What is an archipelago? Malay, Arctic, Canadian, Alexandra, Japanese, Chagos, Solovetsky archipelagoes

The era of great geographical discoveries is long behind, but the seas, islands, archipelagoes are still attracted by the romance of travel. The very names of some exotic Places seem tempting and make dreams of vacation away from civilization. But what is the archipelago? Where on the planet are they located? Which one is definitely worth a visit?

The concept of "archipelago"

So in geography is called a group of several islands, which are located close to each other and have emerged in a similar way. In addition, they usually have the same geological structure. The answer to the question "what is the archipelago" is formally formulated by the UN convention in 1982. According to this document, the islands form a single geographic as well as an economic one and a political whole, and are often considered such historically. The waters separating the land areas are generally considered neutral, not belonging to the country completely undivided in them. Other states should be allowed to carry out the necessary activities in such areas freely there and shipping. There is also such a thing as an archipelagic state, it is a country that is completely located on the neighboring islands. These include the Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji, New Zealand, Japan and many others.

Northern archipelagos

Groups of closely located islands are located around the globe, from each continent and in every ocean. Not far from the North Pole are four of them: the Franz Josef Land, the Northern Land, the Novosibirsk Islands and the Northern Island of Novaya Zemlya. All of them are part of the territories of the Russian Federation. Each arctic archipelago is a high shield or semi-mountainous area among the shallow shelf, the shape of which is formed by glaciation and marine abrasion. On the islands there are few lakes and rivers, and those that are, are quite small in size. The territory is represented by lowland deserts, tundra, the productivity of land in such areas is very small. Not too widely and the biological diversity of the region. Nevertheless, the northern archipelago of Franz Josef is extremely interesting as an ecosystem, for example, here there are nesting American black grouses that are not found anywhere else in Russia, white gulls, polar bears and two subspecies of walruses live. Marine waters with bird bazaars are very common on the North Island of Novaya Zemlya. Many areas are considered protected and are designed to protect the Arctic fauna and flora from extinction. The existence of a man in the Arctic is limited to the activities of polar stations. At the moment, navigation in the region is losing its previous volumes, and people permanently staying on the territory of the northern islands are getting smaller every year.

The Solovki Archipelago

Like the Arctic, this group of islands belongs to the territory of the Russian Federation. The shortest way to Solovki lies through the Karelian Republic, so many tourist routes in Karelia include their visit. This archipelago is located in the White Sea near the Arctic Circle, it includes six large and about a hundred small islands. Here are unique picturesque beaches, beautiful mixed forests and beautiful boulders along the coast. But the history of these places is sad and tragic. In the 1930s Solovetsky special purpose camp was located here, which used as a prison cell for prisoners the premises of an ancient monastery located on the largest section of the archipelago - the Great Solovetsky Island. Monks settled on the island many centuries ago, until the 20th century life here was exceptionally peaceful, but during political repressions thousands and thousands of people brought here, most of whom remained on Solovki in unnamed brotherly graves to this day. At the moment, the architectural complex of the Solovetsky Monastery is included in UNESCO's world cultural heritage, many tourists come here. The most favorable time for traveling is from May to October, in winter it can be more difficult to get there. In stormy weather, which often happens in the autumn, in September-October, transport communication ceases, and it is impossible to get to Solovki.

The Japanese archipelago

Mysterious for the European soul Japan is located on islands in the Pacific Ocean. In fact, it is also an archipelago state, which includes four large islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku, - as well as about six thousand small islands stretching along the coast of Russia in the Sea of Japan. To the north is the Russian island of Sakhalin, in the northeast the disputed territory of the Kuril chain. China is separated from China by the East China Sea. Although the Japanese is by no means the largest archipelago, it is home to over one hundred and thirty million people. The largest center of the state is Tokyo, around the capital are the most populated prefectures, there are thirty million people living here, which is slightly less than a third of the total population. The highest point of the archipelago is the Fuji volcano, which is not Erupts for three centuries. Its height is about four thousand meters. Climbing Fujiyama allows you to see the landscape of incredible beauty, especially if you are lifting in the pre-dawn hour. Since the archipelago originated at the intersection of volcanic arcs, the mountainous terrain prevails here, and earthquakes often occur, some can be very powerful and destructive.

