Shikoku

Shikoku
Native name:
四国
The island of Shikoku, Japan
Geography
LocationJapan
ArchipelagoJapanese archipelago
Area18,801.73 km2 (7,259.39 sq mi)
Area rank50th
Length225 km (139.8 mi)
Width50–150 km (31–93 mi)
Highest elevation1,982 m (6503 ft)
Highest pointMount Ishizuchi
Administration
Prefectures Ehime
 Kagawa
 Kōchi
 Tokushima
Largest settlement Matsuyama (pop. 507,137
(as of 1 May 2022))
Demographics
Population3,630,320 (1 May 2022)
Pop. density193/km2 (500/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsJapanese
Additional information
Time zone

Shikoku (四国, Shikoku, lit.'four provinces'), Japanese pronunciation: [ɕikokɯ] is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is 225 km or 139.8 mi long and between 50 and 150 km or 31.1 and 93.2 mi at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu.[1] Shikoku's ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima (伊予之二名島), Iyo-shima (伊予島), and Futana-shima (二名島), and its current name refers to the four former provinces that make up the island: Awa, Tosa, Sanuki, and Iyo.[2]

  1. ^ Boquet, Yves (2017). The Philippine Archipelago. Springer. p. 16. ISBN 9783319519265.
  2. ^ "Shikoku and Awaji Island" (PDF). Japan National Tourism Organization. September 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2013-05-02.