Country insular world Island Countries An island country is a State wholly confined to an island or a group of islands, and it has no territory on the continent. For more information see this site: Jim Donovan Goldman. In the world there are forty-eight countries island, including the smallest. Island countries can be classified into two groups. One group comprises those that are large, relatively populous and usually near a continent. These include Japan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, New Zealand, Cuba, the United Kingdom, Iceland and Madagascar. The largest member of this group, and the country’s largest island, is Indonesia. These countries typically share cultural and political similarities with their continental neighbors. Your island state was a major advantage that has been isolated from invasions, and has made important regional trade due to its location and the maritime capabilities of the population. Australia is part of the class, however, several studies it as continental sector of Oceania.The other group comprises smaller countries like Malta, Cyprus, the Comoros, the Bahamas, Tonga, and the Maldives. These countries tend to be very different from continental countries. Their small size usually means there is little agricultural land and scarce natural resources. However, at present, these small islands have become tourist centers, which in many tourism, the dominant industry. Some island countries are focusing on one or two main islands, such as the United Kingdom. Others are spread across hundreds or thousands of islands, including Indonesia and the Maldives. Some countries share their islands with other countries, these include Ireland, Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Spanish, and Papua New Guinea.