Japanese islands in the Pacific, N of the
Marianas and 1,300 km/800 mi E of the Ryukyu
islands. They were under US control 1945-68.
The Bonin Islands (Japanese Ogasawara Gunto)
number 27 (in 3 groups), the largest being
Chichijima: area 104 sq km/40 sq mi,
population (1970) 300. The Volcano Islands
(Japanese Kazan Retto) number 3, including
Iwo Jima, scene of some of the fiercest
fighting of World War II; total area 28 sq
km/11 sq mi.