Japan is an
island nation in
East Asia comprising a large
stratovolcanic
archipelago extending along the
Pacific coast of
Asia. The country is north-northeast of
China and
Taiwan (separated by the
East China Sea) and slightly east of
Korea (separated by the
Sea of Japan). Its primary
islands are
Hokkaidō,
Honshū (the "
mainland"),
Shikoku and
Kyūshū. There are also about 3,000
smaller islands, including
Okinawa, some inhabited and others uninhabited. In total, as of 2006, Japan's territory is 377,923.1 km², of which 374,834 km² is land and 3,091 km² water.
About 75% of Japan is
mountainous, with a
mountain range running through each of the main islands. Japan's highest mountain is
Mount Fuji, with an
elevation of 3776 m (12,388 ft). As Japan is situated in a volcanic zone along the
Pacific deeps, frequent low-intensity earth tremors and occasional volcanic activity are felt throughout the islands. Destructive
earthquakes occur several times a century.
Hot springs are numerous and have been exploited as an
economic capital by the leisure industry. Scattered plains and basins (in which the population is concentrated) cover only about 25% of the nation. The largest, the
Kanto Plain, where
Tokyo is situated, covers only 13,000 square kilometers.
Rivers are generally steep and swift, and few are suitable for navigation except in their lower reaches. Most are fewer than 300 kilometers in length, but their rapid flow from the mountains makes them more than suitable for generating
hydroelectric power.
Japan is informally divided into eight
regions. Most regions contains several
prefectures (the exception being Hokkaidō) for a total of 47. Within these prefectures, there exist many
local administrative units that are categorized into
designated cities (17),
core cities (37),
special cities (44),
cities,
towns and
villages depending on the unit's population size.
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