Geographical term for the island chain stretching southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan, including Okinawa.
The Ryukyu Islands consist of many beautiful islands.
沖縄 refers specifically to the main island of Okinawa or the prefecture, while 琉球列島 is the broader geographical term for the entire island chain.
琉球 (Ryukyu) is the historical name for the kingdom and region, and 列島 means 'archipelago' or 'chain of islands'.