Incredible facts
It is incredibly difficult to calculate the total number of islands on our planet.
Every year new islands appear in the world, but the largest islands still remain in their places.
Here you can learn about both the world's largest islands and the largest island states ah and even the largest lake islands.
NOTE: Australia is still considered more of a continent than an island, but if you consider it an island, then it is the largest island on Earth, with an area of 7,618,493 square meters. km.1. Greenland Island
Greenland is considered the largest island on our planet. Its local name is Kalallit-Nunaat. The area of the island is 2,166,086 square meters. km.
Highest point: Gunbjorn (3,700 meters).
Region: Greenland.
A country: Denmark.
Facts about Greenland
* The capital of Greenland, Nuuk, is the smallest capital city in the world. Its population is only 15,105 people (as of July 2009).
* It is believed that Greenland was inhabited in prehistoric times by various Paleo-Eskimo groups. However, archaeological research shows that the Inuit settled here around 2500 BC.
* The first Europeans arrived here in 985. They were Norwegians and Icelanders. They were called the Norwegian Greenlanders.
The most interesting thing about beautiful island Greenland you can find out just below or by clicking HERE .
2. Island of New Guinea
Area – 785,753 sq. km.
Highest point: 4884 meters.
Population (2010): 9,500,000 people.
Countries: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea.
Facts about New Guinea
Mount Bagan is an active volcano. Height 1730.
* The western part of the island of New Guinea is located on the territory of Indonesia, and its eastern part is located on the territory of the state of Papua New Guinea.
* New Guinea is the largest island divided between countries.
* It is home to 11,000 species of plants, 600 rare species of birds, more than 400 species of amphibians, more than 450 species of butterflies, and approximately 100 species of mammals.
* In ancient times, this island was connected to the Australian continent.
* New Guinea was discovered for Europe in the 16th century by Spanish and Portuguese sailors.
* The island received its name from the Spanish navigator Inigo Ortiz de Retes. When he arrived on the island in 1545, it seemed to him that local residents very similar to the aborigines who live in African Guinea.
3. Borneo Island
Area - 748,168 sq. km.
Archipelago: Malay Archipelago.
A country: Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia.
Highest point: Mount Kinabalu, 4095 meters.
Population (2010): 19,800,000 people.
Facts about Borneo Island
* On this island grows the world's largest flower - Rafflesia, the smell of which, according to local residents, is similar to the smell of a decomposing corpse.
* Borneo has a tropical forest that is more than 130 million years old. It is home to many species of rare animals: the Sumatran rhinoceros, Asian elephant, Bornean clouded leopard and others.
4. Madagascar Island
Area - 587,713 sq. km.
A country: Madagascar.
Highest point: 2961 meters.
Population (2008): 20,042,552 people.
Facts about Madagascar
* Millions of years ago, Madagascar was part of the same land, Gondwana, and about 60 million years ago, this island was the first to separate from the mainland and thereby became the first island on our planet.
* The first people came to Madagascar about 2000 years ago.
* The first European to notice this island was the Portuguese navigator Diego Diaz. This happened at the beginning of the 16th century, and after that Madagascar became one of the most important trading points on the way to India.
* Malagasy, French and English are spoken on the island.
* Since the island is rich in iron and aluminum, it was nicknamed the Great Red Island.
* The country of Madagascar ranks first in the cultivation and export of vanilla.
5. Baffin Island
Area - 503,944 sq. km.
A country: Canada.
Region: Nunavut.
Highest point: 2147 meters.
Population (2007): 11,000 people.
Facts about Baffin Island
* Baffin Island is a very cold and virtually uninhabited place.
* Thor Peak, named after the Norse god, can be found here. It is worth noting that Thor Peak is the highest cliff on our planet.
* Baffin Island was named after the famous British explorer William Baffin, who first described the island in 1616. It is believed that Baffin is its discoverer.
* More than half of the island's territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle. For this reason, there are polar days and nights here.
6. Sumatra Island
Area - 443,066 sq. km.
A country: Indonesia.
Highest point: 3800 meters.
Population (2010): 50,600,000 people.
Facts about Sumatra
* The island is home to the Toba volcano, which is believed to have caused the last ice age. About 70,000 years ago, this volcano exploded and released thousands of cubic kilometers of ash into the air, obscuring the rays of the Sun for many years. Today, in the caldera of the Toba volcano there is a beautiful lake of the same name, and in its center there is another island - Samosir, inside which there is also a lake - Sidokhni.
