is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

located in

Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Etymology

Modern translation of Shimajiri means "Butt of the island" which may refer to its southerly position on the island of Okinawa. Compare this to

Kunigami District, Okinawa is a district located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Roughly translated, kunigami means "head of the country", referring to its northern location on the island of Okinawa. Compare this to Shimajiri District, Okinawa. As of 2020, the district ha ...

. However, there are hundreds of geographic references throughout Japan and even into the northern Kuriles using "shiri", to approximate the ''Ainu'' word ''shir'', meaning ''island''. Despite Okinawa being so far south, historically Jōmon culture was dominant as on the mainland, and words likely have survived, though their original meanings have long been lost or modified.

Population

As of 2020, the district has an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 105,230 and the

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be u ...

of 447.98 persons per km². The total area is 234.9 km².

Geography

The district also includes

Kume Island is an island, part of the Okinawa Islands and administratively part of the town of Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It has an area of . The island had a population of 8,713 (2010). Kume Island is a volcanic island. Its principal economic a ...

, the islands of Iheya and Izena, the

Kerama Islands The are a subtropical island group southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Geography Four islands are inhabited: Tokashiki Island, Zamami Island, Aka Island, and Geruma Island. The islands are administered as Tokashiki Village and Zamami Vi ...

, the

Aguni Islands The are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. They are about 60 km west of Okinawa Island. They include * Aguni Village (Shimajiri District) ** * Tonaki, Village (Shimajiri District is a district located in Okinawa Prefect ...

, and the

Daitō Islands The are an archipelago consisting of three isolated coral islands, administered by Japan, in the Philippine Sea southeast of Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa. The islands have a total area of and a population of 2,107. Administratively, the whole gr ...

Towns and villages

* Haebaru Town * Kumejima Town * Yaese Town * Yonabaru Town * Aguni Village * Iheya Village * Izena Village * Kitadaitō Village * Minamidaitō Village * Tokashiki Village * Tonaki Village * Zamami Village

Mergers

*On April 1, 2002 the villages of Gushikawa and Nakazato merged to form the new town of

Kumejima is a town located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The town consists of the islands of Kume, Ōjima, Ōhajima, Torishima, and Iōtorishima. Among the islands, only Kumejima and Ōjima are populated. Kumejima is located appr ...

. *On January 1, 2006 the town of Kochinda, and the village of Gushikami merged to form the new town of Yaese. *On January 1, 2006 the town of Sashiki, and the villages of Chinen, Ōzato and

Tamagusuku was a legendary local ruler of Okinawa Island. Life According to Ryukyu's official history, Okinawa was split into Sanzan period, three polities during the reign of Tamagusuku.Kerr, He was the third son of Eiji (Ryukyu), Eiji (r. 1309–13 ...

merged to form the new city of Nanjō.

Transportation

The following airports are located in Shimajiri District and serve various islands: * Aguni Airport (Aguni) * Kerama Airport (Zamami) * Minami-Daito Airport (Minamidaito)

Naha Airport is an international airport located west of the city hallAIS Japan
in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is Japan's ...

Naha is the Cities of Japan, capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 people per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). ...

serves Shimajiri District areas in or near

Okinawa Island , officially , is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five Japanese archipelago, main islands of Japan. The island is ...

References

Districts in Okinawa Prefecture {{Okinawa-geo-stub