| Geography | Japan |
 = Fields  = World Records  = Dictionary  = Bar graph  = Distribution map  = Fields History  = Definitions |
|
|
|
|
|
Location:
|
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula |
Geographic coordinates:
|
36 00 N, 138 00 E |
Map references:
|
Asia |
Area:
|
total: 377,835 sq km
land: 374,744 sq km
water: 3,091 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto) |
Area - comparative:
|
slightly smaller than California |
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
Coastline:
|
29,751 km |
Maritime claims:
|
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate:
|
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north |
Terrain:
|
mostly rugged and mountainous |
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m |
Natural resources:
|
negligible mineral resources, fish
note: with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas as well as the second largest importer of oil |
Land use:
|
arable land: 11.64%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 87.46% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
|
25,920 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
|
430 cu km (1999) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
|
3,384 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
|
Total: 88.43 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%)
Per capita: 690 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
|
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons |
Environment - current issues:
|
air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and elsewhere |
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
|
strategic location in northeast Asia |
|
= Fields = World Records = Dictionary = Bar graph = Distribution map = Fields History = Definitions |
|
Home 
Geographic Names
Chiefs of State
Intl. Organizations
Intl. Environmental Agree.
Other References
