Kunigami, Okinawa
Template:Short description Template:Infobox settlement
Template:Nihongo is a village in Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It occupies the north tip of Okinawa Island, with the East China Sea to the west, Pacific Ocean to the east, and villages of Higashi and Ōgimi to the south.<ref name="Kokushi">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
As of 2015, the village has a population of 4,908 and a population density of 25.20 persons per km2. The total area is 194.80 km2.
History
According to Chūzan Seikan, the goddess Amamikyu consecrated the first utaki in Asa Forest at Hedo, in what is now Kunigami; the forest is also mentioned in Omoro Sōshi.<ref name="Kokushi"/> Ceramics from the Jōmon-period Template:Nihongo resemble those found in the Amami Islands.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chūzan Seikan records the prayers of the Kunigami council for the recovery of Shō Sei after an abortive attempt to occupy Amami Ōshima in 1537, while Kyūyō recounts the appointment of the son of the Kunigami Oyakata as aji after the successful takeover of the Amami Islands by Shō Gen in 1571.<ref name="Kokushi"/>
Kunigami District was established in 1896 and, upon the abolition of Kunigami magiri, Kunigami Village was founded in 1908. During the Battle of Okinawa, the area saw an influx of refugees fleeing the heavy fighting in the south. In September 1945, the occupying government merged the three villages of Kunigami, Higashi, and Ōgimi into the new city of Template:Nihongo; the merger was reversed the following year.<ref name="Kokushi"/>
Geography
Kunigami is mountainous, with over 80% of the land area covered by subtropical evergreen forest. Endemic species include the Okinawa woodpecker and Okinawa rail.<ref name="Kunigami">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Mount Yonaha (503 m), the highest mountain on Okinawa Island
- Template:Nihongo (420 m)
- Template:Nihongo (395 m)
- Template:Nihongo
- Template:Nihongo
- Template:Nihongo
- Cape Hedo
- Template:Nihongo
- Camp Gonsalves
- Yanbaru National Park
Administrative divisions
The village includes twenty-one wards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col
- Ada (安田)
- Aha (安波)
- Benoki (辺野喜)
- Gaji (我地)
- Ginama (宜名真)
- Hama (浜)
- Hanji (半地)
- Hedo (辺戸)
- Hentona (辺土名)
- Hiji (比地)
- Iji (伊地)
- Jashiki (謝敷)
- Kaganji (鏡地)
- Oku (奥)
- Okuma (奥間)
- Sate (佐手)
- Sosu (楚洲)
- Tōbaru (桃原)
- Uka (宇嘉)
- Ura (宇良)
- Yona (与那)
Neighbouring municipalities
Climate
Demographics
Template:Historical populations
Education
There is one municipal junior high school, Kunigami Junior High School (国頭中学校).<ref name=Kunigamischoollist>Template:Cite web</ref>
Kunigami has the following municipal elementary schools:<ref name=Kunigamischoollist/>
- Ada (安田小学校)
- Aha (安波小学校)
- Hentona (辺土名小学校)
- Oku (奥小学校)
- Okuma (奥間小学校)
The following municipal elementary schools are permanently closed:<ref name=Kunigamischoollist/>
- Kitaguni Elementary School (北国小学校)
- Sate Elementary School (佐手小学校)
There is one municipal kindergarten, Kunigami Nursery School (くにがみこども園).<ref name=Kunigamischoollist/>
Cultural Properties
- Name (Japanese) (Type of registration)
- Ada northern yellow boxwood forest reserve (安田のアカテツ保安林) (Municipal)
- Aha looking-glass mangrove trees Heritiera littoralis (安波のサキシマスオウノキ) (Prefectural)
- Aha Tanagā-gumui plant community (安波のタナガーグムイの植物群落) (National)
- Hiji Kodama-mui plant community (比地の小玉森の植物群落) (Prefectural)
- Mount Yonaha Natural Protected Area (与那覇岳天然保護区域) (National) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sister cities
- Template:Flagicon ― Yoron, Japan, since November 21, 2022
- Template:Flagicon ― Iwami, Japan, since July 16, 2023