Volcano Islands

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Not to be confused with volcanic island.

The Volcano Islands (kanji: 火山列島, Kazan Rettō) is a group of three Japanese islands south of the Bonin Islands that belong to the municipality of Ogasawara. The islands are all active volcanoes lying atop an island arc that stretches south to the Marianas.

The Volcano Islands are:

• Kita Iwo Jima (北硫黄島 Kitaiōjima or Kitaiōtō, literally: North Sulphur Island), 5,57 km², 792 m (Sakaki-ga-mine)
• Iwo Jima (硫黄島 Iōjima or Iōtō, literally: Sulphur Island) 20,60 km², 166 m (Suribachi-yama).
• Minami Iwo Jima (南硫黄島 Minamiiōjima or Minamiiōtō, literally: South Sulphur Island) 3,54 km², 916 m.

There is a Japan Self-Defense Forces airbase on Iwo Jima with a staff of about 400. Other than that, the islands are uninhabited.

History

The islands were uninhabited until 1889, when the two northern islands were settled by Japanese settlers from the Izu Islands. They were annexed by Japan in 1891.

The population was about 1100 in 1939, distributed among five populated places Higashi, Minami, Nishi, Kita and Motoyama (meaning "East", "South", "West", "North" and "Mountain of Origin", or central mountain) on Iwo Jima and two on Kita Iwo Jima, Ishinomura ("town of Ishino", Ishino being a last name) and Nishimura ("West Town"). The municipal administration, which existed until 1940 (at which time the municipality was integrated into Ogasawara, Tokyo) had its offices in Higashi.

Gallery

Kita Iwo Jima	Iwo Jima	Minami Iwo Jima
Map of Kita Iwo Jima	Map of Iwo Jima	Map of Minami Iwo Jima