Iwo Jima ek chhota sa island hai jo Pacific Ocean ke beech mein sthit hai. Yeh jagah Second World War ke ek mahatvapurn yudh ke liye mashhoor hai, jise “Battle of Iwo Jima” ke naam se jaana jaata hai. Lekin agar aap soch rahe hain ki yeh island map par kahan hai, toh chaliye iske sthiti aur mahatva ko thoda aur detail mein samajhte hain.
Iwo Jima, jo Japan ke Tokyo se lagbhag 1,200 kilometer (750 miles) south mein sthit hai, Pacific Ocean ke ek chhote se hisse mein aata hai jise Ogasawara Islands kehte hain. Yeh island volcanic origin ka hai aur iska landscape rough aur rocky hai. Iwo Jima ka arth hota hai “Sulfur Island,” jo iske volcanic nature ko darshata hai. Aaj ke time mein bhi yahan ke kuch hisson se geothermal activity dekhne ko milti hai, jo is baat ka saboot hai ki yeh ek active volcanic region hai.
Agar aap world map ya Google Maps par Iwo Jima ko dhoondhna chahein, toh aapko sabse pehle Japan ka map dekhna hoga. Phir wahan se neeche ki taraf Pacific Ocean mein dhoondhna hoga. Iwo Jima directly Japan aur Mariana Islands ke beech mein sthit hai. Mariana Islands ek aur prasiddh jagah hai jo Guam ke aaspaas hai. Iwo Jima ek isolated jagah hai jise kisi bhi mainland se connected roadways ya bridges nahi hain.
Yeh jagah zyada logon ke rehne layak nahi hai, aur aaj bhi yahaan sirf Japanese Self-Defense Forces aur researchers hi rehte hain. Kyunki yeh island ek strategic military location bhi raha hai, isliye yahaan civil population allowed nahi hai.
Itihasik roop se dekha jaye toh Iwo Jima ka mahatva bohot zyada hai. 1945 mein, jab Second World War apne charam par tha, tab America aur Japan ke beech ek bhayankar ladai yahaan hui thi. America ne Iwo Jima par kabza karne ke liye ek bada attack kiya tha, kyunki yeh island strategic airbase ke roop mein upyogi tha. Yeh yudh February 19, 1945 se lekar March 26, 1945 tak chala aur iss yudh ke dauraan hi ek mashhoor tasveer li gayi thi jisme American soldiers ek pahaadi par apna flag lagate hue dikh rahe hain. Yeh tasveer aaj bhi ek prernadayak chhavi ke roop mein dekhi jaati hai.
Aaj ke time mein bhi Iwo Jima ek mahatvapurn jagah hai, lekin tourism yahaan allowed nahi hai. Kewal kuch special occasions par yahaan war veterans aur historians ja sakte hain. Yeh jagah ek war memorial jaisi hai, jo un logon ki yaad dilati hai jinhone apni jaan is yudh mein de di thi.
Toh agar aap kabhi world map par Iwo Jima ko dhoondhna chahte hain, toh Japan ke neeche aur Pacific Ocean ke beech mein dhyan se dekhein. Yeh chhota sa island hai, lekin iski itihasik mahatvata ise ek anokha sthal banati hai.