Miyako Islands
The Miyako Islands (Japanese宫 古 列岛, Miyako- RETTO, dt " Miyako- island chain ", also:宫 古 诸岛, Miyako- shotō, dt " Miyako Island group " ) are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture Japanese.
Geography
The Miyako Islands lie 240 km southwest of the main island of Okinawa Honto Okinawa Prefecture and 34 km north-east of the island of Yaeyama Ishigaki-jima Islands. With the latter island group, the Miyako Islands together form the Sakishima Islands.
Islands
The archipelago consists of the following 12 islands with an area of at least one hectare, with the largest eight are inhabited:
The total land area of all islands is 256 km ².
Administrative divisions
Taramas -jima and Minna- jima form with 1146 inhabitants (as of February 1, 2014) to 22 km ² and thus a density of 52 people / km ² the county Miyako with the village taramas the only village.
All other islands of the group form the city Miyakojima since the summary from October 2005. It counts 51 865 inhabitants (as of February 1, 2014) to 205 km ² land area and thus has a population density of 254 persons / km ².
The total population amounts to 53 011 inhabitants with a population density of 207 persons / km ².
Culture
The Miyako language or dialect of the island group belongs to the Ryukyu languages. A distinction is made between the dialect groups Irabu and Miyako and Yaeyama was most similar to the language or dialect. A special feature within the Japanese language family are consonant syllable ends dar.
Economy and Tourism
Attached is mainly sugar cane, fishing takes especially Katsuo (skipjack ) on land.
Especially Miyako- jima is a popular tourist destination; be of Ikema -jima from dive trips offered to the coral reef Yabuji (also Yabushi or Yaebushi ). The coral measures 15 km in the north-south direction and 10 km in east-west direction.
Traffic
Airfields are located on Miyako- jima, -shima taramas and Shimoji -jima. The latter however does not offer a more regular service. Regular ferry services consist of Hirara on Miyako- jima after Irabu -jima, -shima taramas, Ishigaki -jima and Naha.