Peninsula

Short description: Landform surrounded more than half but not entirely by water

Floridian Peninsula

Scandinavian Peninsula

Arabian Peninsula

Antarctic Peninsula

Somali Peninsula

Cape York Peninsula

Satellite photos of some of the notable peninsulas on each continent.

A peninsula (from la paeninsula; from paene 'almost', and insula 'island')[1][2] is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders.[3][4][5] A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides.[3][6] Peninsulas exist on all continents.[7][2] The size of a peninsula can range from small to very large.[7] The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula.[8][9] Peninsulas form due to a variety of causes.

## Contents

* 1 Etymology
* 2 Definitions
* 3 Formation and types
* 3.1 Glaciers
* 3.2 Others
* 4 Uses
* 5 List of the largest peninsulas in the world
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 7.1 Bibliography
* 8 External links

## Etymology

Peninsula derives from la paeninsula, which is translated as 'peninsula'. Paeninsula itself was derived from paene 'almost', and insula 'island', or together, 'almost an island'.[3] The word entered English in the 16th century.[3]

## Definitions

A peninsula is usually defined as a piece of land surrounded on most, but not all sides, by water,[5] but is sometimes instead defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides.[6]

A peninsula may be bordered by more than one body of water, and the body of water does not have to be an ocean or a sea.[10] A piece of land on a very tight river bend or one between two rivers is sometimes said to form a peninsula, for example in the New Barbadoes Neck in New Jersey, United States.[5] A peninsula may be connected to the mainland via an isthmus, for example, in the Isthmus of Corinth which connects to the Peloponnese peninsula.[11]

## Formation and types

Peninsulas can be formed from continental drift, glacial erosion, glacial meltwater, glacial deposition, marine sediment, marine transgressions, volcanoes, divergent boundaries or river sedimentation.[12] More than one factor may play into the formation of a peninsula. For example, in the case of Florida, continental drift, marine sediment, and marine transgressions were all contributing factors to its shape.[13]

### Glaciers

In the case of formation from glaciers (e.g., the Antarctic Peninsula or Cape Cod), peninsulas can be created due to glacial erosion, meltwater or deposition.[14] If erosion formed the peninsula, softer and harder rocks were present, and since the glacier only erodes softer rock, it formed a basin.[14] This may create peninsulas, and occurred for example in the Keweenaw Peninsula.[14]

In the case of formation from meltwater, melting glaciers deposit sediment and form moraines, which act as dams for the meltwater.[14] This may create bodies of water that surround the land, forming peninsulas.[14]

If deposition formed the peninsula, the peninsula was composed of sedimentary rock, which was created from a large deposit of glacial drift.[15][16] The hill of drift becomes a peninsula if the hill formed near water but was still connected to the mainland, for example during the formation of Cape Cod about 23,000 years ago.[17][18]

### Others

In the case of formation from volcanoes, when a volcano erupts magma near water, it may form a peninsula (e.g., the Alaskan Peninsula).[15] Peninsulas formed from volcanoes are especially common when the volcano erupts near shallow water.[19] Marine sediment may form peninsulas by the creation of limestone.[20] A rift peninsula may form as a result of a divergent boundary in plate tectonics (e.g. the Arabian Peninsula),[21][22] while a convergent boundary may also form peninsulas (e.g. Gibraltar or the Indian subcontinent).[23] Peninsulas can also form due to sedimentation in rivers. When a river carrying sediment flows into an ocean, the sediment is deposited, forming a delta peninsula.[24]

Marine transgressions (changes in sea level) may form peninsulas, but also may affect existing peninsulas. For example, the water level may change, which causes a peninsula to become an island during high water levels.[25] Similarly, wet weather causing higher water levels make peninsulas appear smaller, while dry weather make them appear larger.[26] Sea level rise from global warming will permanently reduce the size of some peninsulas over time.[27]

