Greater Sunda Islands
The Greater Sunda Islands are a group of large islands in the Malay Archipelago: Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Sulawesi.
Malay Archipelago: The island region between mainland Southeast Asia and Australia, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and nearby archipelagos. The Greater Sunda Islands form a major western part of this larger island region.
Sumatra: An Indonesian island west of the Malay Peninsula, known for its large size and volcanic mountain chain. It is the westernmost of the four principal Greater Sunda Islands.
Sunda Arc: A volcanic arc formed where the Indo-Australian Plate descends beneath the Sunda Plate. Its volcanoes define the active tectonic margin along Sumatra and Java.
Sundaland: A biogeographic region encompassing the Sunda Shelf and its islands, characterized by shared Asian species. Its changing land connections shaped ecological similarities among Sumatra, Java, and Borneo.
Sunda Shelf: A shallow continental shelf extending from mainland Southeast Asia beneath parts of the South China Sea and western Indonesian seas. Lower sea levels exposed much of the shelf, joining several islands to mainland Asia.
Java: An Indonesian island south of Borneo and one of the most densely populated places on Earth. It is the group’s most densely populated island and contains Indonesia’s capital region.
Indo-Australian Plate: A tectonic plate carrying the Indian Ocean floor and the Australian continent northward. Its subduction beneath the Sunda margin drives earthquakes and volcanism on the islands’ southern edge.
Indonesian archipelago: The island nation and surrounding island groups governed by the Republic of Indonesia. Three Greater Sunda Islands lie wholly within Indonesia, while Borneo is divided among countries.
Wallace Line: A biogeographic boundary separating Asian fauna from Australasian fauna across the Indonesian archipelago. It runs between Bali and Lombok and between Borneo and Sulawesi, marking a sharp faunal transition.
Borneo: An island in Southeast Asia shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. It is the largest island in the group and the only one divided among three countries.