TheVolcano Islands(Hỏa sơn liệt đảo,Kazan Rettō)orIwo Islands(Lưu hoàng liệt đảo,Iō-rettō)are a group of threeJapanese-governed islandsinMicronesia.They lie south of theOgasawara Islandsand belong to themunicipality of Ogasawara, Tokyo,Tokyo Metropolis,Japan.[1][2]The islands are all activevolcanoeslying atop theIzu–Bonin–Mariana Arcthat stretches south to theMarianas.They have an area of 32.55 square kilometres (12.57 sq mi), and a population of 380. The island ofIwo Jimain the Volcano Islands lies about 1,240 kilometres (670 nmi; 771 mi) southeast ofMiyazaki.[3]
Native name: Hỏa sơn liệt đảo | |
|---|---|
 Location in the Pacific | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 24°46′N141°18′E/ 24.767°N 141.300°E |
| Total islands | 3 |
| Area | 32.55 km2(12.57 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Japan | |
| Prefecture | Tokyo |
| Subprefecture | Ogasawara Subprefecture |
| Village | Ogasawara |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 380 (January 2008) |
Geography
editThe Volcano Islands are:
- Kita Iwo Jima(Bắc lưu hoàng đảo,Kita-Iō-jima / Kita-Iō-tō,literallyNorth Sulphur Island),5.57 square kilometres (2.15 sq mi), 792 metres (2,598 ft) (Sakaki-ga-mine)
- Iwo Jima(Lưu hoàng đảo,Iō-jima / Iō-tō,literallySulphur Island),20.60 square kilometres (7.95 sq mi), 166 metres (545 ft) (Suribachi-yama)
- Minami Iwo Jima(Nam lưu hoàng đảo,Minami-Iō-jima / Minami-Iō-tō,literallySouth 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(Tây chi đảo,literallyWestern Island),4.10 square kilometres (1.58 sq mi), 200 metres (660 ft)[1]
There is aJapan Self-Defense Forcesair base on Iwo Jimawith a staff of 380. It is located in the village of Minami. Other than that, the islands are uninhabited.
-
Satellite photo of the Volcano Islands (2004)
- Fukutoku-OkanobaGenerally submerged volcano eruptions sometimes bring it above the surface.
History
editThe first recorded sighting by Europeans was in October 1543 by Spanish navigatorBernardo de la Torreon board ofcarrackSan Juan de Letránwhen trying to return fromSaranganitoNew Spain.[4]Iwo Jima was charted as Sufre, the old Spanish term forsulphur.
The islands were uninhabited in 1889 when Japanese settlers settled the two northern islands from theIzu Islands.They were annexed by Japan in 1891.[1][2]However, archeological evidence has revealed that islands of the greaterBonin archipelagowere prehistorically inhabited by an unknownMicronesian people.[5]
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 ofOgasawara, Tokyo.
Iwo Jima was the site of theBattle of Iwo JimainWorld War II,and the island group came under the United States administration. The Volcano Islands were returned to Japanese rule in 1968.[1]
Ecology
editThe Volcano Islands have a subtropical climate. They are part of theOgasawara subtropical moist forestsecoregion and are home to unique and diverse plants and animals, including manyendemicspecies. They have been recognised as forming anImportant Bird Area(IBA) byBirdLife Internationalbecause they support populations ofred-tailed tropicbirds,Japanese wood pigeonsandMatsudaira's storm petrels.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcd"Hỏa sơn liệt đảo"[Volcano Islands].Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika)(in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013.OCLC153301537.Archived fromthe originalon August 25, 2007.Retrieved2013-10-09.
- ^ab"Hỏa sơn liệt đảo"[Volcano Islands].Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei(in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013.OCLC173191044.Archived fromthe originalon August 25, 2007.Retrieved2013-10-09.
- ^"Volcano Islands"(Map).Google Maps.Retrieved1 February2020.
- ^Brand, Donald D.The Pacific Basin: A History of its Geographical ExplorationsThe American Geographical Society (New York, 1967) p.123.
- ^Tiểu lạp nguyên ・ hỏa sơn ( lưu hoàng ) liệt đảo の lịch sử
- ^"Kazan-retto islands".BirdLife Data Zone.BirdLife International. 2021.Retrieved28 January2021.
External links
edit
Media related toVolcano Islandsat Wikimedia Commons
