The archipelago is composed of about a dozen islands, six of which are linked by long, thin, sand dunes. The names of the islands (from north to south) are: Grande Entrée, Grosse Île, Pointe aux Loups, Havre aux Maisons, Cap aux Meules, and Havre Aubert.
Two other islands are part of the archipelago as well: Entry Island, inhabited and located 10 km east of Havre-Aubert, and Brion Island, 16 km north of Grosse Île. The main village on each island carries the same name as the Island. Since January 2002, the whole archipelago has been grouped in two municipalities: the Municipality of the Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Grosse-Île.
There are other smaller islands and islets that are part of the Îles de la Madeleine archipelago: Rocher aux Oiseaux, Île aux Loups Marins, Île aux Cochons and Rocher du Corps Mort among others.