## Uses

Peninsulas are noted for their use as shelter for humans and Neanderthals.[28] The landform is advantageous because it gives hunting access to both land and sea animals.[28] They can also serve as markers of a nation's borders.[29]

## List of the largest peninsulas in the world

Further information: Earth:List of peninsulas

Rank  | Peninsula | Continent | Subregion | Part of  | Area  | Nation(s) | Source

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

(km2)  | (sq mi)
1  | Arabian Peninsula | Asia | West Asia | Arabia | 3,100,000  | 1,200,000  |  Iraq (southern region)
Jordan (southern region)
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Yemen  | [30]
2  | Indochinese Peninsula | Asia | Southeast Asia | Mainland Southeast Asia | 2,000,000  | 770,000  |  Cambodia
Laos
Malaysia (western region)
Myanmar
Thailand
Vietnam  | [31]
3  | Deccan Peninsula  | Asia | South Asia | Indian Subcontinent | 1,900,000  | 730,000  |  India (southern region)  | [32]
4  | Labrador Peninsula  | North America | Northern America | –  | 1,400,000  | 540,000  |  Canada (eastern region)  | [33]
5  | Anatolian Peninsula | Asia | West Asia | Asia Minor | 755,688  | 291,773  |  Turkey (Asian part)  | [34]
6  | Scandinavian Peninsula | Europe | Northern Europe | Fennoscandia  | 750,000  | 290,000  |  Finland (northern region)
Norway
Sweden  | [35]
Somali Peninsula | Africa | East Africa | Horn of Africa | 750,000  | 290,000  |  Ethiopia (eastern region)
Somalia  | [36]
8  | Balkan Peninsula | Europe | Southern Europe | South-eastern Europe | 666,700  | 257,400  |  Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia (southern mainland)
Greece (mainland)
Kosovo
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Romania (coastal region)
Serbia (central region)
Slovenia (south-western region)
Turkey (European part)  | [37]
9  | Iberian Peninsula | Europe | Southern Europe | South-western Europe | 583,256  | 225,196  |  Andorra
France (French Cerdagne)
Gibraltar (United Kingdom )
Portugal (mainland)
Spain (mainland)  | [38]
10  | Antarctic Peninsula  | Antarctica | West Antarctica | –  | 522,000  | 202,000  | –  | [39]
11  | Taymyr Peninsula  | Asia | North Asia | North Siberian Lowland  | 400,000  | 150,000  |  Russia (Krasnoyarsk Krai)  | [40]
12  | Kamchatka Peninsula  | Asia | North Asia | Russian Far East | 370,000  | 140,000  |  Russia (Kamchatka Krai)  | [41]

## See also

* Barrier island
* Cape
* Headland
* Promontory
* Salient
* Spit
* Tidal island

## References

1. ↑ "peninsula". Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2014. https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=peninsula.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nadeau 2006, p. 5.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 HMH 2004, p. 216.
4. ↑ "Definition of peninsula". Cambridge Dictionaries Online. Cambridge University Press. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/peninsula.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Kersey, Paul (23 July 2021). "What is a Peninsula?" (in en). https://www.infoplease.com/world/geography/what-is-a-peninsula.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "list of peninsulas" (in en). https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-peninsulas-2024442.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Society, National Geographic (2011-01-21). "peninsula" (in en). http://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/peninsula/.
8. ↑ Mis 2009, p. 20.
9. ↑ Niz 2006, p. 19.
10. ↑ Heos 2010, p. 15.
11. ↑ Heos 2010, p. 9.
12. ↑ Mis 2009, p. 6.
13. ↑ Heos 2010, p. 8.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Heos 2010, p. 31.
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Nadeau 2006, p. 6.
16. ↑ Heos 2010, p. 32–33.
17. ↑ Nadeau 2006, p. 9.
18. ↑ Wyckoff 1999, p. 328.
19. ↑ Heos 2010, p. 44.
20. ↑ Heos 2010, p. 21–23.
21. ↑ Nadeau 2006, p. 10.
22. ↑ Heos 2010, pp. 43–44.
23. ↑ Heos 2010, p. 40.
24. ↑ Nadeau 2006, p. 13.
25. ↑ Niz 2006, p. 7.
26. ↑ Niz 2006, p. 13.
27. ↑ Nadeau 2006, p. 21.
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Heos 2010, p. 45.
29. ↑ Heos 2010, p. 48.
30. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica: Arabia
31. ↑ Polytheistic and Syncretic Religious Beliefs in Southeast Asia - Nature, Features, and Geographical Distribution
32. ↑ Government of India - Ministry of Mines: Explore India
33. ↑ WorldAtlas: Labrador Peninsula
34. ↑ Turkey at a Glance
35. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica: Scandinavian Peninsula
36. ↑ Africa’s largest peninsula has always been on the target of world powers. Where is it actually located?
37. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica: Balkans
38. ↑ WorldAtlas: Iberian Peninsula
39. ↑ Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet
40. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica: Taymyr Peninsula
41. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica: Kamchatka Peninsula

