Ryukyu Islands

E3829

archipelago island chain

The Ryukyu Islands are a chain of subtropical islands in southwestern Japan, including Okinawa, known for their distinct Ryukyuan culture, history as an independent kingdom, and strategic location between Kyushu and Taiwan.

Aliases (14)

Ryukyu Kingdom ×3
Okinawa Islands ×2
Amami-Okinawa World Natural Heritage Site ×1
First Island Chain ×1
Nansei Islands ×1
Nansei-Shoto (Ryukyu) Islands ×1
Northern Ryukyu Islands ×1
Okinawa Island ×1
Ryukyu Archipelago ×1
Ryukyu Island Arc ×1
Ryukyu Island chain ×1
Ryukyu Islands region ×1
Ryukyu Kingdom (de facto modern successor area) ×1
Ryukyu archipelago ×1

Statements (61)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	archipelago → island chain →
administeredBy	Japan →
annexationYear	1879 →
annexedBy	Empire of Japan →
borders	East China Sea → Philippine Sea →
capitalOfFormerKingdom	Shuri →
climate	subtropical →
country	Japan →
formerName	Ryukyu Kingdom →
hasCulturalRegion	Okinawa → Sakishima Islands →
hasEthnicGroup	Okinawans → Ryukyuan people →
hasLanguage	Okinawan language → Ryukyuan languages →
hasLargestIsland	Okinawa Island →
hasMajorBattle	Battle of Okinawa →
hasMajorCity	Naha →
hasOfficialLanguage	Japanese language →
hasPart	Amami Islands → Daitō Islands → Miyako Islands → Okinawa Islands → Yaeyama Islands →
hasPrefecture	Kagoshima Prefecture → Okinawa Prefecture →
hasReligion	Buddhism → Christianity → Ryukyuan religion → Shinto →
hasUNESCOStatus	Amami-Okinawa World Natural Heritage Site →
hasUSMilitaryBases	Okinawa Island →
historicalEntity	Ryukyu Kingdom →
historicalStatus	domain of Satsuma Domain → independent kingdom → tributary state of China →
knownFor	Okinawan cuisine → Ryukyuan dance → World War II battles → beaches → coral reefs → distinct Ryukyuan culture → traditional Ryukyuan music →
locatedBetween	Kyushu → Taiwan →
locatedIn	East China Sea → northwestern Pacific Ocean → southwestern Japan →
occupationPeriod	1945–1972 →
occupiedBy	United States →
partOf	Japanese archipelago → Nansei Islands →
returnedTo	Japan →
reversionYear	1972 →
seaArea	Philippine Sea →
separates	East China Sea → Philippine Sea →
strategicImportance	maritime trade routes → military →

Referenced by (50)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Amami Islands → Miyako Islands → Naha → Naha Hari → Naha Tug-of-War Festival → Okinawa Island → Okinawa Prefecture → Ryukyuan people → Ryukyuan people ("Ryukyu Archipelago") → Uruma, Okinawa, Japan → Yaeyama Islands →	locatedIn
Japonic languages → Okinawan Japanese → Ryukyuan languages → Ryukyuan languages ("Okinawa Islands") →	spokenIn
Battle of Okinawa ("Okinawa Island") → Battle of Okinawa → Ryukyu Islands campaign →	location
Amami Islands ("Northern Ryukyu Islands") → Daitō Islands → Ryukyu Islands ("Nansei Islands") →	partOf
East China Sea → Japanese archipelago →	hasIslandGroup
Northern Pacific → Ryukyu Arc →	hasPart
Edo period ("Ryukyu Kingdom") →	allowedLimitedTradeWith
Okinawa Island ("Ryukyu archipelago") →	archipelago
Ryukyu Trench ("Ryukyu Island Arc") →	associatedIslandArc
Higashi Shina Kai →	boundedBy
Japan Current →	flowsPast
Naha ("Ryukyu Kingdom (de facto modern successor area)") →	formerCapitalOf
Ryukyu Islands ("Ryukyu Kingdom") →	formerName
Ryukyu Islands ("Amami-Okinawa World Natural Heritage Site") →	hasUNESCOStatus
Ryukyu Islands ("Ryukyu Kingdom") →	historicalEntity
Naha →	isCulturalCenterOf
Okinawa Island ("Okinawa Islands") →	isLargestOf
Kyushu–Palau Ridge system →	liesEastOf
Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum →	locatedInRegion
Senkaku Islands →	locatedNear
Ryukyu Trench →	locatedOffCoastOf
Shuri →	locatedOn
Japan →	majorIslandGroup
Easter lily →	nativeTo
Formosa →	near
Ryukyu Trench ("Ryukyu Island chain") →	parallelTo
Isamu Chō →	placeOfDeath
Japonic languages →	region
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ("First Island Chain") →	regionFocus
Ryukyu Trench ("Nansei-Shoto (Ryukyu) Islands") →	relatedTo
University of the Ryukyus ("Ryukyu Islands region") →	servesCommunity