What natural resources does Japan have? Geographic location of japan
Japan is a small Asian state located on the islands. In terms of living standards, it occupies the first position in the world. How did the resources of Japan affect this?
A little about the country
The state is located entirely on the Japanese archipelago, which consists of 6852 large and small islands. All of them are either mountainous or volcanic in origin, some are uninhabited. The main part of the territory is made up of the four largest Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku.
The state is washed by the Japan, Okhotsk, East China Seas Pacific Ocean. It shares the border with the Russian Far East, South Korea, China and the Philippines. Local population pronounces the name of the country as "Nippon" or "Nippon koku", which is often translated as the Land of the Rising Sun.
Approximately 127 million people live in an area of 377,944 square kilometers. The capital of Japan - the city of Tokyo - is located on Japan is a constitutional parliamentary monarchy, headed by the emperor.
forest resources
Forests are those natural resources of Japan, of which the country has plenty. They cover more than 65% of the territory. Approximately one third of the forests are artificial plantations. More than 2,500 plant species grow in the country. Grows in the southern mountainous regions subtropical forests, conifers dominate in the north, mixed forests located in the central part.
Tropical vegetation is found on the islands: palm trees, ferns, fruit trees. On the Ryukyu Islands grows sweet potato, sugar cane. Pines, firs, evergreen oaks grow in mountainous regions. The country has a large number of endemics, among them Japanese cypress and cryptomeria. Here you can see the relic
At the foot of the mountains on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, for example, on Fujiyama, broadleaf forests. At an altitude of more than one kilometer, a zone of alpine shrubs begins, which are replaced by alpine meadows. Huge areas are occupied by bamboo forests grown for the production of furniture.
Water resources
Water natural resources of Japan are represented by an abundance of underwater waters, lakes and rivers. Numerous mountain rivers are full-flowing, short and fast. Japanese rivers are not suitable for transporting ships, but they have found application in hydropower. They are also used for irrigation of agricultural land.
The largest rivers are the Shinano with a length of 367 kilometers and the Tone - 322 kilometers, both are located on the island of Honshu. There are 24 large rivers in total, including Yoshino (Shikoku Island), Chikugo and Kuma (Kyushu) and others. Different areas are characterized by winter or summer high water, which often leads to floods.
The country has both coastal shallow and deep mountain lakes. Some of them, such as Cuttyaro, Tovado, are of volcanic origin. Saroma and Kasumigaura are lagoonal. The largest freshwater lake Biwa in Japan (670 sq. km.) Is located on the island of Honshu.
Minerals
The mineral natural resources of Japan are represented in relatively small quantities. Mostly they are not enough for the independent development of industry, so the state has to partially cover the shortage by importing raw materials, such as oil, natural gas, iron ore.
The country has sulfur deposits, small reserves of manganese, lead-zinc, copper, silver ore, gold, chromite, iron ore, and barite. Its oil and gas reserves are small. There are small deposits of vanadium, titanium, polymetallic, nickel, lithium, uranium and other ores. In the world, Japan is one of the leaders in the production of iodine.
Limestones, sands, dolomites and pyrites are contained in significant quantities. The state is rich in iron sands, which have long been used in the manufacture of the famous Japanese steel for blades, knives and swords.
Climate and energy resources
Weather conditions in Japan favorably affect the development of agriculture. The length from north to south contributes to the fact that on different islands the climate can vary significantly. In the northern regions it is more severe, in the southern regions, on the contrary, it is milder.
And Kyushu, thanks to the wet monsoon winds and warm have a tropical and subtropical climate. Here the harvest period occurs twice a year. Air masses and currents often contribute to heavy rainfall, and in winter they bring snowfall with them. The climate is temperate in the northern regions.
A large number of sunny days, mountainous terrain, the presence of winds and fast mountain rivers create conditions for the development of alternative energy. The accident at the nuclear power plant in 2011 further pushed the country to this step. Recently, in addition to hydropower, the country has been developing methods for obtaining photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wind energy.
Natural resources of Japan (table)
Name | Application |
|
mixed, tropical, subtropical, coniferous forests | woodworking, export |
|
mountain rivers (Shinano, Tone, Mimi, Gokase, Yoshino, Tiguko), deep and shallow lakes | hydropower, irrigation, domestic water supply |
|
red soils, yellow soils, brown soils, peaty, slightly podzolic, alluvial soils | cultivation of rice and other cereals (wheat, corn, barley), horticulture |
|
Biological | 260 species of mammals, 700 species of birds, 100 species of reptiles, 600 species of fish, more than 1000 species of molluscs | Fishing for crabs, oysters, shrimp |
Minerals (used mainly with imported raw materials) | a large amount: limestone, sand, dolomite, pyrite, iodine; small: coal, iron ore, nickel, lead, gold, silver, lithium, tungsten, copper, tin, molybdenum, mercury, manganese, barite, chromium, etc. | industry (metallurgy, engineering, chemical); energy |
Energy | sea waves, winds, rivers, sunny days | alternative energy |
Conditions and natural resources of Japan (briefly)
Japan is an amazing and picturesque country. There are mountains, forests, rivers and minerals. Nevertheless, the economic assessment of Japan's natural conditions and resources usually sounds disappointing. The point is that most of existing resources countries for industrial purposes is difficult or impossible to use.
The mineral natural resources of Japan are very diverse, but their number is too small. Two-thirds of the state's territory is not suitable for agriculture due to the rugged terrain. Many forests growing in the mountains are inaccessible for felling due to the danger of landslides and landslides. Rivers are completely unsuitable for the development of navigation.
All this is relative. After all, despite the poor supply of natural resources, Japan manages to skillfully get out of the situation. Large exports of wood, seafood and fish, animal husbandry, rice and vegetable production, the development of engineering and high technology, alternative energy sources do not allow the country to leave the world's leading positions in terms of economy.
I chose the topic of the essay “Japan and its resources” because I am interested in this country. I'm interested in exploring it in more detail. Japan is unique in its resources. It is located separately from all other countries and includes many small islands. Another country has its own differences from other countries: they have their own religion and their own customs. And I was also interested in the economy of this country, as a country isolated from other countries.
1) Geographic location.
Japan is an archipelago country located on four large and almost four thousand small islands, stretching in an arc of 3.5 thousand km from northeast to southwest along the eastern coast of Asia. The largest islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. The state is located near the coast East Asia. The area of the territory is 372 thousand km2. The population is 127 million people. The shores of the archipelago are strongly indented and form many bays and coves. The seas and oceans washing Japan are of exceptional importance for the country as a source of biological, mineral and energy resources.
The main structures built in Japan (underwater tunnels, bridges) facilitate communication between the main islands of the country.
Japan is washed in the south and east by the Pacific Ocean, in the west by the East China and Japan Seas, in the north by the Sea of Okhotsk. Japan differs from other countries in island isolation. The capital of Japan is Tokyo. The capital is located on the island of Honshu.
2) Relief, water resources.
Over ¾ of the territory is occupied by hills and mountains; lowlands (Kanto, or Tokyo) are located in separate areas along the coasts. In the middle part of Honshu is crossed by a fault zone - Fossa Magna (about 250 km long) a number of volcanoes rise above this zone, including the most high volcano Fujiyama (3776m). In total in Japan on about. Honshu has 16 peaks exceeding 3000m.
