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Yongnagumei (與那國島 Mikyoan: 여나궉도 [jʌ̜nagu̯o̞k̚do̞], Yongnagumei: 여나궉시마 [jə.nɒ.x̟̞ʷ:ɵə̯ʔ.ʃɨ.mɒ]), officially the City and County of Yongnagumei, is the cultural, economic, and commercial center of the Western Region of Mikyo. Yongnagumei is the 4th most populous city and county in Mikyo (after Illyomotei, Ishigagi, and Gullu) with 89,210 residents as of 2018. Yongnagumei is one of the less dense cities in Mikyo, with a density of 3,023 people per square kilometre (7,821/sq mi).

History

In the 15th century, the island was incorporated into the Ryukyu Kingdom. By 1879, the island was formally annexed by Imperial Japan.

Until the early 20th century, Yonaguni was part of the larger Yaeyama Magiri (village after 1907), which included the neighbouring Yaeyama Islands. In 1948, it became an independent village. From 1945 to 1950, it was occupied by the United States and was then returned to Mikyo.

Yongnagumei was slightly less affected by Yobosu Rule due to its distance from the main islands, so the heavy and brutal policing, crackdowns, and authoritarianism were less extreme in Yongnagumei. While Yobosu rule still did affect the island and its people, on the main islands like Illyomotei and Ishigagi the Yobosu military and police state had more power and was far more extreme.

Because of its ability to be less affected by the Yobosu Regime, the city became a hotspot for LGBTQ+ residents and for racial minorities who were oppressed and forced into slums by the Yobosu Regime. Today around 11% of the population of Yongnagumei identifies as LGBTQ+ (compared to 4% in the rest of the nation), and around 60% of the population is made up of ethnic minorities due to the city's long history of being a safe space for marginalized groups.

After the Fall of the Yobosu Regime in 1998, the population decreased slightly, as many people returned to Ishigagi and Illyomotei and other main islands to reunite with their families, now free from much of the systematic discrimination of the Yobosu Regime. In the early 2000's the population began rising again due to several factors. For one, many wealthy Mikyoans began to move to the island into luxury high rises and apartments to get away from the increasingly crowded and densely populated islands of Ishigagi and Illyomotei (similar events occurred on islands like Taketomei and Gohama). Many industries began to move to the island as well in order to serve the needs of the wealthy migrants in the city, and tourism began to pick up as well (especially during the late 2000's and early 2010's) as more Mikyoans became Middle Class and had more disposable income (which also increased tourism to the Outermost Islands) to spend on travel. Because of this, the tourism industry became particularly lucrative for many people, especially women who could finally enter the workforce. Tourism became so popular due to the island's unique people and culture, which were quite different from mainland people due to their general isolation from the rest of the nation and centuries speaking their own language and practising their own culture, as well as the unique diving and underwater attractions, the sea life, the historical sites, and the communities and unique living situations such as the infamous Boat Communities.

In the early 2010's some tech companies, both international and domestic, began displaying some interest in the island, particularly due to its low taxes and (at the time) a large amount of undeveloped land. Today Yongnagumei is home to the headquarters for the tech giant Atlas as well as Ifrit, a mobile gaming company, SuHo, a short-form video sharing platform, and various other tech companies.

Geography and Climate

Geography

The island has an area of 28.88 km2 (11.15 sq mi), a population around 1700, an annual mean air temperature of 23.9 °C, and annual precipitation of 3000 mm.
Yongnagumei, more specifically Cape Illisagi 24°26'58"N 122°56'01″E at the western tip of the island, is the westernmost point of Japan. Taiwan is said to be visible from Illisagi on a clear day.

Because the island is very hilly and uneven, many roads and streets are built on steep terrain. Many of the city's neighbourhoods are named after the hills they're based upon or close to, such as Ullabei and Gubulladagei. Yongnagumei's shoreline has also gone beyond its natural limits. Some neighbourhoods, such as Marina and Pearl, are built almost entirely on reclaimed land. Some neighbourhoods, such as Illisagi, are almost entirely based on Boat Communities as well.

Climate
Yongnagumei has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af). The average yearly temperature is 23.8 °C (74.8 °F), and the average monthly temperature ranges from 18.4 °C (65.1 °F) in January to 28.8 °C (83.8 °F) in July. September is the wettest month while July is the driest.

Demographics

The Mikyoan Census Bureau estimates the population of the city to be at 89,210 as of August 1st, 2018, with a population density of 3,023/km2 (7,821/sq mi).

