Which is the Largest Island of Indonesia?
Which is the largest Island of Indonesia? Learn about Sumatra, the biggest island entirely within Indonesian territory along with Borneo and New Guinea.
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries the total islands in countries lies between 17000 to 18000. Indonesia is known as the world's largest archipelagic state. It stretches across the equator between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Which is the Largest Island of Indonesia?
When it comes to which is the largest island of Indonesia. The geographers generally divide the answer into two categories: the Largest Island wholly within Indonesia and largest island with Indonesia shared territory ( other neighbouring countries).
The Largest Island wholly within Indonesia
The largest island located entirely and exclusively within Indonesian territory, the answer is Sumatra. Its land area is approximately 473,481 square kilometers (184,954 square miles). It is the 6th largest island in the world.
Sumatra is famous for its rugged, volcanic spine such as the Bukit Barisan mountains. It is rich in biodiversity and has iconic wildlife like the critically endangered Sumatran tiger, elephant, and orangutan.
The largest islands with Indonesia’s Territory(Shared territory)
The Islands where Indonesia shares political administration with neighboring sovereign nations are New Guinea and Borneo.
New Guinea (Papua)
This is the largest overall island containing Indonesian territory. The western half belongs to Indonesia. It is divided into several provinces like Papua and West Papua.
It covers a large territory while the eastern half constitutes the independent nation of Papua New Guinea. New Guinea is the second-largest island in the world.
Borneo (Kalimantan)
The second-largest island containing Indonesian territory is Borneo. Indonesia owns around 73% of the island. It is known as Kalimantan while the remaining parts belong to Malaysia and Brunei. Borneo is the third-largest island in the world.
Largest Island of Indonesia
In Indonesia's largest islands or territories by land mass according to official geospatial data
| Rank | Island Name | Total Area (sq km) | Fully or Partially Indonesian? | Key Highlight |
| 1 | New Guinea | 785,753 | Partially (Western New Guinea) | World's 2nd largest island, home to Puncak Jaya. |
| 2 | Borneo | 748,168 | Partially (Kalimantan region) | World's 3rd largest island, home to tropical rainforests. |
| 3 | Sumatra | 473,481 | Fully Indonesian | Largest island exclusive to Indonesia, rich in biodiversity. |
| 4 | Sulawesi | 180,681 | Fully Indonesian | Distinctive K-shape, unique evolutionary fauna. |
| 5 | Java | 138,794 | Fully Indonesian | The world's most populous island the economic heart of Indonesia. |
The largest island of Indonesia, we can confidently point to Sumatra as the ultimate homegrown one, while acknowledging that portions of New Guinea and Borneo stand as the largest overall landmasses under the Indonesian flag.
Manisha Waldia is a distinguished content strategist with 5 years of experience crafting premium educational content for UPSC and State PCS, with a focus on deep conceptual analysis across Polity, Geography, History, and Environment. She currently brings this expertise to Jagran Josh, where she covers major national and international events, current affairs, and static general knowledge. Over her career, Manisha's specialized insights have led her to curate high-impact materials and serve as a UPSC Mains answer-evaluator for India’s top institutes—including Drishti IAS, Shubhra Ranjan IAS, Study IQ, GS Score, and PWonlyIAS. She has also worked alongside leading NGOs like Oxfam India and Avani Kumaon.
Contact: manisha.waldia@jagrannewmedia.com
