Read this article to learn about the climate and natural vegetation of Japan!
|Area||377,800 sq. km.|
|Highest Point||Mt Fuji (3,776 m)|
|Lowest Point||Tokyo (about 3.4 m)|
|Chief Rivers||Shinano, Ishikar, Tone|
|Major Lake||Lake Biwa|
|Monetary Unit||1 Yen = 100 Sen|
Japan is a group of islands. The Japanese call their island Nippon or Nihon meaning the source of the sun. Japan is known as “The Land of Rising Sun”.
Japan is made up of 3,000 islands, which form a long chain along the eastern coast of Asia. Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are four big islands of Japan. Japan is a mountainous country with few narrow coastal plains. The Kwanto plain is the most important plain. The land is both beautiful and unstable. Volcanoes and earthquakes are common throughout Japan. The rivers are soft and swift and are not navigable but are important sources of power and irrigation.
Japan has a moderate climate and is highly influenced by winds and currents. The northern and southwestern parts of Japan have a colder climate because the cold winds of Siberia cause heavy rain and snowfall. The cold ocean current (Oya Siwo) of Kurile makes the climate still colder.
In summer, the south-east monsoons bring rain to southern and eastern parts of Japan. As a result these parts have a warm and humid climate. The Kuro Siwo current makes the climate warmer. Violent tropical rain storms known as “typhoons” occur in Southern part, causes huge loss of life and property. The mingling of cold and warm ocean currents on eastern coast causes thick fog. That is why it contains the best fisheries of the world.
Japan receives heavy rainfall so its mountains are covered with forests. The popular species of trees are Akamastu (Japanese red pine), Hinoki (Japanese cirrus), Sugi (Japanese cedar). Timber, fuel, paper pulps are obtained from these forests. The mountain and valleys contain subtropical forests while temperate forests are found in the north.
Only 14 per cent of total area is under cultivation because land is hilly. Nearly 18 per cent of the population is engaged in agriculture. Japan is the biggest fishing country in the world.