|
Tabular Data - Geography of Japan
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 12.19%
permanent crops: 0.96%
other: 86.85% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
26,790 sq km (1998 est.) |
| 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 |
| Geography - Note : |
Strategic location in northeast Asia. |
|
|