* Scientists believe that the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano on the island led to the formation of a strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java. In 1883, the volcano exploded and, together with the island on which it was located, they sank to the bottom of the sea. Today in its place there is a new mountain- Anak-Krakatoa (“Child of Krakatoa”), which grows 7 meters every year.
* Batak tribes still live on the island. Before the adoption of Christianity, these tribes were cannibals.
* The most expensive coffee in the world, Kopi Luwak, is grown here in Sumatra. The fact is that there is only one animal on the island - the kopi luwak, which loves coffee berries. Of course, he chooses only the best berries. They are not completely digested by kopi-luwak. Locals collect them, wash them and roast them to create coffee.
7. Honshu Island
Area - 225,800 sq. km.
A country: Japan.
Highest point: 3776 meters.
Population (2010): 100,000,000 people.
Facts about Honshu Island
* On the island of Honshu there is Mount Fuji - the symbol of the land of the rising sun.
* Earthquakes are common here as Honshu is located at the intersection of 3 formation plates.
* The largest Japanese cities in Japan are also located here - Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto.
8. UK Island
Area - 229,957 sq. km.
Archipelago:British Isles.
A country: Great Britain.
Regions: England, Scotland, Wales.
Highest point: 1,344 meters.
Population (2011): 61,371,315 people.
Facts about Great Britain
* Great Britain is also called Albion, as it was previously known as the land of albinos. The Romans called the British Isles with the word “Britain” (lat. Britannia), which is where the name of this island came from. But they decided to add “Great” to the word “Britain” so that the country would be listed as a political unit. Today we have the island of Britain and a geopolitical unit called Great Britain.
* The Prime Meridian intersects the axis of the Greenwich Observatory located in London.
* Since the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a single state, then any person living on its territory can be called “British”, even if he is from Scotland or Northern Ireland.
9. Victoria Island
Area - 220,548 sq. km.
A country: Canada
Regions: Nunavut, Northwest Territories
Highest point: 665 meters
Population (2001): 1707 people.
Facts about Victoria Island
* Thomas Simpson was the first to discover this island in 1838. The British explorer decided to name the island in honor of the English Queen Victoria, who was also the Queen of Canada from 1867 to 1901.
* Here is the largest island within an island within an island.
10. Ellesmere Island
Area - 183,965 sq. km.
A country: Canada
Region: Nunavut.
Highest point: 2616 meters
Population (2006): 146 people.
Facts about Ellesmere Island
* Island decorated big mountains and ice fields. Ellesmere is the highest mountain part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
* The island has been shrouded in ice since the last ice age, but only 1/3 of its territory is covered by glaciers.
10 largest island states in the world
1.
Indonesia - 1,912,988 sq. km.
2. Madagascar - 587,041 sq. km.
3. Papua New Guinea - 462,840 sq. km.
4. Japan - 377,837 sq. km.
5. Philippines - 300,000 sq. km.
6. New Zealand- 270,534 sq. km.
7. UK - 242,910 sq. km.
8. Cuba - 110,860 sq. km.
9. Iceland - 103,000 sq. km.
10. Ireland - 70,273 sq. km.
10 largest volcanic islands
These islands were formed as a result of volcanic eruptions at the bottom of the sea.
1. Sumatra, Indonesia - 473,481 sq. km.
2.
Honshu, Japan - 225,800 sq. km.
3. Java, Indonesia - 138,794 sq. km.
4. Northern, New Zealand - 111,583 sq. km.
5. Luzon, Philippines – 109,965 sq. km.
6. Iceland – 103,000 sq. km.
7. Mindanao, Philippines – 97,530 sq. km.
8. Hokkaido, Japan – 78,719 sq. km.
9. New Britain, Papua New Guinea – 35,145 sq. km.
10. Halmahera, Indonesia – 18,040 sq. km.
10 largest lake islands
1. Manitoulin, Lake Huron, Canada - 2,766 sq. km.
2.
René-Levasseur, Manicouagan Reservoir, Quebec, Canada – 2,000 sq. km.
3. Olkhon, Lake Baikal, Russia - 730 sq. km.
4. Isle Royale, Lake Superior, Michigan, USA - 541 sq. km.
5. Ukerewe, Lake Victoria, Tanzania - 530 sq. km.
Archipelagos - a complete list of archipelagic countries and archipelagos belonging to different states, broken down by ocean and part of the world.
