Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima ( /ˈiːwɵ ˈdʒiːmə/), officially Iō-tō (硫黄島?, : "sulfur island"), is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which are south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is 650 nautical miles (750 mi; 1,200 km) south of mainland Tokyo and is administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo (but is presently uninhabited). It is famous as the setting of the February–March 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and the Empire of Japan during World War II. The island grew in recognition in the west when the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima was taken during the battle. The U.S. occupied Iwo Jima until 1968, when it was returned to Japan.