Senkaku Islands

Senkaku Islands (sĕnˈkäkō) [key], small, uninhabited island group, 8 sq mi (20.7 sq km), Okinawa prefecture, extreme SW Japan, in the East China Sea. Located 90 mi (45 km) NNW of Ishigaki in the Ryukyu Islands, the group comprises five generally low-lying coral islands and scattered islets. Uotsuri-shima (2.5 mi/4 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km wide) is largest island. There are submarine oil deposits nearby. The islands, also known as the Pinnacle Islands and Diaoyu Islands, are claimed by China and Taiwan, and have been a source of regional tensions. Beginning in 2012 China repeatedly used ship and air traffic to challenge Japan's control of the sea and airspace surrounding the islands.

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