12.7 percent of barrier islands—a total of 272—surround the Arctic Ocean

12.7 percent of barrier islands—a total of 272—surround the Arctic Ocean

According to a new survey, there are 2,149 barrier islands around the world, spanning 20,783 kilometers (12,914 miles) of coastline. Seventy-four percent of those islands are found in the northern hemisphere, though that is not necessarily a surprise because roughly