Irabu Island

Irabu Island
Native name:
Irabu-jima (伊良部島)
Irabu Island is to the west of Miyako Island
Geography
LocationOkinawa Prefecture
Coordinates24°50′20″N 125°9′56″E / 24.83889°N 125.16556°E / 24.83889; 125.16556
ArchipelagoMiyako Islands
Adjacent toEast China Sea
Area29.06 km2 (11.22 sq mi)
Highest elevation89.0 m (292 ft)
Administration
PrefectureOkinawa Prefecture
Demographics
Population4,693 (2015 national census)
Ethnic groupsRyukyuan, Japanese

Irabu Island (伊良部島, Irabu-jima) (Miyako: Irav), is an island in Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The island is connected to Miyako Island by a 3,540-metre-long (11,610 ft) bridge Irabu Ohashi (伊良部大橋), which was completed in January 2015. Irabu Island is also connected via six bridges to Shimoji-shima. There are multiple language variants spoken on the island: Nakachi-Irabu, Kuninaka, Sawada-Nagahama, and Sarahama (which is a variant of Ikema language spoken by descendants of emigrants from Ikema Island).