Theislands of Africa are a major geographical sub-region ofAfrica,[1][2][3][4] and represent a distinct demographic and historical cultural sphere of influence on the continent.
The islands of Africa can be subdivided into Indian Ocean Islands and Atlantic Ocean Islands.[5] The largest number of islands of Africa are found in the Indian Ocean, with the sovereignisland nations ofComoros,Seychelles,Mauritius andMadagascar located off the southeastern seaboard of Africa being the most notable. The French overseas territories ofMayotte andRéunion are also located nearby. The medium-sized islands ofZanzibar andLamu of Tanzania and Kenya, respectively, are also located in the Indian Ocean, in addition to smaller islands off the coasts of other continental countries. In the Atlantic seaboard, the largest islands areCape Verde off the coast ofWest Africa andSao Tome and Principe off the southwestern seaboard. In the Atlantic Ocean, the island ofBioko and other smaller islands ofEquatorial Guinea are also notable. TheCanary Islands and other territories of Spain are present in theMediterranean Sea in the northAtlantic Ocean, and theBritish Overseas Territories ofSaint Helena,Ascension Island, andTristan da Cunha are located off the southwestern seaboard of the continent.
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All of the islands of Africa, except for Madagascar, are classified as small islands under the UNESCO classification system for all islands under 2,000 square kilometres (770 sq mi).[6] Madagascar, in contrast, at 587,041 square kilometres (226,658 sq mi) is the fourth-largest island in the world. In line with most characteristics of small islands, the islands of Africa with the exception of Madagascar are almost all volcanic in origin, high in structure, with low coral elevation, with some surface water resources and undergo variable weather conditions, with occasional destructive tropical cyclones.[7]
There are four sovereign African island nations located in the Indian Ocean:Comoros,Madagascar,Mauritius andSeychelles. These countries have interrelated histories and populations over hundreds of years of interaction. These islands, in addition to the French territories ofRéunion andMayotte make up the membership of theIndian Ocean Commission.
Each of the sovereign Indian Ocean nations have complex population histories with Southeast Asian exploration and settlement, Arab trade and the Bantu migrations each playing a crucial role before later European colonization.
TheMalagasy settled the largest island of the Indian Ocean (and the fourth-largest globally),Madagascar, along with a group of smaller islands nearby, namelyRéunion and theComoros. Madagascarbecame part of theFrench colonial empire followingtwo military campaigns against theKingdom of Madagascar, which it initiated after persuading Britain to relinquish its interests in the island in exchange for control ofZanzibar off the coast ofTanganyika, an important island hub of thespices trade. The British also held a number of island colonies in the region, including the extendedarchipelago ofSeychelles and the rich farming island ofMauritius, previously under the Frenchsovereignty.
There are two sovereign island nations in the Atlantic Ocean:São Tomé and Príncipe andCape Verde. Both islands share some historical and demographic features, especially in relation to their uses as transit points during theAtlantic slave trade.
NeitherSão Tomé and Príncipe norCape Verde were inhabited before European colonization in the wake of theAtlantic slave trade.[8][9]
Both Spain and France retain possession of a number of territories in Africa in the form of islands in the Mediterranean Sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the case of Spain, and in the Indian Ocean in the case of France. Italy, the United Kingdom and Portugal also retain possession of small islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
TheCanary Islands, as well asCeuta andMelilla and thePlazas de soberania islands in the Mediterranean Sea off the northern coast of Morocco, have long been inSpanish possession since theReconquista, althoughMorocco continues to challenge Spain's authority over some of the islands.
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Following the independence ofComoros from France, the island ofMayotte voted in 1975 to remain a French territory, and in 2011 attained the status of a French department, along withRéunion which has held that status since the 1950s.Comoros continues to challenge France's possession ofMayotte, and Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles also variously dispute France's possession of itsÎles Éparses, or other scattered islands of the Indian Ocean.
The United Kingdom also retains territories in the form ofSaint Helena,Ascension, andTristan da Cunha off Africa's western seaboard in the Atlantic Ocean, as does Portugal with the islands ofMadeira north of theCanary Islands and Italy with the islands ofLampedusa andLampione off the northern coast ofTunisia.
Many continental African countries also include many islands within their territories. Some of these islands have witnessed rising secessionist movements, most notably the islands ofZanzibar in Tanzania andLamu in Kenya. Somalia is also home to a large number of islands, including theBajuuni Islands.
The total population of inhabitants of the islands of Africa is estimated at a little over 30 million, with the bulk of the population of the islands of Africa residing inMadagascar.
The islands of Africa share many cultural traits due to similar settlement and population histories. Most of thecreole languages of Africa developed on the islands of Africa, and the development of theSwahili language andMalagasy language, both of which incorporate various Arabic, Persian, Bantu and Southeast Asian (in the case of Malagasy) elements, took place mostly on the Indian Ocean islands. The musical innovations of many islands of Africa from contact between Asian, European and African instruments and styles are also popular on continental Africa, most notably those of theMusic of Cape Verde andMusic of Zanzibar.