Amami Islands

The  is a group of islands in Kagoshima prefecture in the Kyūshū region of Japan.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Amani" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 24. It is also known as the .

History
The name of the islands comes from the mythological figure of Amamiko.Nussbaum, "Amamiko" at p. 24.

It was attacked by the Ryūkyū Kingdom in 1570, but was invaded by Satsuma Domain in 1609.

Amami was occupied by the United States from 1945 to 1953.

 Demographics 
The native people of the Amami Islands are the Amami people, who are a subgroup of a larger Ryukyuan ethnicity.

 Languages 
The Amami language belongs to the Ryukyuan languages, all of which are endangered because in the past, Japan suppressed them. This is also why most younger Amamians speak Japanese instead, as it was enforced in schools.

Geography
The largest island in the group is Amami Island.Nussbaum, "Amani-Ōshima" at p. 24.  Other islands include Kikai Island, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabu Island, Yorontou and some small islands make up the Amami Islands.

Related pages
 Provinces of Japan
 Prefectures of Japan
 List of regions of Japan
 List of islands of Japan

References

Category:Ryukyu Islands