Island and archipelago series
Compare the land, population, density and administrative scope of Asian travel islands, single islands, archipelagos and prefectures.
Miyako, Ishigaki, Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan, Koh Tao, Phu Quoc and Green Island are centred on physical islands. Penghu uses all 90 county islands, while Okinawa and Phuket use full administrations. Every wider population boundary is stated on its page.
The same total land can feel very different when it is split among many islands. Transport, coastline and settlement patterns differ, while density remains only an average across the defined boundary.
Island and city names often overlap. Ishigaki City and Miyakojima City both extend beyond their main namesake islands, so Atlas keeps the title, outline, area and population tied to one geographic object.
Collection guide
Island, city and administrative names often overlap. Miyako Island is not the same boundary as Miyakojima City, Ishigaki Island is not Ishigaki City, and Okinawa can mean either the main island or the full prefecture.
When a title names one island, outline, area and population should stay at island level wherever possible. County or prefecture totals remain useful only when the different scope is stated openly.
One continuous island and a total spread across ninety islands do not create the same roads, coastlines or settlement connections. Water is excluded from land area but directly affects how people move.
Atlas provides the first spatial model. Actual itineraries still require bridge, ferry, flight, road and accommodation information, while average density cannot predict whether attractions are close together.
Penghu uses county registered population, Miyako uses an island population, and the current Ishigaki source counts registered Japanese nationals. Each figure can answer a question, but not with identical scope.
The series keeps population system and date beside the result. Better aligned sources can later replace a figure and automatically update the calculated ratios.
Published comparisons
Island · Island
Okinawa Main Island covers a small fraction of Taiwan Main Island but is settled far more densely. Both sides are physical islands, so the outlines and the figures describe the same kind of object.
Island · County
Okinawa Main Island has several times the land of the whole Penghu County archipelago and many times its population, but the two arrange that land very differently.
Island · Island
The two islands are close in land area, but Hainan holds under half as many people, so its average density is about half of Taiwan Main Island’s.
Region · County
Jeju Province has many times Penghu County’s land and several times its residents, while Penghu remains the more densely settled of the two.
Region · Island
Bali Province covers roughly a sixth of Taiwan Main Island’s land with under a fifth of its residents, leaving the two at broadly similar average densities.
Island · Island
Koh Tao is about forty percent larger than Green Island, while Green Island reports more registered residents under its township system.
Island · Island
Miyako Island has more than ten times Green Island land and more than eleven times its registered population.
Island · Island
Ishigaki Island has nearly fifteen times Green Island land and more than eleven times its reported registered population.
Island · Island
Koh Pha-ngan has about three quarters of Koh Samui main-island land but only about one quarter of its reported registered population.
Region · Island
Phuket Province has more than twice the land of Koh Samui main island and far more registered residents, but the geographic units differ.
Island · Island
Phu Quoc main island has about two and a half times the land of Koh Samui, while both population figures extend beyond their main-island outlines.
Island · County
Miyako Island has more land than Penghu County but far fewer residents, creating a clear difference in average density.
Island · County
Ishigaki Island has more land than Penghu County but fewer registered Japanese-national residents than Penghu’s registered population.
County · Country
Penghu County represents a small share of Taiwan’s land and registered population, with its county archipelago measured as one whole.
Region · Country
Okinawa Prefecture is much smaller than Taiwan, yet the two have a remarkably similar overall population density.
Island · County
Koh Samui main island has substantially more land than the whole Penghu County archipelago, while Penghu reports more registered residents.
Island · Region
Hong Kong has about five times Koh Samui’s main-island land area and vastly more residents, revealing a sharp density contrast.
Island · Island
Koh Samui has about fifteen times Green Island’s land area and a far larger resident count, while their approximate average densities are surprisingly close.