The area of Japan in a geographical context

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Japan, called the country of the rising sun,is an island state and is known for its high standard of living, powerful economy and unique culture. Due to many factors, the geography of the country has a significant influence on how society develops. The location of the state in relation to other countries affects intercultural interaction, the size affects the demographic situation, the growth of social structures and a place in the international community. Topography determines where and how people earn livelihoods, and under the influence of the climate, agroculture and the way of life of the population are formed.

Geography of Japan

The land of the rising sun is in the EasternAsia and is an island in the Pacific Ocean that stretches from the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south to the Sea of Okhotsk in the north. The Japanese archipelago consists of many islands, however, the main area of Japan (97%) is composed of 4 large islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. The nearest distance from the mainland to the Japanese islands is more than 200,000 km. This is 6 times greater than the distance that separates from Europe such an island state as the United Kingdom. The area of Japan is 47 prefectures, in each of which the governor is elected. In turn, the prefectures are divided into central and ordinary cities, as well as counties and villages. At the moment, the country is undergoing an administrative reorganization, uniting many cities and villages with each other to reduce the number of administrative regions and reduce the corresponding costs.

Topography

The total area of Japan is 377.9 thousand square meters. km, which makes it more than many European and Asian states, however, more than 75% of its territory is occupied by different mountains in height, some of them densely covered with forest. The country is covered by a network of unextended and fleeting rivers, only a few of which are navigable. A relatively small part of Japan is suitable for living and farming.

The Japanese islands are magnificent anda variety of nature, however, at the same time they are changeable and dangerous. The entire area of Japan is subject to earthquakes resulting from the Pacific volcanic ring, which, among other things, endangers the populations of South and North America. The mountains of Japan are 10% of the most active volcanoes in the world. So, the beautiful and famous Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano, the eruption of which occurred in 1707. The Japanese themselves, however, are more impressed by the beauty and wealth of their country than by its dangers. Despite the fact that the topography creates many obstacles, the climate is quite favorable.

Population

According to the 2009 census, in the statethere were about 128 million people, which makes it the tenth in the world in terms of the number. The density of the population of Japan is, therefore, 334 people / km2, which does not take into account the fact that the main population of the Japanese is concentrated in a small territory suitable for living. The society is culturally and linguistically homogeneous, and consists of 98.5% of ethnic Japanese with a small population of foreign workers.