In the County, 43,612 (48.89%) residents identify as male, 43,264 (48.50%) identify as female, and 2,414 (2.71%) identify as Non-binary or other. As of 2018, 25,662 (28.77%) residents are under the age of 18, 58,221 (65.26%) are between 18 and 64, and 5,327 (5.97%) are 65 or older.

Race, Ethnicity, Religion, and Languages

The Yongnagumei population is on the cusp of becoming Majority-Minority, as Non-Asian Mikyoan Residents make up around 48% of the population. Currently the estimated racial makeup of the city included 46,109 Asian Mikyoans (51.69%), 4,609 European Mikyoans (5.17%), 5,221 African Mikyoans (5.85%), 8,471 Lyko Mikyoans (9.5%), 1,998 Turkic Mikyoans (2.24%), 5,982 Pacific Islander Mikyoans (6.71%), 8,202 Middle Eastern/North African Mikyoans (9.19%), 7,997 Multiracial Mikyoans (8.96%), 420 Indigenous Yaeyama Mikyoans (0.47%), and 201 Other Mikyoans (0.23%). The fastest growing groups are Multiracial Mikyoans, Middle Eastern/North African Mikyoans, and Lyko Mikyoans. Turkic Mikyoans, Pacific Islander Mikyoans, and Other Mikyoans are currently experiencing a population decline in the city.

	2018	2010	2000	1990
Asian-Mikyoan	51.69%	52.78%	56.51%	56.79%
European Mikyoan	5.17%	5.63%	7.50%	9.55%
African Mikyoan	5.85%	5.63%	5.53%	4.76%
Lyko Mikyoan	9.50%	9.35%	6.39%	4.15%
Turkic Mikyoan	2.24%	2.81%	3.89%	4.73%
Pacific Islander Mikyoan	6.71%	7.03%	8.54%	8.32%
Middle Eastern/North African Mikyoan	9.19%	8.33%	6.13%	4.91%
Multiracial	8.96%	7.02%	3.89%	4.39%
Other	0.23%	0.96%	1.25%	2.13%
Indigenous Yaeyama	0.47%	0.46%	0.38%	0.26%

In 2018, 63.12% of Yongnagumei's population under 1 were minorities, meaning they had at least one parent who was not Asian Mikyoan. Yongnagumei is projected to be Majority-Minority by 2023.

As of 2018, the majority of the population is either Irreligious (32%) or Christian (25%). Other religions include Shintoism (9%), Islam (14%), Buddhism (15%), Hindusim (4%), and others (2%).

As of 2018, the population is split into three major groups of home languages, Mikyoan (33.31%), Yongnagumei (27.3%), and Chinese (24.22%), however other languages like Korean (7.32%), Tagalog (2.8%) and others are spoken by parts of the population. It should be noted as well that bilingual households make up around 22% of households in the city but are classified under just one language.

Following National Law, Yongnagumei enshrines Mikyoan, English, Chinese, Korean, Higashikan, and Japanese as official languages, however, at County Law, Tagalog, Yongnagumei, and Farsi are also official languages. In 2018, 59.21% (15,194 residents) of the County's under 18 population spoke a language alongside or other than Mikyoan or Yongnagumei at home.

The local language is Yongnagumei, which has been in a decline in use since the 1920's. Currently, 24,355 (27.3%) residents use the language at home. While the total number of speakers is not declining, its use as a lingua franca and as a language of government is. There is a generational gap between speakers, as older generations are much more likely to use it in their daily life compared to younger generations. In 2018, only 16.44% (4,219 residents) of the County's under 18 population used primarily Yongnagumei in their daily lives, compared to 69.42% (3,698 residents) of the County's over 65 population. A revitalization effort has been put in place recently, and some schools and universities are beginning to offer the language as a course, and the University of Yongnagumei at Ullabei began offering scholarships to students who spoke Yongnaguei, however it's unclear as to how successful these efforts have been in bringing the language back into everyday life.

Education, Households, and Income

Yongnagumei has an exceptionally high rate of adults who have attended higher education. Around 59% of adults in the city have completed or attended some college, higher than the national average.

Yongnagumei has the highest percentage of LGBTQ+ citizens as of 2018, around 10,169 (11.4%) people in the city identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or claim some other queer identity. The city also has the second highest rate of adults living in same-sex households (behind Ishigagi), at around 4,636 (5.2%) people.

