Oki Islands - Geography

Geography

The Oki Islands are situated between 40 to 80 kilometers north of the coast of Honshū.

The islands are of volcanic origin and have a total area of 346,1 km2. The group consists of 16 islands and the highest elevation is Mount Damanji-San at about 608 meters on Dōgo.

The largest and inhabited islands are:

• Dōgo (島後), main island, about 243 km2, northeast off the subgroup of the so-called Dōuzen Islands(島前) with
• Chiburi-shima (知夫里島), about 14 km2
• Nakano-shima (中ノ島), about 33 km2
• Nishino-shima (西ノ島), about 56 km2

The population is about 24,500 inhabitants spread over the four administrative areas of:

• Okinoshima-chō (Okinoshima-town), includes all of Dōgo Island and close by islets as Okina-shima, Obana-shima, Tsuname-shima, Shijiki-jima and Ombe-shima, population about 17.000, Japan considers the disputed Liancourt Rocks to be a part of Okinoshima.
• Chibu-mura (Chibu-village), includes all of Chiburi-shima and close by islets as Okaga-shima, Shimazu-jima, Asa-shima and Kami-shima, population about 800.
• Ama-chō (Ama-town), includes all of Nakano-shima and close-by islets as Omori-jima and Matsu-shima, population about 2,600.
• Nishinoshima-chō (Nishinoshima-town), includes all of Nishino-shima and close-by islets as Hoshikami-jima, Futamata-jima and O-kazuro-shima, population about 3,900.

The islands make up the Oki-shichō (Oki District) and are part of Shimane Prefecture. The island group is also part of the"Daisen Oki Kokuritsu Kōen (Daisen-Oki National Park).