The Ryukyu Islands, in Japanese called the Nansei Islands (南西諸島, Nansei-shotō^?) (literally Southwest Islands), are a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The four main Islands of Japan are Hokkaidō Honshū Kyūshū Shikoku The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The East China Sea is a Marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1249000 km² They stretch southwest from the island of Kyūshū to the island of Taiwan. or Kyushu is the third-largest Island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The islands are administratively divided into Satsunan Islands to the north, belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture, and Ryukyu Shotō to the south, belonging to Okinawa Prefecture, Japan (Yoron Island is the southernmost island of the Satsunan Islands and Yonaguni the southernmost of the Ryukyu Islands). WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The largest of the islands is Okinawa Island. Okinawa Island (沖縄本島 Okinawa-hontō, or 沖縄島 Okinawa-jima) is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands, and is home to Naha, the capital

The islands have a subtropical climate with warm winters and hot summers. The subtropics are the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Precipitation is very high, and is affected by the rainy season and typhoons. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric

The archipelago is home to the Ryukyuan languages. An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian The Ryukyuan languages are spoken in the Ryukyu Islands, and make up a subfamily of the Japonic Language family. The original dialects are native to each island and distinct from one another.

Contents 1 Naming 1.1 Japanese 1.2 English 2 History 3 People 4 Ecology 4.1 Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests 4.2 Coral reefs 5 Major islands 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Naming

Japanese

In Japanese, the definition of the Ryūkyū Shotō (琉球諸島, Ryūkyū Shotō^?)^[1], literally meaning "Ryukyu Islands", is somewhat different from the English definition^[2] of the word. In Japanese, the term Ryūkyū Shotō is used to refer to the part of the Nansei Islands which is in Okinawa Prefecture (the southern half), as opposed to islands of the same group located in Kagoshima Prefecture (the northern half). is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū WikipediaWikiProject Japanese prefectures for guidelines --> is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island.

Modern usage of the word Ryūkyū (琉球, Ryūkyū^?) in Japanese, however, is usually replaced by the word Okinawa (沖縄, Okinawa^?), which is considered its synonym. ^[3] And when referring to the region in the broad (and imprecise) sense, the Nansei Islands is sometimes referred to as Amami-Okinawa Chihō (奄美・沖縄地方, Amami-Okinawa Chihō^?), literally "Amami-Okinawa Region", or variations thereof. ^[4] For example, the Japanese train timetables JR Jikokuhyō (JR時刻表, JR Jikokuhyō^?) uses variations of Nansei Shotō, Okinawa, Amami, etc. , but completely avoids using the word Ryūkyū. ^[5]

English

In English, until well into the late 1800s (Meiji period in Japan), the word "Ryukyu" was spelled Luchu, Loo-choo, or Lewchew. The, or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. These spellings were based on the Chinese pronunciation of the characters for "Ryukyu" (which is "Liúqiú" in modern Mandarin). ^[6]

History

Main article: History of Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Kingdom was once an independent kingdom occupying the island chain, from Yonaguni Island in the southwest to Amami Ōshima in the north. Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Ryūkyū Kingdom ( Ryukyuan: ja 琉球國 rūchū－kuku, 琉球王国 ryūkyū-ō-koku) liúqiúguó) was an independent kingdom which or ドゥナンチマ Dunan-chima in the local language is the name of the westernmost island of Japan, as well as the language spoken there (see Yonaguni is one of the Ryūkyū Islands (also known as Nansei Islands Its area is 712 In 1372, it became a tributary state (藩国) of Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led

In 1609, Shimazu Tadatsune, Lord of Satsuma, invaded the Ryūkyū Kingdom with a fleet of 13 junks and 2,500 samurai, thereby establishing suzerainty over the islands. Shimazu Tadatsune (島津忠恒 November 27, 1576 - April 7, 1638) was a Tozama daimyo of Satsuma, the first This article is about the province For alternative meanings of the word Satsuma, see Satsuma (disambiguation was an old province is the term for the military nobility of Pre-industrial Japan. Suzerainty (ˈsjuːzərənti RP or /ˈsjuːzəreɪnti/ RP) (/ˈsuːzərənti/ GA) is a situation in which a Region or people is a They faced little opposition from the Ryukyuans, who lacked any significant military capabilities, and who were ordered by King Shō Nei to surrender peacefully rather than suffer the loss of precious lives. Shō Nei (尚寧 (1564 – 1620 was king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom (modern-day Okinawa Prefecture, Japan) from 1587–1620 ^[7] After that, the kings of the Ryukyus paid tribute to the Japanese shogun as well as the Chinese emperor. is a military rank and historical title in Japan. The Japanese word for "general" it is made up of two Kanji words sho, meaning "commander" The Emperor of China ( refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of

