Japan and her culture

Japanese Assignment

Geographical Setting

Japan is an island country in the North Pacific Ocean. It lies off the northeast coast of

mainland Asia and faces Russia,Korea, and China. Four large islands and thousands of

smaller ones make up Japan. The four major islands-Hokkaido,Honshu,Kyushu and

Shikoku form a curve that extends for about 1,900 kilometres.

Topography

Japan is a land of great natural beauty. mountains and hills cover about 70% of the

country. IN fact, Japanese islands consist of the rugged upper part of a great mountain

range that rises from the floor of the North Pacific Ocean. Jagged peaks, rocky gorges,

and thundering mountain waterfalls provide some of the country's most spectacular

scenery. Thick forests thrive on mountansides, adding to the scenic beauty of the

Japanese islands. Forests cover about 68% of the country's land.

Japan lies on an extremely unstable part of the earth's crust. As a result, the land is

constantly shifting.

NASA Satellite Image of Japan Captured March 11, 2...

Japan Fisheries cooperative

Japanese school uniform, Yohohama, Japan

This shifting causes two of Japan's most striking features--

earthquakes and volcanoes. The Japanese islands have about 1500 earthquakes a year.

Most of them are minor tremors that cause little damage, but severe earthqaukes occur

every few years. Underseaquakes sometimes cause huge, destructive tidal waves, called

tsunami, along Japan's Pacific coast. The Japanese islands have more than 150 major

volcanoes. Over 60 of these volcanoes are active.

Numerous short, swift rivers cross Japan's rugged surface. most of the rivers are too

shallow and steep to be navigated. Their waters are used to irrigate farmland, and their

rapids and falls supply power for hydroelectric plants. Many lakes nestle among the

Japanese mountains. Some lie in the craters of extinct volcanoes. A large number of hot

springs gush from the ground throughout the country.

The Japanese islands have a total land area of about 337,708...