UNESCO WHS - Iriomote Island - 西表島 Postcard

UNESCO WHS Serie - Title: Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa, and Iriomote Island - 奄美大島、徳之島、沖縄島北部及び西表島 Subtitle: Iriomote Island - 西表島 Description: Encompassing 42,698 hectares of subtropical rainforests on four islands on a chain located in the southwest of Japan, the serial site forms an arc on the boundary of the East China Sea and Philippine Sea whose highest point, Mount Yuwandake on Amami-Oshima Island, rises 694 meters above sea level. Entirely uninhabited by humans, the site has high biodiversity value with a very high percentage of endemic species, many of them globally threatened. The site is home to endemic plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, inland water fish and decapod crustaceans, including, for example, the endangered Amami Rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) and the endangered Ryukyu Long-haired Rat (Diplothrix legata) that represent ancient lineages and have no living relatives anywhere in the world. Five mammal species, three bird species, and three amphibian species in the property have been identified globally as Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species. There are also a number of different endemic species confined to each respective island that are not found elsewhere in the property. Iriomote Island has an area of 289.27 km² and is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands. It is famed for the Iriomote cat, a Critically Endangered wild cat found only on Iriomote. 90% of the island is covered by dense jungle and mangrove swamps. UNESCO Information: Name: Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa, and Iriomote Island - 奄美大島、徳之島、沖縄島北部及び西表島 Site: Iriomote Island - 西表島 Country: Japan Location: Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, Kyūshū Region Inscription: 2021 Category: Natural (x) Unesco Ref: 1574-005 Special Feature: The card has a QR-Code on the backside to navigate for more Informationas about the side.