Minamidaitō 南大東村 |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Village | |||
南大東村• Minamidaitō-son | |||
Minamidaitō landscape
|
|||
|
|||
Coordinates: 25°49′44″N 131°13′55″E / 25.82889°N 131.23194°ECoordinates: 25°49′44″N 131°13′55″E / 25.82889°N 131.23194°E | |||
Country | Japan | ||
Region | Kyushu (Ryukyu) | ||
Prefecture | Okinawa Prefecture | ||
District | Shimajiri | ||
Government | |||
• - Mayor | Kenshō Nakada | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 30.57 km2 (11.80 sq mi) | ||
Population (June 1, 2013) | |||
• Total | 1,418 | ||
• Density | 46.4/km2 (120/sq mi) | ||
Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | ||
-Tree | Livistona | ||
- Flower | Hibiscus | ||
Phone number | 09802-2-2001 | ||
Address | 144-1 Aza Minami, Minamidaitō-son, Shimajiri-gun, Okinawa-ken 901-3895 | ||
Website | www |
Minamidaitō (南大東村 Minamidaitō-son?) is a village located entirely on Minamidaitōjima in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Minamidaitōjima is located approximately 360 kilometres (220 mi) east of Okinawa Island. Minamidaitō covers 30.7 square kilometres (11.9 sq mi).
As of June 2013, the city had a population of 1,418 and a population density of 46.4 persons per km².
The island is in the subtropical zone and was formed out of coral reef. With the exception of neighboring Kitadaitō, there is no inhabited land within 400 km of Minamidaitō.
Minamidaitō has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year; the wettest month is June and the driest month is February. The island is subject to frequent typhoons.
Minamidaitōjima remained uninhabited until formally claimed by the Empire of Japan in 1885. In 1900, a team of pioneers from Hachijōjima, became the first human inhabitants of the island, and started the cultivation of sugar cane from 1903. Until World War II, Kitadaitōjima was owned in its entirety by Dai Nippon Sugar (now Dai Nippon Meiji Sugar). After World War II, the island was occupied by the United States. The village of Minamidaitō was established in 1946. Land reform was carried out in favor of the residents of Minamidaitō in 1964. A freight train system was established and later dismantled in favor of contemporary transportation. The island was returned to Japan in 1972.