# island (geographic)

a piece of matter that is surrounded by water

- Computed level: L15 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: description  ·  Arena: forest

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [matter](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-matter.substance), [water](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-water.liquid), [boundary](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-boundary.limit), [piece](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-piece.portion), [surrounded](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-surrounded.enclosed)

**Through:** the matter forms a piece and water surrounds it, creating a boundary

**Novel properties:**
- spatial isolation
- central mass enclosed by fluid
- emergent landform distinct from water

## Examples
- Greenland remains surrounded by the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, the world's largest island by landmass. *(geography)*
- Alcatraz sits in San Francisco Bay, isolated by water on all sides, once a federal prison. *(institutions)*
- The Kerguelen Plateau, submerged except for Île des Pingouins, formed by volcanic activity in the Indian Ocean. *(geology)*

## Used by
- [britain](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-britain.political) (L16)
- [england](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-england.political) (L17)

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-island.geographic*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-island.geographic.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*