The country has a dense network of mountain rivers (the largest rivers are Shinano, Tone, Kitakami on Honshu, Ishikari on Hokkaido). The waters of many rivers are used for irrigation.
3) Fauna and flora.
The flora and fauna of the country is diverse. The fauna includes about 270 species of mammals, about 800 species of birds, 110 species of reptiles. In the seas there are more than 600 species of fish, more than 1000 species of mollusks. The flora includes 700 species of trees and shrubs, about 3000 species of herbs. On about. Hokkaido is dominated by coniferous forests (spruce, fir). In the southern regions (oak, beech, maple, Walnut and other trees).
The fauna is dominated by reptiles. The most common animals of the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido are wolves, foxes, hares and others.
4) The capital is Tokyo.
The capital of Japan is the city of Tokyo, which emerged as the capital city in 1869. The name of this city means "Eastern Capital". Tokyo is the largest city in the world, located on the vast Kanto plain. Tokyo is one of the most overpopulated cities. The total length of the streets of the city is 22 thousand km. which is more than half the length of the equator. There are about 4 million houses in the city. The city grows both up (50-60-story skyscrapers) and down (underground shopping centers), as well as in breadth.
5) Population, religion and culture.
In terms of population, Japan occupies one of the first places in the world. Japan is a nation healthy people with the most low rate child mortality and the highest average life expectancy (79-80 years) in the world. The state demographic policy also had a great influence. This policy deals with increasing the population. Classes on the basics of family planning are already in high school.
The national composition of Japan can be said to be homogeneous. This is a typical one-ethnic country, where the Japanese make up more than 99% of the population. Immigrants are also met: Koreans, Chinese, Iya, Oya, Miao, Mongols and others. On about. Hokkaido preserved remnants ancient population countries - Ainu (about 20 thousand people.).
The two main religions of the country are Shinto and Buddhism. Usually believers profess both of these religions. Shinto is derived from the word "shinto", meaning "divine way". It serves the main religious and everyday ceremonies, and, above all, wedding ceremonies. Buddhism, on the other hand, takes over funeral and funeral rites.
Japan is a country of high culture and complete literacy, where more attention is paid to the upbringing and education of children from a very early age. There are more universities in Japan than in all of Western Europe. This country has long cultural, artistic and household traditions. These traditions include: ikebana - the art of making bouquets and arranging flowers and tree branches in vases; bonsai - growing dwarf trees; calligraphy beautiful writing with brush and ink; music; painting on paper and silk; original architecture; shadow play; tea ceremony; women's clothing - kimono; heavyweight wrestling - sumo; judo; kitchen features and much more.
Among the most important traditions are (marriage by agreement of parents, belief in various subjects, many public holidays). One of the traditions is a walk in nature (watching sakura in spring).
II Economy of the country.
1) Basic conditions for farming.
Japan has favorable conditions for farming. The country is located on islands surrounded by the Pacific seas, which gives Japan access to other countries ( sea routes) and fishing.
Country secured water resources(rivers Kiso, Tone and others), they are used in industry (to generate energy - hydroelectric power plants), and in agriculture for irrigating fields. Also, rivers are used as transport routes that connect cities and through the channel of the river you can get into the seas surrounding Japan.
The country has a large population, which has a good effect on the development of the economy. There are many workers, both in agriculture and in industry.
Also in Japan there are many fertile soils, due to which agriculture is more occupied with crop production. Highly large territory busy with forest.
The country has few minerals, which hinders the development of industry. But for the development of industry, the country imports the necessary raw materials from other countries.
In general, Japan has favorable conditions for the development of both industry and agriculture.
2) General characteristics of the economy.
In terms of foreign trade turnover, Japan ranks third among the capitalist countries (after the USA and Germany). Its share in world and capitalist exports and imports in the postwar years steadily increased and reached 7.5%, respectively.
The main factors contributing to the high rates of economic growth were: a radical reconstruction of industry and other sectors of the economy on the basis of latest technology and technology; high level of gross domestic investment in public spending; a relative reduction in the cost of social needs; high share of personal savings; availability of highly skilled workers; also affected low level world prices for imported raw materials and fuel and energy resources.
Japan is a highly developed industrial and agricultural country. main industries: ferrous metallurgy, radio electronics, shipbuilding, automotive, petrochemistry and others.
Japan is poor in natural resources. The industry works on imported raw materials. At present, Japanese industry is being restructured with the aim of reducing its dependence on raw materials by transferring metal-intensive industries abroad, primarily to developing countries, and developing technologically complex industries in Japan itself.
Thanks to new technologies, Japan is beginning to use the resources of the ocean.
3) Industry.
The industry of Japan developed first along an evolutionary path. Such industries as energy, metallurgy, automotive and shipbuilding, petrochemical, chemical, and construction industries were built almost anew on imported raw materials.
If a earlier symbols there were the sacred Mount Fuji, sakura, and now the largest nuclear power plants, metallurgical plants, bridges, tunnels.
After the energy and raw material crisis in the 70s, the revolutionary path of development began to prevail in industry. The country began to increasingly limit the growth of energy-intensive metal industries that depend on imported fuel and raw materials and to focus on the latest high-tech industries. It has become a leader in the field of electronics, robotics, biotechnology, has begun to use non-traditional sources energy. In terms of the share of spending on science, Japan ranks first among developed countries, and in terms of the number of scientists it surpasses Germany, Great Britain and France.
The high level of education, professional qualifications, industriousness, self-discipline of the workers, their desire for constant technical improvement also affects, which indicates a very high level the quality of the people of Japan. In addition, a Japanese worker is usually hired by a certain firm and very rarely changes jobs. This increases his interest in the production of any product, since the salary depends on the length of service. (table No. 1 of the application).
The mining industry has been declining in the postwar years. The coal mining industry is of the greatest importance. Natural gas production started. Oil production in the country is insignificant. Due own reserves iron ore covers less than 10% of needs. There are significant reserves of copper (on the island of Honshu in the Akita region), pyrites, zinc, lead, talc, and sulfur. Manganese, chromites, bismuth, platinum and other minerals are mined in small quantities. Japan mainly imports minerals.
In structure energy balance energy sources coal and hydropower faded into the background. In the 70s, the share of various sources in the energy sector was: oil 75%, coal 18.5%, natural gas 1.5%, the rest 5%. In connection with the energy crisis, the use of coal increased, nuclear power plants, thermal power plants and hydroelectric power plants were built.
Manufacturing industry. Ferrous metallurgy of Japan occupies the 2nd place in terms of production among countries, except for the USA. Of all consumption, imported iron ore accounts for 90%. Iron ore is imported from different countries: Australia, India, Canada and others. The main centers of ferrous metallurgy are: Kitakyushu, Osaka, Nogaya, Chiba.
Non-ferrous metallurgy is engaged in the production of copper, zinc, and lead. In terms of aluminum production, Japan ranks second in the world. Other metals are smelted (magnesium, titanium, nickel, rare metals).
Mechanical engineering is one of the industries that is developing at a rapid pace. Significant development was given to instrumentation, the manufacture of precision instruments and mechanisms.
