Published
island
vr.tr.island · thing-q23442
Let an agent handle islands by name, area, sovereignty, population, access and hazards, and describe disputed islands neutrally.
Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.PLC
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Geography Where and how big.
Identity
Name and location.
Identity
Name and location.
- What is the island name and where is it? provenance
- How large is it? measurement
Origin
How formed.
Origin
Formation.
- Is it natural or artificial, and how did it form? definition
- Is it growing or shrinking? measurement
People Population and governance.
Population
Residents.
Population
Population.
- How many people live there? measurement
- From which source? provenance
Sovereignty
Which state.
Sovereignty
Sovereignty.
- Which state administers it? provenance
- Is sovereignty disputed? boundary
Access Getting there.
Transport
Ferries and flights.
Transport
Transport links.
- How can it be reached? action
- Is travel weather-dependent? boundary
Rules
Visiting rules.
Rules
Visiting rules.
- Are there permits or biosecurity rules? boundary
- Is it a protected area? provenance
Environment Ecosystems and risks.
Ecology
Endemic species.
Ecology
Ecology.
- Which endemic species live there? definition
- What threatens them? boundary
Climate risk
Sea level.
Climate
Climate risk.
- How exposed is it to sea-level rise and storms? measurement
- What adaptation is planned? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.PLC
- Other names and narrower kinds
- energy island, cattle mound, hōraisan, artificial island, very large floating structure, seastead, Japanese sea fort, Sacca, construction island, barrier island, peñón, island castle
What it is Filled
A piece of land completely surrounded by water and smaller than a continent, natural or artificial, including energy islands that consist of land, but excluding floating structures that are not pieces of land.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent handle islands by name, area, sovereignty, population, access and hazards, and describe disputed islands neutrally.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Surrounded by water
- Smaller than a continent
- Natural or artificial
- Sovereignty and maritime zones depend on status under UNCLOS
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Land on or disturb uninhabited islands that are protected for wildlife.
- Introduce animals or plants that are not native to the island.
- Present a disputed island's sovereignty as settled.
- Discharge waste into the sea around it.
Only with a human decision
- Building on or modifying an island, including artificial islands.
May
- Describe an island from maps, public records and observation.
- Report weather, sea conditions and transport status affecting it.
Moral aspects Filled
- Island ecosystems are fragile and many species exist nowhere else.
- Island communities depend on links to the mainland and are exposed to sea-level rise.
Who is affected
- Island residents
- Endemic wildlife
- Seafarers
Owners Filled
Steward
The state or landowner; protected islands are managed by conservation authorities.
Master systems
- Land registry or cadastre
- Gazetteers of place names
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q17334923 - registry parent class
- Q205895 - registry parent class
- Q2221906 - registry parent class
- Q271669 - registry parent class
related
- landmass - land
- body of water - setting
- state or territory - sovereignty
- community and ecosystem - life
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.island
- Wikidata: Q23442 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23442)
- GeoNames id: numeric gazetteer
- Island code: UN island directory codes islands
Direct properties required Filled
- largest island: about 2.13 million km2 - Greenland
- minimum size: varies by definition area
Recognition required Filled
- An island appears as land surrounded by water on maps.
- Islands are named in gazetteers.
- Artificial islands consist of land, while floating seasteads do not qualify as islands in this sense.
- Land surrounded by water, from rocks to large landmasses; artificial islands and floating structures also exist.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- visit and travel to it
- map and measure it
- protect its ecosystems
- build artificial islands, under law
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Stranding by weather or tides
- Invasive species introduced by visitors
- Sea-level rise
- Disputed sovereignty presented one-sidedly
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (islands and rocks, Article 121)
- National island policies
- Biosecurity rules for islands
Context of use required Filled
- Islands host communities, ecosystems, ports and strategic interests.
- continental islands
- oceanic and volcanic islands
- river and lake islands
- artificial islands
- energy islands and floating structures
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q23442: island - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Island - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should island types be separate entries?
- How should disputed islands be represented?
- The registry entry includes cattle mound as an alias; should it be split off?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q23442/spec.json