Geography
Location
Japan consists of several thousands of islandsof which HonshuHokkaidoKyushu and Shikoku are the four largest. Japan's closest neighbors are KoreaRussia and China. The Sea of Japan separates the Asian continent from the Japanese archipelago.
Area
Japan's area is comparable to that of Germany or California. Japan's northernmost islands are located on a similar geographical latitude as Milan or Portlandwhile her southernmost islands are on a similar latitude as the Bahamas. More than 50% of the country is mountainous and covered by forests. Japan is politically structured into 8 regions and 47 prefectures.
Population
The population of Japan is about 125 millionincluding around 3 million foreign residents.
Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Because Japan is located in a regionwhere several continental plates meetthe country experiences frequent earthquakes. For the same reasonthere are many volcanoes and natural hot springs in Japan. Japan's most famous volcano and highest mountain is Mount Fuji.
Climate
Due to the large north-south extension of the countrythe climate varies strongly in different regions. The climate in most of the major citiesincluding Tokyois temperate to subtropic and consists of four seasons. The winter is mild and the summer is hot and humid. There is a rainy season in early summerand typhoons hit parts of the country every yearespecially during late summer. The climate of the northern island of Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan coast is colderand snow falls in large amounts. In Okinawaon the other handthe mean temperature of January is a warm 17 degrees Celsius.
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