In terms of shipbuilding and export of ships, Japan ranks first in the world. A lot of household equipment is produced, widely going to world markets. Mechanical engineering is located in the areas of the cities of Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka.
The chemical industry is characterized by a wide variety of products. Produced: mineral fertilizers, artificial fibers, synthetic materials (plastic, rubber). The oil refining industry has developed significantly. In terms of production of chemical products, Japan is inferior to the United States and Germany. The manufacture of medicines, means for the protection of agricultural plants has been developed. The main areas of the chemical industry are the coast of Tokyo Bay, the Nagoya region.
Woodworking. Large quantities of wood are harvested every year. Forest resources provide 40-45% of needs. Most sawmills using local raw materials are small in size. Large sawmills are located in the south of about. Honshu - Hiroshima, in the north of about. Honshu and O. Hokkaido.
The pulp and paper industry has reached a considerable size, its products are made up of various types of paper and cardboard. In the production of these goods, Japan ranks second in the world. The main areas of pulp and paper production - about. Hokkaido and northern Honshu.
The importance of the textile industry in terms of the number of enterprises is great. The production of products from synthetic fibers, as well as from cotton and woolen fabrics, is especially developed. Japan has retained its position as the world's largest producer of natural silk fabrics. As a result of competition in the world market from developing countries, Japanese textile industry reoriented to the production of high-quality fabrics, which allowed the country to maintain its position in the world market.
About 600 thousand people are employed in the food industry, and even more, as for the village, food production is a frequent occupation. There are two groups of food industries: traditional (rice and fish processing, sake making, tea industry) and new (sugar, tobacco, canned food and other products). Enterprises of the first group are found everywhere, they are predominantly small and medium-sized.
4) Agriculture.
Agriculture also underwent a radical restructuring after the Second World War. But after agrarian reform at the end of the 1940s, the liquidation of landlordism and the transformation of peasants into land owners, farmers became the main producers of products.
The structure of agriculture has also changed. Japan has always been a purely agricultural country. And although rice remained the main grain crop, the main Japanese bread, crops, which occupy most of the cultivated land, horticulture, horticulture, and especially the breeding of cattle, pigs, and poultry, received greater development. As a result, the Japanese diet has become more like European and American.
Japan's agriculture employs about 4 million people, and cultivated land makes up only 14% of the territory, but they provide the bulk of the country's food needs, including rice and vegetables.
Another important traditional industry in Japan is fishing. In terms of fish catch, Japan occupies one of the first places in the world. There are more than three thousand fishing ports in the country. The rich and diverse fauna of the coastal seas contributed to the development of not only fishing, but also mariculture. Fish and seafood occupy a very important place in the diet of the Japanese. Pearl fishing is also developed in the country.
Animal husbandry received significant development only in the post-war years, which was caused by an increase in domestic demand for meat and dairy products. The main region of animal husbandry was the north of the country - about. Hokkaido; up to 80% of all dairy products in the country are produced here. The number of livestock is increasing every year.
Sericulture is a traditional branch of Japan in agriculture, it was in decline for a long time: the production of raw silk was 20.6 thousand tons in 1977.
The forest fund is 23.3 million hectares. , a significant part of which is mountainous areas. The value of forest protection plantations is great (5.6 million hectares).
5) Transport.
In Japan, all types of transport have been developed, with the exception of river and pipeline transport. By the nature of its transport network, this country resembles countries Western Europe, but in terms of the size of cargo transportation, it is much larger than any of them. And in terms of the density of passenger rail traffic, it ranks first in the world. Japan also has a very large and most modern merchant marine. She also makes extensive use of "cheap flags", under which almost ¾ of her tonnage floats.
Due to the mountainous terrain, single-track narrow-gauge roads predominate. Numerous tunnels and bridges. The main railway lines run mainly along the sea coast of about. Khonshu, girdling him with a ring. Underwater tunnel Kammon (3614 m) through the Shimo-noseki Strait connecting the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. In 1970-1975. the second underwater tunnel Shin-Kanmon was built between the cities of Shimonoseki and Kokura. In 1978, the world's largest underwater tunnel Seikan (36.4 km) was built near the Tsugaru Strait, between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. A new direction in the reconstruction of railway transport is the construction of tracks for bullet trains (over 200 km/h); the first Tokaido line (515 km) opened in 1964 and connected Tokyo with Osaka; in 1975, this highway stretched south to the city of Fukuoka (1090 km.). The fleet includes 19.7 million cars, 11.3 million trucks, 0.2 million buses.
The marine merchant fleet, serving mainly foreign trade, increased almost continuously. The growth of the Japanese navy is largely due to the huge scale of cargo transportation. Maritime shipping is dominated by 6 companies: Nippon Yusen Kaisha, Osaka Shosen Kaisha, Yamaista-Shin-Nihon Kisen and others.
Air travel expanded markedly in the post-war years, especially with a large increase in foreign tourism. The main Japanese airline is Nippon Koku. International flights are served by the new Narita Airport, northeast of Tokyo, as well as international airports near the cities of Osaka and Niigata. Domestic air lines connect almost all major cities of the country.
IV External economic relations.
A very important feature of the Japanese economy is its exceptionally strong involvement in international economic relations. The country's poor supply of its own fuel and raw materials has led to the fact that it is 9/10 oriented towards their import. On the other hand, the country's economy is extremely dependent on the export of finished products. Japan has a trade surplus. In most countries of the world, you can buy Japanese cameras, VCRs, calculators, watches, cars, motorcycles and more. Japan is the main trading partner of almost all countries in the Asia-Pacific region. But recently, Japan has increasingly reoriented itself from the export of goods to the export of capital. Japanese direct investment is directed mainly to North America, Europe and other Asian countries.
Japan leads the world in development information technologies and robotics, is one of the world's largest car manufacturers.
A significant part of Japan's manufacturing products is sold on the foreign market. In the structure of exports, the largest share (72%) falls on machinery and equipment, among which are cars (16.8%), semiconductors (7.4%), office equipment (5.8%), scientific and optical instruments(3.6%), power plants (3.4%), ships (2.2%), audio and video equipment and others. The share of finished industrial products exceeds 80% of the value of exports. At the same time, the Japanese economy is heavily dependent on imported fuels and raw materials, which account for about 70% of Japan's imports. The size of the country's foreign trade turnover is growing rapidly.
During the first twenty years after the war, foreign trade was characterized by a passive balance. However, the balance of foreign trade became positive over time.
Japan's main trading partners are the USA, China, and Europe. Foreign economic relations between Japan and the USSR are carried out through trade, fisheries, and the organization of land, air, and sea transportation. Joint participation in projects for the development of natural resources in Siberia and Far East. Japan receives timber, coal, oil, potash salts, non-ferrous metals, cotton and other products from Russia.
Japan also buys some types of modern equipment, vehicles (including ship equipment), and consumer goods. new shape trade became coastal trade between the regions of the Far East and western regions Japan.
Agriculture plays a significant role in the country's economy, although its share in the national income is about 2.2%. About 5.7 million people are employed in agriculture. In terms of fish catch, Japan ranks first in the world.
