Senkaku << sehn KAH koo >> Islands are an uninhabited island group in the East China Sea. The islands lie between the east coast of China, the northeast coast of Taiwan, and the southernmost Ryukyu Islands of Japan. China, Taiwan, and Japan all claim ownership of the islands, but Japan has controlled them since 1972. The islands are sometimes called by their Chinese name, Diaoyu.
The Senkaku Islands consist of a group of islets and barren rocks. The largest islet is Uotsuri-shima, which has an area of about 1½ square miles (4 square kilometers). In the 1970’s, goats were introduced to Uotsuri-shima, which has a native species of mole. Albatross and other birds live on some of the islands, and the waters are home to many varieties of fish and other marine animals.
Recorded sightings of the Senkakus date from the 1400’s, when they were used as navigation markers. In the 1800’s, English-speaking sailors often referred to them as the Pinnacle Islands. Japan first claimed the islands in 1895, and a fish-processing plant operated on Uotsuri-shima in the following decades. However, no people have lived on the islands since about 1940.
The United States gained control of the Senkaku Islands after Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II (1939-1945). In the late 1960’s, a survey identified potential undersea oil and natural gas reserves around the islands. In 1971, the United States agreed to return the islands to Japan, but China and Taiwan made claims on the islands the same year. The islands are in dispute because they are near important shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds, and potential reserves of oil and natural gas. Today, the Senkaku Islands are also included in disputes over military sovereignty (control and authority) in the South and East China Seas.
