Natural conditions of Japan. Natural resources of Japan (table)

Japan is a small Asian state located on the islands. In terms of living, it occupies the first position in the world. How did the natural conditions and resources of Japan influence this?

A little bit about the country

The state is completely located on the Japanese archipelago, which consists of 6852 large and small islands. All of them are of either mountain or volcanic origin, some are uninhabited. The main part of the territory is made up of the four largest islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku.

The state is washed by the Japanese, Okhotsk, and East China Seas of the Pacific Ocean. