What is a peninsula?
A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides and connected to a larger land area on the fourth. Italy, Florida and Korea are well-known peninsulas.
The word peninsula comes from the Latin paene, meaning almost, and insula, meaning island, so it literally means almost an island. Peninsulas can be tiny points of land or enormous regions. The narrow strip of land that connects some peninsulas to the mainland is called an isthmus.
The Arabian Peninsula is the largest in the world, covering about 3.2 million square kilometers and including Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Other large peninsulas include the Indian subcontinent, Scandinavia, the Iberian Peninsula and Alaska.
Why they matter
Peninsulas often have long coastlines, which made them important for trade, fishing and naval power throughout history. The Iberian Peninsula, home to Spain and Portugal, launched many voyages of exploration. Peninsulas can also have their own climates, shaped by the surrounding sea.
Did You Know?
The Antarctic Peninsula, stretching toward South America, is one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth.