Minamidaitō
南大東村

Minamidaitō's location in Okinawa, Japan.
Minamidaitō's location in Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Kyūshū (Ryukyu)
Prefecture	Okinawa
District	Shimajiri
Physical characteristics
Area	30.57 km2 (11.80 sq mi)
Population (as of July 2008)
Total	1,417
Density	46.4 /km² (120 /sq mi)
Location	25°50′N 131°14′E / 25.833, 131.233Coordinates: 25°50′N 131°14′E / 25.833, 131.233
Symbols
Flag
Minamidaitō Government Office
Mayor	Kenshō Nakada
Address	144-1 Aza Minami, Minamidaitō-son, Shimajiri-gun, Okinawa-ken 901-3895
Phone number	09802-2-2001
Official website: Minamidaitō Village

Minamidaitō Village Office

Minamidaitō (南大東島, Minamidaitō-jima^?), also spelt as Minami Daitō or Minami-Daitō, is the largest of the Daitō Islands located in Shimajiri District, Okinawa, Japan. The municipality serving the island is the village of Minamidaitō (南大東村, Minamidaitō-son^?).

The island was originally named South Borodino Island after being discovered by the Russian marine vessel Borodino in 1820.

NASA picture of Minamidaitō.

In 1899 a pioneering team from Hachijō Island became the first human inhabitants of the island, using the land to grow sugarcane. A freight train system was established and later dismantled in favor of contemporary transportation.^[1]

The island is in the subtropical zone and was formed out of coral reef. With the exception of neighboring Kitadaitō, there is no inhabited land within 400km of Minamidaitō.

Minami-Daito Airport serves the island.

Island groupings

• Ryukyu/Nansei Islands
  • Ryūkyū Shotō
    • Okinawa Islands
      • Daitō Islands

References

External links

• Minamidaito travel guide from Wikitravel

• Media related to Minamidaito, Okinawa at Wikimedia Commons.

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