archipelagoes

An archipelago is a group or chain of islands located in a sea or ocean, often scattered over a wide area. The term archipelago comes from Greek archipélagos meaning chief sea, with archi meaning chief and pelagos meaning sea. The plural forms archipelagoes and archipelagos are both used.

Archipelagos form through various geological processes: tectonic plate movements create island arcs along subduction zones (Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines); volcanic hotspots produce island chains (the Hawaiian Islands); coral atolls and carbonate island systems develop in warm, shallow seas (the Maldives, various Pacific atolls). Some archipelagos are remnants of continental fragments that have become isolated as sea levels rise. The Indonesian archipelago is the largest by number of islands; others include the Japanese Archipelago, the Philippines, the Caribbean archipelago, the Canary Islands, and New Zealand’s main islands as part of an archipelago.

Ecologically, archipelagos often host high levels of endemism and diverse habitats due to isolation and varied climates. The theory of island biogeography explains how island size and isolation influence species richness. Human activity affects archipelagos through settlement, resource use, and climate change, increasing vulnerability to sea-level rise and extreme weather. Archipelagoes can cross political boundaries and require coordinated governance for conservation and development.