Sunda Archipelago

This group of islands is located between mainland Asia and the continent of Australia. Also known as Malay, the archipelago includes the Great and Lesser Sunda Islands, the Philippine Islands, the Moluccas and many small islets. In territory there are such states, as Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. The largest islands are Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java and Kalimantan, which are part of the Great Sunda. Malay is the largest archipelago on the planet. Like the Japanese, it has a mountainous terrain, although there are plains and lowlands. In the region there are about three hundred and thirty volcanoes, hundreds of which are active. The most famous of them is Krakatau. In addition, the world's largest deposits of tin are being developed, there are also oil, iron, tungsten and manganese ores, bauxites. Thanks to its location in the equatorial climate, the Malay Archipelago is an extremely popular place for tourism and recreation. The air temperature during the year practically does not change and is about twenty five degrees. In the equatorial part, the precipitation is uniform throughout the year, and in the subequatorial belt they fall out, respectively, of the monsoon circulation. In the archipelago, there are many deep-water rivers of short length, more or less long only Barito, Musi, Capua and Inderagiri, which are used for navigation. The local flora and fauna are one of the most diverse on the whole globe. Wet forests of the tropics are full of palm trees, of which there are about three hundred species, as well as bamboo, rasamal, ficus, banana, pandanus and other subtropical plants. On the highlands grow mosses, shrubs, off the coast there are mangroves. They can be found not only the most diverse types of monkeys, but also elephants, rhinoceroses, Malayan bears and red wolves, flying squirrels and woolwingers. Traveling along the Malay Archipelago guarantees a lot of impressions. And it does not matter which country in the region you choose.

Thousand Islands

The Canadian archipelago is another unique place, Which deserves attention. It is located on the border of Canada and the United States and includes one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four islands that stretch for eighty kilometers along the St. Lawrence River. People live on larger areas of the land, and tiny ones are inhabited by migratory birds. To a piece of land was considered an island, it should be unsurmountable all year round. At least one tree must grow on it. The minimum size of the island of the Canadian archipelago, determined by these two criteria, is one square foot, and the largest occupies about a hundred square kilometers. It's called Wolff, it's a little less than thirty kilometers long, and only nine in width. Permanent residents here about one and a half thousand. Live and on those islets where there is only enough space for one house and a couple of benches in the yard. These houses look very cozy. Everything necessary for people is delivered on ferries from the mainland, electricity is provided everywhere in the houses, and telephone communication is established with the help of an underwater cable that connects the islands with each other. Part of the archipelago is occupied by the oldest Canadian National Park, which is an ideal place for a relaxing holiday in nature by the whole family. The main attraction is the castle of Boldt, the hotel magnate, the museum of ancient ships and the castle of the corporation "Singer" are also of interest. Since 2002, the Canadian Archipelago has been protected as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This is a picturesque place in which it is easy to relax from everyday bustle and touch the wildlife.

Archipelago of Alexander

In the south-east of Alaska, the most northerly American state, is located Protected area. It is the archipelago of Alexandria with a length of about five hundred kilometers, separated from the mainland by deep channels. It includes more than a thousand islands. All other major archipelagos of the United States are inferior to it in size. With an area of 69 thousand square kilometers it is the largest. Islands with a sharp coastline are covered with rain-type forests, the largest land areas are called Admiralty, Baranov, Wrangel and Chichingof. The indigenous inhabitants are the tribes of the Tlingit and Tsimshian, but many of them have long moved to the mainland. Those that remain are engaged in fishing and logging as they did many years ago. Of course, a certain share of employment is provided by tourism. Theodores Roosevelt, who created Tongass in 1907, declared the places reserved here. This national park is really unique and unique, deforestation here would be an environmental disaster for this area. The Tongass reserve is divided into several regions, for example, the Pacific coast area with tundra and glaciers or the Great Bear region, where rare tree species such as the cross cedar or Sitka spruce grow. The fauna is represented by two species of bears, five species of deer, rare birds and other animals.

The Chagos Archipelago

This group of islands belongs to Britain, although it is located in the Indian Ocean. The Chagos Archipelago includes seven atolls with sixty islands that are located near the Maldives on the way from Indonesia to Africa. Continuing here, no one lives, the population is military from the UK and the US. The largest island is Diego Garcia, located five hundred kilometers south of the Maldives and one thousand six hundred kilometers south of Hindustan. This land was discovered by the navigator Vasco da Gama in the sixteenth century, for some time the archipelago belonged to France, and then moved to Possession of Great Britain. Until the sixties of the twentieth century, indigenous people lived here, but then they were evicted and a large military base was opened. In 2000, the decision was declared illegal, but the residents could not return because of the British-US treaty. This document closes the island until 2016, after which it is possible that entry and residence will again be allowed. At the moment, Diego Garcia has transport facilities for military needs and a space communications center that can not serve civilians. How the situation will be resolved is difficult to predict. On other islands of the archipelago, the inhabitants are engaged in fishing and growing coconut palms, there you can come as a tourist. A wide selection of hotels of varying degrees of comfort, exotic cuisine, the opportunity to dive or surf - all this offers the archipelago to visitors from all over the world.