Yongnagumei ranks first regarding both median household and individual income, reaching $926,452 MKY (77,822 USD) in 2018. Despite this, a wave of working-class families having to leave the city, move into their vehicles, or becoming homeless has become a severe problem for the city. Around 19% of residents in Yongnagumei are currently living below the poverty line and around 9.4% of residents live in their vehicles, in boat communities, or on the streets according to an MDI survey in 2017. An increasingly common solution to skyrocketing rent prices for many younger residents has become Supermating, or renting apartments in groups of five or more and splitting rooms while having small shared rooms (such as the washrooms and kitchens). Over two-thirds of residents who live in these situations are under 30.

Economy

Yongnagumei has a service economy based primarily on tourism, cosmetics, and (increasingly) high technology and financial services. In 2016 around 23% of residents were employed in the tourism sector, 21% were employed in the technology sector, 14% in healthcare and education, 13% in government activities, 11% in trade, transportation, and utilities, 6% in financial activities, and 12% in other areas.

The high tech industry is very new, and only truly became a significant part of the city's economy around the early 2010's. Before that, the primary industry had been tourism and services. Today these are still large parts of the economy, but the technology sector is the fastest growing. Financial services have existed in the city since the 70's, however, it has remained relatively stagnant until recently, with the economic boom making financial services a more important industry in the city. The most significant company in the city is Atlas, due to its widespread use across the islands and into some other countries. Tech companies such as Atlas and Ifrit are some of the largest employers not only in Yongnagumei but nationally. Within the tourism industry, the company SeeYongnagumei is the largest employer, owning most of the hotels, spas, and travel agencies within the island. Makeup and personal care product brands like MoonGirl and Poppy also employ many of the residents.

Tourism, Festivals, and Conventions

Tourism has been an essential industry in Yongnagumei since the 1990's and 2000's. With the rise of the middle class in Yongnagumei, more families had disposable income and could travel within and out of the country. The Yongnagumei City and County Government launched a successful marketing campaign in 1999 to paint the city as a paradise not far away, and more accessible than previous destinations like Japan and Taiwan.

Many famous sites today include Joyung Shrine, the Four Gates, Marina Harbour, the White Beach, Illisagi Rock, the Yongnagumei Lighthouse, the French Gardens of Ullabei, and the Atlas Campus, as well as many more.

Yongnagumei is also an increasingly popular spot for conventions. The largest Kpop and Anime conventions in Mikyo are both held in Yongngaumei as well as one of the biggest Pride Festivals in the nation. Yongnagumei Pride 2018 had around 16,000 attendees.

Culture

Yongnagumei culture is very distinct from other Mikyoan islands, mainly due to its relative distance from the other islands. Because of this, Yongnagumei has been able to keep its language for hundreds of years, and even somewhat today. Yongnagumei culture is more heavily influenced by Chinese culture than the Mainland, due to the Chinese population being a plurality/majority for over 100 years, and well into the past. Yongnagumei Chinatown District has 5,267 residents, however the Greater Chinatown Area has over 19,000 residents.

Yongnagumei has a high number of Ethnic and Cultural Enclaves, similar to Ishigagi. The largest are Chinatown, Little Manila (a Filipino enclave), Little Saigon (a Vietnamese enclave), Little Mexico, Bazaar Street (an Arab and Persian enclave), Little Italy, Mini O'ahu (a Hawaiian enclave), and Little Peru. Around 54,439 (61.02%) residents are part of a minority group (any group besides Mikyoans, Yongnagumei, or Chinese.) This includes multiethnic people who are part of one or more majority group and one or more minority group.

Yongnagumei is a hotspot for migration, with 31,404 residents (35.2%) being born in a foreign country. In total, 52,446 residents (58.79%) being born out of the city. Most migrants to the city are from East Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, however, immigration from Subsaharan Africa and Western Europe has been growing steadily over the years.

Due to the rapid influx of tech workers and the growth of the industry in Yongnagumei, many neighbourhoods which were once blue collar or working class have become gentrified or begun gentrifying, pushing out many residents and businesses. This has been a point of controversy in the city for nearly a decade, however, in 2016 it became even more widely discussed due to a social media frenzy after a picture of Buangh'ui Street showing it in 2000 and comparing it to 2015 became popular.

Governance

County and City Government and Federal Government
Yongnagumei is divided into 20 Districts for the City and County Council. The Capitol Building is located in Beokhuang (北灣). The City and County Council has 200 seats and each of the 20 districts elect 10 seats. Currently, 81 of the seats are held by members of the Progressive Party, 33 by the Liberal Party, 9 by the Conservative Party, 56 by the Nationalist party, 1 by the Green Party, and 20 by the Yongnagumei Independence Party.

