By Krystal W.

An island is one piece of land that has water on all sides of it. Over the years islands have provided us with a beautiful vacation spot, but do you know anything about them? If not, you soon will. If you do know a thing or two, here’s your chance to learn more!

Types of Island Formations

<*> Barrier Islands <*>

The action of wind, water, and tides move the sand around to form these islands.

<*> Continental Islands <*>

They are bodies of land that rest upon the continental shelf of a continent.

Examples~ Greenland***Sable Islands***Barbados***Trinidad

Sicily***Sumatra***Java***New Guinea***Tasmania

<*> Coral Reef <*>

An island formed by a coral reef is called an atoll. The coral reef rises to the top of the water and makes a new island.

Examples~ Maldives***Line Islands

<*> Microcontinental Islands <*>

They are islands that form when a continent is rifted.

Examples~ Madagascar***Kerguelen Island***Seychelles

<*> River Islands <*>

These Islands occur in river deltas and in large rivers. Deposition of sediments causes them to form. Some are never seen

again because of the waters volume or speed changes; however some live very long.

<*> Volcanic Islands <*>

1. These islands rise from volcanoes where one plate is over another.

Examples~ Mariana Islands***Aleutian Islands***Republic of Mauritius

Tonga***Lesser Antilles***South Sandwich Islands

2. This island formation occurs when an oceanic rift reaches the surface.

Examples~ Iceland***Jan Mayen

3. These islands are formed by hot spots.

Examples~ Hawaiian Islands***Tuamotu Archipelago***Austral Islands

Tristan da Cunha***Surtsey

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