Japan has become the second industrial country in the world, ranked 3rd in the export of goods after the USA and Germany, its trade balance in recent years has been distinguished by a huge preponderance of exports over imports. Japan's leading position in the world economy is due to the fact that it vigorously borrowed many scientific and technical inventions from the West and introduced them into production extremely quickly. The low wages of workers allowed Japanese monopolies to compete in the world market.
A very important growth factor is the large investment in research and development. The Japanese education system, which is considered one of the best in the world, also plays an exceptional role.
JAPAN (Japanese Nippon, Nihon) is a state in the east, located on 4 large islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) and numerous small ones. The area is 372.2 thousand km 2. Population 122 million people (1988), Capital - Tokyo. Administratively, it is divided into 43 prefectures, 3 districts and the governorate of Hokkaido (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto). Official language- Japanese. The monetary unit is the yen. Member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (since 1961).
General characteristics of the economy. In terms of gross domestic product and industrial output, Japan ranks second in the capitalist world (after Japan). The structure of the gross domestic product (1986,%): agriculture 2.9; mining industry 0.4; manufacturing industry 29.3; power industry 3.6; construction 7.5; trade 13.2; transport and communications 6.2. The main industries: ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, radio electronics, shipbuilding and automotive, petrochemical, instrument making.
In the 80s. the country is curtailing energy-intensive and material-intensive industries as part of the restructuring of industry in order to reduce its dependence on imported raw materials and fuel. A peculiar feature of the Japanese economy is the combination of large corporations with a large number of small enterprises. Giant monopoly associations (including "Mitsubishi", "Mitsui", "Sumitomo", "Fuji", "Sanwa") control almost all sectors of the economy.
Japan's fuel and energy base is underdeveloped. Traditionally, the basis of Japanese energy was made up of hydro and forest resources. On the present stage the scale of consumption of oil, mainly imported, has sharply increased, the role and nuclear energy. Structure of the fuel and energy balance for 1986 (%); coal 23.7, liquid fuel 56.3, natural gas 12.8, hydro 3.4, nuclear 4.7, geothermal 0.1.
Electricity generation 671.8 billion kWh (1986). Length railways 28 thousand km, paved roads over 1.16 million km. In terms of the total tonnage of the merchant marine (about 38 million gross tons, 1987), it ranks second in the capitalist world (after Liberia).
The total cargo turnover of seaports (including small ports for coastal ships) is about 3 billion tons (1985). The largest seaports: Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Kobe, Nagoya.
The climate is monsoonal, subtropical in most of the country, temperate in the north, and tropical in the south. The average January temperature is from -5°C on the island of Hokkaido to 6°C in the south of the Japanese Islands and up to -16°C in the Ryukyu archipelago, the average July temperature is 22, 27 and 28°C, respectively. Precipitation 1000-3000 mm per year, in the south up to 3500 mm; in the north there is a long snow cover. Typhoons are common (mainly in autumn) with hurricane winds and downpours.
Short high-water rivers are used for irrigation and hydropower. Numerous lakes, the largest is Biwa. 68% of the territory is covered with shrubs and forests, on the island of Hokkaido mainly coniferous, to the south evergreen, subtropical and tropical. Numerous national parks (including underwater ones, in shallow waters), reserves, wildlife sanctuaries.
Geological structure. The Japanese islands belong to the system of island arcs of the Western Pacific mobile belt. They are divided into three regions - the island of Hokkaido (except the southwest of the Oshima Peninsula), the northeastern part of the island of Honshu, the southwestern part of the island of Honshu, the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu and the Ryukyu archipelago. The core zone of the island of Hokkaido is the anticlinorium of the Hidaka Ridge, composed of the Upper Paleozoic-Lower Mesozoic sedimentary-volcanogenic sequence intruded by granitoid intrusions. From the west, the Hidaka anticlinorium is accompanied by a narrow Kamunkotan zone with ophiolites, the rocks of which are also metamorphosed. The latter is thrust over the Ishikari-Rumon synclinorium, which is filled with a sequence of Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic deposits and adjoins the uplift of the Oshima Peninsula in the west. The Nemuro Peninsula (northeastern part of Hokkaido) is the end of the Kuril Islands, is composed of Upper Cretaceous volcanic rocks and is bordered by the southern end of the Kuril-Kamchatka deep-sea trench. The northeastern part of the island of Honshu is separated from the southwestern part by a fault zone, between which the meridional graben (rift) of Fossa Magna extends, on the southern extension of which the Izu-Boninskaya (Ogasawara) young volcanic arc stretches in the ocean, accompanied from the east by the eponymous deep-sea trench . The northeastern part of the island of Honshu is bordered by the Japanese trench, which articulates in the northeast with the Kuril-Kamchatsky, and in the south with the Izu-Bonin. In the structure of the northeastern part of the island of Honshu, Paleozoic deposits play the main role, starting from the Silurian unconformably overlying on metamorphic rocks (probably Precambrian). The Paleozoic is mainly represented by terrigenous strata, shallow in the west, deep in the east with the presence of ophiolites. All these deposits have been intensively folded since the end of the Early Carboniferous (“Abe orogeny”). Mesozoic rocks are limited in distribution (mainly in the east) and are represented by shallow marine sediments; they experienced end-beginning folding ("Sakawa orogeny" or "Oga-Oshima"). The so-called green tuffs of the Neogene age are developed on the western coast.
The structure of southwestern Japan is characterized by a distinct zonal structure, with a general rejuvenation of zones from northwest to southeast. There are internal and external groups of zones separated by a fault called the Median Line. The most ancient rocks (Precambrian) are composed of the Khida zone on the peninsula of the same name. To the southeast, Paleozoic volcanic-sedimentary deposits are developed, which underwent folded deformations at the beginning of the Triassic ("Akiyoshi orogeny"), and formations - Jurassic and Neocomian, located in the Sakawa era; Maizuru ophiolites are known in the frame of the Hida and Tamba zones. Along the border with the complex of outer zones stretches the Cretaceous volcano-plutonic Rijoke belt. The Ryukyu archipelago (Nansei), bordered by the deep-sea trench of the same name, represents a continuation of the outer zones of southwestern Japan. The deformations of these zones began at the end of the Jurassic - the beginning of the Cretaceous, in the Sakawa (Oga) era and continued until the late Miocene, and on the underwater slope facing the Nankai deep-water trench, up to modern era. At the same time, thrusts and charyazhs directed to the southeast, as well as olistostromes, were formed. The high seismicity of the Japanese Islands, as well as their volcanic activity, is associated with the activity of seismic focal zones emerging on the bottom surface in the Kuril-Kamchatsky, Yaponsky, Nankai and Izu-Boninsky trenches. The bend of the modern Japanese arc, according to paleomagnetic data, arose at the beginning of the Miocene and is associated with the opening deep sea trenches Sea of Japan.
Hydrogeology. In hydrogeological terms, the territory of Japan is subdivided into a system of artesian basins, represented by small depressions with Cenozoic filling, and mountain structures framing them. The underground waters of the mountain-folded frame of the depressions are ultra-fresh (mineralization is about 0.1 g/l), according to the composition of HCO 3 - -Ca 2+ and HCO 3 - -Cl - -Ca 2+ . Paleogene and Miocene deposits of artesian basins are characterized by low permeability and water content. Pliocene sands and sandstones are more highly water-bearing. Well flow rates reach 12 l/s. The entire section of Neogene deposits is characterized by the distribution of mineralized (from 3 to 35 g / l), usually thermal, groundwater.
