1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Tsu-shima

TSU-SHIMA (“the island of the port”), an island belonging to Japan, situated about midway between Korea and the island of Iki, so that the two islands were used as places of call in former times by vessels plying between Japan and Korea. Tsu-shima lies about 34° 20' N., 129° 20' E. The nearest point of the Korean coast is 48 m. distant. It has an area of 262 sq. m. and a population of 39,000. It is divided at the waist by a deep sound (Asaji-ura), and the southern section has two hills, Yatachi-yama and Shira-dake, 2130 ft. and 1680 ft. high respectively, while the northern section has Ibeshi-yama and Mi-take, whose heights are 1128 ft. and 1598 ft. The chief town is Izu-hara. The Mongol armada visited the island in the 13th century and committed great depredations. In 1861 an attempt was made by Russia to obtain a footing on the island. The name of the battle of Tsu-shima is given to the great naval engagement of the 27th and 28th of May 1905, in which the Russian fleet under Admiral Rozhdestvensky was defeated by the Japanese under Admiral Togo.