Mysterious Vanuatu

In the south-western part of the Pacific Ocean there are 83 islands of amazing beauty. It is the Vanuatu archipelago, an island state in the midst of jungles and volcanic sand. There is even an active volcano Yasur, which now and then spews lava on the island of Tanna. Once this territory was colonized by the French and English, so many locals speak French and English very well. They can often be seen with a threatening machete in their hands, but the weapon is designed to strike at palms and does not pose the slightest danger. Tourists are always welcome here, despite the tragic history: settlers from other countries almost destroyed the local culture, imposing a European way of life and a Christian religion. But customs and ancient traditions are still preserved. There is also a local language called bislama and consists of eight thousand words. Each island has its own holiday dedicated to harvesting. The most famous of all is the naghol. This is the festival of the island of Pentecost, during which locals build special wooden towers and Jump from them down, tied at the feet of the stalk of yams. While daredevils compete in agility, all the others dance and sing folk songs. Once Pentecost attended the British Queen, on the occasion of her visit the holiday had to be postponed. Local residents are conservative, they do not hurry to succumb to progress and live by their own rules. Taking advantage of the amenities of civilization, they still manage to maintain a way of life that is familiar to their ancestors. The only disadvantage of traveling to these places can be called the problem with the movement. Where the Vanuatu archipelago is located, there is no specific timetable for flights, and land transport is almost not developed and is expensive. Find a hotel for recreation is also quite difficult. More or less extensive tourist infrastructure on the main islands, Efate and Espiritu Santo, here tourists come for diving in reefs, which are considered to be one of the most picturesque in the entire Pacific Ocean. You can get there from Australia or New Zealand by taking a plane to the airport of the capital of the Port Vila archipelago.

Archipelago of Fiji

Perhaps, this group of islands is one of the best for tourism. If you ask the locals about what the Fiji archipelago is, you will surely hear that it is a real paradise. Incredible beauty of tropical nature, white beaches with clean sand, blue lagoons, dense rainforests, always sunny and warm climate make recreation here a real pleasure. For those who like to relax actively, there is an opportunity to surf and dive, you can also go to the tennis court or play golf. The largest islands are called Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, there is a nightlife, there are many entertainment centers, shops, restaurants and cafes. There are also a variety of national parks with rich fauna and flora. Far from all the archipelagos of the Earth can boast of such beautiful vegetation and a variety of animals. The capital of Fiji is Suva, a city located on Viti Levu. Here, annually, the festival of Hibiscus takes place, which is accompanied by a multitude of theatrical performances, carnivals and fireworks. For those who seek peace and quiet, Fiji also has a place. Staying in a bungalow on the ocean, you can get complete solitude and relaxation. The climate here is quite comfortable all year round, the temperature does not drop below twenty-five degrees, from April to November the weather is hot and dry due to the southeast trade winds, and since November April is the rainy season with tropical cyclones.

New Zealand

Another group of islands is located not far from Fiji. It is known as New Zealand. It is a kingdom in the southwestern Pacific, also washed by the Tasman Sea. What is the New Zealand archipelago? These are the two largest islands, the South and North, which are shared by the Cook Strait, as well as sixty smaller islands that include Stewart, Bounty, Oakland, Campbell, Tri-Kings, Kermadec, Chatham and Antipodes. The climate here is mostly temperate and subtropical in the north, in mountainous areas it resembles the alpine climate. The relief is flat, but there are both the Southern Alps and the volcano Ruapehu. Water resources are represented by Lake Taupo and the Waikato River. Flora and fauna are extremely diverse, here you can find an ordinary European hedgehog and an exotic bird of kiwi, pine and palm trees. Minerals are gas, gold, oil, iron, silver, chrome, coal, copper, mercury and others. Before the advent of man, mammals on the islands did not live. Those animals that the colonizers brought with them violated the state of natural flora and fauna. Nevertheless, at the moment the state of ecology is excellent, New Zealand is considered the cleanest country on the planet. The capital of the state is Wellington, which is located in the south of the North Island. Big cities - Hamilton, Christchurch. The largest is Oakland, where residents are three times more than in the capital. The closest neighbor of the country is Australia, where they often emigrate to New Zealand. The main language for communication is English, a small part of the population uses the ancient language of Maori aborigines. The natives in the country are about fifteen percent, their language is very complex pronunciation. But every tourist will have to master it even a little, because most of the geographical names here are on it. Going on a trip, it is necessary to plan a visit to the Bay of Islands. This picturesque bay, where you can see not only dolphins, but also whales, is located on the north-eastern coast of the North Island. It is no less interesting in the Taupo volcanic zone in the geothermal source of Wai-O-Tapu, otherwise called the "champagne pool". Due to the active release of carbon dioxide, the water in it resembles a sparkling drink. Not far away is the beautiful, largest in Zealand, Lake Taupo, which is located in the crater of an extinct volcano.