Okinawa Island heads up the Ryukyu islands chain, a part of Japan.

Map of 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 of Okinawa Prefecture. The island has an area of 1,201.03 square kilometers (463.7 square miles). Map of Okinawa prefecture, by Jpatokal based on PD rendering from demis. ... Map of Okinawa prefecture, by Jpatokal based on PD rendering from demis. ... Location of Ryukyu Islands The Ryukyu Islands, in Japanese called the Nansei Islands ) are a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 534 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (772 × 866 pixel, file size: 125 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: The island of Okinawa Source: ibiblio. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 534 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (772 × 866 pixel, file size: 125 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description: The island of Okinawa Source: ibiblio. ... Location of Ryukyu Islands The Ryukyu Islands, in Japanese called the Nansei Islands ) are a chain of Japanese islands in the western Pacific Ocean at the eastern limit of the East China Sea. ... Naha (那覇市; -shi) is the capital city of 沖縄県 Okinawa Prefecture (Okinawan Uchinā) in Japan. ... “Okinawa” redirects here. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ...

During the American occupation of Japan, following the Imperial Japanese surrender after WW II, the United States controlled Okinawa Island, which remained under U.S. governance until June 17, 1972. Capital Tokyo Language(s) Japanese Political structure Military occupation Military Governor  - 1945-1951 Douglas MacArthur  - 1951-1952 Matthew Ridgway Emperor  - 1926-1989 Hirohito Historical era Post-WWII  - Surrender of Japan August 15, 1945  - San Francisco Treaty April 28, 1952 At the end of the Second World War, Japan was occupied... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Since then, United States Armed Forces personnel and Kadena Air Base have remained on Okinawa Island by invitation of the Japanese government as part of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan. The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... Kadena Air Base is a United States Air Force base located immediately adjacent to and SE of the town of Kadena, 1 mi S of Koza, and 12 mi NNE of Naha, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. ... This article describes the structure of the Japanese Government. ... The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security (in Japanese, 日本国とアメリカ合衆国との間の相互協力及び安全保障条約, Treaty of mutual cooperation and security between Japan and the United States of America) was signed between the United States and Japan in Washington on January 19, 1960. ...

In 1990, the total population of Okinawa Island was an estimated 1.22 million people, comprising Ryūkyūans (especially native Okinawans), Japanese people, and expatriates, as well as American military personnel and their families. RyÅ«kyÅ«an people (Japanese: 琉球民族, of which Okinawans, Miyako people, and Yaeyama people are subgroups), are the indigenous people of the RyÅ«kyÅ« Islands of Japan between the islands of KyÅ«shÅ« and Taiwan. ... Languages Japanese Religions Shinto, Buddhism, large secular groups      The Japanese people ) is the ethnic group that identifies as Japanese by culture and/or ancestry. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Whereas northern Okinawa Island is largely unpopulated, the south is markedly urbanized—particularly the city of Naha, and the urban corridor stretching north from there to the city of Okinawa. The island also houses six gusuku, Okinawan fortresses most of which now lie in a state of ruin. Naha (Japanese: ; -shi) is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. ... Okinawa (沖縄市; -shi), or Okinawa City, is a city located on the island of Okinawa Honto in Okinawa, Japan. ... Katsuren Gusuku Ruins Gusuku is the Okinawan word for castle or fortress. ... Rocky landscape with ruins, by Nicolaes Berchem, ca. ...

The southern end of the island consists of uplifted coral reef, whereas the northern half has proportionally more igneous rock. The easily eroded limestone of the south has many caves, the most famous of which is Gyokusendō in Nanjō. An 850 m stretch is open to tourists. Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef, in this case the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. ... For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... Nanjō (南城市 -shi) is a city in the southern part of Okinawa Island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. ...

The island's subtropical climate supports a dense northern forest and a rainy season occurring in late spring. Subtropical (or semitropical) areas are those adjacent to the tropics, usually roughly defined as the ranges 23. ... The wet season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. ...

Okinawans eat low-fat, low-salt foods, such as fish, tofu, and seaweed. Okinawans are known for their longevity. Five times as many Okinawans live to be 100 than the rest of Japan, and the Japanese are the longest lived nationality in the world. ^[1]

Okinawa was the principal setting of the film The Karate Kid, Part II, although the scenes were actually shot in Oahu, Hawaii, in the United States. The Karate Kid, Part II (1986) is a Hollywood adventure-drama movie and is a sequel to The Karate Kid. ... OÊ»ahu (usually Oahu outside Hawaiian and Hawaiian English), the Gathering Place, is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous island in the State of HawaiÊ»i. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ...

The National Geographic Society was founded in the USA on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ...

Photo gallery

Cliffs at Manzamo Cliffs at Manzamo, Okinawa, Japan I took this photograph and contribute it to the public domain. ...	Gusuku wall Gusuku wall Okinawa Honto Okinawa prefecture Japan I took this photograph and contribute it to the public domain. ...	Okinawa Island is the home of Tsuboya-yaki, pottery in the Ryūkyūan tradition. Download high resolution version (700x936, 299 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...	Okinawa Island from Space Shuttle Mission STS-43 (Earth Sciences and Image Analysis, NASA-Johnson Space Center) Okinawa Honto from Space Shuttle Earth Sciences and Image Analysis, NASA-Johnson Space Center. ... STS-43 was a NASA space shuttle mission in 1991. ...
Gusuku Ruins Arch at a gusuku in Okinawa prefecture, Japan I took this photograph and contribute it to the public domain. ...	Bullfighting arena. Okinawa is the home of a form of bullfighting sometimes compared to sumo Download high resolution version (1322x900, 394 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see Sumo (disambiguation). ...	Traditional Okinawan house ImageMetadata File history File links NakamuraHouse2. ...	Map of Okinawa Prefecture showing location of Okinawa Island Map of Okinawa prefecture, by Jpatokal based on PD rendering from demis. ...
Village of Onna Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 1. ...	Pond Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ...	Farmland on Okinawa Island Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ...	A beach on Okinawa Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 1. ...

See also

• Battle of Okinawa
• Bechtel Elementary School
• Kadena High School
• Kadena Middle School
• Naha Airport
• Okinawan language
• Ryūkyūan history

Combatants  United States  United Kingdom  Canada  Australia  New Zealand Empire of Japan Commanders Simon B. Buckner â€  Joseph W. Stilwell Ray Spruance Mitsuru Ushijima â€  Isamu Cho â€  Strength 548,000 soldiers, 1,300 ships,  ? aircraft 100,000 regulars and militia,  ? ships,  ? aircraft Casualties 12,513 dead or missing, 38,916 wounded, 33... Kadena High School is on Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan and is administered by DoDEA. It opened in 1981. ... Kadena Middle School is the only middle school on Kadena Air Base, an American base on Japans Okinawa Island. ... Domestic passenger terminal at Naha Naha Airport (那覇空港 Naha Kuko) is the primary air terminal for passengers and freight traveling to and from Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. ... Okinawan (Okinawan: Ê”ucināguci) is a Ryukyuan language spoken in Japan on the southern island of Okinawa, as well as the surrounding islands of Kerama, Kume-jima, Tonaki, Aguni, and a number of smaller islands located to the east of the main island of Okinawa. ... now. ...

External links

• Okinawa Island travel guide from Wikitravel

Wikitravel is a project to create an open content, complete, up-to-date, and reliable world-wide travel guide. ...

Photographs

• Okinawa HDR Photography

Coordinates: 26°30′N, 127°56′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...