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Where are the largest peninsulas in the world?

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Top 10 largest peninsulas in the world

Largest Peninsula in the World

A peninsula is a piece of land that extends into a water body, and is surrounded by water on the majority of its borders (three sides) but is connected to a larger mainland on one side. The surrounding water body may not necessarily be named as a single body of water but is continuous. Also, a peninsula is not always named as such, it can often also be, a  headland, cape, island promontory, bill, or pointVarying in sizes, they could range from the Arabian Peninsula, one of the largest peninsulas in the world to much smaller ones. Whereas rarely, the meandering of a river is also said to form a peninsula, within a tight loop of water. For example, the entire continent of Europe is also considered to be a large peninsula jutting out of Eurasia.

Another geographical feature closely associated with the peninsula is the isthmus. An isthmus, is a narrow piece of land, connecting two landmasses, with water on either side. Hence, the connecting landmass of the peninsular with the mainland can be narrow and be called an isthmus.

Worlds Largest Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula:  A peninsula of  Western Asia, it is situated in the  Northeast of Africa on the  Arabian plate. Being the largest peninsula on the earth, it features an area of  1,250,000 square miles. The peninsula consists of  Yemen, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and parts of Jordan and Iraq. The peninsula is believed to have formed by the drifting of the Red Sea. Hence, it is bordered by the  Red Sea on the West and the Southwest, the  Persian Gulf to the Northeast, and the  Indian Ocean to the Southeast. It is connected to the levant in the North. Largely unsuitable for agricultural activities, the peninsula holds geo-political significance owing to its vast resources of oil and natural gas.

The (Indian) Deccan Peninsula:  Surrounded by the Arabian Sea to the West, the Bay of Bengal to the east, and the Indian Ocean to the south, the Indian peninsula is the second largest peninsula in the world.  It covers an area of  800,004 square miles and is located in the Southern part of central India. Comprising of the  Eastern and Western Ghats,  the peninsula is rich in biodiversity and is home to a tiger reserve of national importance. The climate in this region ranges from semi-arid to tropical type. It is inclusive of eight Indian states and the people largely indulge in agricultural practices.


The Indochina Peninsula:  Also known as  Mainland Southeast Asia, it is the continental portion of Southeast Asia, and lies east of India and south of China. The  Indian Ocean bounds the region to the west and the  Pacific Ocean to the east. Projecting southwards from the Asian continent, it features several mountain ranges like the  Tibetan Plateau to the north. The peninsula includes  Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam and covers an area of  748,553 square miles. Additionally, the southernmost part of the Indochina peninsula protrudes to form the  Malay Peninsula, which regions Southern Thailand and peninsular Malaysia.

The Horn of Africa:  Large extension of land protruding from the Eastern edge of the  African continent, the Horn of Africa is the fourth largest peninsula in the world. It comprises four countries of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. Also called the  Somali Peninsular,  it is surrounded by the  Gulf of Aden to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and extends into the  Arabian Sea for hundreds of miles. The landmass is a vast  726,975 square miles in area. It hosts the highest number of reptiles, whereas the locals participate in livestock herding and export coffee and bananas.

The Alaska Peninsula:  Separating the  Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, which is an arm of the Bering Sea, the peninsula extends about 497 miles to the Southwest from the mainland of  Alaska and ends at the Aleutian Islands.  The term ‘Alaska Peninsula’ denotes the Northwestern projection of the  North American continent.  It is surrounded by the Arctic Sea in the north,  Bering Strait in the west, and the Pacific Sea to the south, with an area cover of  579,153 square miles. Running along the length of the peninsula, the  Aleutian Range is a highly active volcanic mountain range and is home to numerous wildlife refuges and national parks.

The Labrador Peninsula:  The peninsula in Eastern Canada, extends over an area of  540,543 square miles.  It consists of the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and the province of Quebec. It is bound by the  Hudson Bay to the west, the  Hudson Strait to the north, the  Labrador Sea to the East, and the  Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the Southeast. It connects to the mainland in the Southwest only. The peninsula features rivers valleys, mountain ranges, and national parks. The peninsula, owing to being covered in the  Canadian shield, has numerous lakes.

The Scandinavian Peninsula:  A large promontory of northern Europe, comprises Sweden, Norway, and the Northwestern area of Finland.  Deriving its name from the cultural region of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the Scandinavian Peninsula is one of the largest peninsulas in Europe. Spread over an area of  289,577 square miles,  it is bordered by the  Barents Sea to the north, the  Norwegian Sea to the west, and the  North Sea and  Baltic Sea to the south. A quarter of the peninsula lies north of the Arctic Circle, the climate varies from tundra to subarctic with cool marine coastlines in the West.

The Balkan Peninsula:  Rooting its name from the Balkans Mountain Range, the Balkan Peninsula is a geographical region in Southeastern Europe. It is neighbored by the  Adriatic Sea on the northwest, the  Ionian Sea on the southwest, the  Aegean Sea on the south and southeast, and the Black Sea on the east and the northeast. It spreads across  181,000 square miles of area, without a well-defined northern boundary. It comprises Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and North Turkey.

The Iberian Peninsula:  Also referred to as  Iberia, the peninsula is located in southwestern Europe. It is principally divided between the  Spanish and Portugal territory, but also includes  Andorra and a small part of  France  as well as  Gibraltar on its South coast. With an expanse of  225,000 square miles, it is the second-largest European peninsula, after the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is bordered by the  Mediterranean Sea on the Southeast and East and by the  Atlantic Ocean on the north, west, and southwest. It is in close proximity to the northwest African coast, separated by the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea.

The Kamchatka Peninsula:  The region of about  100,000 square miles is located in the  Russian Far East.  The eastern and western Coastlines are made up of the  Pacific Ocean and the  Sea of Okhotsk,  respectively. The region features the volcanoes of Kamchatka, which is recognized as a  World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The region faces moderately cool summers and stormy winters. Collectively, the  Kamchatka Peninsula, the Commander Islands, and the Karaginsky Island constitute the  Kamchatka Krai of the Russian Federation.

Below given table mentions the details of the world’s largest peninsulas: 

Peninsulas Size (Square Miles) Location
Arabian Peninsula 1,250,006 Middle-East
Deccan peninsula 800,004 South Asia
Indochina Peninsula 748,553 Southeast Asia
Horn of Africa 726,975 East Africa
Alaska Peninsula 579,153 Alaska
Labrador Peninsula 540,543 North America
Scandinavian Peninsula 289,577 North Europe
The Balkans 257,414 Southeast Europe
Iberian Peninsula 224,711 Southwest Europe
Kamchatka Peninsula 100,000 Far East Russia

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