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Noun: Ryukyu Islands
  1. A chain of 55 islands in the western Pacific to the to the southwest of Japan (returned by United States to Japan in 1972)
     
  2. An archipelago stretching southwest from Japan to Taiwan, including Okinawa; formerly an independent kingdom, now part of Japan
    "The Ryukyu Islands are known for their unique culture and longevity of inhabitants"

Type of: archipelago

Part of: Japan, Nihon, Nippon

Encyclopedia: Ryukyu Islands, Southern