Japan

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Recently, the Defence Minister held a bilateral meeting with Japan’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani in New Delhi.

Key Facts about Japan

• Capital: Tokyo, located in east-central Honshu.
• Official Language: Japanese.
• Currency: Japanese Yen.
• Form of Government: Parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy.
• Geography: Island nation in East Asia, situated in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.

Physical Geography of Japan

• Archipelago structure: Comprises a chain of islands stretching ~1,500 miles in a northeast–southwest arc.
• Main Islands (north to south): Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
• Maritime borders:
  • East: Pacific Ocean.
  • North: Sea of Okhotsk.
  • West: Sea of Japan (East Sea).
  • Southwest: East China Sea.
• Land borders: None (island nation).

Terrain and Natural Features

• Landscape: Over 80% mountainous, with rugged terrain.
• Volcanic activity: Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire – a major zone of earthquakes and active volcanoes.
• Highest peak: Mount Fuji (3,776 m), a stratovolcano and national symbol.
• Major mountain ranges: Japanese Alps.
• Major rivers: Shinano River (longest), Tone River, Kiso River.

Climate

• Climatic zones: Ranges from subarctic in the north to humid subtropical in the south.
• Frequent natural disasters: Earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions due to tectonic activity.

Source: TH