Awaji Island
Native name: 淡路島 Awaji-shima | |
|---|---|
Satellite view of Awaji Island | |
Awaji Location in Japan Awaji Awaji (Hyōgo Prefecture) | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Seto Inland Sea |
| Coordinates | 34°23′N 134°50′E / 34.383°N 134.833°E |
| Area | 592.17 km2 (228.64 sq mi) |
| Length | 53 km (32.9 mi) |
| Width | 28 km (17.4 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 606 m (1988 ft) |
| Administration | |
Japan | |
| Prefecture | Hyōgo Prefecture |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 129,000 (2019) |
| Pop. density | 265/km2 (686/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Japanese |
Awaji Island (淡路島, Awaji-shima) is an island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. The island has an area of 592.17 square kilometres (228.64 square miles). It is the largest island of the Seto Inland Sea.
Some scholars, such as Motoori Norinaga, have claimed that the name means "the road to Awa (阿波)", the historic province bordering the Shikoku side of the Naruto Strait (now part of Tokushima Prefecture), although this etymology is disputed. Others, including Tsugita Uruu, have interpreted the historical meaning of awa as 粟 "millet", due to a story where the kami Sukunabikona climbs a millet stalk on the island, as told in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki; in these books, the island is referred to as Awaji no Honosawake no Shima (淡道之穂之狭別嶋) – referencing the Japanese creation myth, where it was the first island created in Japan – and Awaji-shima (淡路洲), respectively.