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Located at
Lat, 24šN and Long. 131šE, about 408 km to the southeast of Okinawa Main
Island, and having an area of a little over 1,146,000 m2, there
is an island officially named Rasa Island, although it indicates Okinawa
Island on the map. Before World War II, it was an important place for
Japanese agriculture as it was the only domestic mine of phosphate ore, a
raw material used as fertilizer, and had a population of 2,000. At
present, it is an uninhabited island but is still holding a significant
position as one of he base points to defend Japanese territorial waters
200 nautical miles offshore. The island, owned by Rasa Industries, has
inherited a variety of romances and legends. The word "rasa" is
of Latin origin meaning "flat", suggesting that Rasa Island was
so named possibly by the discoverer because of its very flat landform. The
company "Rasa" originates rightly from the name of this island,
where the company started its business activities from the mining of
phosphate ore. |
