Where land meets water, it makes all sorts of shapes. Two shapes are easy to mix up: islands and peninsulas.
Key idea
An island is land with water all around it. A peninsula is land with water on three sides that joins bigger land on one side.
Why it works
You could walk onto a peninsula from the mainland without getting wet, because it is joined on one side. To reach an island you need a boat, a bridge or an airplane, because water goes all the way around.
Worked example: Two real places
Greenland has water all around it. Florida has water on three sides. Which is the island?
- Water all around means an island.
- Water on three sides means a peninsula.
Answer: Greenland is an island (the biggest island in the world). Florida is a peninsula.
Common mistake
A peninsula can look like an island at first glance. Trace the coast with your finger. If you can go all the way around without crossing land, it is an island. If your finger hits the mainland, it is a peninsula.
For the grown-up. At bath time or in a sandbox, make an island (a pile with water all around) and then a peninsula (a strip still joined to the "mainland").