Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Islands or Nansei Islands (???? Nansei-shot?, which translates literally as "southwest islands"), are an island chain stretching southwestward from the island of Kyushu in Japan. The portion south of Yoron belongs to Okinawa Prefecture, and the portion north of Yoron belongs to Kagoshima Prefecture. The archipelago is home to the Ryukyuan languages.

Major islands

• Nansei Islands
• Satsunan Islands
• Osumi Islands: Tanegashima, Yakushima, Kuchinoerabushima, Mageshima
• Tokara Islands: Kuchinoshima, Nakanoshima, Suwanosejima, Akusekijima, Tairajima, Kodakarajima, Takarajima
• Amami Islands: Amami ?shima, Kikaigashima, Kakeromajima, Yoroshima, Ukeshima, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabujima, Yoronjima
• Ryukyu proper (Ry?ky? Shot?)
• Okinawa Islands: Okinawa Island (aka. Okinawan mainland, Okinawa hont?), Kumejima, Iheyajima, Izenajima, Agunijima, Iejima
• Kerama Islands: Tokashikijima, Zamamijima, Akajima, Gerumajima
• Dait? Islands: Kita dait?, Mimami dait?, Oki dait?
• Sakishima Islands
• Miyako Islands: Miyakojima, Ikema, Ogami, Irabu, Shimoji, Kurima, Minna, Tarama
• Yaeyama Islands: Iriomote, Ishigaki, Taketomi, Kohama, Kuroshima, Aragusuku, Hatoma, Yubujima, Hateruma, Yonaguni
• Senkaku Islands: Uotsurijima

Note: for some of the island names above, the suffix -jima, -shima, and -gashima can be interchanged, omitted, or appended. The suffix means "island." In general, the islands are listed from north to south where possible.

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