25°00′N 125°16′E / 25.000°N 125.267°E
Yabiji | |
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Location | Miyako Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan |
Nearest city | Miyakojima |
Coordinates | 25°00′N 125°16′E / 25.000°N 125.267°E |
Length | 17 km (11 mi) |
Width | 6.5 km (4.0 mi) |
Elevation | 0 |
Established | March 27, 2013 |
Yabiji (八重干瀬, Miyako: /jaːpɨ̥ɕi/[1]), also known as Yaebiji, Yaebise, Yaebishi, and Yapiji and appearing on some historical Western nautical charts as Providence Reef, is the largest coral reef group in Japan. Located in the Miyako Islands, it contains over 100 coral reefs. Known for being above water level several times a year, most visibly around March 3 of the lunar calendar (around the beginning of April in the Gregorian calendar), it was made a Natural Monument of Japan in 2013.