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Ryukyu Islands
*** Shopping-Tip: Ryukyu Islands
Image:East China Sea.jpg thumb|340px|Location of Ryukyu Islands
Image:Ryukyuflag.png frame|Ryukyuan flag
The '''Ryukyu Islands''' (ç?‰ç?ƒåˆ—島 ''Ryukyu-rettÅ?,'' formerly spelled ''Lewchew'' or ''Luchu)'' or '''Nansei Islands''' (å?—西諸島 ''Nansei-shotÅ?'' "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 and including Yoron belongs to
Kagoshima Prefecture. The archipelago is home to the
Ryukyuan languages.
The islands have a
subtropical climate with warm winters and hot summers.
Precipitation (meteorology) Precipitation is very high, and is affected by the rainy season and
typhoons.
History & modern independence movement
''Main article:''
Ryukyuan history
The
Ryukyu Kingdom was once an independent kingdom occupying the island chain, from
Yonaguni 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 Province 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.
In
1879, the
Meiji government announced the
annexation of the Ryukyus. The messengers of the Ryukyuan king had kneeled outside the Chinese Prime Minister's Yamen in Beijing for three days, begging for saving the kingdom. However, the Qing Empire was weakened itself from the invasions of the Western powers and Japan; therefore, Ryukyu's request for sending military protection was not granted. China, however, diplomatically 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. The claims of the indigenous Ryukyuans to the land were ignored. After Japan occupied Ryukyu, there was a series of massacres by the Japanese army that killed a major proportion of the Ryukyuan population, in order to clear the Ryukyans' strong Chinese roots, anti-Japan emotions, and common favors for China. Most Ryukyuans who survived back then were forced to adopt the Japanese language, culture and identification.
Today, there are a number of issues arising from the Ryukyus' 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.
Many popular singers and musical groups come from the Ryukyus. These include (among many others) the pop group
Begin (band) Begin (ビギン), singer
Amuro Namie and the group
Da Pump. See also
Ryukyuan songs.
People
The
Ryukyuans are known for their longevity. The [http://okinawaprogram.com/ Okinawa Centenarian Study] attributes this phenomenon to a combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle practices.
Ecology
Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests
The Ryukyu Islands are recognized by ecologists as a distinct
tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests 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.
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.
Major islands
* '''Nansei Islands'''
** '''Satsunan Islands'''
*** '''
Osumi Islands''':
Tanegashima,
Yakushima,
Kuchinoerabushima,
Mageshima
*** '''
Tokara Islands''': Kuchinoshima, Nakanoshima, Suwanosejima, Akusekijima, Tairajima, Kodakarajima, Takarajima
** '''Ryukyu proper (''RyÅ«kyÅ« ShotÅ?'')
*** '''
Amami Islands''':
Amami Oshima Amami ÅŒshima, Kikaigashima, Kakeromajima, Yoroshima, Ukeshima, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabujima, Yoronjima
*** '''
Okinawa Islands''':
Okinawa Island (aka. Okinawan mainland, Okinawa hontÅ?),
Kumejima, Okinawa Kumejima, Iheyajima, Izenajima, Agunijima,
Iejima
**** '''
Kerama Islands''': Tokashikijima, Zamamijima, Akajima, Gerumajima
**** '''
Daito Islands DaitÅ? Islands''':
Kita Daito Kita daitÅ?, Mimami daitÅ?, Oki daitÅ?
*** '''
Miyako Islands''':
Miyakojima, Ikema, Ogami, Irabu, Shimoji, Kurima, Minna, Tarama
*** '''
Yaeyama Islands''':
Iriomote,
Ishigaki,
Taketomi,
Kohama,
Kuroshima,
Aragusuku,
Hatoma,
Yubujima,
Hateruma,
Yonaguni
*** '''
Senkaku Islands''': Uotsurijima
Note: for some of the island names above, the suffix -jima, -shima, and -gashima can be interchanged, omitted, or appended. The suffix means "island." In general, the islands are listed from north to south where possible.
See also
*
Pechin - Okinawan Samurai
*
Ryukyuans - Ryukyuan people
*
Ryukyuan history
*
Ryukyuan religion
Reference
External links
-
The Okinawa Centenarian Study
-
Nansei Islands subtropical evergreen forests (World Wildlife Fund)
-
http://www004.upp.so-net.ne.jp/teikoku-denmo/english/history/ryukyu.html-
A constitution for an independent Ryukyuan state
Category:Geography of Japan
Category:Ryukyu Islands *
Category:Ecoregions
Category:Ecoregions of Japan
Category:Global 200 ecoregions
Category:Marine ecoregions
de:Ryūkyū-Inseln
et:Nansei saared
es:Ryukyu
fr:Îles Ryūkyū
ko:류í?? ì œë?„
hr:Ryu Kyu
it:Ryu Kyu
nl:Riukiu-eilanden
ja:�西諸島
pl:Wyspy Nansei
pt:Riukyu
fi:Ryūkyū-saaret
sv:Ryukyuöarna
uk:Рюкю оÑ?трови
zh:��群岛
see
Ryukyu Islands
Main article:
Ryukyu Islands
Category:Islands of Japan
Category:Kyushu region
zh:category:��群島
*** Shopping-Tip: Ryukyu Islands