In 1879, the Meiji government announced the annexation of the Ryukyus. Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Government of Meiji period Japan from 1868-1911 was an evolution of institutions and structures from the feudal order of the Tokugawa bakufu towards The messengers of the Ryukyuan king had knelt outside the Chinese Prime Minister's Yamen in Beijing for three days, pleading to not to be separated from China. Not to be confused with Yemen, the nation in the Middle East A yámen ( is any local Bureaucrat 's or mandarin 's However, China at that time was weakened itself from internal corruption and the invasions of the Western colonial powers and Japan itself, therefore, Ryukyu's request to send military protection was not granted. China, however, diplomatically objected and the former President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant was asked to arbitrate. Ulysses S Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27 1822 &ndash July 23 1885 was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States He decided that Japan's claim to the islands was stronger and ruled in Japan's favor. The claims of the indigenous Ryukyuans to the land were ignored.

In the process of annexation, the Japanese military assassinated Ryukyu politicians and civilians who opposed the takeover. Ryukyu Kingdom became part of its northern neighbor, the Satsuma han. Later, it became its own prefecture, Okinawa Prefecture, when the prefectural system was adopted nationwide. The was an act in 1871 of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain ( han) system and to introduce Compulsory Japanese education was enforced on the Ryukyu children, whereby they were taught Japanese language, culture and identity, while strictly forbidden the use of their native language.

Military activity on the island, before and during WWII, especially the Battle of Okinawa, had a devastating effect on the Okinawan people. The Battle of Okinawa, also known as Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault A huge loss of civilian life left many feeling that they were being mistreated by both the Japanese and American military. Okinawa remains the poorest prefecture in Japan to this day.

US military control over Okinawa began in 1945 with the Okinawa Advisory Council. This organization eventually became the government of the Ryukyu Islands which existed from 1952 to 1972. This article is about the US Occupation government in Okinawa for the earlier native royal government see Ryūkyū Kingdom. The US was granted control over Ryukyu Islands south of 29°N latitude amongst other Pacific islands, under the San Francisco Peace Treaty between the Allied Powers and Japan. Attending countries Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile Sovereignty was given to Japan in 1972. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself

Today, there are a number of issues arising from Ryukyuan history. Some Ryukyuans and some Japanese feel that people from the Ryukyus are not "real" Japanese. Some natives of the Ryukyus claim that the central government is discriminating against the islanders by allowing so many American soldiers to be stationed on bases in Okinawa with a minimal presence on the mainland. is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū Additionally, there is some discussion of secession from Japan. The is a movement for the Independence of Okinawa and the surrounding Islands ( Ryukyu Islands) from Japan.

Many popular singers and musical groups come from the Ryukyus. These include (among many others) the pop groups Begin (ビギン) and Orange Range, singers Namie Amuro and Gackt, as well as the group Da Pump. Begin (ビギン is a popular Japanese three-man pop group from Ishigaki Island (石垣島 Okinawa, Japan. is a 5-member Japanese Alternative rock band, based in Okinawa. is a Japanese Singer, Dancer, and former Child actor / singer, who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen is a Japanese Musician, Songwriter and Actor. Usually referred to by his Stage name only he is best known for his work with Malice Mizer is a popular Japanese singing and dancing hip hop group consisting of four members from Okinawa, Japan See also Ryukyuan songs. Ryukyuan music is the traditional music of Ryūkyū Kingdom (pre-Japanese Okinawa Instrumentation The Ryukyu instruments includes drum which is found

People

Main article: Ryukyuans

The Ryukyuans are known for their longevity. Ryukyuans ( Japanese: 琉球民族 Ryūkyū minzoku; Japanese Gairaigo based on Uchinaguchi ウチナンチュ Uchinanchu) are the Indigenous Ryukyuans ( Japanese: 琉球民族 Ryūkyū minzoku; Japanese Gairaigo based on Uchinaguchi ウチナンチュ Uchinanchu) are the Indigenous The word longevity is sometimes used as a synonym for " Life expectancy " in Demography. The Okinawa Centenarian Study attributes this phenomenon to a combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle practices.

