A peninsula (Latin : paeninsula from paene "almost" and insula "island") is a piece of land that is bordered mostly by water but connected to mainland .[1] [2] [3] [4] The surrounding water is usually understood to be continuous, though not necessarily named as such. A peninsula can also be a headland, cape, island promontory , bill, point,
or spit.[5] A point is generally considered a tapering piece of land projecting into a body of water that is less prominent than a cape.[6] In English, the plural of peninsula is peninsulas or, less commonly, peninsulae . A river which courses through a very tight meander is also sometimes said to form a "peninsula" within the (almost closed) loop of water.
Presented below is a list of peninsulas .
Africa The Horn of Africa also known as the Somali peninsula
Macaronesia
North Africa
Somali Peninsula The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in Northeast Africa that juts into the Guardafui Channel , and is the easternmost projection of the African continent. It denotes the region containing the countries of Djibouti , Eritrea , Ethiopia , and Somalia .
West Africa
Other peninsulas in Africa
Antarctica
Asia
Central Asia Kazakhstan
Eastern Asia
China[7]
Hong Kong
Japan
Hokkaido
Honshū
Kyūshū
Korea Korean Peninsula The whole landmass encompassing North and South Korea is a peninsula, surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the east and south, and the Yellow Sea to the west and south, with the Korea Strait connecting them.
Macau
Taiwan
Northern Asia The Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East
South-eastern Asia
Indochina
Indonesia
Malaysia
Philippines Bataan Peninsula , Luzon Bicol Peninsula , Luzon Caramoan Peninsula , Bicol Bondoc Peninsula , Luzon Calatagan Peninsula , Luzon Calumpan Peninsula , Luzon Cavite City , Luzon San Ildefonso Peninsula , Luzon Redondo Peninsula , Luzon Zamboanga Peninsula , Mindanao Tinaca Point , Davao del Sur Guanguan Peninsula, Mindanao Northwest Panay Peninsula , Visayas Poro Point , La Union
Singapore
Vietnam
Southern Asia South India (Peninsular India)The Deccan Peninsula is a dominant geographical feature of the Indian Subcontinent .
Other peninsulas on the Indian Subcontinent include:
Bandra Peninsula , MumbaiColaba Peninsula , Mumbai Gwadar Peninsula , PakistanJaffna Peninsula , Northern Sri LankaKanyakumari Peninsula , Tamil Nadu Kathiawar Peninsula , Gujarat Malabar Point Peninsula, Mumbai Manhoro , Karachi , Sindh , PakistanWorli Peninsula , Mumbai
Western Asia
Arabia Arabian Peninsula ; Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, OmanAl-Faw Peninsula , IraqMusandam Peninsula ; Oman, United Arab Emirates
Eastern Mediterranean
Turkey Map of the Anatolian Peninsula , the Asian part of Turkey
Europe Europe is sometimes considered to be a large peninsula extending off Eurasia .[8] As such, it is one of the largest peninsulas in the world and the only one to have the status as a full continent, largely as a matter of convention rather than science. It is composed of many smaller peninsulas, the four main and largest component peninsulas being the Scandinavian , Iberian , Balkan , and Apennine peninsulas.
Balkan Peninsula The assumed Balkan Peninsula, as defined by the Soča–Vipava –Krka–Sava–Danube border. The Balkans is a region which natural borders do not coincide with the technical definition of a peninsula hence modern geographers reject the idea of a Balkan Peninsula. It would include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and the European part of Turkey.
Chalkidiki , GreeceKassandra , GreeceMani Peninsula , GreeceMount Athos , GreecePeloponnese , Greece (now an island because of the Corinth Canal )Sithonia , GreecePilio , GreeceIstria , CroatiaPiran Peninsula , SloveniaPelješac , CroatiaPrevlaka , CroatiaSplit , CroatiaZadar , CroatiaKaraburun Peninsula , AlbaniaLuštica , MontenegroGallipoli , TurkeyKlek (peninsula) , Bosnia and HerzegovinaIstanbul , Turkey
France
Iberian Peninsula Satellite view of the Iberian Peninsula Encompassing continental Portugal and Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory ), and a small amount of Southern France , the Iberian Peninsula is a dominant geographical feature of Iberia.
Other peninsulas in Iberia include:
Lisbon Peninsula, Portugal Setúbal Peninsula , PortugalPeniche , PortugalCabo Espichel , PortugalCabo Carvoeiro , PortugalCabo de São Vicente , PortugalTróia Peninsula , PortugalGibraltar ,BritainCádiz , Andalusia , SpainA Coruña , Galicia , SpainO Morrazo , Pontevedra , Galicia , Spain
Ireland
Italy Satellite view of the Apennine Peninsula The Apennine Peninsula is the dominant geographical feature of Italy .
