Location of Ryukyu Islands

Flag of same

The Ryukyu Islands (琉球列島 Ryūkyū-rettō), also known as the Nansei-shoto (南西諸島 Nansei-shotō, which translates literally as the Southwest Islands), are an island chain stretching southwestward from the island of Kyushu in Japan. The portion south of Yoron belongs to Okinawa Prefecture, and the portion north of Yoron belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture. The archipelago is home to the Ryukyuan languages. Map of East China Sea. ... Map of East China Sea. ... Ryukyuan flag Concept of flag by (unknown; design is centuries old), image by Node This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Kyushu region, Japan Kyūshū (九州) is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands. ... Okinawa Prefecture (Japanese 沖縄県; Okinawan Uchinā) is Japans southernmost prefecture, and consists of hundreds of islands known as The Ryūkyū Islands or Ryūkyūs, in an island chain over 1000 km long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū (the southwesternmost of Japans main four islands) to Taiwan, although the northern... Kagoshima Prefecture (鹿児島県 Kagoshima-ken) is located on Kyushu island, Japan. ... The Ryukyuan languages are spoken in the Ryukyu islands and make up a subfamily of the Japonic family. ...

The islands have a subtropical climate with warm winters and hot summers. Precipitation is very high, and is affected by the rainy season and typhoons. Subtropical (or semitropical) areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. ... This article is about weather phenomena. ...

History

The Ryukyu Kingdom was once an independent kingdom occupying the island chain, from Yonaguni Island in the southwest to Amami Oshima in the north. In 1372, it obtained tributary status to the Chinese emperor. A 1609 expedition from Satsuma on Kyushu captured the kingdom. After that, the kings of the Ryukyus paid tribute to the Japanese shogun as well as the Chinese emperor. The main building of Shuri Castle The Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawan: ryuucuunu kuni) was an independent kingdom which ruled the Ryukyu Islands from the 14th century to the 19th century. ... Yonaguni (与那国島: Yonaguni-jima) is the name of the westernmost island of Japan, as well as the language spoken there (see Yonaguni language). ... Amami Ōshima is one of the Ryukyu Islands. ... Events Births March 13 - Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans, son of king Charles V of France Princess Beatrice of Portugal, heiress to the throne during the 1383-1385 Crisis Deaths Categories: 1372 ... Events April 4 – King of Spain signs an edit of expulsion of all moriscos from Spain April 9 – Spain recognizes Dutch independence May 23 - Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia. ... This article is about the province. ... Kyushu region, Japan Kyūshū (九州) is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands. ...

In 1879, the Meiji government announced the annexation of the Ryukyus. China objected and the ex-President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant was asked to arbitrate. He decided that Japan's claim to the islands was stronger and ruled in Japan's favor. 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Emperor Mutsuhito Mutsuhito or Mitsuhito (睦仁), the Meiji Emperor (明治天皇, literally wise ruling heaven emperor) (3 November 1852–30 July 1912) was the 122nd Emperor of Japan. ... Ulysses S. Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was a Union general in the American Civil War and the 18th (1869–1877) President of the United States. ...

Today, there are a host of problems arising from the Ryukyu's 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. This article is about the prefecture. ...

Many popular singers and musical groups come from the Ryukyus. These include (among many others) the pop group Begin, singer Amuro Namie and the group Da Pump. See also Ryukyuan songs. See Menachem Begin, the 6th Prime Minister of Israel. ... A publicity shot from 2004 Namie Amuro (安室 奈美恵 Amuro Namie or あむろ. ... Da pump (ダパンプ）) is a popular Japanese singing and dancing hiphop group. ... List of Ryukyuan songs: Tinsagu nu Hana Asadoya Yunta Shima nu Hito Futami Jouwa Ninjoubushi Tanchamee Hana Categories: Stub ...