What is an archipelago and what are they like?
Archipelago – it is a complex of islands located close to each other. The archipelagos are similar in geological structure. According to their origin, they are all:
- Mainland
This is the name for archipelagos that were originally part of the mainland, but as a result of the movement of tectonic plates, they separated from the land and formed a complex of islands. The most striking example of a mainland archipelago is the British Isles. Also, these include New Earth, New Zealand.
- Volcanic
These island complexes were formed as a result of volcanic activity, or are themselves volcanoes. Most often, in this case, the island is the top of a huge underground volcano, which peeks out from under the water. The most striking representatives of volcanic archipelagos are the Hawaiian Islands.
- coral
A complex of islands that arose as a result of the growth and death of underwater corals. Islands can be shaped like a ring or a semicircle - they are called atolls. Most of the coral archipelagos are located in the Pacific Ocean. The most famous coral archipelago is the Marshall Islands.
- Alluvial
The complex of islands is not of natural origin. They are complex hydraulic structures that are installed in water areas. Alluvial islands do not formally have the status of archipelagos and islands, since they are not natural objects. The most famous man-made archipelago is the Isle of Palms located in the Emirates.
Of course, they are not deserted and many have small states. The islands that make up the territory are in contact with each other and have geographical and political unity.
On this moment There are about 30 state TV stations in the world, located on archipelagos. These include the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji. Archipelagic lines are used for contact between islands. All water space within these lines belongs to the archipelago-state.
The largest archipelagos
There are a huge number of archipelagos on our planet. The largest of them are
- Malay
- Japanese Islands
- British Isles.
The Malay archipelago is considered the best and largest in the world. Its area is 2 million square kilometers and it includes more than 10,000 islands. The lands of this giant are located in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The Malay Archipelago is home to many volcanoes and mountains, as well as many gas and oil fields. Fishing and farming predominate among the population.
The world's second largest archipelago is the Canadian Arctic. He is in Arctic Ocean. The area of this archipelago is approximately 1.3 million sq. km. The main population is Eskimos. This complex includes the islands of Ellesmere, Victoria, and Baffin Island. The archipelago is topically composed of various trails, mountains and plateaus.
The next large archipelago is known to everyone - these are the same Japanese islands. They included many small islands, each of which is interconnected. Most of them are occupied by mountains and volcanoes, as well as coniferous forests. The geological situation there is extremely unstable - there are earthquakes and tsunamis. The bulk of the population is located directly Japanese island. Marine fishing is highly developed - fishing and crabs.
And last on the list, but not least, the archipelago is the British Isles. Its area is approximately 320 thousand square kilometers, the archipelago includes Great Britain, Ireland and many other small cities. Great Britain and Ireland are two states that are located on this territory.
List of archipelagos
This list shows all the existing archipelagos in the world. For our convenience, I divided them by territorial basis - the oceans where they are located, as well as into territorial subgroups of islands. Each of the lists is compiled in alphabetical order for your comfort. If there is a state on the territory of the archipelago, this will be noted in the list. You can find every archipelago on the planet, learn about it and perhaps consider it as a holiday destination.
