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| | Okinawa Prefecture biography .ms (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-08-19) |
 | | Okinawa prefectural symbol (which is the same colour of red as the national flag) |
 | | Okinawa's location in the East China Sea, and relatively close proximity to China, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines allowed the Ryūkyū Kingdom to become a prosperous trading nation. |
 | | On May 15, 1972, Okinawa once again became part of Japan, although to this day the US maintains a large military presence there: more than 50,000 US military personnel and dependents, including 17,600 Marines, are still based there. |
| okinawa.biography.ms (853 words) |
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