State in East Asia, located on the four major islands: Kyushu, Shikoku,
Honshu and Hokkaido, Ryukyu Islands and more than a thousand small
islands. On the north by the Sea of Okhotsk in the east - the Pacific
Ocean in the south - the Pacific Ocean and East China Sea in the west -
the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan. Japan claims to belong to Russia
Kuril Islands, which lie north of the island of Hokkaido. Covers an area
of 377,688 km2. The plains of Japan are mostly along the flow of rivers,
along the lower slopes of the mountains and along the coast. The most
extensive valley located on the island of Hokkaido: along the Ishikari
River in the western part of the island, along the Tokachi River in the
south-east and the east coast around the towns of Nemuro and Kushiro. On
the island of Honshu are also great valley: a valley located Osaka, Kobe,
Kyoto and Osaka, in the valley is located Kanto Tokyo in the valley Nobi -
Nagoya. On the island of Kyushu, the main plain is plain Tsuku-si. The
most prominent topographic feature of Japan
are the mountains. Mountain ranges stretch across the island from north
to south. On the island of Hokkaido is a mountain range of volcanic
origin, originating on the Kuril Islands. This mountain range is divided
into two bands in the south-west coast, and occurs as two parallel chains
on the island of Honshu. Main chain stretches south to the rock mass
Highlands Shinano River and there, the width of the island, forming the
highest mountain belt of the country. Mount Fuji (
3776 m), the highest point in the country, is located in this
mountainous zone near the city of Yokohama. One of the lower mountain
chains of islands called the Japanese Alps because of their
picturesqueness. And in the extreme south of the island lies another
mountain range, where Mount Keith (3192 m) - the highest point in the
region. On the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku is also a small mountain
ranges, but their height does not exceed 1982 m (Mount Isitsuki on the
island of Shikoku). The Japanese islands are located about 188 volcanoes,
40 of them active. In many parts of the volcanic hot springs. While in
Japan, a lot of rivers, including navigable almost none. Ca May longest
river in Japan-Shinano on the island of Honshu (367 km), among other major
rivers Honeyu-Tone, Kitakami, Tenri, and Mogami, in Hokkaido, Ishikari,
Tesio, Tokachi, on Shikoku-Yoshino. Most Japanese lakes - mountains and
are usually located near popular resorts. The largest lake in Japan, Biwa
(672 km2) - located on the island of Honshu.
The country's population (estimated for 1998) is about 125,931,500
people, the average population density of about 333 people per km2. Ethnic
groups: Japanese - 99,4%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese, Ainu. Language: Japanese
(official), many Japanese have little say in English. Religion: Shinto
(religious movement, which has about 200 different sects), Buddhism,
Christianity (Protestantism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy), practically all
Japanese Shinto, but most still profess Shinto and Buddhism. Capital -
Tokyo. Largest cities: Tokyo (11600000 people), Yokohama (3274000 people),
Osaka (2479000 people) Nagoya (2095000 people), Kobe (1468000 people),
Kyoto (1395000 people), Fukuoka (1200000 people), Kawasaki (1100000
people), Kitakyushu (1000000 people), still about 80 cities have
populations exceeding 250,000 people. The political system - a
constitutional monarchy. Head of State - Emperor Akihito (in power since
January 7, 1989). Chapter
government of Prime Minister. The currency - yen. Life expectancy (in
1998): 76 years male, 83 years - women. Total fertility rate (per 1000) -
10,3. The mortality rate (per 1000) - 7,9.
According to the legend. Japanese Empire occurred in 660 BC, when the
reign of the first Japanese Emperor Jimmu. During the first millennium,
Japan is developing under the influence of Korea and China, had a higher
level of civilization. In the VII century, from Korea to Japan, came to
Buddhism, which later became the state religion of the country. In the XII
century, the country established a de facto military regime, and Japan was
ruled by shoguns (military dictators), whose rule lasted until 1867, when
the last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu Mutsuhito handed over power to the
Emperor (Meiji). Although the Portuguese and Dutch had trading relations
with Japan in the XVI-XVII centuries, they were very small, and the
country remained virtually closed to foreigners until the mid XIX century,
when the United States signed a treaty with Japan. In the late XIX-early
XX centuries, Japan waged several wars, with the result that by 1910
annexed the island of Taiwan, half of Sakhalin, and Korea. After the First
World
war, which resulted in Japan fell to the island in the Pacific Ocean,
owned by Germany, a country in the 30 years, led several local wars with
China and the Soviet Union. During World War II Imperial Japan entered by
attacking American military base at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. During
the war, Japanese troops occupied many French and British colonies and
protectorates in Southeast Asia. In August 1945, following the successful
operations conducted by the Allied forces, Japan surrendered on 2
September officially signed the instrument of surrender. Under the new
constitution adopted May 3, 1947, Japan lost the right to have a regular
army, and the Emperor passed all legislative powers of Parliament. In
recent years, dramatically worsened the trade relations of Japan with the
United States, and then - and political, concerned primarily with the
deployment on its territory of U.S. military bases. There are serious
differences with Russia over
Amenities Kuril islands, which Japan sees as its northern territories.