Archipelagos of the Arctic Ocean –
a complex of northern islands located close to the Arctic. Characterized by a cold climate and low population density :
- Franz Josef Land
- Canadian Arctic Archipelago
- New Siberian Islands
- Belcher Islands
- Severnaya Zemlya
- New Earth
- Spitsbergen
- Queen Elizabeth Islands
Archipelagos of the Atlantic Ocean -
a vast complex of island clusters scattered in the Atlantic Ocean. This includes a number of European and African archipelagos, as well as island complexes of North and South America. This includes the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and the British Isles:
Archipelagos located along the coast of Europe -
- British Isles
- Inner Hebrides
- Outer Hebrides
- Hebrides
- Channel Islands
- Isles of Scilly St Kilda
- Faroe islands
- Shetland
Archipelagos located along the coast of Africa -
- Bay of beautiful islands
- Arquipelago dos Bijagos
- Bajuni Islands
- Saint Helena Islands
- Saad al-Din
- Sao Tome
- Tristan da Cuna
- Bermuda
- Outer Lands
- Canadian Arctic Archipelago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tierra del Fuego
- Magdalena Islands
- St. Peter and Paul Rocks
- Fernando de Noronha
- South Sandwich Islands
- islands
Macarenesian archipelagos -
- Åland Islands
- Azores
- Wild Islands
- Canary Islands
- Madeira Islands
Archipelagos of the Baltic Sea -
- Östergotland Archipelago
- Södermanland Archipelago
- Småland Archipelago
- Caelix Archipelago
- Turku Archipelago
- Pitea Archipelago
- Luleå Archipelago
- Skellefteå Archipelago
- Heparanda Archipelago
- Eregrand Archipelago
- Sea of the archipelago
- Western Estonian archipelago
- Stockholm archipelago
- Swedish arch-lag of the east coast
Archipelagos of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea -
- Los Roques Archipelago
- Greater Antilles
- West Indies
- Virgin Islands
- islands
- Lesser Antilles
- Windward Islands
- ABC Islands
- Leeward Antilles
- Puerto Rican Islands
- Leeward Islands
- Florida Keys
Archipelagos of the Mediterranean Sea -
- Campanian Archipelago
- Maddalena Archipelago
- Balearic Islands
- Venice Lagoon
- Dodecanese
- Ionian Islands
- Cyclades
- Sporades
- Tuscan archipelago
North Sea archipelagos -
- Frisian Islands
Archipelagos of the Indian Ocean -
A complex of archipelagos located in the Indian Ocean. They have a tropical climate and heat. The archipelagos here consist of a large number of small islands. One of the most prominent representatives is the artificial World Archipelago :
- Andaman Islands
- Bonaparte Archipelago
- Pirate Archipelago
- Chagos Archipelago
- Archipelago research
- Mergui Archipelago
- Zanzibar Archipelago
- Amirant Islands
- Cocos Islands (Keeling Islands)
- Comoros
- Langkawi
- Lakshadweep
- Kerguelen Islands
- Mascarene Islands
- World Archipelago
- Nicobar Islands
- Islands of the Mozambique Channel
- Socotra
- Houtman Abrolhos
Archipelagos of the Red Sea -
- Hurghada Archipelago
- Farasan Islands
- Dahlak Archipelago
Archipelagos of the Pacific Ocean -
it is the largest complex of archipelagos. This includes a huge number of islands and all the world's largest archipelagos. Of particular interest are the Asian archipelagos - the number of islands that make them up is the largest in the world. This complex includes both the archipelagos of the Americas and the aforementioned Asian ones, as well as the archipelagos of circumtropical countries. The climate varies from temperate to tropical:
Archipelagos along the coast of the Americas -
- Andreanivsky Islands
- Aleutian Islands
- Alexandra Archipelago
- Chiloe Archipelago
- Guatecas Archipelago
- Guayaneco Archipelago
- Chonos Archipelago
- Patagonic Archipelago
- Wellington Archipelago
- Queen Adelaide Archipelago
- Fox Islands
- Channel Islands of California
- Islands of the Four Mountains
Archipelagos located along the coast of Asia -
- Ryukyu Archipelago
- Asian islands
- Gorong Archipelago
- Rio Archipelago
- Tambelan Archipelago
- Tadjuh Archipelago
- Uotubela Archipelago
- Cuio Archipelago
- Sulu Archipelago
- Chumphon Archipelago
- Solor Archipelago
- Greater Sunda Islands (Sunda Islands)
- Gang Arc
Do you know how many times the largest island in Russia is smaller than the big island peace? Read the post and find out.
No. 10. Ellesmere (Canada) - 196,236 km2
Ellesmere is the most northern island Canada is one of the ten largest islands by area in the world. Due to the harsh climate, the population of the island is about 150 people.
The remains of prehistoric animals have been repeatedly found on the territory of Ellesmere. The first settlers were nomads from Siberia. In 1250, the Thule people, the ancestors of the Eskimos, settled on the territory. But by the middle of the 18th century, the island became deserted.
The island was discovered in 1616 by the English navigator William Baffin.
No. 9. Victoria (Canada) - 217,291 km2
In ninth place in terms of area is Victoria Island (Canada). The island was discovered in 1838 during the expedition of British explorer Thomas Simpson.
In the 50s of the 20th century, there were several settlements on the island where meteorologists lived. By the end of the 20th century, the population increased due to Eskimo settlers who took up fishing activities here.
No. 8. Honshu (Japan) - 227,970 km2
Honshu is the largest island of the Japanese archipelago and ranks 8th in the ranking of the largest islands in the world. The largest Japanese cities are located on the island of Honshu: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc.
