an archipelago – a “chain” of islands• 4 main

–Hokkaido

–Honshu

–Shikoku

–Kyushu

• over 3000 smaller islands• island chain is over 1,200 miles long

area:• island chain is over 1,200 miles long

• about the size of the state of California

• about the same northern latitude (distance from the equator) as California

• 377,835 square kilometers

formed by volcanic action

• 70% covered with mountains

• tallest peak: Mt. Fuji

• only 20% suitable for agriculture

Isolated:• sea is a natural barrier

• stops most invaders – (Mongol invasions in 1200’s AD stopped

by storms)

• closest neighbor is Korean Peninsula

Japan:• Only 20% of land (near coast)

suitable for farming• major crops:

– rice– wheat– tobacco– fruit– vegetables

Japan:• few natural resources

• imports:– 99.9% of its oil

– 96.3% of its gas

– 94.7% of its coal

• best resource: the ocean

located along the Pacific “Rim of Fire”:

• over 1,500 earthquakes per year– cause tsunamis (tidal waves)

• 60 of 150 volcanoes are active– more than ½ of worlds active volcanoes

Population:

• 127,000,000

• less than ½ the United States pop.

• BUT the area of the U.S. is 25 times larger than Japan.

• Japan square miles: 145,840 • U.S. square miles: 3,790,000

weather:

• vulnerable to typhoons (Pacific hurricanes)

• monsoons (long periods of rain)