This article is about the history of the Ryukyu Islands southwest of the main islands of Japan.
| Okinawa Prefecture | ||
|---|---|---|
| Japanese transcription(s) | ||
| • Japanese | 沖縄県 | |
| • Rōmaji | Okinawa-ken | |
| Okinawan transcription(s) | ||
| • Okinawan | ウチナー県 | |
| • Rōmaji | Uchinaa-ken | |
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| Country | Japan | |
| Region | Kyūshū | |
| Island | Okinawa | |
| Capital | Naha | |
| Government | ||
| • Governor | Hirokazu Nakaima | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 2,271.30 km2 (876.95 sq mi) | |
| Area rank | 44th | |
| Population (December 1, 2008) | ||
| • Total | 1,379,338 | |
| • Rank | 32nd | |
| • Density | 606/km2 (1,570/sq mi) | |
| ISO 3166 code | JP-47 | |
| Districts | 5 | |
| Municipalities | 41 | |
| Flower | Diego (Erythrina variegata) | |
| Tree | Pinus luchuensis (ryūkyūmatsu) | |
| Bird | Okinawa woodpecker (Sapheopipo noguchii) | |
| Fish | Banana Fish (Caesio diagramma,"Takasago", "Gurukun") | |
| Website | www.pref.okinawa.jp/ english/ |
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Read more about History Of The Ryukyu Islands: Etymology, Three-Kingdom Period, Ryūkyū Kingdom, Post-war Occupation, Notables
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—Milan Kundera (b. 1929)
“Consider the islands bearing the names of all the saints, bristling with forts like chestnut-burs, or Echinidæ, yet the police will not let a couple of Irishmen have a private sparring- match on one of them, as it is a government monopoly; all the great seaports are in a boxing attitude, and you must sail prudently between two tiers of stony knuckles before you come to feel the warmth of their breasts.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)