The island is covered with many volcanoes, some of them active. The population of the island is over 103 million people.
No. 7. United Kingdom (UK) - 229,848 km2
Great Britain ranks 7th on the list of largest islands in the world and is the largest island among the British Isles and in Europe as a whole.
The history of Great Britain begins with the Roman conquest in 43 BC, but the island also had an earlier history.
Great Britain was inhabited by the Noto people several hundred thousand years ago. Modern man arrived in the British Isles before the start of the last ice age, but retreated during Southern Europe due to the glaciers covering the island. According to archaeological finds, after 12,000 BC. e. The British Isles were repopulated. Around 4,000 BC e. the island was inhabited by people of the Neolithic culture.
Today the population of the island of Great Britain is more than 61 million people, making it the most densely populated area in Europe.
No. 6. Sumatra (Indonesia) - 443,066 km2
Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world. It is located in two hemispheres at once, since the Equator passes almost through the middle of the island. The island belongs to Indonesia and is part of the Malay Archipelago. It is located in an area of frequent earthquakes and tsunamis.
Today the population of the island of Sumatra is more than 50 million people. The main cities of Sumatra: Medan, Palembang, Padang. People of many nationalities live in Sumatra, about 90% profess Islam.
About 73 thousand years ago, the Toba volcano exploded on the island of Sumatra. This event resulted in 1,800 years of ice age and a reduction in the human population to 2,000 people.
The name of the island comes from the Sanskrit word samudra - “ocean” or “sea”.
No. 5. Baffin Island (Canada) - 507,451 km2
Baffin Island is the first largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world. Due to the harsh climatic conditions of the island, the population is about 11 thousand people. Largest locality islands - Iqaluit.
The first description of the island was made by William Baffin in 1616, and the island was named after him.
No. 4. Madagascar (Madagascar) - 587,713 km2
The fourth place in the ranking is occupied by the island of Madagascar. Is located in Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. The island is home to the state of Madagascar (the capital is Antananarivo). Today the population of the island of Madagascar is more than 24 million people.
Locals call Madagascar the red island because of the color of the soil. More than half of the animals found in Madagascar cannot be found on the mainland, and 90% of the plants are endemic.
No. 3. Kalimantan (Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei) - 748,168 km2
Kalimantan or Borneo is the third largest island in the world. It is divided between 3 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The island is located in the center of the Malay Archipelago.
Kalimantan means diamond river in the local language. It is named so due to its rich resources, in particular a large number of diamonds.
The first people settled Kalimantan about 40 thousand years ago. Today the population of the island is about 20 million people. More than 300 ethnic groups live on the island.
No. 2. New Guinea (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea) - 785,753 km2
There are still places in New Guinea where no man has ever been. This place attracts flora and fauna researchers as they can meet rare species animals and plants. More than 11 thousand species of plants, 600 unique species of birds, over 400 species of amphibians, 455 species of butterflies and about a hundred known species of mammals live here.
New Guinea has been inhabited by humans since at least 45 thousand years BC. e. from Asia. More than a thousand Papuan-Melanesian tribes descended from the first settlers. The absence of large animals suitable for domestication on the island hampered the development of agriculture and made cattle breeding impossible. This contributed to the preservation of the primitive communal system in large areas of New Guinea until the present day. The mountainous landscape contributed to the isolation of people from each other, as a result of which a huge variety of languages appeared on the island.
The discoverer of New Guinea was the Portuguese Don Jorge de Menezes, who landed on the island in 1526. According to legend, he gave the island the name “Papua”, which translates as curly, due to the curly hair of the local aborigines.
Today the population of the island of New Guinea is more than 9.5 million people.
On the territory of New Guinea there is an ancient agricultural settlement of Kuka, showing the isolated development of agriculture over 7-10 thousand years and included in the List World Heritage UNESCO.
No. 1. Greenland (Denmark) - 2,130,800 km2
The largest island in the world is Greenland. The Green Country, as this island is also called, belongs to Denmark. Due to glacial cover (84% of the surface) and unfavorable climatic conditions Most of the island is uninhabited. Today the population of Greenland is more than 57 thousand people. The largest settlement on the island is Nuuk (Gothob).
