Japan,
lying off the eastern coast of the Asian continent, consists of four main
islands - Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu - as well as thousands of
adjacent smaller islands. The archipelago runs in an arc from north to
south, stretching 3,800 km. Its total land area is 377,818 sq
km, which is about 4% of that of the United States and slightly more than one
and a half times as large as that of Britain. Japan occupies about 0.3% of
the earth's total land area.
Mountains
claim 71% of Japan's land area, with plains and basins accounting for the
remaining 29%. A chain of mountains extends along the middle of the long, narrow
archipelago, dividing it into two sides, one facing the Pacific and the other
the Sea of Japan. In general, the rivers are short and swift-flowing.
The
archipelago is washed by the warm Japan and Tsushima currents and the cold
Kurile current. Japan abounds in volcanoes, including about one tenth of
the world's active ones. Mount Fuji, the country's highest peak, is a
dormant volcano.
The
general climate, except for part of Hokkaido in the north and some of the
southernmost islands, is temperate with seasonal winds. Rainfall is
abundant, ranging from 1,000 - 3,000 millimeters annually. Japan
has well-defined changes of season: In the summer southeasterly winds blow
across the archipelago from the Pacific, while in the winter northwesterly winds
sweep across the archipelago from the Asian continent.
More... Back
to Top
Information
provided by the Japanese Embassy
