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Okinawa Island is the largest and most populous island in [[Okinawa prefecture]] and in the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]]. It is home to [[Naha]], the current prefectural capital and former chief port of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], and [[Shuri]], the former royal capital of the Kingdom, today a part of Naha City.

Okinawa Island is the largest and most populous island in [[Okinawa prefecture]] and in the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]]. It is home to [[Naha]], the current prefectural capital and former chief port of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], and [[Shuri]], the former royal capital of the Kingdom, today a part of Naha City.

Okinawa has an average annual rainfall of 87.5 inches, with a lush sub-tropical climate year-round, and experiences monsoons and typhoons in summer through autumn.

Okinawa has an average annual rainfall of 87.5 inches, with a lush sub-tropical climate year-round, and experiences monsoons and typhoons in summer through autumn. The island covers a land area of 748 sq miles, and average population density on the island is 2,630 people per square mile.<ref>[[Richard Pearson]], ''Ancient Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2013), 8.</ref> For comparison, the island of O'ahu (home to Honolulu) has a population density around 1500 people per square mile, and a land area of 604 sq miles.<ref>''Hawaii'', Lonely Planet (2009), 52, 99.</ref>

The island covers a land area of 748 sq miles, and average population density on the island is 2,630 people per square mile.<ref>[[Richard Pearson]], ''Ancient Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2013), 8.</ref> For comparison, the island of O'ahu (home to Honolulu) has a population density around 1500 people per square mile, and a land area of 604 sq miles.<ref>''Hawaii'', Lonely Planet (2009), 52, 99.</ref>

The name "Okinawa" is said to appear for the first time in the historical record in an account of the [[753]] journey of the Chinese monk [[Ganjin]], who became castaway or shipwrecked on ''Akonahajima'' (阿児奈波), or ''Akonaha'' Island, on his way from China to [[Satsuma province]] (on Kyushu).<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/okinawa-dic/prentry-40063.html Akonahajima]," ''Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia'', Ryukyu Shimpo, 1 March 2003.; Yokoyama Manabu 横山学, ''Ryûkyû koku shisetsu torai no kenkyû'' 琉球国使節渡来の研究, Tokyo: Yoshikawa kôbunkan (1987), 51.; Though this may seem a totally unrelated term, phonetically, there is an obvious connection, however tenuous. The ''A'' is like ''O'', ''kona'' is quite similar to ''kina'', and ''ha'' could alternately be pronounced ''wa''.</ref> The term Okinawa itself, however, appears in the ''[[Tale of the Heike]]'', and with the characters 「沖縄」appears at least as early as certain 17th century [[Shimazu clan|Shimazu family]] documents. ''Uruma'', another term often used to refer to the islands, is said to have first appeared in ''[[Senzai-shu|Senzai wakashû]]'', a poetry collection by [[Fujiwara no Kinto|Fujiwara no Kintô]] ([[966]]-[[1041]]).

The name "Okinawa" is said to appear for the first time in the historical record in an account of the [[753]] journey of the Chinese monk [[Ganjin]], who became castaway or shipwrecked on ''Akonahajima'' (阿児奈波), or ''Akonaha'' Island, on his way from China to [[Satsuma province]] (on Kyushu).<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/okinawa-dic/prentry-40063.html Akonahajima]," ''Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia'', Ryukyu Shimpo, 1 March 2003.; Yokoyama Manabu 横山学, ''Ryûkyû koku shisetsu torai no kenkyû'' 琉球国使節渡来の研究, Tokyo: Yoshikawa kôbunkan (1987), 51.; Though this may seem a totally unrelated term, phonetically, there is an obvious connection, however tenuous. The ''A'' is like ''O'', ''kona'' is quite similar to ''kina'', and ''ha'' could alternately be pronounced ''wa''.</ref> The term Okinawa itself, however, appears in the ''[[Tale of the Heike]]'', and with the characters 「沖縄」appears at least as early as certain 17th century [[Shimazu clan|Shimazu family]] documents. ''Uruma'', another term often used to refer to the islands, is said to have first appeared in ''[[Senzai-shu|Senzai wakashû]]'', a poetry collection by [[Fujiwara no Kinto|Fujiwara no Kintô]] ([[966]]-[[1041]]).

A number of geographical and geological factors contributed to Okinawa becoming the dominant island in the archipelago. In addition to its overall size, Okinawa's geology includes aspects of both "high" (volcanic) and "low" (coral) island features, allowing the island to benefit from the streams and rivers, acidic soil good for fruit trees, and dense forests (and therefore lumber and firewood) of volcanic islands, and also the freshwater springs, neutral or alkaline soil that is good for sugarcane and vegetables, and ample supply of limestone (for building construction) of its coral areas. The island's location at the end of the Michinoshima - a stretch of islands in close enough proximity to one another that one can sail from Kyushu to Okinawa without ever losing sight of land - further allowed for greater trade, cultural imports or influence from Japan and Korea, and easier political control of the islands north of Okinawa. Further, the natural topography of the port of Naha - with multiple freshwater rivers both suppressing coral growth in the harbor and providing fresh water for a population - made it an ideal harbor for both trading and naval (military) purposes.<ref>Smits, ''Early Ryukyuan History'', 65.</ref>

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