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*''Japanese'': 沖縄県 ''(Okinawa ken)''
*''Japanese'': 沖縄県 ''(Okinawa ken)''
Okinawa prefecture is the southernmost of the 47 [[prefectures of Japan]]. It is governed from the prefectural capital of [[Naha]], on the [[Okinawa Island|island of Okinawa]], and includes a section of the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]], stretching from Okinawa and its immediately surrounding islands southward, nearly to [[Taiwan]], including the Miyako Islands and Yaeyama Islands (collectively known as the [[Sakishima Islands]]), plus [[Io Torishima|Iô Torishima]]. The territory of the prefecture is essentially identical to that held by the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] between [[1609]], when [[Satsuma han]] annexed nearly all the islands north of Okinawa Island, and [[1879]], when the kingdom was [[Ryukyu Shobun|abolished]].
Okinawa prefecture is the southernmost of the 47 [[prefectures of Japan]]. Consisting of 49 inhabited islands (and many uninhabited ones) covering a total land area of some 2,000 square kilometers, it comprises roughly one percent of Japan's total land area.<ref>Hiroko Matsuda and Pedro Iacobelli, "Introduction," Matsuda and Iacobelli (eds.), ''Rethinking Postwar Okinawa'', Lexington Books (2017), vii.</ref> It is governed from the prefectural capital of [[Naha]], on the [[Okinawa Island|island of Okinawa]], and includes a section of the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]], stretching from Okinawa and its immediately surrounding islands southward, nearly to [[Taiwan]], including the Miyako Islands and Yaeyama Islands (collectively known as the [[Sakishima Islands]]), plus [[Io Torishima|Iô Torishima]]. The territory of the prefecture is essentially identical to that held by the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]] between [[1609]], when [[Satsuma han]] annexed nearly all the islands north of Okinawa Island, and [[1879]], when the kingdom was [[Ryukyu Shobun|abolished]].
The population of Okinawa prefecture today is around 1.3 million, the same as the State of Hawaii.<ref>[[Richard Pearson]], ''Ancient Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2013), 8.; ''Hawaii'', Lonely Planet (2009), 52.</ref> The prefecture's economy relies chiefly on activities surrounding the US military bases (incl. civilian employment on-base, restaurants and entertainment, etc.), and tourism.
The population of Okinawa prefecture today is around 1.3 million, the same as the State of Hawaii.<ref>[[Richard Pearson]], ''Ancient Ryukyu'', University of Hawaii Press (2013), 8.; ''Hawaii'', Lonely Planet (2009), 52.</ref> The prefecture's economy relies chiefly on activities surrounding the US military bases (incl. civilian employment on-base, restaurants and entertainment, etc.), and tourism.