Other peninsulas in Italy include:
Adriatic Sea Ionian Sea Ligurian Sea Tyrrhenian Sea
Malta
Russia
Scandinavia Fennoscandia including the Scandinavian Peninsula and Kola Peninsula
Norway
Sweden
Denmark
Finland
Estonia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies
England England's South West Peninsula at the top and France's Brittany Peninsula at the bottom, with the English Channel between South West Peninsula (western part of the West Country comprising the counties of Cornwall , Devon, Somerset , and Dorset )Dengie peninsula , EssexThe centre of the city of Durham , County Durham The Fylde , LancashireBrixham Peninsula , South DevonHoo, Kent Roseland , Mid CornwallBere Peninsula , DevonIsle of Dogs , LondonCartmel Peninsula , CumbriaFurness Peninsula , CumbriaGreenwich Peninsula , LondonGosport , HampshireIsle of Thanet , KentThe Lizard , CornwallDawlish Warren National Nature Reserve , South DevonManhood Peninsula , West SussexMorte Point , North DevonPenwith , CornwallIsle of Purbeck , DorsetRotherhithe , LondonSpurn , East Riding of YorkshireShotley Peninsula , SuffolkTendring , EssexWirral , Cheshire/Merseyside
Northern Ireland
Scotland Ardnamurchan , LochaberBlack Isle , Ross and CromartyCowal , Argyll and ButeDoonie Point , AberdeenshireDunnet Head , CaithnessFaraid Head , SutherlandFife Kintyre , Argyll and ButeKnoydart , LochaberThe Machars , Dumfries and Galloway Morvern , LochaberNorthmavine , ShetlandRhins of Galloway , Dumfries and GallowayRosneath peninsula , Argyll and Bute (formerly Dunbartonshire)Rhu Peninsula LochaberStrathy Point , SutherlandPoint of Hellia , OrkneyPoint or the Eye peninsula , Western Isles
Wales
Channel Islands
Isle of Man
Other peninsulas in Europe A small peninsula in Croatia Au Peninsula , Lake Zürich , SwitzerlandAbsheron Peninsula , AzerbaijanAkranes , IcelandAu Peninsula , Au, Zürich , SwitzerlandButjadingen , GermanyCuronian Spit , Lithuania (shared with Russia)Fischland-Darß-Zingst , GermanyHel Peninsula , PolandHeracles Peninsula , disputed between Ukraine and RussiaKerch Peninsula , disputed between Ukraine and RussiaKarpass Peninsula , CyprusNorth Holland , the NetherlandsNesebar Peninsula, BulgariaSozopol Peninsula, BulgariaTihany , HungaryWalcheren , the NetherlandsZuid-Beveland , the Netherlands
North America
Belize
Canada
British Columbia
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Baffin Island
Ontario
Quebec
Caribbean
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico
Cuba
Saint Lucia Vigie Peninsula, St Lucia
Costa Rica
Greenland
Mexico The Yucatán Peninsula
Panama
United States
Alaska
California
Florida The Floridian Peninsula , shown by a NASA satellite image Florida is a well-known example of a large peninsula, with its land area divided between the larger Florida peninsula and the smaller Florida Panhandle on the north and west. It has several smaller peninsulas within it:
Maryland Mid-Atlantic shoreline showing, from the upper right, the Cape May Peninsula of New Jersey, Delaware Bay , the Delmarva Peninsula , and Chesapeake Bay . Also visible are the peninsulas of Maryland and Virginia along the Chesapeake's shores.
