JAPAN OVERVIEW
Location
Japan consists of several thousands of islands, of which Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the four largest. Japan's closest neighbours are Korea, Russia and China. The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago.
Area
Japan's area is larger than, for example, Germany's and comparable to the one of Italy or California. Japan's northernmost islands are located approximately on same geographical latitude as Milan or Portland while her southernmost islands are about on the same latitude as the Bahamas. In other words, Japan's North South extension equals about the distance from Oslo to Naples. More than 50% of the area of Japan is mountainous and covered by forests. Japan is politically structured in 8 regions and 47 prefectures.
Geography
The Japanese archipelago lies off the eastern coast of the Asian continent ranging from about 20 degrees to 45 degrees north. There are four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, plus thousands of other smaller islands. Honshu accounts for about 60 per cent of the total area. The combined land area is approximately 378,000 square kilometers of which 14 per cent is used for agricultural purposes, 66 per cent is forests and 20 per cent for other uses. By land mass Japan is slightly larger than the UK. Tokyo is on about the same latitude as Athens and Los Angeles
Capital
Tokyo has been the capital of Japan since 1868. Located on the Kanto plain on the Pacific coast of Honshu, it is one of the world's largest and most densely populated areas. Area: 2,187 square kilometres; population: 12,064,000 (2000). Tokyo is the seat of Japan's National Government and home to the Imperial Family. It is a city rich in cultural diversity, and as Japan's economic centre, it is an international magnet for business.
