Yaeyama Islands
 Map of the Yaeyama Islands |
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Archipelago | Sakishima Islands |
| Adjacent bodies of water | East China Sea |
| Total islands | 32 (min. 0.01 km²) |
| Major islands | Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island, Yonaguni Island |
| Area | 591.46 km2 (228.364 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 525.5 m (1,724.1 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Omoto |
| Country | |
| Prefecture | Okinawa Prefecture |
| District | Yaeyama District |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 53.627 (as of March 31, 2011[1]) |
| Density | 91 /km2 (236 /sq mi) |
The Yaeyama Islands (八重山諸島 Yaeyama-shotō, also 八重山列島 Yaeyama-rettō, Yaeyama: Yaima Okinawan: Eema) are a group of islands in the southwest of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and cover 591.46 square kilometres (228.36 sq mi).[1] The islands are located southwest of the Miyako Islands.[2] The Yaeyama Islands are the remotest part of Japan from the main islands and contains Japan's most southern (Hateruma) and most western (Yonaguni) inhabited islands.[3] The city of Ishigaki serves as the political, cultural, and economic head of the Yaeyama Islands.[4]
The Yaeyama Islands are home to numerous species of subtropical plants and mangrove forests.[3] The islands produce sugarcane and pineapples.[2][5]
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Geography [edit]
The islands form the southern part of the volcanic Ryukyu Islands. The administrative division of Yaeyama District covers all of the Yaeyama Islands, except Ishigaki and the disputed Senkaku Islands.
Inhabited islands[1] [edit]
- Yaeyama Islands (Yaeyama Subprefecture)
Ishigaki City
- Ishigaki Island (Ishigaki-jima)
Taketomi Town
- Aragusuku Island (Aragusuku-jima)
- Hateruma Island (Hateruma-jima)
- Iriomote Island (Iriomote-jima)
- Kayama Island (Kayama-jima)
- Kohama Island (Kohama-jima)
- Kuroshima Island (Kuroshima)
- Sotobanari Island (Sotobanari-jima) (officially uninhabited)
- Taketomi Island (Taketomi-jima)
- Yubu Island (Yubu-jima)
- Hatoma Island (Hatoma-jima)
Yonaguni Town
- Yonaguni Island (Yonaguni-jima)
Culture [edit]
The Yonaguni language is the indigenous language of the island of Yonaguni, the location of the mysterious undersea Yonaguni monument. The Yaeyama language is the indigenous language of the rest of the islands. Japanese is widely spoken as a second language.
The Yaeyama Islands are home to the production of traditional Okinawan textiles.[2]
Mushaama Festival [edit]
14 July: Mushaama Festival. On Hateruma Island, this harvest festival is celebrated during Obon. It features a parade of the local fertility god Miruku and his children (the local children), shishi ("lion") dances, and staff dances.
References [edit]
- ^ a b c "第1 指定離島・島しょ・人口". 離島関係資料（平成24年１月） (in Japanese). 沖縄県企画部地域・離島課. January, 2012. pp. 2, 8. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Yaeyama Islands". Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ a b "八重山諸島" [Yaeyama Islands]. Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 173191044. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ "Ishigaki". Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Retrieved 2012-12-31.
- ^ "八重山諸島" [Yaeyama Islands]. Dijitaru Daijisen (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 56431036. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
External links [edit]
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Coordinates: 24°21′47″N 123°44′47″E / 24.36306°N 123.74639°E
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