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{{Short description|Collection of islands}}
{{Redirect|Island chain|the strategy|Island chain strategy||Archipelago (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|arpeggio|a cappella}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

[[File:Aegeansea.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[Aegean Sea]] with its large number of islands is the origin of the term ''archipelago''.]]
[[File:MerguiArchipelagoMap.png|thumb|The [[Mergui Archipelago]] in [[Myanmar]]]]

An '''archipelago''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɑːr|k|ə|ˈ|p|ɛ|l|ə|ɡ|oʊ|audio=en-us-archipelago.ogg}} {{respell|AR|kə|PEL|ə|goh}}),<ref>{{cite Dictionary.com|archipelago}}</ref> sometimes called an '''island group''' or '''island chain''', is a chain, cluster, or collection of [[island]]s, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.


Examples of archipelagos include: the [[List of islands of Indonesia|Indonesian Archipelago]], the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], the [[Lakshadweep]] Islands, the [[Galápagos Islands]], the [[Japanese Archipelago|Japanese archipelago]], the [[List of islands of the Philippines|Philippine Archipelago]], the [[Maldives]], the [[Balearic Isles|Balearic Islands]], the [[Åland Islands]], [[The Bahamas]], the [[Aegean Islands]], the [[Hawaiian Islands]], the [[Canary Islands]], [[Malta]], the [[Azores]], the [[Arctic Archipelago|Canadian Arctic Archipelago]], the [[British Isles]], the islands of the [[Archipelago Sea]], and [[Shetland]]. Archipelagos are sometimes defined by political boundaries. For example, while they are geopolitically divided, the [[San Juan Islands]] and [[Gulf Islands]] geologically form part of a larger Gulf Archipelago.<ref name="NOS Archipelago">{{cite web |author1=NOAA |title=What is an archipelago? |url=https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/archipelago.html |website=National Ocean Service |access-date=10 May 2023}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The word ''archipelago'' is derived from the [[Ancient Greek]] ἄρχι-(''arkhi-'', "chief") and πέλαγος (''pélagos'', "sea") through the Italian ''arcipelago''. In [[Classical Antiquity|antiquity]], "Archipelago" (from [[Medieval Greek]] [[Linguistic reconstruction|*]]ἀρχιπέλαγος and [[medieval Latin|Latin]] {{Lang|la-x-medieval|archipelagus}}) was the proper name for the [[Aegean Sea]]. Later, usage shifted to refer to the [[Aegean Islands]] (since the sea has a large number of islands).

==Geographic types==
Archipelagos may be found isolated in large amounts of water or neighbouring a large land mass. For example, [[Scotland]] has more than 700 islands surrounding its mainland, which form an archipelago.

Archipelagos are often volcanic, forming along [[island arc]]s generated by [[subduction]] zones or [[Hotspot (geology)|hotspots]], but may also be the result of [[erosion]], [[Deposition (sediment)|deposition]], and [[land elevation]]. Depending on their geological origin, islands forming archipelagos can be referred to as ''oceanic islands'', ''continental fragments'', or ''continental islands''.<ref>Whittaker R. J. & Fernández-Palacios J. M. (2007) ''Island Biogeography: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation''. New York, Oxford University Press</ref>

===Oceanic islands===
Oceanic islands are mainly of volcanic origin, and widely separated from any adjacent continent. The [[Hawaiian Islands]] and [[Galapagos Islands]] in the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], and [[Mascarene Islands]] in the south [[Indian Ocean]] are examples.

===Continental fragments===
Continental fragments correspond to land masses that have separated from a continental mass due to [[tectonic]] displacement. The [[Farallon Islands]] off the coast of [[California]] are an example.

===Continental archipelagos===
[[File:Острова_близ_Турку._Saaret._By_Victor_Belousov._-_panoramio.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[Archipelago Sea]] with many islands in southwestern Finland.]]
Sets of islands formed close to the coast of a continent are considered continental archipelagos when they form part of the same continental shelf, when those islands are above-water extensions of the shelf. The islands of the [[Inside Passage]] off the coast of [[British Columbia]] and the [[Arctic Archipelago|Canadian Arctic Archipelago]] are examples.

===Artificial archipelagos===
Artificial archipelagos have been created in various countries for different purposes. [[Palm Islands]] and [[The World (archipelago)|The World Islands]] off Dubai were or are being created for leisure and tourism purposes.<ref>{{cite web | last=McFadden | first=Christopher | title=7+ Amazing Facts About Dubai's Palm Islands | website=Interesting Engineering | date=22 December 2019 | url=https://interestingengineering.com/7-curious-facts-about-dubais-palm-islands | access-date=8 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Wainwright | first=Oliver | title=Not the end of The World: the return of Dubai's ultimate folly | website=The Guardian| date=13 February 2018 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/13/not-end-the-world-return-dubai-ultimate-folly | access-date=8 July 2020}}</ref> [[Marker Wadden]] in the Netherlands is being built as a conservation area for birds and other wildlife.<ref>{{cite web | last=Boffey | first=Daniel | title=Marker Wadden, the manmade Dutch archipelago where wild birds reign supreme | website=The Guardian| date=27 April 2019 | url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/27/marker-wadden-islands-netherlands-manmade-archipelago-wild-birds-eco-haven | access-date=8 July 2020}}</ref>

==Superlatives==

The largest archipelago in the world is the [[Archipelago Sea]] which is part of [[Finland]]. There are approximately 40,000, mostly uninhabited, islands <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sjofartsverket.se/upload/378/Sjokortsbilder/61.pdf|title=Nautical chart: International no. 1205, SE61, Baltic Sea, North, Sea of Åland.|publisher=}}</ref>

The largest archipelagic state in the world by area, and by population, is [[Indonesia]].<ref>{{Cite CIA World Factbook|country=Indonesia|access-date=7 December 2008 |year=2008}}</ref>


== See also ==

* [[Island arc]]
* [[List of landforms]]
* [[List of archipelagos by number of islands]]
* [[List of archipelagos]]
* [[Archipelagic state]]
* [[List of islands]]
* [[Aquapelago]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Archipelago}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090130062925/http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/island-archipelagos/3612 30 Most Incredible Island Archipelagos]

{{coastal geography}}

[[Category:Archipelagoes| ]]
[[Category:Coastal and oceanic landforms]]
[[Category:Oceanographical terminology]]

Archipelago - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 18:18, 13 August 2023