is a
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
in
Okinawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city o ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. It is located on and around the
Yaeyama Islands
The Yaeyama Islands (八重山列島 ''Yaeyama-rettō'', also 八重山諸島 ''Yaeyama-shotō'', Yaeyama: ''Yaima'', Yonaguni: ''Daama'', Okinawan: ''Yeema'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Yapema'') are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa ...
of the
East China Sea
The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...
.
The park was established in 1972 as and included the islands of
Iriomote
is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands of Japan, and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself.
The island has an area of and a 2005 population of 2,347. The island does not have an airstrip, and most visitors — ov ...
,
Kohama,
Kuro, and
Taketomi
is an island in the town of Taketomi, within Yaeyama District of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Taketomi is one of the Yaeyama Islands. The population of Taketomi Island was 323 as of January 2012.
Geography
Taketomi Island is located south of Is ...
. In August 2007 the protected area was extended to include
Ishigaki Island
, also known as ''Ishigakijima'', is a Japanese island south-west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group, behind Iriomote Island. It is located approximately south-west of Okinawa Hontō. It is within the ...
.
The park is famous as the habitat of the
Iriomote wild cat.
Related municipalities
*
Ishigaki,
Taketomi
is an island in the town of Taketomi, within Yaeyama District of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Taketomi is one of the Yaeyama Islands. The population of Taketomi Island was 323 as of January 2012.
Geography
Taketomi Island is located south of Is ...
See also
*
List of national parks of Japan
and in Japan are places of scenic beauty designated for protection and sustainable usage by the Minister of the Environment under the of 1957. National Parks are designated and in principle managed by the Ministry of the Environment. Quasi-Nat ...
*
Okinawa Kaigan Quasi-National Park
is a Quasi-National Park on the coast of Okinawa and the Kerama Islands, Japan. It was established as a Prefectural Park in 1965 and re-designated with the return of Okinawa to Japanese administration in 1972.
See also
* List of national park ...
References
External links
*
*
Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park*
Map of Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park
National parks of Japan
Parks and gardens in Okinawa Prefecture
Protected areas established in 1972
1972 establishments in Japan
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