The main resources of fresh groundwater in the depressions are associated with Quaternary deposits up to 250-300 m thick. High-water-bearing horizons of sands and pebbles are water-bearing. The flow rates of wells with a depth of 30 to 330 m vary from 5.6 to 63 l/s, specific flow rates - from 0.9 to 39.4 l/s. The waters are pressurized, piezometric levels are set several meters below and above the Earth's surface. The mineralization of water usually does not exceed 0.5 g/l, the composition of HCO 3 - - Ca 2+ .
The total groundwater resources of Quaternary deposits are estimated at 5-10.10 4 m 3 /year. They are operated by numerous (1500 in Tokyo, more than 500 in Osaka, etc.) wells.
On the territory of Japan, there are more than 10 thousand groups, the waters of which are widely used for balneological purposes and in various fields of economic activity.
Seismicity. Japan is among the countries most affected by devastating earthquakes. The Japanese islands are an important link in the Pacific seismic belt. If the belt as a whole accounts for 80% of the world's earthquakes, then Japan accounts for 36% of the belt.
In the system of the Pacific zones, extreme earthquakes with a magnitude (M) over 8 can occur. As a rule, they cause destructive tsunamis, with water rising on the coast up to 10-20 m. Such events in different places of the Pacific coast of Japan happened in 684, 869 , 887, 1096, 1099, 1351, 1498, 1611, 1703, 1707, 1854 (twice), 1896, 1933, 1944, 1946, 1952 1923 completely destroyed the capital of Japan. Another zone with a maximum earthquake magnitude of less than 8 is confined to the shelf edge of the Sea of Japan and is due to the gradual turn of Japan: the sinking of its eastern coast and the rise of its western one.
Directly all the islands on which Japan is located are divided into blocks complex system active faults, on which numerous moderate and weak earthquakes occur. The swarm of weak shallow earthquakes of Matsushiro in Nagano Prefecture in 1965-70 was intense, when up to 600 shocks occurred daily, noted by instruments. Weak shocks accompany the eruptions of volcanoes located in Japan.
Minerals. Japan is relatively poor in mineral resources; coal, oil and gas, polymetallic ores, mining and chemical raw materials, non-metallic building materials are mined in significant quantities. A significant part of the country's needs for mineral raw materials is covered by imports (for example, iron ore by 9/10, coal by 8/10, copper by 3/4, lead and zinc by more than 1/2). Most of the minerals are concentrated in small-scale deposits. The reserves of the main minerals (Table 1), with the exception of ores, silver, sulfur and barite, are less than 1% of the total reserves of developed capitalist and developing countries. Along with this, significant reserves of minerals such as limestone, dolomite, quartz sand, and pyrite have been explored in Japan (map).
More than 200 small oil and gas fields have been discovered in Japan, including 9 offshore fields. The vast majority of deposits (more than 150) are located in the northwest of the island of Honshu and the water area of the Sea of Japan - in the Uetsu basin, confined to the Neogene-Quaternary trough filled with volcanogenic-sedimentary complexes up to 6 km thick. Oil and gas bearing Middle Upper Miocene and Lower Pliocene, gas bearing Pliocene-Quaternary deposits occurring at a depth of 0.02-3.0 km. Most large deposits basin - Agi-Oki and Kubiki, the initial recoverable hydrocarbon reserves which reach 10 million tons. strata of the Oligocene and Lower Miocene. More than 40 deposits are known in the Abukuma basin, located on the eastern (geosynclinal) edge of the Japanese island arc; deposits of the lower and middle Miocene are oil and gas bearing, and Oligocene and Pliocene-Quaternary formations are gas bearing.
Japan's coal reserves are relatively small. The largest coal basin is Ishikari, where the coal content is associated with the Paleogene strata. Coals from sub-bituminous to bituminous coking. In the Kushiro basin on the east coast of the island of Hokkaido, the coal content is confined to Eocene-Oligocene deposits, partially under the seabed. 2nd place in economic importance occupy the coal basins of the island of Kyushu (Chikuho, Fukuoka, Miike, Sakito-Matsushima, Takashima, Sasebo).
Since 1955, a number of uranium deposits have been discovered. The main uranium-bearing areas in Japan are located on the island of Honshu. In the Tono region, which includes 4 deposits with uranium reserves of 5 thousand tons, ore mineralization is associated with conglomerates and sandstones of the Miocene age. The Ningyo-Togo region in the Tot-tori prefecture includes 5 deposits with reserves of 2.1 thousand tons. Here, uranium mineralization in Miocene arkose sandstones is represented by ningyoite, uraninite, cofinite, and in the oxidation zone - otenite. Smaller hydrothermal vein deposits have also been identified (Kurayoshi and others).
About 20% of the country's total iron ore reserves are contained in primary deposits, among which the metasomatic deposits on the island of Honshu, Kamaishi (Iwate Prefecture) and Akatani (Niigata Prefecture) are of the greatest industrial importance. At the Kamaishi deposit, skarn-related magnetite ores are developed in Paleozoic deposits intruded by Cretaceous granitoids. More than 15 ore bodies are known. Volcanic mineral spring deposits include Kutchan on the island of Hokkaido, Gunma and Urakawa (Gumma Prefecture) on the island of Honshu. The ores are composed of limonite and goethite. Coastal placers of Quaternary ferruginous sands are widely developed in the areas of Sendai, Sapporo, Tokyo, and Fukuoka. The underwater placers of ferruginous sands with a high content of Fe and TiO 2, developed in the coastal parts of the sea at a depth of about 25 m, are also of industrial importance.
Numerous small deposits of manganese ores are located on the islands of Hokkaido, Honshu and Shikoku. The hydrothermal deposits of the island of Hokkaido (Inakuraishi, Yakumo, Oxe, Dzekoku), represented by rhozo-chrosite veins in Miocene tuffs, andesites and rhyolites, are of the main industrial importance. Of less importance are deposits of predominantly carbonate ores occurring in Paleozoic and Mesozoic metasedimentary rocks - Hamayokogawa (Nagano Prefecture) and Ino (Kochi Prefecture). Sedimentary deposits (Pirika, Mennu) are also known in the south-west of the island of Hokkaido.
Ores of trace and rare elements. Industrial concentrations are found in some coal deposits, where its content is 0.01-0.05%; in some sulfide deposits, concentrations reach 0.03-0.1%. In coal deposits, gallium is often present in amounts of 0.0003-0.0015%. Gallium is found in some lead-zinc deposits. Polymetallic ores often contain indium and thallium (Takaoka deposit).
