Why are there so many islands in Indonesia and Philippines?
Both Indonesian and Philippines archipelagos are a result of a combination of volcanic activity and tectonic plate movement. The shifting tectonic plates and existence of subduction zone in the area where the Indonesian and Philippines Islands are located causes the formation of an island arc or archipelago.
How does Indonesia have 17000 islands?
Indonesia is a vast equatorial archipeago of 17,000 islands extending 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) east to west, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans in Southeast Asia….Facts & Figures.
| Location | : | Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean |
|---|---|---|
| Capital City | : | Jakarta |
| Official Language | Bahasa Indonesia |
How was Indonesia islands formed?
Situated on a major fault and part of the infamous volcanic zone called the “Ring of Fire”, Indonesia was created from violent seismic activity that created most of the 17,000 islands that form the nation today. The islands of Indonesia have a great effect on the change of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates.
Where are archipelagos found?
Archipelago is a geographical term. It’s a chain of islands scattered across a body of water. Archipelagos can be found in large lakes or rivers. But most of them lie in the world’s oceans.
How are islands formed Upsc?
Other than Subduction Zones, convergent plate boundaries also lead to mountain building and the formation of island arcs (Festoons). If both the convergent plates are oceanic, the volcanoes form a curved line of islands, known as an island arc, that is parallel to the trench.
What are Indonesia’s main islands?
It comprises five main islands: Sumatra, Java, Borneo (known as Kalimantan in Indonesia), Sulawesi, and New Guinea; two major island groups (Nusa Tenggara and the Maluku Islands) and sixty smaller island groups.
Why is Indonesia so volcanically active?
Indonesia is the country that contains the most active volcanoes of all countries in the world. The Eurasian Plate, Pacific Plate and Indo-Australian Plate are three active tectonic plates that cause the subduction zones that form these volcanoes.