Kyushu
Kyushu (九州, Kyūshū, pronounced [kʲɯꜜːɕɯː] (
listen), lit. "Nine Provinces") is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa).[3][4] In the past, it has been known as Kyūkoku (九国, "Nine Countries"), Chinzei (鎮西, "West of the Pacified Area") and Tsukushi-no-shima (筑紫島, "Island of Tsukushi"). The historical regional name Saikaidō (西海道, lit. West Sea Circuit) referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands. Kyushu has a land area of 36,782 square kilometres (14,202 sq mi) and a population of 14,311,224 in 2018.[5]
Native name: 九州 | |
|---|---|
 October 2009 NASA satellite image of Kyushu | |
.svg) Kyushu region of Japan and the current prefectures on the island of Kyushu | |
| Geography | |
| Location | East Asia |
| Coordinates | 33°N 131°E |
| Archipelago | Japanese Archipelago |
| Area | 36,782.37[1] km2 (14,201.75 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 37th |
| Coastline | 12,221 km (7593.8 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,791 m (5876 ft) |
| Highest point | Mount Kujū[2] |
| Administration | |
| Prefectures |  Fukuoka Prefecture Kagoshima Prefecture Kumamoto Prefecture Miyazaki Prefecture Nagasaki Prefecture Ōita Prefecture Saga Prefecture |
| Largest settlement | Fukuoka |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 12,650,847 (as of June 2022) |
| Pop. density | 307.13/km2 (795.46/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Japanese, Ryukyuan |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
In the 8th-century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu was established as a special administrative term for the region.[6]