ABSTRACT
THE MIYAKO ARCHIPELAGO consists of one central island, Miyako, and seven smaller islands: Ikema, Irabu, Kurima, Minna, Ogami, Shimoji, and Tarama. These constitute the Ryūkyūs together with three other island complexes: Amami, Okinawa, and Yaeyama. 1 The Miyako archipelago covers an area of 227.04 square kilometers, located halfway between Okinawa and Yaeyama. Its population totals 62,629 inhabitants, eighty percent of whom live on the largest island, Miyako. 2
