Kyushu
Native name: 九州 | |
|---|---|
October 2009 NASA satellite image of Kyushu | |
Kyushu region of Japan and the current prefectures on the island of Kyushu | |
| Geography | |
| Location | East Asia |
| Coordinates | 33°N 131°E / 33°N 131°E |
| Archipelago | Japanese Archipelago |
| Area | 36,782.37 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 |
| Administration | |
| Prefectures | |
| Largest settlement | Fukuoka |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 12,650,847 (as of June 2022) |
| Pop. density | 307.13/km2 (795.46/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Japanese |
| Additional information | |
| Time zone | |
Kyushu (九州, Kyūshū; pronounced [kʲɯꜜː.ɕɯː] ⓘ, lit. 'nine provinces') is the third-largest and most southerly of Japan's four main islands. 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.
There is a theory that Kyushu was in ancient times home to its own independent dynasty, where a unique, southern-influenced culture and tradition distinct from that of Honshu flourished.
In the 8th-century Taihō Code reforms, Dazaifu was established as a special administrative term for the region.