The Ryukyu Archipelago ( Japanese: 琉球列島, Ryūkyū-rettō) are a collection of 100+ islands located between Kyushu and Taiwan. [1] [2] They are politically split between the Japanese prefectures of Okinawa and Kagoshima.
Kagoshima Prefecture
The northernmost parts of the Ryukyu Islands are within Kagoshima Prefecture. These islands are referred to as the Satsunan Islands (薩南諸島, Satsunan-shotō), meaning “south of Satsuma”, as they were the southernmost territories of the Satsuma Domain.
Ōsumi Islands
- Yakushima
- Tanegashima
- Kuchinoerabu-jima
- Mageshima
- Kuroshima (Kagoshima)
- Iōjima (Kagoshima)
- Takeshima (Kagoshima)
- Shōwa Iōjima
- Denshima
Tokara Islands
- Hirase
- Kuchinoshima
- Nakanoshima (Kagoshima)
- Gajajima
- Kogajajima
- Tairajima
- Suwanosejima
- Akusekijima
- Kojima
- Kodakarajima
- Takarajima
- Kaminonejima
- Yokoate-jima
Amami Islands
- Amami Ōshima
- Kikaijima
- Kakeromajima
- Yoroshima
- Uke Island
- Tokunoshima
- Okinoerabujima
- Yoronjima
- Edateku Island
- Sukomobanare Island
- Yubanare Island
- Kiyama Island
Okinawa Prefecture
Islands south of the Satsunan Islands are administered by Okinawa Prefecture. Its predecessor was the Ryukyu Kingdom, an independent nation until 1879. [3]
Japan has de facto control over the disputed Senkaku Islands, claiming them as part of Ishigaki City in Okinawa Prefecture. [4] However, they are not geographically within the Ryukyu Archipelago, being located further westward in the East China Sea.
Okinawa Islands
- Okinawa Island
- Iheya Island
- Izena Island
- Iejima
- Sesoko Island
- Yokatsu Islands
- Kume Island
- Kerama Islands
- Aguni Islands
Miyako Islands
- Miyako-jima
- Ikema Island
- Irabu Island
- Kurima-jima
- Ogami Island
- Shimoji-shima
- Minna Island (Tarama, Okinawa)
- Tarama Island
Yaeyama Islands
- Ishigaki Island
- Aragusuku Island
- Hateruma
- Iriomote Island
- Kayama Island
- Kohama Island
- Kuroshima (Okinawa)
- Sotobanari
- Taketomi Island
- Yubu Island
- Hatoma
- Yonaguni
Daitō Islands
See also
References
- ^ "Eastern Asia: Nansei (Ryukyu) Islands south of Japanese mainland | Ecoregions | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
- ^ "Ryukyu Islands | archipelago, Japan". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
- ^ "The Ryukyu Annexation in Modern East Asian History | Seoul National University Asia Center". 14 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
- ^ "Senkaku Islands Information". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
The Ryukyu Archipelago ( Japanese: 琉球列島, Ryūkyū-rettō) are a collection of 100+ islands located between Kyushu and Taiwan. [1] [2] They are politically split between the Japanese prefectures of Okinawa and Kagoshima.
Kagoshima Prefecture
The northernmost parts of the Ryukyu Islands are within Kagoshima Prefecture. These islands are referred to as the Satsunan Islands (薩南諸島, Satsunan-shotō), meaning “south of Satsuma”, as they were the southernmost territories of the Satsuma Domain.
Ōsumi Islands
- Yakushima
- Tanegashima
- Kuchinoerabu-jima
- Mageshima
- Kuroshima (Kagoshima)
- Iōjima (Kagoshima)
- Takeshima (Kagoshima)
- Shōwa Iōjima
- Denshima
Tokara Islands
- Hirase
- Kuchinoshima
- Nakanoshima (Kagoshima)
- Gajajima
- Kogajajima
- Tairajima
- Suwanosejima
- Akusekijima
- Kojima
- Kodakarajima
- Takarajima
- Kaminonejima
- Yokoate-jima
Amami Islands
- Amami Ōshima
- Kikaijima
- Kakeromajima
- Yoroshima
- Uke Island
- Tokunoshima
- Okinoerabujima
- Yoronjima
- Edateku Island
- Sukomobanare Island
- Yubanare Island
- Kiyama Island
Okinawa Prefecture
Islands south of the Satsunan Islands are administered by Okinawa Prefecture. Its predecessor was the Ryukyu Kingdom, an independent nation until 1879. [3]
Japan has de facto control over the disputed Senkaku Islands, claiming them as part of Ishigaki City in Okinawa Prefecture. [4] However, they are not geographically within the Ryukyu Archipelago, being located further westward in the East China Sea.
Okinawa Islands
- Okinawa Island
- Iheya Island
- Izena Island
- Iejima
- Sesoko Island
- Yokatsu Islands
- Kume Island
- Kerama Islands
- Aguni Islands
Miyako Islands
- Miyako-jima
- Ikema Island
- Irabu Island
- Kurima-jima
- Ogami Island
- Shimoji-shima
- Minna Island (Tarama, Okinawa)
- Tarama Island
Yaeyama Islands
- Ishigaki Island
- Aragusuku Island
- Hateruma
- Iriomote Island
- Kayama Island
- Kohama Island
- Kuroshima (Okinawa)
- Sotobanari
- Taketomi Island
- Yubu Island
- Hatoma
- Yonaguni
Daitō Islands
See also
References
- ^ "Eastern Asia: Nansei (Ryukyu) Islands south of Japanese mainland | Ecoregions | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
- ^ "Ryukyu Islands | archipelago, Japan". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
- ^ "The Ryukyu Annexation in Modern East Asian History | Seoul National University Asia Center". 14 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
- ^ "Senkaku Islands Information". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved 2020-10-01.