usually smaller and more vulnerable to shipping costs, environmental damage to infrastructure, and isolation from other economies than those of larger, continental countries (excluding Japan, Australia and the U.K.) 101112 The dominant industry for many island countries is tourism.13 Composition

Island countries are typically small with relatively low populations.14 Some island countries are centred on one or two major islands, such as the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, New Zealand and Singapore. Others are spread out over hundreds or thousands of smaller islands, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Maldives. Some island countries share their islands with other countries; these include the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and Indonesia, which shares islands with Papua New Guinea, Brunei, East Timor and Malaysia. 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 purposes15 and is still often referred to as such.16 Climate Change Climate change poses a threat to island nations. Rising sea levels provide obstacles including reduced land use, water scarcity and sometimes even resettlement issues for island nations. In 2011, the Center for Climate Change Law (CCCL) held a conference attended by 272 registrants from 39 island nations titled Legal Issues for Threatened Island Nations.17 See also Archipelago List of Caribbean island countries by population List of countries List of island countries List of islands by area List of islands (by country) Micronation Pacific Islands Forum Small Island Developing States References ^ a b Ott, Dana (2000). Small is Democratic. Routledge. pp. 128. ISBN 0815339100. http://books.google.com/books?id=JOqZ9eOeRXoC&pg=PA128&dq=%22island+country%22&lr=#PPA128,M1.  ^ Chasle, Raymond (01-OCT-1986). "The quest for identity. (island countries)". UNESCO Courier. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-9197350_ITM. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ Perry, Walt L.; Robert W. Button, Jerome Bracken, Thomas Sullivan, Rand Corporation, United States Navy, Jonathan Mitchell (2002). Measures of Effectiveness for the Information-age Navy. Rand Corporation. pp. 7. ISBN 0833031392. http://books.google.com/books?id=VwI0WLby3WoC&pg=PA7&dq=%22island+country%22&lr=#PPA7,M1.  ^ WREN, CHRISTOPHER S. (December 9, 1989). "Mercenary Holding Island Nation Seeks Deal". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE3DB173CF93AA35751C1A96F948260. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ "OTTAWA: REPORT ISSUES WARNING ABOUT FUTURE OF CORAL FISHERIES". Radio Canada International. 2007-04-21. http://www.rcinet.ca/rci/en/news/2007/04/20070421.shtml. Retrieved 2009-02-01. dead link ^ Xingwei, Huang (2008-10-17). "Pacific Islands countries switch to renewable energy source due to increasing fuel prices". http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/17/content_10210370.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ "Leader of disappearing island nation says climate change an issue of survival, not economics". June 5, 2008. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/05/asia/AS-GEN-New-Zealand-World-Environment-Day.php. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ "FAO: Climate change threatens food security of Pacific island countries". December 02, 2008. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90856/6544815.html. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ "Global economic crisis a concern for Pacific island countries". 2008-10-28. http://www.cctv.com/program/bizchina/20081028/106856.shtml. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ "WTO/FORSEC Trade Policy Course for Pacific island countries". 9 March 2001. http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news01_e/fiji_e.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ "NZ calls for global solutions to problems faced by small island nations". 2005-01-18. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-01/18/content_2475179.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ Garg, Sarika. "U.N. ambassador gives keynote". http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=ce109893-987e-42f8-816f-019cbd58eefa. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ "China enlists Pacific island countries as tourist destinations, XINHUA.". The America's Intelligence Wire. 10-AUG-04. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-12915601_ITM. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ "Wen pledges new aid to Pacific countries". International Herald Tribute. April 5, 2006. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/05/news/pacific.php. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ "Australian Naval Defence". The Brisbane Courier. 24 July 1897. http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3655029. Retrieved 2009-01-31.  ^ "China, Pacific island countries discuss cooperation at forum meeting". http://english.people.com.cn/200604/05/eng20060405_256086.html. Retrieved 2009-02-01.  ^ http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2826