Okinawa Islands
Encyclopedia
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s that belongs to Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
. Okinawa Prefecture makes up a portion of the Ryukyu 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...
. The prefectural capital Naha
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
, as well as most of the population, exists on the largest island, Okinawa Island
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...
. Historically, the rule of 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...
roughly overlapped these islands and Amami Ōshima
Amami Oshima
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...
.
Island groupings
- Nansei Islands (also known as Ryukyu Islands)Ryukyu IslandsThe , 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...
- Ryūkyū ShotōRyūkyū Shotōis a geographic division of Japan refers to the islands of Ryukyu Islands under administration of Okinawa Prefecture.The Okinawa Prefecture is an archipelagic island prefecture.-Major islands:...
(belonging to Okinawa PrefectureOkinawa Prefectureis one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
)- Okinawa Islands: Okinawa IslandOkinawa IslandOkinawa 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...
(aka Okinawa Hontō), KumejimaKumejima Islandis an island, part of the Okinawa Islands and administratively in the Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It has an area of 59.11 km². It belongs to the Ryukyu Islands . The main town Kumejima has a population of 8,713 ....
, Iheyajima, Izenajima, AgunijimaAguni Islandis an island in Japan, which is part of the Okinawa Islands and administratively in the Okinawa Prefecture. It has an area of 7.64 km²....
, IejimaIejimaIe jima is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa Honto, Okinawa Islands. It measures 20 km around and has a population of 5,055...
- Kerama Islands: TokashikijimaTokashiki Islandis an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Kerama Islands group in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan....
, ZamamijimaZamami Islandis an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Kerama Islands group in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan....
, Akajima, GerumajimaGeruma Islandis an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Kerama Islands group in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.... - Daitō IslandsDaito IslandsDaitō Islands are three islands that lie about east of Okinawa. From north to south, the islands are:* Data from 2004 Nov 20, 08:55 version of Japanese Wikipedia...
: Kita daitōKita Daito, also spelled as Kita Daitō or Kita-Daitō, is one of the Daitō Islands in Japan. It is the home of Kitadaitō village.Kitadaitō is 400 km from the nearest major inhabited land mass. Food is delivered once a week by boat. Fishing is a key source of food and recreation for the inhabitants.The...
, Minami daitō, Oki daitōOki Daito, also spelled as Oki Daitō or Oki-Daitō, previously known as , is an uninhabited island in the Daitō island group southeast of Okinawa, Japan. It belongs to Kitadaitō Village. It was formally incorporated into Japan in 1900....
- Kerama Islands: Tokashikijima
- Okinawa Islands: Okinawa Island
- Ryūkyū Shotō