In world geography, which landmass is recognised as the largest island of the world (excluding continents)?

Introduction / Context:
The question tests basic world geography, specifically the definition of an island and the identification of the largest island on Earth. Many learners confuse large islands with continents, so it is important to be clear about how geographers distinguish between these categories. Knowing such superlatives is common in competitive exams and general knowledge quizzes.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The term island refers to a landmass completely surrounded by water.
• Continents such as Asia, Africa or Australia are not counted as islands in this context.
• The options list several large islands of the world.
• The task is to identify which one is the largest island by area.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is the geographic definition of an island as a large landmass surrounded by water but not classified as a continent. Although Australia is sometimes informally called an island continent, standard geographical convention treats it as a continent, not as the largest island. Among the remaining large landmasses, Greenland, New Guinea and Madagascar are major islands, but their sizes differ significantly. Memorising relative sizes of prominent islands helps in quickly answering such questions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that continents are not categorised as islands in this type of question. Step 2: Remember that Greenland, New Guinea and Madagascar are among the world's largest islands by area. Step 3: Compare approximate areas: Greenland is about 2.16 million square kilometres, New Guinea is about 0.79 million square kilometres, and Madagascar is even smaller. Step 4: Iceland is a well known island nation but is much smaller than Greenland, New Guinea or Madagascar. Step 5: Conclude that Greenland is the largest island of the world when continents are excluded.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by checking standard geography references or atlases, which consistently rank Greenland as the largest island. World geography fact lists often state that Greenland is the largest island, followed by New Guinea, Borneo and Madagascar. None of the other options surpass Greenland in area, confirming that Greenland is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Iceland: Although it is an island nation in the North Atlantic, its area is far smaller than that of Greenland and it is not even among the top few largest islands globally.
New Guinea: This is the second-largest island in the world, so it is large but still smaller than Greenland, which makes it an incorrect option here.
Madagascar: This is another large island off the east coast of Africa, but it ranks further down the list and is noticeably smaller than both Greenland and New Guinea.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to think of Australia as the largest island, but in geography it is classified as a continent rather than an island. Another error is to confuse the relative sizes of New Guinea and Greenland or to simply guess based on familiarity with names. Learners should remember the specific ranking: Greenland is the largest island, followed by New Guinea and then several others.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is Greenland, which is recognised as the largest island of the world when continents are excluded from the comparison.