Japan 日本（にほん） Physical Geography 地理 ( にほんの ちり ) ようこそ ギャビン ラオル チェワン キム

Background Information  Japan ( 日本 ) is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, in eastern Asia  It is made of stratovolcanic archipelagos  It is made of 4 islands  Japan belongs to the temperate zone, which has four distinct seasons  Its total surface area is 377,832 km 2 : land makes up 99% of its surface area at 374,744 km 2 while water make up its remaining 1% surface area at 3091 km 2

Natural Hazards  There are up to 1500 地震 ( じしん ) earthquakes which are recorded yearly  Minor tremors are recorded daily  Japan lies in a zone of extreme crustal instability  10 % of the worlds active 火山 ( かざん )volcano's are found in Japan  Undersea earthquakes are another danger for Japan, as they usually lead to 津波 ( つなみ )  Other natural hazards include; 台風 ( たいふう )typhoons, 土砂崩れ ( どしゃくずれ )landslides, 洪水 ( こずい )floods, 雪崩 ( なだれ )avalanche and the 雪国 ( ゆきぐに ) also called the 豪雪地帯 ( ごせつ ちたい ) "heavy snow area" which is the snow country.  This can refer to any place with heavy or deep snows, and is generally coined toward the reference of the “Sea of Japan” 日本海 ( にほんかい ) side of Honshuu, where the landscape is dominated by the “Japanese Alps”, the series of mountain ranges that make up Japans backbone Japanese “Alps”

本州 ほんしゅう  The mountains that traverse Through the middle of the island Are coined as the “Japanese Alps”  ほんしゅう is the largest island (means “main province”)  Honshuu, is the most well known island, because it is home to the larger cities of Japan  Cities include: Tokyo, Nara, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and Hiroshima  The north-western side of the island is bordered by sea of japan ( にほんかい )  On its south-eastern side it is bordered by the pacific ocean  Honshuu is home to the highest point in Japan, which is Mount Fuji, at an elevation of 3,776 metres above sea level  It is also home to the lowest point, which is はちろがた (hachiro-gata), at an elevation of -4 metres above sea level

北海道 ほっきどう  Wakkanai is the most northern city  Sapporo is the largest city on Hokkaido  Asahidake is the highest point on hokkaido With an elevation of 2,290 metres above sea level  The second largest of the four main islands  ほっかいどう is the second largest island (means “northern sea circuit”)  Hokkaido is the least populated and developed of the 4 islands. It is the most mountainous and has the worst winters as it is the most northern island.

九州 きゅしゅう  Kyuushuu is home to the city of Nagasaki, where “Fat Man” was dropped (the second atomic bomb) during the second world war  The third largest of he four main islands  きゅうしゅう is the second smallest island (means “nine provinces”)  Kyuushuu is the most southern island- its highest point is くゆさん which is 1,788 metres above sea level

四国 しこく  The smallest of the four main islands  しこく is the smallest island (means “four provinces”)  Mount Ishizuchi is the highest point at an elevation 1,982 metres above sea level