<P> This is a list of island countries . An island is a land mass ( smaller than a continent ) that is surrounded by water . Many island countries are spread over an archipelago , as is the case with the Federated States of Micronesia and the Indonesia ( which consists of thousands of islands ) . Others consist of a single island , such as Nauru , or part of an island , such as Haiti . Although Australia is designated as a continent , it is often referred to as an island , as it has no land borders . Some declared island countries are not universally recognized as politically independent , such as Northern Cyprus . Some states , such as Taiwan , officially claim to hold continental territories but are de facto limited to control over islands . </P>
a country having an island location and a country having continental location
Australia