| Revision as of 10:12, 22 June 2004 editFg2 (talk | contribs)25,366 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 08:16, 23 June 2004 edit undo202.236.167.243 (talk) Area, population (from ja:)Next edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| '''Okinawa Honto''' (沖縄本島, "the main island of Okinawa") is the largest of the ] at the edge of the ], helping to define the sea's boundary with the open Pacific Ocean. Some sixty miles long and varying in width from only a few miles at the neck to ten or so at the thickest, it lies in a north-south orientation. | '''Okinawa Honto''' (沖縄本島, "the main island of Okinawa") is the largest of the ] at the edge of the ], helping to define the sea's boundary with the open Pacific Ocean. Some sixty miles long and varying in width from only a few miles at the neck to ten or so at the thickest, it lies in a north-south orientation. It has an area of 1201.03km<sup>2</sup> and a population of 1 200 000. | ||
| ] (Earth Sciences and Image Analysis, NASA-Johnson Space Center)]] | ] (Earth Sciences and Image Analysis, NASA-Johnson Space Center)]] | ||
Revision as of 08:16, 23 June 2004
Okinawa Honto (沖縄本島, "the main island of Okinawa") is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands at the edge of the East China Sea, helping to define the sea's boundary with the open Pacific Ocean. Some sixty miles long and varying in width from only a few miles at the neck to ten or so at the thickest, it lies in a north-south orientation. It has an area of 1201.03km and a population of 1 200 000.
Okinawa Prefecture has its capital on Okinawa Honto (at Naha). The city of Okinawa is also located on this island. Thus, Okinawa is the name of a prefecture, an island and a city.
The southern end of the island consists of uplifted coral reef, whereas the northern half has proportionally more igneous rock. The easily eroded limestone of the south has many caves, and Gyokusendo is the most famous.
The island's climate is sub-tropical, with a rainy season in and around May. The north is heavily forested, while the south has patches of forest amid the farms and cities.
The city of Nago and the urbanized corridor from Okinawa to Naha are in the south.
Air and sea lines connect Okinawa Honto to East Asia. Naha International Airport brings air traffic to the outlying islands, the major airports of Japan, and foreign countries. Ocean-going ships carry passengers and freight to similar destinations.