Amami Oshima
Encyclopedia
is a semi-tropical island in the Amami Islands
, which is part of the larger Nansei Islands in Japan
. Ōshima literally means big island, and it is the largest of the Amami Islands
. It lies roughly halfway between the islands of Okinawa
and Kyūshū
. Briefly part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
, in 1624 it was annexed by the daimyo
of Satsuma
. It also spent approximately seven years under American control following World War II
.
Amami Ōshima is home to several rare or endangered animals, including the Amami Rabbit
and the Lidth's Jay
, both of which are now found only in Amami Ōshima and Tokunoshima
. The Amami rabbit is sometimes called a living fossil because it represents an ancient Asian lineage that has elsewhere disappeared.
The island is also home to the habu
, a type of venomous snake that can be found throughout the Ryūkyū Islands. Mongoose
s were brought in to kill some of the habu, as the bite from one can be fatal. As of today, the mongooses have bred with each other and are now becoming another problem. In fact, the increase in the mongoose population has been linked to the decline of the Amami rabbit and other endemic species.
and 380 km south of Kyūshū. It is surrounded by the East China Sea on the west and the Pacific Ocean on the East. With an area of 712.35 km², it is the second-largest of the Ryūkyū Islands
after Okinawa Island and the seventh-largest island in Japan
(excluding the disputed Kuril Islands
).
group. According to Ethnologue, as of 2004 there were about 10,000 speakers of the Northern Ōshima dialect and about 1,800 speakers of the Southern Ōshima dialect. These dialects are now spoken mostly by older residents of the island, while most of the younger generations are monolingual in Japanese
. The Amami language, including the Ōshima dialects, is classified as endangered
by UNESCO
.
The island is served by Amami Airport and Naze Port in the city of Amami.
Amami Islands
The are a group of islands that is part of the Satsunan Islands, which are then part of the Nansei Islands. The islands are part of Kagoshima Prefecture, in the Kyūshū region of Japan...
, which is part of the larger Nansei Islands in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Ōshima literally means big island, and it is the largest of the Amami Islands
Amami Islands
The are a group of islands that is part of the Satsunan Islands, which are then part of the Nansei Islands. The islands are part of Kagoshima Prefecture, in the Kyūshū region of Japan...
. It lies roughly halfway between the islands of Okinawa
Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...
and Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. Briefly part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
, in 1624 it was annexed by the daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Satsuma
Satsuma Province
was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
. It also spent approximately seven years under American control following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Amami Ōshima is home to several rare or endangered animals, including the Amami Rabbit
Amami Rabbit
The Amami Rabbit , or , also known as the Ryukyu Rabbit, is a primitive dark-furred rabbit which is only found in Amami Ōshima and Toku-no-Shima, two small islands in between southern Kyūshū and Okinawa in Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan...
and the Lidth's Jay
Lidth's Jay
The Lidth's Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to Japan. It is slightly larger than its close relative the Eurasian Jay, with a proportionately stouter bill and also a longer tail...
, both of which are now found only in Amami Ōshima and Tokunoshima
Tokunoshima
is an island in the Amami Islands of southwestern Japan. Administatively it belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture. Three towns are located on the island: Tokunoshima, Isen, and Amagi...
. The Amami rabbit is sometimes called a living fossil because it represents an ancient Asian lineage that has elsewhere disappeared.
The island is also home to the habu
Habu
' is a Japanese name used to refer to certain venomous snakes:Snakes:* The following species are found in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan:** Trimeresurus elegans, a.k.a. the Sakishima habu, found in the southern Ryukyu Islands...
, a type of venomous snake that can be found throughout the Ryūkyū Islands. Mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
s were brought in to kill some of the habu, as the bite from one can be fatal. As of today, the mongooses have bred with each other and are now becoming another problem. In fact, the increase in the mongoose population has been linked to the decline of the Amami rabbit and other endemic species.
Geography
Amami Ōshima is located approximately 300 km north of Okinawa IslandOkinawa Island
Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, and is home to Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of...
and 380 km south of Kyūshū. It is surrounded by the East China Sea on the west and the Pacific Ocean on the East. With an area of 712.35 km², it is the second-largest of the Ryūkyū Islands
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
after Okinawa Island and the seventh-largest island in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(excluding the disputed Kuril Islands
Kuril Islands
The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater...
).
Municipalities
- AmamiAmami, Kagoshimais a city located on Amami Ōshima in Kagoshima, Japan.The city was formed on March 20, 2006 from the merger of the old city of Naze with the town of Kasari, and the village of Sumiyō, both from Ōshima District....
- TatsugōTatsugo, Kagoshimais a town located on Amami Ōshima in Ōshima District, Kagoshima, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 6,110 and the density of 74.46 persons per km². The total area is 82.06 km².-External links:*...
- SetouchiSetouchi, Kagoshimais a town located in Ōshima District, Kagoshima, Japan. Part of the town is located on Amami Ōshima., the town has an estimated population of 10,068 and the density of 41.97 persons per km². The total area is 239.91 km².-External links:* in Japanese...
- YamatoYamato, Kagoshimais a village located on Amami Ōshima in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The village belongs to the Ōshima District.-Population:As of August 1, 2011, the village has an estimated population of 1,719 and the density of 19.5 persons per km². The total area is 88.15 km².-External links:*...
- UkenUken, Kagoshimais a village located on Amami Ōshima in Ōshima District, Kagoshima, Japan.As of 2003, the village has an estimated population of 2,088 and the density of 20.26 persons per km². The total area is 103.06 km².-External links:*...
Language
Two dialects of the Amami language are spoken in Amami Ōshima: the Northern Ōshima dialect and the Southern Ōshima dialect. These dialects are part of the Ryukyuan languagesRyukyuan languages
The Ryukyuan languages are spoken in the Ryukyu Islands, and make up a subgroup of the Japonic, itself controversially a subgroup of Altaic....
group. According to Ethnologue, as of 2004 there were about 10,000 speakers of the Northern Ōshima dialect and about 1,800 speakers of the Southern Ōshima dialect. These dialects are now spoken mostly by older residents of the island, while most of the younger generations are monolingual in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. The Amami language, including the Ōshima dialects, is classified as endangered
Endangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
Transportation
Islands grouping
- Nansei Islands
- Satsunan Islands - part of Kagoshima PrefectureKagoshima Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
- Amami IslandsAmami IslandsThe are a group of islands that is part of the Satsunan Islands, which are then part of the Nansei Islands. The islands are part of Kagoshima Prefecture, in the Kyūshū region of Japan...
- Amami Ōshima
- Amami Islands
- Satsunan Islands - part of Kagoshima Prefecture