Glossary:Island region

Common term: Island region, Plural: Island regions

Short definition: the island typology is applied at the level of NUTS regions. Island regions are defined as NUTS level 3 regions within the European Union (EU) that are entirely composed of one or more islands.

The island typology is a classification based on the following two categories:

• island regions;
• non-island regions (those regions that are not defined as island regions).

Island regions are NUTS level 3 regions that are entirely composed of one or more islands. In this context, islands are defined as territories having:

• a minimum surface of 1 km²;
• a minimum distance between the island and the mainland of 1 km;
• a resident population of more than 50 inhabitants;
• no fixed link (for example, a bridge, a tunnel, or a dyke) between the island(s) and the mainland.

Further information

• See Chapter 9 of Eurostat's Territorial typologies manual
• Coastal, island and outermost regions