Japan is a state that is completely located on the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Almost all of Japan's islands are part of the Japanese archipelago. There are over 3 thousand islands in total. The largest of them are: Kyushu, Shikoku, Hokkaido, Honshu. The country also controls numerous small islands that are thousands of kilometers away from the archipelago. Thus, Japan has significant maritime possessions.
Characteristics of the islands
The largest island in the archipelago is Honshu. It was formerly called Nippon and Hondo. It accounts for about 60% of the area of the entire state. The island is about 1300 km long and about 50-230 km wide. The population of Honshu is 100 million. The largest cities in the country are located here. These include Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka, Yokohama and Kyoto. Honshu is home to the famous Mount Fuji, which is considered a symbol of Japan.
The second largest island in the country is Hokkaido. It is separated from Honshu by the Sangar Strait. Famous cities of this island: Chitose, Sapporo, Wakkanai. Hokkaido has a harsher climate than the rest of the islands of Japan.
The third largest island is Kyushu. The Japanese civilization was born there, as many experts believe. Today the island is home to over 12 million people. The northern part of Kyushu is occupied by industrial enterprises, the southern part is reserved for cattle breeding. This island is a separate economic region of the state. There are many volcanoes and mountain peaks on its lands.
Another large Japanese island is Shikoku, which has a population of 4 million.
The islands of Japan were gradually populated by people. The country is currently divided into 8 districts and 47 prefectures. In past centuries, Japan was fragmented into separate states. Different regions of the country are influenced by different climates. Each prefecture has its own attractions, language dialects and cultural characteristics. The southern islands of Japan are Ryukyu, Bonin Islands and Minamitori. The Ryukyu Islands are 98 islands located in the East China Sea. The Bonin Islands are located south of Tokyo. Minamitori is located to the east of other land areas. There are no permanent residents, but the island is an important strategic site for the country.
Weather
The islands of Japan have climatic differences, which is explained by their length from north to south. The northernmost regions are located in the cold zone. The southern ones are influenced by the subtropical climate, while the central ones are influenced by the temperate one. Thus, there are 4 types of climate in the country: moderately cold on the island of Hokkaido, moderately warm on the island of Honshu, subtropical in the north of Ryukyu and Kyushu, tropical - in the south of the Ryukyu archipelago. The northern regions of Japan have cold winters. In Hokkaido in January, the average air temperature is -10 degrees. Blizzards and snowstorms often occur there during the winter season. The southern islands have warm and dry winters. It is rainy and stuffy in the country in summer.
