The Okinawa Islands ( or ) are an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

group in

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city o ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and are the principal island group of the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

. The Okinawa Islands are part of the larger

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonaguni ...

group and are located between the

Amami Islands The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is an archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is southwest o ...

Kagoshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,599,779 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km2 (3,547 sq mi). Kagoshima Prefecture borders Kumamoto P ...

to the northeast and the

Sakishima Islands The (or 先島群島, ''Sakishima-guntō'') (Okinawan language, Okinawan: ''Sachishima'', Miyakoan language, Miyako: ''Saksїzїma'', Yaeyama language, Yaeyama: ''Sakїzїma'', Yonaguni language, Yonaguni: ''Satichima'') are an archipelago loca ...

of Okinawa Prefecture to the southwest. The Okinawa Islands, apart from the main island, contain three smaller island groups: the Kerama, Yokatsu and Iheya-Izena island groups. The Okinawa Islands are the political, cultural and population center of Okinawa Prefecture. The prefectural capital of

Naha is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...

is within the island group. 90% of the population of the prefecture reside within the Okinawa Islands, primarily on the largest island of the group,

Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five main islands of Japan. The island is approximately long, an average wide, and has an ...

. Access to the various Okinawa Islands is primarily via small airports which connect to

Naha Airport is a second class airport located west of the city hallAIS Japan
in

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

service to the Port of Naha in the prefectural capital. The Okinawa Islands are within the

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

climate zone Climate classifications are systems that categorize the world's climates. A climate classification may correlate closely with a biome classification, as climate is a major influence on life in a region. One of the most used is the Köppen climate ...

, which supports the production of

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

s and

cut flowers Cut flowers are flowers or flower buds (often with some stem and leaf) that have been cut from the plant bearing it. It is usually removed from the plant for decorative use. Typical uses are in vase displays, wreaths and garlands. Many gardene ...

. The military bases of the United States in Okinawa Prefecture are located on the Okinawa Islands. Historically the rule of the

Ryukyu Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the ...

, centered on Okinawa Island, consolidated the Okinawa Islands before spreading south to the Miyako and

Yaeyama Islands The Yaeyama Islands (八重山列島 ''Yaeyama-rettō'', also 八重山諸島 ''Yaeyama-shotō'', Yaeyama: ''Yaima'', Yonaguni: ''Daama'', Okinawan: ''Yeema'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Yapema'') are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa ...

and north to

Amami Ōshima , also known as Amami, is the largest island in the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. It is one of the Satsunan Islands. The island, 712.35 km2 in area, has a population of approximately 73,000 people. Administratively it is d ...

Islands

The ''Okinawa Guntō'', defined by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department of the

Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard of Japan. The Japan Coast Guard consists of about 13,700 personnel and is responsible for the protection of the coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Th ...

, cover the following islands: *

(aka Okinawa Hontō) *Iheya-Izena Islands: Iheya Island,

Izena Island is located in the East China Sea, north-west of Okinawa Island, in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. The island has a diameter of about and is surrounded by coral reefs, blue sea, and white beaches. It is administered as Izena Village. The five ...

* Ie Island *Sesoko Island *

Yokatsu Islands The Yokatsu Islands (与勝諸島, ''Yokatsu-shotō'') are a group of Island, islands located near the Katsuren Peninsula of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It consists of both inhabited and uninhabited islets. Islands The Yokatsu Islands consist of ...

: Yabuchi Island, Henza Island, Miyagi Island, Ikei Island, Hamahiga Island, Tsuken Island, Ukibara Island, Minamiukibara Island, Kudaka Island *

Kume Island is an island, part of the Okinawa Islands and administratively part of the town of Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It has an area of . The island had a population of 8,713 (2010). Kume Island is a volcanic island. Its principal economic ...

Kerama Islands The are a subtropical island group southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Geography Four islands are inhabited: Tokashiki Island, Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island. The islands are administered as Tokashiki Village and Zamami Villa ...

Tokashiki Island is the largest of the Kerama Islands, a group of Japanese islands southwest of Okinawa in the Pacific Ocean. The island is administered as the village of Tokashiki in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa ...

Zamami Island is an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Kerama Islands group and administered as the village of Zamami in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island ...

Aka Island is an island in the Pacific Ocean and is part of the Kerama Islands group in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The island is commonly known as Aka or Aka-shima and is located some 15 miles to the southwest of Okinawa Island. It has a subtropical climat ...

Geruma Island is an island in the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Kerama Islands group in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. This small island is linked by a bridge to Fukaji and Aka Aka, AKA or a.k.a. may refer to: * "Also known as", used t ...

Aguni Islands The are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. They are about 60 km west of Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least ...

Aguni Island is an island in Japan, which is part of the Okinawa Islands and administered as Aguni, Okinawa, Aguni Village in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture. It is located 60 km Northwest from Naha on Okinawa Island in East China Sea. It has an ...

Tonaki Island is a village located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The village consists of Tonaki Island and the uninhabited Irisuna Island. As of 2013, the village has an estimated population of 334 and a density of 89 persons per km². ...

The

Geospatial Information Authority of Japan The , or GSI, is the national institution responsible for surveying and mapping the national land of Japan. The former name of the organization from 1949 until March 2010 was Geographical Survey Institute; despite the rename, it retains the same ...

(GSI) defines the ''Okinawa Shotō''. They are an administratively-oriented group of islands and include the outlying

Iōtorishima or Iwo Tori-shima, also called Okinawa Torishima (沖縄鳥島), is a Volcano, volcanic island part of the Ryukyu Islands, Ryūkyū Island chain with the only active volcano in Okinawa Prefecture. Geography Iotourishima is located 65 km ...

, which is otherwise seen as part of the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okinawa Islands Archipelagoes of Japan Islands of Okinawa Prefecture Archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean

Islands

See also

References