is a serial
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
consisting of five component parts on four Japanese islands in the Ryukyu Chain of the
Nansei Islands
The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan: the Ōsumi, Tokara, Amami, Okinawa, and Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands), with Yonagun ...
. The site was selected in terms of biodiversity (
World Heritage criterion x) for having a diverse ecosystem of plant and animal species that are unique to the region.
History
First selected as a candidate site in 2003, the original nomination was added to the