Among lead and zinc ores, vein (over 60% of domestic Pb and 50% Zn) and skarn (over 30% of Pb and 40% Zn) deposits are of major industrial importance. Lead-zinc deposits (Hosokura and Taishu on the island of Honshu and Toyoha on the island of Hokkaido) are the largest of the vein deposits. The reserves of the Hosokura deposit are 100 thousand tons of Pb and 500 thousand tons of Zn with a Pb content of 1.0-1.7% in ores; Zn 4.2-5.9%. Galena contains industrial concentrations of Ag. In deposits of the Kuroko type (Kosaka, Hanawa, Uchinotai, Yatani, etc.), the content of Pb in ores is 0.9-3.7%; Zn 4.2-1.7%. The largest skarn deposit, Kamioka in Gifu Prefecture, holds over 50% of the country's Pb and Zn reserves. Mineralization, represented by complex tubular bodies, is associated with Paleozoic and Mesozoic limestones intruded by felsic granites. Large contact-metasomatic deposits are also known in Fukui Prefecture (Nakayama, Hitokato, Senno).
Non-metallic industrial raw materials are represented by asbestos, vermiculite, gypsum, graphite, fluorite, kaolin, bentonite, etc. Over 80% of asbestos reserves are chrysotile asbestos. The identified resources of 10 deposits are estimated at 1500 thousand tons. The main deposits are concentrated on the island of Hokkaido, in the regions of Furano and Yamabe, as well as on the island of Honshu. Industrial deposits of vermiculite have been identified in Fukushima Prefecture. Gypsum reserves exceed 2 million tons. Hydrothermal-metasomatic deposits, which occur together with ores of the Kuroko type, are of major industrial importance; the largest are the Wanibuti and Iwami deposits in Shimane Prefecture, Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture, Yonaihita and Ishigamori in Fukushima Prefecture. Numerous small deposits of flake graphite are located on the border of Gifu and Toyama prefectures. On the island of Hokkaido, at the largest Osi-rabetsu deposit, the extent of ore bodies associated with gabbro is mica, montmorillonite), the upper ones are mainly kaolin.
The main areas of localization of deposits of bentonite and other acidic clays are located in the prefectures of Aomori, Niigata (Kanben, Haguro deposits), Yamagata (Tsukinumo, Oohiro), Shiman (Iwami), etc. The reserves of bentonite are about 1 million tons.
Refractory clay reserves exceed 70 million tons and are concentrated in the prefectures of Iwate, Gifu, Kobe, and Hiroshima. At the largest deposit of hard refractory clays, Iwate, the reserves are 6.4 million tons. The main reserves of "kibushi" clays, also classified as refractory, are concentrated in Gifu Prefecture at the deposits of Ezibora, Nishiyama, Higashitama. The most significant reserves of "rozeki" clays (waxy clay with a high content of pyrophyllite) have been explored in the Mitsuishi area, west of the city of Kobe.
The country has large reserves of diatomite. Deposits of the Neogene age marine origin known in Ishikawa (Noto), Akita (Takanosu), Miyagi (Enda), and Shiman (Oki) prefectures; they are represented by deposits with a thickness of more than 10 m. Deposits of lacustrine genesis are developed in the prefectures of Okayama (Yatsuka) and Miyagi (Onikobe).
The main deposits of quartz sands are localized in the prefectures of Tochigi, Fukushima, Mie, Gifu, Fukuoka. The reserves of high purity quartz (SiO 2 94-96%) associated with pegmatites (Fukushima Prefecture), as well as with andesite silicification zones (Shizuoka Prefecture, Izu deposit), amount to over 460 million tons. The largest deposits of the diaspora are located in Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. The main feldspar deposits associated with granitic pegmatites and aplites have been identified in the prefectures of Fukushima, Niigata, Nara, Hiroshima, and Shiman. The main pyrophyllite deposits located on the island of Honshu (prefectures of Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi) and on the island of Kyushu (prefecture of Nagasaki) are usually localized in rhyolites and stocks of Tertiary and Cretaceous quartz porphyries. Talc reserves are about 700 thousand tons. Small-scale deposits with low quality raw materials, usually confined to serpentinites, are known in the prefectures of Ibaraki, Gunma, Hyogo. Most of the fluorite deposits are concentrated on the island of Honshu, where the Hotaru vein deposits in Fukushima Prefecture and Hiraiwa in Gifu Prefecture are known. Deposits of metasomatic ores: Igashima in Niigata Prefecture, Jimmu and Mihara in Hiroshima Prefecture. Industrial deposits of zeolites are known in the northeastern part of the island of Honshu, in areas of development of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. At one of the country's largest deposits, Itaya, in Yamagata Prefecture, in mineral composition ores are dominated by clinoptilolite and mordenite.
Non-metallic building materials are mainly represented by limestone, dolomite, tuff, pumice, perlite, marble, granite, andesite. Most limestone deposits are confined to the Carboniferous and Permian formations, deposits of the Triassic, Jurassic and Tertiary age are less common. The largest deposits of dolomite are located in the areas of Kuzuu (Tochigi Prefecture) and Kasuga (Gifu Prefecture). The thickness of productive horizons is 50-100 m. Smaller deposits are known in the prefectures of Fukuoka, Oita, Ehime, Iwate. Numerous deposits of other non-metallic minerals are widespread in Japan. building materials: tuffs (Tochigi, Fukui, Fukushima and Shizuoka prefectures); pumice stones (Gumma, Kagoshima prefectures); perlite (Akita, Fukushima, Nagano prefectures); granite, andesite, marble (Yamaguchi, Iwate, Okayama, Gifu prefectures).
Precious and semi-precious stones were found in Fukushima and Ishikawa prefectures (opal), in Niigata prefecture (jadeite), in Miyagi, Niigata, Tottori prefectures (amethyst); ruby deposits of China are also known. Iron comes into use only from the 3rd-4th centuries. Here they knew how to extract iron-containing minerals from sand dunes - the so-called sandy iron.
Mastering the technology of iron smelting in Japan coincides with the beginning of statehood. According to the first mining code "Taikhore" (701), the entire population was allowed to freely search for minerals and their development in those provinces where the authorities did not practice this industry. Miners received bonuses for their discoveries, and entrepreneurs were given loans for the development of mining. In 708, large deposits of copper ores were discovered in Chichibu (Musashi Province); on this occasion, the production announced a general amnesty and the exemption of the free population from taxes. Mining developed rapidly. In addition to copper in Musashi, gold was mined in Wakuya. Mining workings at a silver mine
Until the middle of the XX century. Japan was an agricultural country, but after the Second World War, due to the mass migration of the rural population to the city, the situation changed dramatically. The mining and manufacturing industry began to account for a third of the entire industry of Japan, and the developing trade and service sector - three-fifths.
The government has to pay extra to farmers because most of the agricultural products are still imported from abroad. Japan supplies itself with rice (rice fields can be found even in the suburbs of Tokyo), producing it in huge quantities. Popularity soy products led to the country importing 15 times more soybeans than it can produce on its own. Eggs, poultry and vegetables are our own, but 50% of the fruits sold are imported. The production of dairy products is increasing: 75% of the demand is produced in Hokkaido, the remaining 25% is imported. Also, wheat is grown in Hokkaido, the yield of which is no more than 15% of the country's need for grain. Japan, as the world's largest consumer of fish, imports about half of seafood, the same situation with meat. The growth of imports is due to a change in consumer tastes, but in more the reason for this is economic policy A: Many Japanese products are more expensive than imported counterparts.
Because of the addiction to everything wooden and paper, from houses to books, because of the habit of wrapping all purchases in paper, the Japanese have to import wood from other countries.
