Chichi-jima
| Chichi-jima | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Waters | Pacific Ocean | |
| Archipelago | Ogasawara-guntō | |
| Geographical location | 27 ° 4 '10 " N , 142 ° 12' 49" E | |
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| length | 8.6 km | |
| width | 6.2 km | |
| surface | 23.45 km² | |
| Highest elevation | Chūō-zan 318 m above sea level NN |
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| Residents | 2400 (2005) 102 inhabitants / km² |
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| main place | Nishi-machi | |
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Chichi-jima ( Japanese 父 島 , German "Father Island" ), historically Peelsinsel (Engl. Peel Island ), is a mountainous, rugged island and belongs to the Ogasawara-guntō ( Bonin Islands ) group of islands . It is located about 1000 kilometers south of the Japanese main island of Honshu .
geography
The island has an area of 23.45 km² and around 2400 inhabitants. The town hall of the municipality of Ogasawara and thus the administration of the archipelago is located in Nishimachi (former municipality of Omura, until 1940 an independent municipality) on Chichi-jima. The settlement center is located at the main port of Futami-kō in the west of the island, a natural harbor basin, the former Port Lloyd. The highest point is the Chūō-zan ( 中央 山 ) with 318 m.
history
On June 16, 1853, Chichi-jima was taken over by Commodore Matthew Perry on his way to Shanghai for the United States of America . Perry appointed the 58-year-old settler Nathaniel Savory, who had settled the island 23 years earlier, as governor . He and his remaining 39 settlers supplied whalers in transit with fresh food, meat and above all water. On January 17, 1862, the Japanese Empire took possession of the island bloodlessly.
During the Second World War , the Japanese made the island the most important communication point for their navy in the Pacific. From January 1944, the island was defended against the Americans by 25,000 Japanese soldiers (for comparison: Iwo Jima 22,000). It was only attacked from the air ( flyboys ) and handed over to the US Navy after the end of the war . It was returned to Japan in 1968.
natural reserve
Chichi-jima Island is home to a small population of green turtles that are under strict protection.
tourism
From time to time cruise ships call at the island.
Individual evidence
- ↑ 島 面積 . (PDF; 144 kB) (No longer available online.) Kokudo Chiriin , October 1, 2014, archived from the original on April 2, 2015 ; Retrieved July 28, 2016 (Japanese). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
