Ryukyu Islands

Ryukyu Islands or Nansei Islands (Japanese, Nansei-Shoto), chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, south-west Japan, between Kyushu and the northern tip of Taiwan.

The Ryukyus consist of three major groups: the Amami Islands in the north, the Okinawa Islands in the central area, and the Sakishima Islands to the south. The larger islands are volcanic with mountainous terrain, and most of the smaller islands are flat coral formations; their total area is about 2,260 sq km (870 sq mi). The principal agricultural products are sugar cane and sweet potatoes, and other products include Panama hats, textiles, and pottery. The leading exports are black sugar and canned pineapples. Naha, on Okinawa, is the principal city. Okinawa, Kokusai, and the Ryukyus universities are located on the island of Okinawa. The total population (1990) is 1,222,458.

Until the end of World War II, the islands formed the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan. During the post-war period the United States occupied and administered the islands, declaring the residual sovereignty of Japan over the islands in 1951. In 1953 the Amami Islands were returned to Japan and incorporated into Kagoshima Prefecture. Under an agreement reached in 1971, the remaining US-occupied islands were returned to Japan in 1972; they now form Okinawa Prefecture.

The people of the Ryukyu Islands are related to the Japanese ethnically, culturally, and linguistically, and their history has been strongly influenced by both China and Japan. The Chinese first invaded the islands in the 7th century, and in the 14th century China established a supremacy that lasted for five centuries. Japan invaded the Ryukyus in 1609 and joined China in requiring tribute money. In 1879 Japan dethroned the ruler of the islands and annexed the Ryukyus as the Okinawa Prefecture; China protested, but the Japanese remained in control of the entire chain. In April 1945 the island of Okinawa was the site of desperate fighting in the last major land action of World War II.

Since the war, the islands' natural uniqueness and their cultural heritage have been internationally recognized. The Yakushima wilderness area in the centre of the Yaku island, in the north of the archipelago, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The sacred and secular remains of the Ryukyuan kingdom in the Okinawa prefecture, dating back 300-800 years, were given World Heritage status in 2000.