As a leader in the production of high-quality steel, Japan is forced to import raw materials from abroad. Due to the scarcity of natural resources, Japanese industry is very dependent on foreign supplies, especially oil.
Japan is a country located on islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. The territory of Japan is approximately 372.2 thousand km 2, it consists of the islands of the Japanese archipelago; the largest of them - Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku - are currently connected by bridges and tunnels. The length of the coastline is 29.8 thousand km. The shores are strongly indented and form many bays and coves. The seas and oceans washing Japan are of great importance for it as a source of biological products, mineral and energy resources.
75% of the territory of Japan is occupied by mountains up to 3 km or more above sea level, the plains occupy only a fifth. In the flat regions of Japan are the largest cities and the main industrial zones of the country; the bulk of the population lives.
The Japanese Islands are an area of high seismicity. About one and a half thousand earthquakes of various strengths are recorded annually.
The climate of Japan is generally quite favorable in terms of agriculture and human habitation. The climatic conditions of different regions differ markedly from each other. In general, Japan has almost no raw materials, except for water, and more than three-quarters of the land unsuitable for life and agriculture. Therefore, the Japanese value what they have very much.
Japan is poor in minerals. Binding to external sources of raw materials and markets for finished goods has become the most important reason for the country's active foreign policy.
Over 2/3 of the territory of Japan is occupied by forests and shrubs; a significant part of the forests, more than 1/3 - artificial plantations. Coniferous species account for 50% of the total timber resources and 37% of the total forest area. In total, the flora of Japan has about 300 species of herbs and over 700 species of trees and shrubs.
The rivers of Japan are numerous, but short. The largest of them is the Sinako River (367 km). Most of the rivers are wild mountain streams, sources of hydroelectric power and water for irrigation. The rivers are unsuitable for navigation. There are two types of lakes in Japan: deep mountain lakes and shallow lakes located on the coastal lowlands. The abundance of rivers, lakes, underground waters, which Japan has generously awarded, has a beneficial effect on the development of agriculture and industry.
Geographical position.
Japan (self-name - Nippon) is a large state located on almost 4 thousand islands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean.
As a result of the collision of the Pacific plate with the Eurasian plate and the resulting tectonic fault, a group of islands was formed - fragments of the mainland. The Japanese islands are located on the very Volcanic belt of the earth and in close proximity to the oceanic fault
The main part of the country's territory falls on the islands of the Japanese archipelago proper, which includes the four largest ones - Honshu (231 thousand km 2), Hokkaido (79 thousand km 2), Kyushu (42 thousand km 2) and Shikoku (19 thousand km 2). In addition, Japan owns the Ryukyu Islands located south of Kyushu, as well as small islands in the Pacific Ocean (Nampo, Marcus, etc.). It also lays claim to Russia's Kuril Islands, north of Hokkaido. The area of the country is 377688 sq. km, which is one twenty-fifth of the territory of the United States, one twentieth of the area of Australia, but more than the UK one and a half times.
The highest point in Japan is Mount Fuji (3776 m).
Borders: in the north - with Russia (Sakhalin Island, the Kuriles), in the south - with the Philippines, in the west and northwest - with China and South Korea. All borders are maritime.
The islands that are part of Japan form an arc along the eastern part of Asia with a total length of about 3400 km, stretching between 20 o 25 ”and 45 o 33” N. sh. and 122 about 56” and 153 about 59” E. The length of the coastline is 29.8 thousand km.
Japan is separated from the mainland by the East China, Japan and Okhotsk Seas, however, the remoteness of the main Japanese islands from the Asian coast is not great - the shortest distance through the Korea Strait is 220 km. From the east and southeast, Japan is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, in the south of the Japanese archipelago between the islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, there is the Inland Sea of Japan (Seto Naikai).
The island nature of the territory, proximity to the East Asian shores, a significant length in the meridional direction, as well as the complexity of the relief and climatic differences between individual parts of the country, formed a unique set of natural and geographical conditions that had a huge impact on the history of the development and development of Japan.
Relief, climate and water resources.
One of the most important features of the nature of Japan is the combination of its coastal position with the predominance of mountain landscapes. About 3/4 of the country's territory is occupied by mountains and hills, on each large island there is either a mountain junction or parallel mountain ranges. Under the influence of tectonic forces and intense erosion, mountain ranges have acquired a highly dissected complex character. The Japanese mountains are not very high (on average 1600-1700 m above sea level), but they are very steep - more than 15 e, which makes the economic use of many territories difficult.
Plains and lowlands occupy narrow strips along the sea coasts and river valleys in the interior. The largest of them are located on the Pacific coast - Kanto (with an area of 13 thousand km 2), bordering Tokyo Bay, Nobi (near Ise Bay), Kinai (in the Osaka Bay area). There are large plains in other parts of the country - in Hokkaido (Ishikari river valley), in Northern Kyushu (Tsukushi plain), on the northwestern coast of Honshu (Echigo plain), etc. Many small plains adjoin convenient and long-established bays, bays, which abound with a heavily indented coastline (especially in the south of the archipelago), the total length of which is almost 30 thousand km.
The growing shortage of suitable and accessible (including in terms of price and legal status) land, especially for new industrial construction, is forcing the Japanese to more and more actively attack the sea, like the Dutch, conquering more and more new areas from it. For example, the world's largest metallurgical plant, Fukuyama, was built entirely on a reclaimed site. In general, about a third of the country's coasts have become bulk or reclaimed.
High seismicity and volcanism have a significant impact on the economic use of Japanese territory. About 1.5 thousand earthquakes of various strengths are recorded in Japan every year, and one of the most seismically dangerous is the Tokyo Bay area, where the capital and a number of large cities are located and where a quarter of the country's population lives. There are 67 “live” volcanoes in Japan, 15 of them are active, the rest, including the highest peak of Japan, Mount Fuji (3776 m), are classified as “sleeping”, but quite capable of awakening. Seismic events in deep-sea basins located a few tens of kilometers east of Japan are associated with sea quakes and the huge tsunami waves they cause, to which the northeast of Honshu and Hokkaido are most susceptible.
One of the lower mountain ranges of the island is called the Japanese Alps because of its scenic beauty. And in the extreme south of the island lies another mountain range, where Mount Kita (3192 m) is the highest point in the region. There are also small mountain ranges on the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, but their height does not exceed 1982 m (Mount Ishitsuki on the island of Shikoku).
Since the Japanese islands are 15° C wide, the climatic conditions are very varied. At the end of March, you can sunbathe on the island of Okinawa in the south of Japan or ski on the island of Hokkaido in the north.
The climatic conditions of Japan as a whole are quite favorable for housekeeping and human habitation. Usually there are 4 climatic zones:
1. A zone of temperate oceanic climate with a cold summer - about Hokkaido.
2. A zone of temperate oceanic climate with warm summers - a part about Honshu.
3. Wet zone subtropical climate – southern part about Honshu, about Shikoku, about Kyushu, the northern part of the Ryukyu archipelago.
