Volcano Islands
Village | Ogasawara | |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||
| Population | 380 (January 2008) | |
The Volcano Islands (火山列島, Kazan Rettō) or Iwo Islands (硫黄列島, Iō-rettō) are a group of three
Geography
The Volcano Islands are:
- Kita Iwo Jima (北硫黄島, Kita-Iō-jima / Kita-Iō-tō, literally North Sulphur Island), 5.57 square kilometres (2.15 sq mi), 792 metres (2,598 ft) (Sakaki-ga-mine)
- Iwo Jima (硫黄島, Iō-jima / Iō-tō, literally Sulphur Island), 20.60 square kilometres (7.95 sq mi), 166 metres (545 ft) (Suribachi-yama)
- Minami Iwo Jima (南硫黄島, Minami-Iō-jima / Minami-Iō-tō, literally South Sulphur Island) 3.54 square kilometres (1.37 sq mi), 916 metres (3,005 ft)
Farther north but in the same volcanic arc is:
- Nishino-shima (西之島, literally Western Island), 4.10 square kilometres (1.58 sq mi), 200 metres (660 ft)[1]
There is a Japan Self-Defense Forces air base on Iwo Jima with a staff of 380. It is located in the village of Minami. Other than that, the islands are uninhabited.
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Satellite photo of the Volcano Islands (2004)
- Fukutoku-Okanoba Generally submerged volcano eruptions sometimes bring it above the surface.
History
The first recorded sighting by Europeans was in October 1543 by Spanish navigator
The islands were uninhabited in 1889 when the two northern islands were settled by Japanese settlers from the
The population was about 1,100 in 1939, distributed among five settlements: Higashi, Minami, Nishi, Kita and Motoyama (meaning "East", "South", "West", "North" and "Mountain of Origin", or central mountain) on Iwo Jima; and two settlements on Kita Iwo Jima: Ishino-mura ("Ishino village"; Ishino is a surname) and Nishi-mura ("West village"). The municipal administration office was located in Higashi until 1940 when the municipality was integrated into the administration of Ogasawara, Tokyo.
Iwo Jima was the site of the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, and the island group came under the United States administration. The Volcano Islands were returned to Japanese rule in 1968.[1]
Ecology
The Volcano Islands have a subtropical climate. They are part of the
See also
References
- ^ OCLC 153301537. Archived from the originalon August 25, 2007. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
- ^ OCLC 173191044. Archived from the originalon August 25, 2007. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
- ^ Google (1 February 2020). "Volcano Islands" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ Brand, Donald D. The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical Explorations The American Geographical Society (New York, 1967) p.123.
- ^ 小笠原・火山(硫黄)列島の歴史
- ^ "Kazan-retto islands". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
External links
Media related to Volcano Islands at Wikimedia Commons
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