A peninsula[(; ) ] is a landform that extends from a mainland, is connected to the mainland on only one side, and is mostly surrounded by water.
Etymology
The word
peninsula derives , . The word entered English in the 16th century.
Definitions
A peninsula is generally defined as a piece of land surrounded on most sides by water.
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. 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.
Formation and types
Peninsulas can be formed by continental drift, glacial
erosion,
meltwater, glacial deposition,
marine sediment, marine transgressions,
, divergent boundaries or river sedimentation. More than one factor may contribute to the formation of a peninsula. For example, in the case of
Florida, continental drift, marine sediment, and marine transgressions all contributed to its shape.
Peninsulas can also be man-made. Typically, they are built as protection from ocean or sea waves by building a Breakwater, which sometimes connects back to land. They can also be built to expand areas of a city; for example, Copenhagen is planning to create a peninsula that houses 35,000 residents by 2070.
Glaciers
In the case of formation from glaciers (for example, the Antarctic Peninsula or
Cape Cod), peninsulas can be created due to glacial
erosion,
meltwater or deposition. If erosion formed the peninsula, softer and harder rocks were present, and since the glacier only erodes softer rock, it formed a basin. This may create peninsulas, and occurred for example in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
In the case of formation from meltwater, melting glaciers deposit sediment and form , which act as dams for the meltwater. This may create bodies of water that surround the land, forming peninsulas.
If deposition formed the peninsula, the peninsula was composed of sedimentary rock, which was created from a large deposit of glacial drift. 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.
Others
In the case of formation from volcanoes, when a volcano erupts
magma near water, it may form a peninsula (such as the
Alaska Peninsula). Peninsulas formed from volcanoes are especially common when the volcano erupts near shallow water.
Marine sediment may form peninsulas by the creation of
limestone. A rift peninsula may form as a result of a divergent boundary in
plate tectonics (such as the Arabian Peninsula), while a convergent boundary may also form peninsulas (for example,
Gibraltar or the Indian subcontinent). 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.
Marine transgressions (changes in sea level) may form peninsulas, but may also affect existing peninsulas. For example, the water level may change, which causes a peninsula to become an island during high water levels. Similarly, wet weather causing higher water levels make peninsulas appear smaller, while dry weather make them appear larger. Sea level rise from global warming will permanently reduce the size of some peninsulas over time.
Uses
Peninsulas are noted for having acted as shelters for prehistoric humans and
. The landform is advantageous because it gives hunting access to both land and sea animals. They can also serve as markers of a nation's borders. In history, peninsulas have played a vital role in trade and commerce because of their access to water through an isthmus. The
Malay Peninsula, located at the convergence of the
Indian Ocean and the
China Seas, played an important role in east-west trade.
List of the largest peninsulas in the world
|
|
| 1 | Arabian Peninsula | Asia | West Asia | Arabia | 3,100,000 | | (southern region)
(southern region)
| [ Encyclopædia Britannica: "Arabia".] |
| 2 | Indochinese Peninsula | Southeast Asia | Mainland Southeast Asia | 2,000,000 | |
(western region)
| |
| 3 | Deccan Plateau | South Asia | Indian Subcontinent | 1,900,000 | 800,000 | (South India) | |
| 4 | Labrador Peninsula | North America | Northern America | – | 1,400,000 | | (Eastern Canada) | |
| 5 | Anatolia | Asia | West Asia | Anatolia | 755,688 | | (Anatolia) | |
| 6 | Scandinavian Peninsula | Europe | Northern Europe | Fennoscandia | 750,000 | | (northern region)
| [ Encyclopædia Britannica: "Scandinavian Peninsula".] |
| Somali Peninsula | Africa | East Africa | Horn of Africa | 750,000 | | (Somali Region)
| |
| 8 | Balkans | Europe | Southern Europe | Southeast Europe | 666,700 | |
(southern mainland)
(mainland)
(Northern Dobruja)
(Central Serbia)
(south-western region)
(East Thrace) | [ Encyclopædia Britannica: "Balkans".] |
| 9 | Iberian Peninsula | South-western Europe | 583,256 | |
(French Cerdagne)
(United Kingdom)
(mainland)
(Peninsular Spain) | |
| 10 | Antarctic Peninsula | Antarctica | West Antarctica | – | 522,000 | | – | |
| 11 | Taymyr Peninsula | Asia | North Asia | North Siberian Lowland | 400,000 | | (Krasnoyarsk Krai) | [ Encyclopædia Britannica: "Taymyr Peninsula".] |
| 12 | Kamchatka Peninsula | Russian Far East | 370,000 | | (Kamchatka Krai) | [ Encyclopædia Britannica: "Kamchatka Peninsula".] |
See also
Bibliography
External links