4. Tropical climate zone - the southern part of the Ryukyu archipelago, Okinawa.
Japan is characterized by monsoonal circulation of the atmosphere, which causes a significant amount of precipitation in the form of heavy summer rains, as well as winter snowfalls (in the north of the country). mountain ranges Central Japan, stretching in the meridional direction, serve as a kind of climatic barrier between the east and west of most of the country. In winter, cold air masses from the mainland have a much stronger effect on West Coast than to the mountain-protected east. The southern subtropical and tropical areas are especially favorable for agriculture, where two crops per year can be harvested. The climate of Western Japan is moderated by the warm Kuroshio Current, and the cold Oyashio Current runs along the northeast coast. The Japanese islands lie in the path of most typhoons that originate in the western Pacific. Precipitation in Japan falls more than in neighboring parts of the mainland. The average rainfall in most of the country is 1700 - 2000 mm, in the south up to 4000 mm per year.
The rivers of Japan are numerous, but not long enough. The country has a dense network of short, full-flowing predominantly mountain rivers. The largest of them Shinano is 367 km long. On the rivers of the Sea of Japan basin, a winter-spring flood is distinguished, on the rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin - a summer flood; There are floods, especially as a result of the passage of typhoons. Most of the rivers are rugged mountain streams, unsuitable for navigation, but quite important as a source of hydroelectric power and water for irrigation. Flat sections of large rivers are accessible to small-draft vessels, the largest lake Biwa, whose area is 716 sq. km. According to the level of use of the hydropower potential of the rivers, the central mountainous region of Honshu stands out. Great importance Many lakes in Japan also have a source of fresh water. The waters of many rivers are used for irrigation; there are thousands of small and large reservoirs in the country.
Minerals.
In the bowels of the Japanese islands there are numerous deposits of various minerals, which are important resources of mineral raw materials and fuel. But at the same time, Japan lacks a number of types of mineral resources that are very important for industry.
Of the fuel reserves, Japan is relatively provided only with coal, the total volume of which is about 16 billion tons. It is of low quality: bituminous coal predominates, containing a lot of ash. Approximately half of the reserves of all Japanese coal falls on about. Hokkaido (mainly the Ishikari River Valley). The second large coal basin is located in the north of about. Kyushu. Coking coal reserves are small and scattered over a number of regions of the country.
Japan's oil reserves are estimated at 64 million tons, which is quite small. They lie at considerable depths.
Of the ore minerals, the “Land of the Rising Sun” has, in more or less significant quantities, only iron ore of low quality, the reserves of which amount to 20 million tons. More than half of them come from the Kamaishi mines on the northeast coast of Honshu. Magnetite iron ore and limonite predominate. In addition to iron ores, Japan has significant (up to 40 million tons) deposits of ferruginous sands (titanium-magnetite-limonite ores) with an iron content of 40 to 50% and pyrites (about 100 million tons), also containing 40-50% iron.
Probable reserves of manganese ores containing up to 35% manganese in Japan are determined at 10 million tons. The reserves of molybdenum, tungsten, nickel, cobalt and other ores of alloying metals are insignificant. Japan is relatively endowed only with chromites and titanium extracted from ferruginous sands.
Of the non-ferrous metal ores for Japan, copper is the most characteristic, the total reserves of which are about 90 million tons. There are also lead-zinc ores. For the production of aluminum, Japan uses alunite deposits from the Izu Peninsula. Unlimited in Japan only raw materials to obtain metallic magnesium, the source material for which is lake brine (a solution saturated with magnesium salts) and sea water. In addition, small deposits of uranium ores have been discovered on Honshu.
Gold and silver are obtained as a by-product of copper smelting in Japan. In small quantities, these metals are also mined on the islands of Kyushu, Hokkaido, Honshu.
Of the non-metallic minerals in Japan, there are large deposits of sulfur (Hokkaido Island) and sulfur pyrites, in terms of which Japan ranks second in the capitalist world after Spain. Potash and table salt are mined here from sea water. In the northwest of Honshu and south about. Kyushu produces a small amount of phosphate rock. At the same time, Japan has a lot of kaolin and various raw materials for the production of various building materials, especially cement.
Soil cover, flora and fauna.
In Japan, mainly weakly podzolic and peaty soils (in Hokkaido, the north and west of Honshu), brown forest soils (in the east of Honshu), and red soils (in the southwest of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku), which allow growing many agricultural crops, are distributed mainly. Marsh soils in the lowlands. Japan's soil resources are very limited, with more than one-third of the soils classified as poor. Nevertheless, the total area of cultivated land is 16% of the entire territory. Japan is one of the few countries in the world that has fully developed its land resources. Virgin land remains only on the island of Hokkaido; on the rest of the islands, the Japanese are expanding the territories of cities and suburban farms, draining swampy shores and river deltas, filling up lagoons and shallow seas, for example, the Tokyo airport was built. The industrial development of the country has caused serious problems associated with large-scale land acquisition for industrial and residential development, as well as environmental pollution, which has led to the development of an effective environmental protection system in Japan.
Due to the abundance of sunny days and moisture vegetable world Japan is very rich and varied. Forests occupy 67% of the territory. In the north, these are coniferous (spruce and fir) forests of the temperate zone. When moving south, they are first replaced by broad-leaved forests (oak, beech, maple), then by coniferous forests of Japanese cryptomeria, cypresses, pines (southern Hokkaido and northern Honshu), followed (in southern Honshu and northern Kyushu and Shikoku) by evergreen broad-leaved forests (Japanese magnolia, scalloped oak). In the very south (southern Kyushu and Ryukyu), subtropical evergreen forests stretch. There are more than 17,000 plant species in the country. The national flowering trees of Japan are the cherry and plum trees, which bloom early and are loved throughout the country. In April, azalea blooms in Japan, peonies in May, lotus in August, and in November the islands are decorated with blooming chrysanthemums - the national flower. Numerous flower festivals are held this month. Gladiolus, several types of lilies, bluebells, full-time color are also common. The most common tree in Japan is the Japanese cedar, which reaches a height of up to 40 m; larch and several types of spruce are also often found. In Kyushu, Shikoku and in the south of Honshu grow subtropical plants: bamboo, camphor laurel, banyan. In the central and northern parts of Honshu, deciduous trees are common: birch, walnut, willow, as well as a large number of coniferous trees. Cypress, yew, eucalyptus, myrtle, holly are often found in this zone. In Hokkaido, the vegetation is very similar to Siberian: the most common are larch, several types of spruce, in some forests there are birch, alder, poplar. The Japanese also very skillfully grow dwarf trees (the so-called "bonsai"), when pine, siwa or cherry do not exceed a height of 30 centimeters.
Compared with the richest flora, the fauna of Japan can be considered rather poor, although the islands have 1199 species of vertebrates, 33776 species of invertebrates, about 140 species of mammals, 40 species of birds, a large number of reptiles, amphibians and fish. The Japanese macaque or red-faced monkey lives on the island of Honshu. Among the predators stand out brown bear, black bear and red bear. Foxes and badgers live on almost all islands. Mink, otter, hare, marten, squirrels, flying squirrels, mice (although there are no domestic mice), a large number of various kinds bats. Of the two deer species, the Japanese sika deer is the most common. The most common bird species are: swallow, sparrow, thrush, heron, duck, woodpecker, cuckoo, swan, snipe, albatross, crane, pheasant, dove. Among the songbirds, two species of the nightingale and the bullfinch are especially widespread.