Mount Suribachi

mountain, Iwo Jima, Japan

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

Mount Suribachi is an extinct volcano, 548 feet (167 meters) high, located at the southern end of Iwo Jima island in Japan. Iwo Jima, officially known as Iō-tō, is part of the Volcano Islands archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean.12

During World War II, Iwo Jima was the site of a fierce battle between Japanese and U.S. troops. The island's strategic importance lay in its potential as a base for U.S. fighter planes supporting bomber missions to Japan. The struggle for Mount Suribachi was one of the most intense engagements during the battle for Iwo Jima. The iconic photograph of U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi became a famous symbol of the Pacific War.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Iwo Jima
…Hill, in the north, and Mount Suribachi, an extinct volcano in the south. About 18,500 Japanese troops were killed during the battle, while some 6,800 U.S. Marines were killed and 19,200 were wounded.
Read More
…Hill, in the north, and Mount Suribachi, an extinct volcano in the south. About 18,500 Japanese troops were killed during the battle, while some 6,800 U.S. Marines were killed and 19,200 were wounded.
Read More