The , also known as are a group of three Japanese islands in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. They lie southwest of the Ogasawara Islands and are administered as part of the Ogasawara, Tokyo Metropolis.
Geography
The Volcano Islands are:
- , , (Sakaki-ga-mine)
- , , (Suribachi-yama)
- ,
Farther north but in the same volcanic arc is:
- , ,
The population was about 1,100 in 1939, distributed among five settlements: Higashi, Minami, Nishi, Kita, and Motoyama (meaning "East", "South", "West", "North", and "Mountain of Origin", or central mountain) on Iwo Jima; and two settlements on Kita Iwo Jima: Ishino-mura ("Ishino village"; Ishino is a surname) and Nishi-mura ("West village"). The municipal administration office was located in Higashi until 1940 when the municipality was integrated into the administration of Ogasawara, Tokyo.
Iwo Jima was the site of the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, and the island group came under the United States administration. The Volcano Islands were returned to Japanese rule in 1968.
See also
- Nanpō Islands
- Geography of Japan