An island is any piece of land, no matter how small, surrounded entirely by water. Generally the water it is surrounded by needs to be larger than a river or a canal. There are three main types of islands. Continental islands are located on the continental shelf of a continent. Oceanic islands are volcanic in origin and do not sit on a continental shelf. Tropical islands are what most people think of when planning an "island vacation". Within the past few years architectures have also taken to making man made islands. If you are looking for island vacations, or just information on islands, the list below would be very helpful.