Massachusetts Cape Cod , a peninsula of Massachusetts
Michigan The large Michigan Peninsulas from space, showing both the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula
New Jersey
New York Long Island, New York, with its North and South Forks Irondequoit, NY (geographical headland)
Oregon
Utah Antelope Island , Utah, becomes a peninsula when waters are low, on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake Promontory Peninsula , on the north eastern shore of the Great Salt LakeStansbury Peninsula becomes an island when waters are high, on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake
Vermont Alburgh , Vermont , is on the Alburgh Tongue, a peninsula extending from Quebec, Canada into Lake Champlain
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin Bark Point, Wisconsin in Lake Superior Bayfield Peninsula , Wisconsin in Lake Superior Chequamegon Point , Wisconsin in Lake Superior Door Peninsula , Wisconsin , in Lake Michigan Jones Island , Milwaukee , Wisconsin in Lake Michigan Little Tail Point, Wisconsin in Green Bay (Lake Michigan) Marshall's Point, Wisconsin on North Bay in Lake Michigan MawBilly Joelwe Point, Wisconsin on MawBilly Joelwe Bay in Lake Superior Roman Point on Siskiwit Bay, Wisconsin , in Lake Superior Toft Point between Bailey's Harbor, Wisconsin and Moonlight Bay, Wisconsin in Lake Michigan
Other states Delmarva Peninsula , encompassing parts of Maryland and Virginia , and most of Delaware Land Between the Lakes , Tennessee and Kentucky (the largest inland peninsula in the United States)Presque Isle , Erie, Pennsylvania Port Bolivar , Texas Encinal Peninsula, Flour Bluff , Corpus Christi, Texas Kentucky Bend , Kentucky
Oceania
Australia Satellite image of Wilsons Promontory , Victoria Palm Beach, Sydney , New South Wales Torndirrup Peninsula, Western Australia Abbotsford , New South WalesAvalon Beach , New South WalesBalcolyn , New South WalesBeecroft Peninsula , New South Wales Bellarine Peninsula , Victoria Blacksmiths , New South WalesBolton Point , New South WalesBox Head , New South WalesBouddi National Park , New South WalesBrightwaters , New South WalesBudgewoi Peninsula , New South WalesBurraneer , New South WalesCape York Peninsula , Queensland Castle Cove , New South WalesCaves Beach , New South WalesChiswick , New South WalesCoal Point , New South WalesCobourg Peninsula , Northern Territory Cremorne Point , New South WalesCronulla , New South WalesDampier Peninsula , Western Australia Dudley Peninsula , South Australia Eyre Peninsula , South AustraliaEttalong Beach , New South WalesFleurieu Peninsula , South AustraliaFreycinet Peninsula , Tasmania Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park , VictoriaGwandalan , New South WalesInskip Peninsula , QueenslandJervis Bay , Australian Capital Territory Kangaroo Point , New South WalesKurnell , New South WalesKurraba Point , New South WalesLakes Entrance , New South WalesMornington Peninsula , VictoriaNelson Bay , New South WalesRedcliffe , QueenslandPalm Beach , New South WalesPoint Frederick , New South WalesPrimbee , New South WalesRhodes , New South WalesSir Richard Peninsula , South AustraliaStockton , New South WalesSwansea , New South WalesSydney Heads , New South WalesTasman Peninsula , TasmaniaThe Entrance , New South WalesTorndirrup National Park , Western AustraliaWangi Wangi , New South WalesWindang , New South WalesWilsons Promontory , VictoriaWoolwich , New South WalesWoy Woy , New South WalesYorke Peninsula , South AustraliaYounghusband Peninsula , South AustraliaYowie Bay , New South Wales
New Zealand
North Island
South Island NASA satellite photo of the Otago Peninsula and Otago Harbour . The city of Dunedin is located at the isthmus at lower left.
Outlying Islands
Papua New Guinea
Hawaii
South America Satellite images of the Southern Cone extending off South America month by month
Southern Cone The Southern Cone , like Europe , is sometimes considered to be a large peninsula.[9] Geographically, the peninsula encompasses most of Chile , Argentina , Uruguay and Southern Brazil and the southernmost portion of Paraguay , which makes it one of the largest peninsulas in the world. Like the Indian Peninsula , the Southern Cone is sometimes considered to be a subcontinent.[10]
Other peninsulas in South America
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela
Fictional peninsulas Map of Brobdingnag (original map, Pt II, Gulliver's Travels
See also
References ^ Word Histories and Mysteries: From Abracadabra to Zeus. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2004. p. 216. ISBN 978-0-547-35027-1 . OCLC 55746553. ^ "pen·in·su·la". American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016 . ^ "Definition of peninsula". Cambridge Dictionaries Online . Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 1 May 2016 . ^ "Definition of peninsula". Merriam-Webster Dictionary . Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 1 May 2016 . ^ "List of peninsulas". Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016 . ^ "Fourah Point / Fourah Point, Northern, Sierra Leone, Africa". travelingluck.com . ^ "中国一共有几个半岛-爱问知识人". iask.sina.com.cn . Retrieved 21 April 2022 . ^ National Geographic, ed. (1996). "Peninsula". Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2015 . ^ Podetti, J. Ramiro (2011). "La visión geopolítica de Artigas": 3. Retrieved 10 November 2020 . ^ Baldwin, James A. (2014), "Continents", in R.W. McColl (ed.), Encyclopedia of World Geography , Infobase Publishing, p. 215, ISBN 978-0-8160-7229-3
External links The dictionary definition of peninsula at Wiktionary Media related to Peninsulas at Wikimedia Commons