Japan is a member of the UN, IMF, GATT, ILO, the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development.
Because the Japanese islands stretched in latitude 15 gr., Climatic
conditions are very diverse. The average annual temperature in the city of
Nemuro on Hokkaido Island is about 5 gr. Since, Okinawa - about 16 grams.
C. For the island of Hokkaido and northern Honshu Island is characterized
by short summers and long harsh winter, caused by winds blowing from
Siberia and the Okhotsk Strait. Further to the south and east, winter is
mild, which contributes significantly to the warm current Kuroshio
(Japan). On the islands of Shikoku, Kyushu and southern Honshu summers are
hot and humid, and winters relatively mild, almost snow-free. Japan is
situated in a strip of south-east monsoon, which add moisture in the
summer. The average annual rainfall ranges from 1020 mm to 3810 mm up to
Hokkaido in the mountains of central Honshu in Japan is very rich in
vegetation, which is caused by hot and humid summer in most of the
islands. There are more than 17 thousand species of plants. National
flowering trees
Japan are cherry and plum, early blossoming and loved throughout the
country. In April, Japanese azalea blooms in May - peonies, in August -
the lotus, and in November of the island are decorated with blooming
chrysanthemums - the national flower. This month, numerous festivals of
colors. Distributed as gladioli, several types of lilies, bells,
chickweed. The most common tree in Japan - Japanese cedar, reaching
heights of up to 40 meters, often found as larch, several species of
spruce. Kyushu, Shikoku and southern Honshu grow subtropical plants:
bamboo, camphoric laurel, Banyai. In the central and northern parts of
Honshu distributed deciduous: birch, walnut, willow, and a large number of
coniferous trees. Cypress, yew, and eucalyptus, myrtle, holly are common
in this area. In Hokkaido vegetation is very similar to Siberia: the most
common larch, several species of spruce forests are found in some birch,
alder, poplar. Japanese are very skillfully cultivated
dwarf trees (so-called "bonsai"), when the pine, plum or cherry do not
exceed a height of 30 cm compared with the richest flora and fauna of
Japan can be considered rather poor, although the islands are about 140
species of mammals, 450 species of birds, a large number of reptiles,
amphibians and fish. On the island of Honshu lives or red-faced Japanese
macaque monkey. Among the predators are allocated brown bear, black bear
and a red bear. Almost all the islands inhabited by fox and badger.
Distributed by mink, otter, marten, hare, squirrels, flying squirrels,
mice (although house mice do not), a large number of different species of
bats. -Of the two species of deer is more common Japanese sika deer. The
most common species of birds: swallow, sparrow, thrush, herons, ducks,
swan, snipe, Albatross, crane, cuckoo, woodpecker, pheasant, dove. Among
songbirds is particularly common two types of nightingales and bullfinch.
Museums in Japan, except for a few modern art galleries in major
cities, represent a treasury, and placed in temples and shrines. The most
famous museum of this kind is Miohoyn temple in Kyoto. In Tokyo there are
numerous museum, including: the country's largest Art Museum - National
Museum;
Calligraphy Museum, National Museum of Western Art, Museum of Japanese
folk art; treasure-Meiji shrine, the National Museum of Science. Among the
historical and architectural sights in Japan can be noted in Tokyo -
Imperial Palace, many Buddhist temples, chief among which is the temple
Rakandzi; Tokyo Tower height of 333 meters; zoo. In Kobe - a large number
of Christian churches and Buddhist temples, magnificent art museum. In
Kyoto (the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868 years) - more than 2
thousands of ancient temples and shrines, 24 museums, Nijo Castle,
Imperial Palace, Katsura Palace, the ancient imperial tombs, magnificent
gardens and parks. In Nagoya - Nagoya Castle (1612), the two most
important and oldest Shinto shrines - Atsuta and Isya.
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