Malay Archipelago facts for kids
World map highlighting Malay Archipelago. New Guinea—not part of the Malay Archipelago by some definitions—is also included.
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Southeast Asia, Oceania |
| Area | 2,000,000 km2 (770,000 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 350 million. |
The Malay Archipelago is a huge group of islands located between Southeast Asia and Australia. People have also called it the East Indies or the Indonesian Archipelago.
It sits between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This amazing group has more than 25,000 islands! It's the biggest group of islands by land area in the world. It includes countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, parts of Malaysia, and East Timor. Sometimes, the large island of New Guinea (or the country of Papua New Guinea) is not counted as part of it. But the Maluku Islands of Indonesia are always included.
Contents
Natural Wonders of the Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago is a very active place! It's where two huge tectonic plates (giant pieces of Earth's crust) meet. Because of this, there are many mountains and volcanoes here.
The Wallace Line: A Natural Boundary
The Wallace Line is a very important imaginary line for understanding nature. It goes between the islands of Bali and Lombok. These islands are separated by a deep, fast-moving channel of water.
On one side of the Wallace Line, you find species (kinds of animals and plants) that are similar to those in Australasia. On the other side, you find species that are more like those from Asia.
A scientist named Alfred Russel Wallace studied the animals and plants here for eight years. He noticed these big differences. He thought the western part of the archipelago was once connected to mainland Asia. He believed the eastern part was a piece of a very old continent in the western Pacific Ocean.
Images for kids
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Pinisi sailing ship exploring Komodo island, part of Lesser Sunda Islands
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One of the many uninhabited islands of the Philippines.
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See also
In Spanish: Archipiélago malayo para niños
