Okinawa Island: Difference between revisions
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'''Okinawa Island''' (沖縄本島 ''Okinawa-hontoo'') is the largest island of the [[Japan]]ese [[Ryukyu Islands]] (南西諸島 ''Nansai Shotoo'' 'Southwest Islands') chain. It is therefore also the largest of the [[Okinawa Islands]] (沖縄諸島 ''Okinawa-shotoo'') and [[Okinawa prefecture]] (沖縄県 ''Okinawa-ken''), with [[Naha]] (那覇市 ''Naha-shi'') the capital. Previously, the capital was [[Shuri, Okinawa|Shuri]] (首里), now the site of Okinawa's reconstructed [[Shuri Castle|castle]]. | '''Okinawa Island''' (沖縄本島 ''Okinawa-hontoo'') is the largest island of the [[Japan]]ese [[Ryukyu Islands]] (南西諸島 ''Nansai Shotoo'' 'Southwest Islands') chain. It is therefore also the largest of the [[Okinawa Islands]] (沖縄諸島 ''Okinawa-shotoo'') and [[Okinawa prefecture]] (沖縄県 ''Okinawa-ken''), with [[Naha]] (那覇市 ''Naha-shi'') the capital. Previously, the capital was [[Shuri, Okinawa|Shuri]] (首里), now the site of Okinawa's reconstructed [[Shuri Castle|castle]]. | ||
Okinawa Island was the site of the [[Battle of Okinawa]] in 1945, during the U.S. invasion of Japan during [[World War II, Pacific|World War II]]. The castle was destroyed by the U.S. bombardment of the island. | Okinawa Island was the site of the [[Battle of Okinawa]] in 1945, during the U.S. invasion of Japan during [[World War II, Pacific|World War II]]. The castle was destroyed by the U.S. bombardment of the island. Over 33,000 [[United States Forces Japan|U.S. troops]], plus dependents, remain on the Okinawa Islands, mostly at bases on Okinawa Island. In 2009, the U.S. agreed to relocate 8,000 troops to [[Guam]] by 2014, with the move majority-financed by Japan. This followed increasingly rocky relations with the Okinawan people, who have protested at a number of high-profile sexual offences committed by U.S. personnel.<ref>''Japan Times:'' '[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080221a2.html U.S. imposes curfew on Okinawa forces].' February 21, 2008.</ref> | ||
Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands are home to the [[Ryukyuan languages]] (琉球語 ''Ryuukyugo'') and people (ウチナンチュ ''Uchinanchu'', written in the Japanese script), who are a separate ethnic group within Japan. The eleven languages of this group are not mutually comprehensible with modern [[Japanese language|Japanese]].<ref>''Ethnologue'': '[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=90089 Ethnologue Report for Ryukyuan]' and '[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=JP Ethnologue Report for Japan]'.</ref> | Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands are home to the [[Ryukyuan languages]] (琉球語 ''Ryuukyugo'') and people (ウチナンチュ ''Uchinanchu'', written in the Japanese script), who are a separate ethnic group within Japan. The eleven languages of this group are not mutually comprehensible with modern [[Japanese language|Japanese]].<ref>''Ethnologue'': '[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=90089 Ethnologue Report for Ryukyuan]' and '[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=JP Ethnologue Report for Japan]'.</ref> | ||
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*[[Ryukyuan languages]] | *[[Ryukyuan languages]] | ||
*[[Battle of Okinawa]] | *[[Battle of Okinawa]] | ||
*[[United States Forces Japan]] | |||
*[[Japan]] | *[[Japan]] | ||
Revision as of 23:46, 17 February 2009
Okinawa Island (沖縄本島 Okinawa-hontoo) is the largest island of the Japanese Ryukyu Islands (南西諸島 Nansai Shotoo 'Southwest Islands') chain. It is therefore also the largest of the Okinawa Islands (沖縄諸島 Okinawa-shotoo) and Okinawa prefecture (沖縄県 Okinawa-ken), with Naha (那覇市 Naha-shi) the capital. Previously, the capital was Shuri (首里), now the site of Okinawa's reconstructed castle.
Okinawa Island was the site of the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, during the U.S. invasion of Japan during World War II. The castle was destroyed by the U.S. bombardment of the island. Over 33,000 U.S. troops, plus dependents, remain on the Okinawa Islands, mostly at bases on Okinawa Island. In 2009, the U.S. agreed to relocate 8,000 troops to Guam by 2014, with the move majority-financed by Japan. This followed increasingly rocky relations with the Okinawan people, who have protested at a number of high-profile sexual offences committed by U.S. personnel.[1]
Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands are home to the Ryukyuan languages (琉球語 Ryuukyugo) and people (ウチナンチュ Uchinanchu, written in the Japanese script), who are a separate ethnic group within Japan. The eleven languages of this group are not mutually comprehensible with modern Japanese.[2]
Footnotes
- ↑ Japan Times: 'U.S. imposes curfew on Okinawa forces.' February 21, 2008.
- ↑ Ethnologue: 'Ethnologue Report for Ryukyuan' and 'Ethnologue Report for Japan'.