Ecology

Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests

The Ryukyu Islands are recognized by ecologists as a distinct subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion. 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. Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical rain forests, are a tropical and subtropical biome. ... An ecoregion is a relatively large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of natural communities. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... The Indomalaya Ecozone was previously called the Oriental region. ... Ecozone is a classification system of the world first proposed by Miklos Udvardy under the name biogeographical realms for conservation purposes. ...

Coral reefs

The coral reefs of the Ryukyus are one of the World Wildlife Fund's Global 200 ecoregions. The reefs are endangered by sedimentation and eutrophication, mostly a result of agriculture, as well as damage from fishing. Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef. ... Note: After losing a court case in 2002 on the use of the initials WWF, the organization previously known as the World Wrestling Federation has rebranded itself as World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE. WWF - The Conservation Organization was formerly known as World Wildlife Fund and Worldwide Fund for Nature. ... The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as priorities for conservation. ... Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of water or other liquid. ... Eutrophication is apparent as increased turbidity in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, imaged from orbit. ... Fishing from a Pier Fishing is a term applied to any activity which aims to capture fish or shellfish for subsistence, scientific, commercial or recreational purposes. ...

Major islands

• Southwest Islands
  • Satsunan Islands
    • Osumi Islands
      • Tanegashima
      • Yakushima
      • Kuchinoerabujima
      • Magejima
    • Tokara Islands
      • Kuchinoshima
      • Nakanoshima
      • Suwanosejima
      • Akusekijima
      • Tairajima
      • Kodakarajima
      • Takarajima
  • Ryukyu proper
    • Amami Islands
      • Amami Oshima
      • Kikaijima
      • Kakeromajima
      • Yoroshima
      • Ukeshima
      • Tokunoshima
      • Okinoerabujima
      • Yoron
    • Okinawa Islands
      • Okinawa Honto (Okinawan mainland)
      • Kumejima
      • Iheyajima
      • Izenajima
      • Agunijima
      • Iejima
      • Kerama Islands
        • Tokashiki
        • Zamamijima
        • Akajima
        • Gerumajima
    • Daito Islands
      • Kitadaito
      • Mimamidaito
      • Okidaito
    • Miyako Islands
      • Miyakojima
      • Ikema
      • Ogami
      • Irabu
      • Shimoji
      • Kurima
      • Minna
      • Tarama
    • Yaeyama Islands
      • Iriomote
      • Ishigaki
      • Taketomi
      • Kohama
      • Kuroshima
      • Aragusuku
      • Hatoma
      • Yubujima
      • Hateruma
      • Yonaguni
    • Senkaku Islands
      • Uotsurishima

Tanegashima (種子島) is an island lying to the south of Kyushu, south Japan. ... ... Amami Ōshima is one of the Ryukyu Islands. ... Okinawa Honto (沖縄本島, the main island of Okinawa) is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands at the edge of the East China Sea, helping to define the seas boundary with the open Pacific Ocean. ... Ie-shima (伊江島 -island) is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. ... Miyako-jima (宮古島) is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. ... Map of the Yaeyama Islands The Yaeyama Islands (八重山諸島 Yaeyama-shotō) are an archipelago in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. ... Iriomote (西表島 Iriomote-jima) is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself. ... Ishigaki (石垣市; -shi) is a city located in Okinawa, Japan. ... Taketomi (竹富町; -chō) is a town located in Yaeyama district, Okinawa, Japan. ... Hatoma, smallest of the Yaeyama Islands, barely 1 square kilometer in diameter. ... Yonaguni (与那国島: Yonaguni-jima) is the name of the westernmost island of Japan, as well as the language spoken there (see Yonaguni language). ... The Senkaku Islands (Japanese: 尖閣諸島; Senkaku-Shotō) are islands are currently under Japanese control but claimed by the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan), by which they are known as Diaoyutai Islands or Diaoyu Islands—both literally mean Fishing Islands. ...

Reference

The article incorporates text from OpenHistory. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

External link

Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests (World Wildlife Fund) (http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/im/im0170_full.html)