Archipelago
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2008-06-21T07:35:17Z
គីមស៊្រុន
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''[[Image:MerguiArchipelagoMap.png|thumb|The [[Mergui Archipelago]]]]
An '''archipelago''' ({{PronEng|ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ}}) is a chain or cluster of [[island]]s. The word ''archipelago'' literally means "chief [[sea]]", from [[Greek language|Greek]] ''arkhon'' (''arkhi''-) ("leader") and ''pelagos'' ("sea"). In [[classical antiquity|antiquity]], the '''Archipelago''' (Greek: Αρχιπέλαγος) was the proper name for the [[Aegean Sea]] and, later, usage shifted to refer to the [[Aegean Islands]] (since the sea is remarkable for its large number of islands). It is now used to generally refer to any island group or, sometimes, to a sea containing a large number of scattered islands like the [[Aegean Sea]].
==Types of archipelagos==
Archipelagos are usually found in the open sea; less commonly, a large [[land mass]] may neighbour them, an example being [[Scotland]] which has more than 700 islands surrounding the mainland. Archipelagoes are often [[volcano|volcanic]], forming along [[mid-ocean ridge]]s or [[Hotspot (geology)|hotspots]], but there are many other processes involved in their construction, including [[erosion]], [[Deposition (sediment)|deposition]], and [[land elevation]].
The four largest modern states that are mainly archipelagos are [[Japan]], the [[Philippines]], the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Indonesia]] (the world's largest archipelagic state according to the CIA World Factbook) [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/id.html].
The largest archipelago in the world by size is the [[Canadian Arctic Archipelago]] of [[Northern Canada]]. It is situated in the [[Arctic Ocean]].{{fact|date=May 2008}}
==See also==
{{Wiktionary}}
*[[Island arc]]
*[[Geography]]
*[[Earth science]]
*[[Geomorphology]]
*[[Landform|List of landforms]]
*[[Plate tectonics]]
*[[Island nation]]
*[[Earthsea]]
*[[The World (archipelago)|The World]]
* Lists of islands: see [[List of archipelagos]] and [[List of islands]]
[[Image:Saaristo.png|thumb|The [[Archipelago Sea]], situated between the [[Gulf of Bothnia]] and the [[Gulf of Finland]], the largest archipelago in the world by the number of islands.{{Fact|date=February 2008}}]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes|Archipelagoes]]
[[Category:Greek loanwords]]
{{geo-term-stub}}
[[ar:أرخبيل]]
[[an:Archipielago]]
[[ba:Архипелаг]]
[[bcl:Arkipelago]]
[[bs:Arhipelag]]
[[br:Enezeg]]
[[bg:Архипелаг]]
[[ca:Arxipèlag]]
[[cs:Souostroví]]
[[da:Arkipelag]]
[[de:Archipel]]
[[et:Saarestik]]
[[el:Αρχιπέλαγος]]
[[es:Archipiélago]]
[[eo:Arkipelago]]
[[eu:Uhartedi]]
[[fr:Archipel]]
[[gl:Arquipélago]]
[[km:កំរងកោះ]]
[[ko:군도]]
[[hr:Otočje]]
[[io:Archipelago]]
[[id:Kepulauan]]
[[is:Eyjaklasi]]
[[it:Arcipelago]]
[[he:ארכיפלג]]
[[csb:Òstrowina]]
[[sw:Funguvisiwa]]
[[ku:Komgirav]]
[[la:Archipelagus]]
[[lv:Arhipelāgs]]
[[lt:Salynas]]
[[jbo:plugri]]
[[mk:Архипелаг]]
[[nl:Archipel]]
[[ja:列島]]
[[no:Arkipelag]]
[[nds:Archipel]]
[[pl:Archipelag]]
[[pt:Arquipélago]]
[[ru:Архипелаг]]
[[scn:Arcipèlacu]]
[[simple:Archipelago]]
[[sk:Súostrovie]]
[[sl:Arhipelag]]
[[sr:Архипелаг]]
[[sh:Arhipelag]]
[[fi:Saaristo]]
[[sv:Ögrupp]]
[[tl:Kapuluan]]
[[vi:Quần đảo]]
[[uk:Архіпелаг]]
[[ur:مجموعہ الجزائر]]
[[vec:Arcipełago]]
[[yi:ארכיפעלאג]]
[[cbk-zam:Arquipelago]]
[[zh:群島]]