Several thousand years before the arrival of Europeans, the island was inhabited by Greenlandic Eskimos, who call themselves Inuit. The Inuit have adapted extreme conditions arctic climate and feel quite comfortable. From time immemorial they have been engaged in fishing and hunting.
The first European to enter the island was the Norman Gunbjorn in 875. In 982, Erik Raudi settled on the island with several comrades, expelled from Iceland for the crimes he had committed. Later they were joined by the Norwegian Vikings. In 983, the first Norman colony was founded in Greenland.
After the settlement of Greenland by Europeans, the island was repeatedly passed from hand to hand. Until 1536, the island belonged to Norway, then it became part of Denmark, in accordance with the union between Denmark and Norway. In 1721, a Danish colony called Gotthob was officially established on the island. In 1814, after the dissolution of the union between Norway and Denmark, Greenland became the complete possession of Denmark.
The main activity of the Greenland population is fishing. But at the end of the 20th century, reindeer and sheep breeding and oil production appeared. Tourism and air transport play a big role. More than 20 thousand tourists visit Greenland every year.
The largest island in Russia (Sakhalin) is 27 times smaller than the largest island in the world (Greenland).
The largest islands of Russia:
Sakhalin - 76600 km2
Northern - 48904 km2
Yuzhny - 33275 km2
Boiler house - 23200 km2
October Revolution - 13708 km2
Contents 1 Islands with a population of more than 10,000,000 people 2 Islands with a population of 1,000,000 to 10,000,000 people ... Wikipedia
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Solovki is a canvas woven from spiritual strength and physical weakness, human joy and universal grief, willpower and betrayal, beautiful lies and ugly truth, the hiss of the surf and unique sunsets, silvery fish and the rustle of wings. It is stitched with heather roots and the rays of the sun, covered with snow and illuminated by the northern lights, flavored with blood, vodka and rain. The Solovki rinse in the White Sea winds, shimmering with all the colors of life, and rustle their stories to everyone who wants to hear them.
The Solovetsky Archipelago (Solovki) is located in the Onega Bay, 164 kilometers from the conventional line of the Arctic Circle. The archipelago consists of six large and about 260 small islands. The area of the Bolshoi Solovetsky Island is 221.8 km2, and the area of the entire archipelago exceeds 300 km2. Highest point- Mount Verbokolskaya (88.2 m) at .
photo: Kirill Ponomarev
The geographical location of the archipelago has determined the emergence of its own microclimate: cherry trees bloom (but do not bear fruit) on the islands, cedar pines, maples, and hazel trees grow. Most of the archipelago is covered with coniferous and deciduous forests, but some areas are tundra and forest-tundra. The glacier played an important role in the formation of the archipelago. There are more than 600 fresh lakes in Solovki, which are home to perch, roach, pike, burbot, and trout. In the forests you can find white hare, fox, and squirrel. In rare years when the White Sea freezes, reindeer and elk come to visit. Among the marine animals are seals, beluga whales, bearded seals, and harp seals. The sea is home to catfish, lumpfish, flounder, cod, navaga and Solovetsky herring. The coastal strip of the archipelago is unusually rich in algae plantations - seaweed (kelp), fucus and ahnfeltia, from which agar-agar is extracted.
photo: Kirill Ponomarev
The history of the development of the Solovetsky archipelago goes back about 7,000 years. Ancient sites, mounds and seids were discovered here. The most mysterious monuments are the sanctuaries of the 3rd-2nd millennium BC, which include the famous. The main historical and architectural monuments of the archipelago are associated with the history of an influential spiritual monastery and the northernmost medieval fortress peace. , reflected in the waters of the Holy Lake or the Bay of Prosperity, is one of the most popular and beloved views by tourists. During Soviet times, the first special purpose camp in the USSR was located on the archipelago, which marked the beginning of Stalin’s Gulag. More than 1,000,000 prisoners passed through and their branches on the mainland.
Today the territory of the Solovetsky archipelago and the adjacent water area is a nature reserve. In 1992, the historical and architectural ensemble Solovetsky Monastery included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in 1995 classified as a particularly valuable natural and historical heritage Russia.
text: based on materials from the guidebook “History of the Solovetsky Archipelago”, author Oleg Kodola
photo in the top block: Svetlana Ladkina, Anna Khazova, Igor Pavlov, Lyudmila Gagarinova, Evgeny Kondratyev, Nikolay Kvartnikov, Kirill Ponomarev
photo: Natalya Bochkareva
