My nephews often ask, "How many islands does Brazil have?" and I see many adults only mentioning the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha as an island belonging to Brazil. So, I did some research and will share some clarifications on the subject.
Some say the islands off the coast of Brazil are countless. First, we need to mention at least 4 types of islands:
Oceanic Islands: these are islands located FAR from the coast, not formed by coastal relief, but are emerged peaks of large underwater mountains.
Continental Islands, also called Coastal Islands: these are islands located CLOSE to the continental coast and are part of the same continental shelf.
Elevated Islands: in geology, this is the name given to islands of volcanic origin. It's common to just hear the term Volcanic Islands, and as the name suggests, they are formed by lava from volcanoes or by the elevation caused by them.
Fluvial Islands: Formed by rivers (freshwater).
With a long coastline bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, many islands can be counted. Just to give you an idea, in Angra dos Reis, there are no less than 365 islands, an interesting number. Some say that besides the 2,000 beaches, it's possible to spend a day of the year on each of the islands.
The best-known islands near the coast are: Itamaracá in Pernambuco; Grande in Rio de Janeiro; São Sebastião in São Paulo; and Santa Catarina in Santa Catarina; The island of Marajó, on the Pará coast. Those far from the coast and emerging from the Atlantic Ridge are fewer in number and generally have a small extent. These are: the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, the islands of Trindade and Martim Vaz, the São Pedro and São Paulo rocks, Rocas Atoll, and the Abrolhos archipelago. The origin of these is volcanic, except for Rocas Atoll, which is of coral origin.
While trying to list these islands, I visited Wikipedia, but I observed that the information there is very confusing and incomplete. The state of Amazonas is shown as having no islands in various lists, but in other articles on the same site, it's possible to find Tupinambarana Island. Fluvial islands are often overlooked in many counts, and even when emphasized in the text, they are disregarded in many lists. We cannot forget that Ilha do Bananal is the largest fluvial island in the world, located in the state of Tocantins. Consulting IBGE, I found the Mariuá archipelago, located in the state of Amazonas. It is the largest archipelago in Brazil and also considered the largest in the world, with over 1600 islands.
Oceanic and coastal islands, being more stable, stand out in my research. I obtained a map with the total area of Brazil from IBGE. Download it; it's in high resolution. Draw your own conclusions.
Map of the Area of Application of Law No. 11.428 of 2006
It's important to note that the number of islands can vary depending on the definition and criteria used. Brazil's extensive coastline and its numerous rivers mean that there are many islands, and precise counting can be a complex task. The information available can also be fragmented and sometimes contradictory, as seen in the Wikipedia example.
For oceanic and coastal islands, which are more stable and easily identifiable, research tends to be more robust. The IBGE map provides a comprehensive view of the country's geographical features, allowing for a better understanding of the distribution and scale of these islands.
In summary, while a definitive single number for all of Brazil's islands might be elusive, the country possesses a vast number of them, ranging from large fluvial islands like Ilha do Bananal to extensive archipelagos like Mariuá, and numerous coastal and oceanic islands. The exact count often depends on the classification and the source of information.