Traditionally, the people of the Ryukyus speak a chain of languages related to Japanese as members of the Japonic language family. The Ryukyuan languages are spoken in the Ryukyu Islands, and make up a subfamily of the Japonic Language family. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The Japonic languages or Japanese-Ryukyuan languages is a Language family that descended from a common ancestral language known as Proto-Japonic or Since the latest Japanese invasion in 1879, Japanese has become the main language of public life on the Ryukyus, especially on Uchinā (Okinawa). is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū Younger and middle-aged people tend not to speak a Ryukyuan language as fluently as Japanese, if at all.

Ecology

Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests

The Ryukyu Islands are recognized by ecologists as a distinct subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion. Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF also known as tropical moist forests, are a Tropical and Subtropical Forest An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " The flora and fauna of the islands have much in common with Taiwan, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia, and are part of the Indomalaya ecozone. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Indomalaya ecozone is one of the eight Ecozones that cover the planet's land surface An ecozone or biogeographic realm is the largest scale biogeographic division of the earth's surface based on the historic and evolutionary distribution patterns

Coral reefs

The coral reefs of the Ryukyus are one of the World Wildlife Fund's Global 200 ecoregions. Coral reefs are Aragonite structures produced by living organisms found in marine waters with little to no nutrients in the water The Global 200 is the list of Ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF as priorities for conservation The reefs are endangered by sedimentation and eutrophication, mostly a result of agriculture, as well as damage from fishing. Sedimentation describes the motion of Molecules in Solutions or particles in suspensions in response to an external force such as gravity Eutrophication is an increase in chemical Nutrients -- typically compounds containing Nitrogen or Phosphorus -- in an Ecosystem, and may occur Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish.

Major islands

This list is based on present day Japanese geographic names:

• Nansei Islands
  • Satsunan Islands (The Northern Half)
    • Ōsumi Islands with:
    • Tanegashima, Yakushima, Kuchinoerabujima, Mageshima in the North-Eastern Group,
    • Takeshima, Iojima, Kuroshima in the North-Western Group. The or the Ōsumi Archipelago is an archipelago among the Ryukyu Islands in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean and belongs to Japan. Tanegashima ( Japanese: 種子島 is an Island lying to the south of Kyūshū, south Japan, and is part of the Kagoshima Prefecture is an island of about 500 km² and roughly 15000 islanders to the south of Kyūshū in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Kuchinoerabu-jima (口永良部島 is a Volcano located in the Ryūkyū Islands, Japan. is an island in the Ōsumi island chain located in the northern part of the Satsunan Islands.
    • Tokara Islands (The Shichi-tō): Kuchinoshima, Nakanoshima, Gajajima, Suwanosejima, Akusekijima, Tairajima, Kodakarajima, Takarajima
    • Amami Islands: Amami Ōshima, Kikaigashima, Kakeromajima, Yoroshima, Ukeshima, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabujima, Yoronjima

• • Ryūkyū Shotō (The Southern Half)
    • Okinawa Islands (The Central Group or Ryukyu proper): Okinawa Island (aka. The Tokara Islands (吐噶喇列島 or トカラ列島 tokara rettō) is a group of islands in the northern part of the Nansei Islands (encompassing the Ryukyu Nakanoshima (中之島 is a 3 km long and 50 hectares narrow sandbank in Kita-ku, Osaka city Japan, that divides the Kyū-Yodo River into the is a volcanic island with a population of about fifty located in the Tokara Islands, northern part of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. is a volcanic island located in the Tokara Islands, southern part of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. literally "treasure island" is one of the Tokara Islands, belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture. is one of the Ryūkyū Islands (also known as Nansei Islands Its area is 712 is the historical island that Shunkan, Taira no Yasuyori, and Fujiwara no Naritsune were exiled to following the Shishigatani Incident in 1177 is an island in southwest Japan belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture. is one of the Amami Islands of Japan. Yoron lies 22 km north of Hedo Point, the northernmost point on Okinawa Island. Okinawa Islands (沖縄諸島 Okinawa Shotō) are a group of Islands that belongs to Okinawa Prefecture. Okinawa Island (沖縄本島 Okinawa-hontō, or 沖縄島 Okinawa-jima) is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands, and is home to Naha, the capital Okinawan mainland, Okinawa hontō), Kumejima, Iheyajima, Izenajima, Agunijima, Iejima, Iwo Tori Shima (Iōtorishima) [1]
      • Kerama Islands: Tokashikijima, Zamamijima, Akajima, Gerumajima
      • Daitō Islands: Kita daitō, Mimami daitō, Oki daitō
    • Sakishima Islands ("Further Isles")
      • Miyako Islands: Miyakojima, Ikema, Ogami, Irabu, Shimoji, Kurima, Minna, Tarama
      • Yaeyama Islands: Iriomote, Ishigaki, Taketomi, Kohama, Kuroshima, Aragusuku, Hatoma, Yubujima, Hateruma, Yonaguni
      • Senkaku Islands (claimed by PRC and ROC): Uotsurijima, Kuba Jima, Taisho Jima, Kita Kojima, Minami Kojima

