Daitō Islands

The Daitō Islands (Japanese: 大東諸島, Hepburn: Daitō-shotō) are a group of three small coral islands in the Philippine Sea. They are southeast of Okinawa and belong to Japan. These islands cover about 44 square kilometers and are home to around 2,100 people.

The islands are part of Shimajiri District in Okinawa Prefecture. They are split between two villages, Minamidaitō and Kitadaitō. There is also an uninhabited island called Okidaitōjima, which belongs to the village of Kitadaitō even though it is closer to Minamidaitōjima.

Etymology

The words kita, minami, and oki mean "north", "south", and "offshore" respectively. The word daitō means "great east".

History

The Daitō Islands have long been called Ufuagari ("the Great East") in Okinawa. The island of Okidaitōjima was first seen by a Spanish explorer named Bernardo de la Torre in 1543. The other islands were recorded soon after. Over time, many explorers from different countries visited them. They were sometimes called the Borodino Islands after a Russian ship studied them in 1820.

These islands had no people living there until Japan officially claimed them in 1885. In 1900, people from Hachijōjima, one of the Izu Islands, began to settle on Minamidaitōjima and started growing sugar cane. They also settled on the other islands, which had large amounts of guano used to make fertilizer and gunpowder.

During World War II, Minamidaitōjima was attacked many times by the United States Navy. After the war, the islands were controlled by the United States until they were given back to Japan in 1972.

Islands

The Daitō Islands are a group of three small islands in the Philippine Sea, southeast of Okinawa. They belong to Japan and are part of Okinawa Prefecture. The islands have a total area of 44.427 square kilometers and are home to 2,107 people. The islands are split between two villages, Minamidaitō and Kitadaitō, with a third island, Okidaitōjima, having no residents.

Photo	Name	Kanji	Area [km2]	Population 2004	highest point [m]
	Minamidaitōjima fee ufuagarijima	南大東島	30.57	1,442	78
	Kitadaitōjima nishi ufuagarijima	北大東島	11.94	665	75
	Okidaitōjima uchi ufuagarijima	沖大東島	1.15	–
Map all coordinates in "Daitō Islands" using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as: KML GPX (all coordinates) GPX (primary coordinates) GPX (secondary coordinates)

Ecology

The Daitō Islands are far from the nearest land, which has created a special and unique home for many plants and animals found nowhere else. Unlike nearby islands, these islands do not have dangerous snakes naturally. However, introduced toads have caused problems for the local wildlife.

Originally, the three main islands were covered in forests, but human activities, including military exercises, have damaged these forests and caused some special animals to disappear. The islands are protected as a special area for wildlife, helping to keep these unique plants and animals safe.

Many animals and plants have been named after the Daitō Islands, including special birds, insects, and plants. Some of these have sadly disappeared, but others continue to live and thrive. The islands are also a important place for sea animals like tuna, dolphins, and sea turtles to visit and sometimes live.

European sightings of the Daitō Islands

Early European sailors saw the Daitō Islands many years ago. In late September 1543, Spanish navigator Bernardo de la Torre was the first to spot them. He named Okidaitōjima Abreojos, meaning "Eyes Open!", and called Minamidaitōjima and Kitadaitōjima Las Dos Hermanas, or "The Two Sisters".

Later, in 1587, another Spanish sailor, Pedro de Unamuno, saw two small islands he named Islas sin Provecho, meaning "Worthless Islands". These were almost certainly the Daitō Islands.

Over the years, many more sailors saw the islands and gave them different names. Some thought they had found new lands, but they were really seeing the same three islands again and again.