Okinawa Prefecture

Okinawa Prefecture
沖縄県
Prefecture
Native transcription(s)
 • JapaneseOkinawa-ken
 • OkinawanʔUchinā-chin
Flag of Okinawa Prefecture
Flag
Official logo of Okinawa Prefecture
Symbol
Location of Okinawa Prefecture
Coordinates: 26°30′N 128°0′E / 26.500°N 128.000°E / 26.500; 128.000
Country Japan
RegionKyushu
IslandOkinawa, Daitō, Sakishima and Senkaku (disputed)
CapitalNaha
SubdivisionsDistricts: 5, Municipalities: 41
Government
 • GovernorDenny Tamaki
Area
 • Total2,281 km2 (881 sq mi)
 • Rank44th
Population
 (February 2, 2020)
 • Total1,457,162
 • Rank29th
 • Density640/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
ISO 3166 codeJP-47
Websitewww.pref.okinawa.lg.jp
Symbols
BirdOkinawa woodpecker (Sapheopipo noguchii)
FishBanana fish (Pterocaesio diagramma, "takasago", "gurukun")
FlowerDeego (Erythrina variegata)
TreePinus luchuensis ("ryūkyūmatsu")

Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県; Japanese: Okinawa-ken, Okinawan: Uchinaa-chin) is traditionally a prefecture in the Kyūshū region of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is made up of islands which are southwest of the island of Kyushu. Recent government proposals recognize the prefecture as its own region.

The capital city is Naha which is on the island of Okinawa.

History

Timeline

Geography

Okinawa is a grouping of many islands along the border at the edge of the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean from Kyūshū to Taiwan. It is the southernmost prefecture in Japan.

Cities

Okinawa Prefecture has eleven cities. Okinawan names are in parentheses.

Towns and villages

These are the towns and villages in each district.

National Parks

National Parks are established in about 19% of the total land area of the prefecture.

Shrines and Temples

Naminouegū was the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) of the Ryukyu Islands. In 1890, the shrine was recognized in the system of State Shinto. It is among the ranked, nationally significant shrines or Kanpei-shōsha (官幣小社) which includes five sanctuaries.

References

  1. ↑ JLect - ちん【県・縣】 : chin | define meaning. www.jlect.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  2. ↑ Kanno, Eiji. (1998). New Japan Solo, p. 397; excerpt, "Administratively, Okinawa is part of Kyushu Region, even though it is l .000 km (625 miles) southwest of Kagoshima."
  3. 1 2 Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Okinawa-ken" in Japan Encyclopedia, pp. 746-747.
  4. ↑ Hook, Glenn D. (2011). Decoding Boundaries in Contemporary Japan: The Koizumi Administration and Beyond, pp. 145-146.
  5. ↑ Nussbaum, "Naha" at p. 686.
  6. 1 2 3 Nussbaum, "Ryukyu Islands" at p. 801.
  7. ↑ Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA): 26th G8 summit, overview.
  8. ↑ Japan Ministry of the Environment, "General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture". Retrieved 2012-3-13.
  9. ↑ Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 127.
  10. ↑ List of Kankokuheisha (官国幣社), p. 3 Archived 2019-07-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2012-8-26.

More reading

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