Sakishima Islands

With Sakishima Islands (also Sakiinseln; jap先 岛 诸岛, Sakishima - shotō ) are referred to the Japanese islands in the southwest of Okinawa Prefecture. They are located between the main island of Okinawa of the prefecture and Taiwan and are among the Ryukyu Islands.

Geography

The Sakishima Islands are divided into:

• The Miyako Islands in the East,
• The Yaeyama Islands in the west and
• The Senkaku Islands in the north.

The Miyako and Yaeyama Islands both belong geologically to the Ryukyu island arc, while the Senkaku Islands are located north of the Okinawa trench on the Asian continental shelf. Therefore, the Senkaku Islands are partially attributed to the Sakishima Islands.

Senkaku Islands are disputed between the PRC, Republic of China ( Taiwan) and Japan.

Overall, the group consists of 44 islands (of which nine belong to the Senkaku islands ) of at least one hectare of land and extend over a total area of 848 km ² (including the 6-km ² for the Senkaku Islands). Of these 20 islands are inhabited.

To February 1, 2014 105 624 inhabitants lived in the five municipalities of the island group.