The Ryukyu Kingdom is an independent kingdom that ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century.

The kings of Ryukyu unify Okinawa Island and extend the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan.

Despite its small size, the kingdom playd a central role in the maritime trade networks of medieval East and Southeast Asia.