Island

An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been part of a continent. Oceanic islands can be formed from volcanic activity, grow into atolls from coral reefs, and form from sediment along shorelines, creating barrier islands.

Extends: Islands, [Coastal and oceanic landforms](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Coastal and oceanic landforms), [Fluvial landforms](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Fluvial landforms), [Oceanographical terminology](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Oceanographical terminology), [Lacustrine landforms](https://wikipedia.org.ai/Lacustrine landforms)