| Geography | Japan |
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Location:
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Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula |
Geographic coordinates:
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36 00 N, 138 00 E |
Map references:
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Asia |
Area:
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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:
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slightly smaller than California |
Land boundaries:
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0 km |
Coastline:
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29,751 km |
Maritime claims:
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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:
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varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north |
Terrain:
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mostly rugged and mountainous |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m |
Natural resources:
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negligible mineral resources, fish |
Land use:
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arable land: 11.64%
permanent crops: 0.9%
other: 87.46% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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25,920 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
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430 cu km (1999) |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 88.43 cu km/yr (20%/18%/62%)
Per capita: 690 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons |
Environment - current issues:
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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:
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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 |
Geography - note:
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strategic location in northeast Asia |
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