Japan

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Japan

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This article is about the country in East Asia. For other uses, see Japan (disambiguation).

"本(国)

Nippon/Nihon (koku)

Japan

Flag

Imperial Seal

Anthem: "Kimi Ga Yo (君が代)"

(English: Imperial Reign)

Capital Tōkyō

35Ð'o41′N 139Ð'o46′E

Most populous conurbation Tōkyō1

OfficialÐ' language(s) Japanese (Nihongo)

Government Constitutional Monarchy

Ð' - Emperor HIM Emperor Akihito of Japan

Ð' - Prime Minister Jun'ichirō Koizumi

Formation Ð'

Ð' - National Foundation Day February 11, 660 BCE2Ð'

Ð' - Meiji Constitution November 29, 1890Ð'

Ð' - Current constitution May 3, 1947Ð'

Ð' - Treaty of San Francisco April 28, 1952Ð'

Area Ð'

Ð' - Total 377,873Ð' kmÐ'ІÐ' (62nd)

Ð' (145,883Ð' sqÐ' mi)Ð'

Ð' - Water (%) 0.8%

Population Ð'

Ð' - 2005 est. 128,085,000Ð' (10th)

Ð' - 2004 census 127,333,002

Ð' - Density 337/kmÐ'ІÐ' (30th)

(873/sqÐ' mi)Ð'

GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate

Ð' - Total $3.911 trillionÐ' (3rd)

Ð' - Per capita $30,615Ð' (16th)

HDI (2003) 0.943Ð' (11th)Ð' Ð'-Ð' high

Currency Yen (Ð'Ґ) (JPY)

Time zone JST (UTC+9)

Internet TLD .jp

Calling code +81

1 Yokohama is the largest incorporated city.

2 Japan was founded on this date by the legendary Emperor Jimmu, first emperor of Japan, and is seen as largely symbolic.

Japan (Japanese: 日本[1] Nihon or Nippon, officially 日本国 Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku?) is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in the south. Its capital is Tōkyō, one of the 47 prefectures.

At over 377,872Ð' square kilometres (145,898 sq mi), Japan is the 62nd largest country by area. It encompasses over 3,000 islands, the largest of which are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku. Most of Japan's islands are mountainous, and many are volcanic, including the highest peak, Mount Fuji. It has the world's 10th largest population, with nearly 128Ð' million people. The Greater Tōkyō Area, with over 30 million residents, is the largest metropolitan area in the world.

Archaeological research indicates that people were living on the islands of Japan as early as the upper paleolithic period. The written history of Japan begins with brief appearances in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Japanese history has been marked by alternating periods of long isolation and radical influence from the outside world. Its culture today is a mixture of outside and internal influences.

Since it adopted its constitution on May 3, 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament, the Diet, which is one of the oldest legislative bodies in Asia. Japan is an economic world power with the world's second largest economy, and is the sixth largest exporter and importer and is a member of the United Nations, G8, G4, and APEC.

Contents

[hide]

Ð'* 1 History

o 1.1 Jōmon and Yayoi eras

o 1.2 Classical era

o 1.3 Medieval era

o 1.4 Edo era

o 1.5 Modern Japan

Ð'* 2 Government and politics

o 2.1 The Emperor and the Imperial Family

o 2.2 The Diet

o 2.3 The Prime Minister

o 2.4 The Judiciary

o 2.5 Foreign relations

o 2.6 Military

Ð'* 3 Prefectures and local government

Ð'* 4 Geography

o 4.1 Climate

Ð'* 5 Economy

o 5.1 Industrial sector

o 5.2 Science and technology

o 5.3 Agriculture and fishing

o 5.4 Infrastructure and