No Man Is an (Asian) Island Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The world's largest continent, Asia is home to some of the world's ten largest islands - namely Borneo, Sumatra and Honshu. The three most populous island nations - Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines - are also found in Asia. Though Europe has the edge in terms of sheer number of islands, the seas that surround Asia are dotted with tens of thousands of islands of every size. Our Asian island-hopping trip will take us from west to east.

The largest island in the archipelago of the same name, Socotra lies in the Arabian Sea, between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Known for its unique environment, extremely rich in endemic flora and fauna (such as the striking dragon's blood tree), Socotra belongs to Africa in geographical terms but is administratively and culturally part of Yemen.

Qeshm is the largest island in the Persian Gulf. Long and narrow, it lies off the coast of southern Iran, opposite the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir. Due to its strategic location in the Strait of Hormuz, the island has a major military role, hosting one of Iran's many underground missile bases. Qeshm is also geologically significant because of the presence of one of the world's longest salt caves.

Thailand's largest island, Phuket lies off the country's southwest coast in the Andaman Sea. Once an important port of call for trading ships from Europe on the way to the Far East, Phuket became wealthy from the production of tin and rubber before tourism became its primary source of income. The island is one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations and has a significant foreign population.

Langkawi, the largest of a cluster of 99 islands, lies south of Phuket, separated from the northwest coast of peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. This lushly forested island is also known as "the jewel of Kedah", a Malaysian state once home to an independent sultanate. In the 1980s the tourist industry began to develop on Langkawi, taking full advantage of its beautiful natural environment. Langkawi is also a duty-free area.

Timor's name comes from the Malay word for "east": indeed, this island lies near the eastern (and southern) end of Maritime Southeast Asia. The world's 44th-largest island, Timor is politically divided between Indonesia to the west and the former Portuguese colony of Timor-Leste, which gained full independence in 2002. Separated from Australia by the Timor Sea, Timor is largely covered by forests; its fauna comprises several endemic species.

The eight-largest island in the Philippines, Mindoro lies southwest of Luzon and northeast of Palawan; its name comes from the Spanish "mina de oro" (gold mine). Before Spanish colonization, the island was known for its trade relations with China. In December 1944 Mindoro was the site of a battle between US Army and Japanese Army troops. Mindoro is home to several endemic animal species, particularly the tamaraw, an endangered dwarf buffalo.

The world's 42nd-largest island, Hainan ("south of the sea") is the southernmost province of China, as well as the largest island directly under the administration of the People's Republic. It lies in the South China Sea and is separated from the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong province by a 20-km (16-mi) strait. Largely covered by forests and wetlands, this tropical island boasts a rich biodiversity and a thriving tourist industry.

South Korea's largest island, Jeju lies in the Korea Strait, south of the Korean Peninsula. The country's highest mountain, the active volcano Hallasan, dominates the island, which is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site (designated in 2007). A popular holiday destination for Koreans because of its mild climate, Jeju is also notable for its critically endangered language and the survival of Korean shamanic traditions among its population.

Well known for its role in WWII, Okinawa is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands and the smallest of Japan's five main islands. It is located about 640 km (400 mi) south of Kyushu and 500 km (310 mi) northeast of Taiwan. Unlike other parts of Japan, Okinawa is relatively flat; its northern part is mostly covered by tropical rainforest, home to several endemic plant and animal species. The island boasts some distinctive cultural features that differ from those of the rest of Japan.

Sakhalin is Russia's largest island and the world's 23rd-largest. It is separated from the coast of Khabarovsk Krain, in the Russian Far East, by the Tatar Strait - which at is narrowest point is only 6.5 km (4 mi) wide. The island's southern tip lies 40 km (25 mi) north of Hokkaido, the northernmost Japanese island. Like Hokkaido, Sakhalin is home to a small population of Ainu, the indigenous inhabitants of the region. Covered by dense conifer forests that provide an ideal habitat to many wild animals, the island - which is rich in oil and gas reserves - has a cold climate with frequent rainfall.

The six islands listed as wrong choices are all in Europe: Portugal (Madeira), Spain (Formentera), Italy (Stromboli), Croatia (Hvar), Malta (Gozo) and Greece (Samos). Except for Madeira, located in the North Atlantic Ocean, they are all found in the Mediterranean Sea.