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Japan
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Japan is a country that consists of four main islands and thousands of smaller ones (Allinson 32). The country’s independence was gained in 660 B.C. (“Japan-General Information” 3). The name “Japan” originated from the Italian name, “Zipangu”, given by Marco Polo (Allinson 32). It has the fifth largest population in the world with more than eighty-nine million people (Yelen 5). Japan’s inhabitants call it “Nippon” or “Nihon”, which means source of the sun (Allinson 32). Japan is a country that reflects culture of both the east and west. Japan is located in the North Pacific Ocean. Japanese society began when people from parts of Asia migrated to the islands of Japan (35). Many of the ancestors came in waves through the Korean Peninsula, while others may have ventured from islands south of Japan. By 10,000 B.C. people who fished and gathered fruit and plants for food, were on the islands. This early culture was known as “Jomon”, which means cord-marked. These individuals began the Japanese language that is still spoken today (“Japan-General...” 3). The land in Japan is considered to have beautiful scenery. The jagged peaks, rocky gorges, and thundering mountains are some of the spectacular sceneries (Allinson 45). Seventy percent of the Japan is composed of mountains and hills (45). Many of the mountains are as high as two thousand meters above seal level (Yelen 12). Mt Fuji, the highest mountain, is an example of this. Mt Fuji towers three thousand three hundred seventy-three meters above sea level (Yelen 12). Extensive plains are few in Japan, but ones that do exist serve great economic importance as they provide much food supply. The coastline is about seventeen thousand one hundred fifty miles long (Yelen 12). Japan has several short, swift rivers that cross its’ rugged surface (Allinson 45). These waters are used to irrigate farmland, and the rapid falls supply power for hydroelectric plants (Allinson 45). Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu are the four main islands that make up Japan (Yelen 12). These islands are abound with earthquakes and volcanoes both active and dormant(Yelen 12). Japan is located on an unstable part of the earth’s crust (Allinson 45). The country has about one thousand five hundred earthquakes per year (“Japan-General...” 2). However, most of these earthquakes are minor and cause little damage (Allinson 45). Japan has more than one hundred fifty volcanoes and about sixty are active (Yelen 12). The climate in Japan varies from tropical weather in the south to cool temperature in the north (“Japan-General...” 2). The island Honshu has warm, humid summers with mild winters toward the south and cold snowy winters in the north (Allinson 48). Hokkaido has cool summers and extremely cold winters. Kyushu and Shikoku have long summers and mild winters. The above climates are affected by monsoons and precipitation. Monsoons bring cold air to the northern areas of Japan. Precipitation occurs in all seasons (34). Rainfall is heavy with forty to one hundred inches annually throughout Japan (Yelen 13). With regards to its government, Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government (Allinson 33). The government is based on the constitution that took effect in 1947 (“History” 5), giving several rights to the people (Allinson 33).
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