Ishigaki-, Taketomi- and Iriomoto-Island
Ishigaki Island is the commercial hub of the Yaeyama Islands, in Japan's southwestern Okinawa Prefecture. It's known for beaches and sites for snorkeling, diving and surfing. Within Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park lies the Shiraho Reef's rare blue coral. In the interior is Mt. Omoto and other peaks. On the northern Hirakubo Peninsula is the Fukido River, a mangrove forest habitat.
Area: 222.5 sqkm
Population: 47,564 (January 2019)
Prefecture: Okinawa Prefecture
Highest elevation: 525.5 m (1724.1 ft)
Ethnic groups: Ryukyuan, Japanese
Typhoon Haitang
Typhoon Haitang, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Feria, was the first super typhoon of the 2005 season in the northwestern Pacific. It had winds up to 260 km/h (160 mph) at peak intensity, and caused over 18 serious injuries and 13 confirmed deaths in Taiwan and People's Republic of China. Damage totaled about $1.1 billion (2005 USD), most of which occurred in mainland China.
