Physical Geography of Japan
Japan consists of several thousands of islands, of which Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the four largest. Japan's closest neighbors are Korea, Russia and China. Japan's area is comparable to that of Germany or California. The population of Japan is about 125,000,000, including approximately two million foreign residents. More than half of the non Japanese population is of Korean descent.
Because Japan is located in a region where several continental plates meet, the country experiences frequent earthquakes. Because of this, there are many volcanoes and natural hot springs in Japan. Japan's most famous volcano and highest mountain is Mt. Fuji. Due to the large North-South extension of the country, the climate varies depending on the region. The climate in most of the major cities including Tokyo, has subtropic temperatures. Winter in Tokyo is mild, and summertime is hot and humid. There is a rainy season in early summer, and typhoons hit parts of the country every year during late summer. The Sea by Japan's coast is colder, and snow falls in large amounts. In Okinawa on the other hand, has a mean temperature in January at a warm 17 degrees Celsius. Source: CIA Factbook
|