This is a list of countries with figures given for the number of islands within their territory. In some cases this figure is approximate and may vary slightly between sources depending on which islands are counted. The criteria for inclusion appear to differ considerably between the countries, so they are not necessarily directly comparable. Different languages use different words for islands depending on size and or shape and elevation (the English language have islets, skerries, cays for smaller islands). This can contribute to which islands are counted pr not. Some island are fully submerged by the tides at times and those may also not be counted by some countries while others do. Where counts vary, this article uses the highest reliably sourced figure.