### Bibliography

* Heos, Bridget (2010). The creation of peninsulas (1st ed.). New York: Rosen Pub. ISBN 978-1-4358-5301-0. OCLC 277466133. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/277466133.
* Mis, Melody S. (2009). Exploring peninsulas (1st ed.). New York: PowerKids Press. ISBN 978-1-4358-2711-0. OCLC 230802567. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/230802567.
* Nadeau, Isaac (2006). Peninsulas (1st ed.). New York: Rosen Pub. Group's PowerKids Press. ISBN 1-4042-3125-0. OCLC 57068647. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/57068647.
* Niz, Ellen Sturm (2006). Peninsulas. Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press. ISBN 0-7368-4308-6. OCLC 57366483. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/57366483.
* Word Histories and Mysteries: From Abracadabra to Zeus. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2004. ISBN 978-0547350271. OCLC 55746553. https://books.google.com/books?id=cZ88p_bSt1EC&pg=PA216.
* Wyckoff, Jerome (1999). Reading the earth : landforms in the making. Mahwah, NJ: Adastra West, Inc. ISBN 0-9674075-0-8. OCLC 43274886. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43274886.

## External links

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* t
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Earth's landform

List of landforms

Mountainous|

* Table
* Butte
* Flat
* Hill
* Mountain
* Mountain range
* Plateau
* Ridge
* Valley

Continental plain|

* Ice sheet
* Plain
* Steppe
* Tundra

Fluvial|

* Alluvial fan
* Beach
* Canyon
* Cave
* Channel
* Cliff
* Floodplain
* Lake
* Levee
* Meander
* Oasis
* Pond
* Rapids
* River
* River delta
* River mouth
* River valley
* Strait
* Swamp
* Waterfall

Glacial|

* Arête
* Cirque
* Esker
* Fjord
* Glacier
* Ice field
* Tunnel valley

Oceanic and
coastal landforms|

* Atoll
* Bay
* Cape
* Channel
* Coast
* Continental shelf
* Coral reef
* Estuary
* High island
* Island
* Isthmus
* Lagoon
* Mid-ocean ridge
* Oceanic trench
* Peninsula
* Seamount

Volcanic|

* Caldera
* Crater lake
* Geyser
* High island
* Mid-ocean ridge
* Lava dome
* Lava field
* Lava plateau
* Submarine volcano
* Guyot
* Volcanic crater
* Volcanic plug
* Volcano
* Wall rock

Aeolian|

* Desert
* Dry lake
* Dune
* Sandhill
* Tundra

Artificial|

* Artificial island
* Artificial reef
* Bridge
* Building
* Canal
* Dam
* Ditch
* Land reclamation
* Levee
* Polder
* Quarry
* Reservoir
* Road
* Tunnel

See also: Geographical feature

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