Notes:

• For some of the island names above, the suffix -jima, -shima, and -gashima can be interchanged, omitted, or appended. is a town located in Shimajiri district, Okinawa, Japan. The town is on the islands of Kumejima, Ōjima, Ōhajima, Iejima (伊江島 is an Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa Honto. Daitō Islands (大東諸島 Daitō Shotō; formerly the Borodino Islands are three islands which lie about 217 miles east of Okinawa. also spelt as Oki Daitō or Oki-Daitō, previously known as, is an uninhabited island in the Daitō island group southeast of Okinawa, Japan The ( Okinawan: Sachishima) are an island chain located at the south end of the Japanese Archipelago. The are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, east of the Yaeyama Islands. Miyakojima ( Miyako: mjaːku Okinawan: naːku mjaːku Japanese: 宮古島 is the largest and the most populous island among the Miyako Islands The ( Okinawan: Sachishima) are an island chain located at the south end of the Japanese Archipelago. Kurima is a Village and Municipality in Bardejov District in the Prešov Region of north-east Slovakia. (same name in Miyako and Okinawan) is a village located in Miyako District, Okinawa, Japan. (same name in Miyako and Okinawan) is a village located in Miyako District, Okinawa, Japan. The Yaeyama Islands (八重山諸島 Yaeyama-shotō Yaeyama: Yaima Okinawan: Ēma) are an Archipelago in the Iriomote (西表島 Iriomote-jima; Yaeyama: Irimutī Okinawan: Iriumuti) is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands and Ishigaki (石垣島 -jima Yaeyama and Okinawan: Ishigachi) is an island west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Taketomi ( -jima; 竹富島 Yaeyama: Tēdun Okinawan: Dakidun) is an Island in the Yaeyama District of ( Yaeyama: Kumō Okinawan: Kubama) or Kohama Island, is an island in the Yaeyama Islands group at the southwestern end of the Hatoma (鳩間島 Hatoma-jima Yaeyama and Okinawan: Hatuma) is a small island of the Yaeyama Islands, barely 1 kilometer in diameter Hateruma (波照間島 Hateruma-jima; Yaeyama: Hatirōma Okinawan: Hatiruma) is an Island in the Yaeyama District or ドゥナンチマ Dunan-chima in the local language is the name of the westernmost island of Japan, as well as the language spoken there (see Yonaguni Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The suffix means "island. " In general, the islands are listed from north to south where possible.
• "Shotō" is replaced with "Islands" in the list except for Ryūkyū Shotō (琉球諸島), since the term "Ryukyu Islands" already exists in English. The Japanese term refers only to the islands that comprise Okinawa Prefecture, while the English term refers to the entire chain of islands between Kyūshū and Taiwan. or Kyushu is the third-largest Island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia.
• Ryūkyū Rettō (琉球列島) refers to what was once the territory of the former kingdom, which are the Amami Islands, Okinawa Islands, Miyako Islands, and Yaeyama Islands.

See also

• Pechin (Ryukyuan/Okinawan Samurai)
• Ryukyuans (Ryukyuan people)
• History of Ryukyu Islands
• Ryukyuan religion
• Ryukyu independence movement
• Kariyushi Club (The former Ryukyu Independent Party)
• Liuqiu (ancient Chinese name from which modern "Ryukyu" has originated)

References

External links

• Map of Ryukyu Islands, from MSN Encarta
• Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests (World Wildlife Fund)
• A Brief History of the Uchinanchu (Okinawans)
• National Archives of Japan: Ryukyu Chuzano ryoshisha tojogyoretsu, scroll illustrating procession of Ryuku emissary to Edo, Hōei 7 (1710)

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