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Iwo

Iwo, officially Iōtō and commonly referred to in English as Iwo Jima, is a volcanic island in the Volcano Islands subgroup of the Bonin Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is part of Tokyo Metropolis, administered as part of the Ogasawara Subprefecture and the municipality of Ogasawara.

Geographically, Iwo covers about 21 square kilometers. Its central feature is Mount Suribachi, a volcanic cone

Name and etymology: the Japanese name硫黄島 (Iō-tō) translates to Sulfur Island, reflecting historical sulfur deposits. In

History: Before World War II, the island had some civilian activity, including sulfur mining. It became famous

Current status: Today, Iwo Jima remains largely undeveloped and populated only by transient personnel and visitors.

that
rises
to
around
169
meters
and
dominates
the
island’s
silhouette.
The
interior
is
rugged
with
limited
arable
land,
and
the
coastline
is
irregular
with
several
bays.
The
island
lies
roughly
1,000
kilometers
south
of
Tokyo,
making
it
one
of
the
remote
islands
of
the
Japanese
archipelago.
English,
the
island
has
been
widely
known
as
Iwo
Jima,
with
“Jima”
meaning
“island.”
The
dual
naming
reflects
both
the
kanji
history
and
common
English
usage.
as
a
major
battleground
during
the
Battle
of
Iwo
Jima
in
1945,
when
U.S.
forces
secured
the
island
after
intense
fighting.
The
conflict
produced
heavy
casualties
on
both
sides
and
left
extensive
fortifications
on
the
island.
After
the
war,
sovereignty
over
Iwo
Jima
was
returned
to
Japan
in
1968,
and
since
then
the
island
has
had
no
permanent
civilian
population.
Access
is
restricted,
with
visits
mainly
limited
to
officials,
researchers,
or
specialized
missions.
It
is
administered
as
part
of
Tokyo,
and
it
stands
as
a
historical
symbol
of
the
battle
and
a
site
of
ongoing
geological
and
ecological
interest.