The current County Executive is Nathan Go (高네이순), a member of the Progressive Party who was elected in November 2017. County Executives are elected every 4 years. Nathan Go is the first Progressive County Executive, all before him have been members of the Nationalist, Liberal, and Yongnagumei Independence Parties.

The County has 12 Seats in the National Council (6 are held by Progressives, 1 by a Liberal, and 5 by Nationalists), and 6 Seats in the National Senate (4 by Progressives and 2 by Nationalists).

Politics

Yongnagumei has historically been split between Left and Right-wing parties since Mikyo's first election in 1998. Since 2008 the Progressive party has been the plurality in the 1st round of voting, and the county has voted for Left Wing candidates since 2008 in the 2nd round as well.

Current President Ivan Nguo (吳아이번) was born in Yongnagumei and is the first elected president to be from the county.

Most voters in the county are registered with the Progressive and Nationalist Parties. Since the mid-2000's the Liberal and Conservative parties have become far less prevalent in the county than they once were, due to their more centrist and moderate stances in comparison to other parties. The fastest growing party is the Communist party, with 3,003 registered voters in 2018 compared to 886 in 2013.

Education

Public schools
The Yongnagumei public school system is united under one school district (Yongnagumei Public Schools or YPS), and decisions are made by the Yongnagumei Public Schools Board of Education (YPSBE), which is made up of 15 members.

The YPS District is made up of 1 international school, 6 preschools, 5 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, and 9 high schools. There are also 4 private schools, and 2 universities: The University of Yongnagumei at Ullabei, which is a public university, and Marina University, which is private. There are also many after-schools or cram-academies (called 學院/혹황/hokhuang in Mikyoan) in various parts of the city.

Universities
Yongnagumei, primarily due to its small size, has only two universities: The University of Yongnagumei at Ullabei, which is a public university, and Marina University, which is private. Both are considered to be fairly prestigious in Mikyo, and both have very low acceptance rates (in 2016 the acceptance rate at The University of Yongnagumei at Ullabei was 6.9% and at Marina University it was 4.2%).

Yongnagumei has an extremely high rate of adults who have completed or attended some college at 59.31% (37,735 residents.)

Yongnagumei Language Schools
First opened illegally in 1969, under Yobosu rule which banned the speaking of languages other than Mikyoan in public and also the teaching of them in schools, the Xhuok'yeo-hok'go (國語學敎, 궉여혹고, pronounced [x̟̞:ɵə̯ʔjəhɔʔɠɔ]), or 'National Language School' was the first of what would become three recognized schools which teach children entirely in Yongnagumei in an attempt to preserve the language. The other two schools are The Yongnagumei People's Language School and the Academy for the Preservation of Yongnagumei Culture and Language. All but the National Language School are currently facing issues involving a lack of funding and possibility of closure.

Transportation

Connection to the Main Islands
Unlike most of the Main Islands in Mikyo, Yongnagumei has no physical links to other islands. No rails, bridges, or subways run between Yongnagumei and the other major islands of Mikyo. The only way to access Yongnagumei from the Main Islands is by boat. A ferry line runs between Illyomotei and Yongnagumei regularly every two hours, another ferry between the Outermost Islands and Yongnagumei runs once a day (except on holidays), and one between Ishigagi and Yongnagumei runs every twelve hours.

Roads and Air Quality
Many roads in Yongnagumei are inefficient and congested due to the island's mountainous and hilly terrain, laws against having roads too close to local monuments, and the curved beaches. Because of this, traffic in Yongnagumei is considered to be among the worst in Mikyo, and many residents may decide to not use cars at all some days, especially days when air quality is poor.

Yongnagumei's frequent traffic, car culture, and the dense urban landscape also make pollution a severe problem for the city. In 2016 the average PM2.5 concentration was 25μg/m3, 2.5 times the recommended amount set by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines for annual PM2.5 concentration. Most weather channels, apps, and websites track air quality. The app AirQual sends regular updates and notifies the user if air quality reaches exceptionally unhealthy levels.

Public Transportation
Yongnagumei has both an above-ground railway system and subway system. The subway system is slightly more popular, as it is more efficient, however, the above-ground railway system is also commonly used. The above ground system runs mainly along the coasts on elevated tracks, however, some trains will run through the centre of the island. The subway system is webbed across most of the island and has 29 total stops. Yongnagumei also has a bus system which runs along the main roads and some local systems which circle two or three neighbourhoods at a time.

Around 28.12% of the county's population commutes to work or school using public transportation, which is one of the lower numbers in the country. Yongnagumei's car culture is very evident in the city and is a product of American influence. ✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article

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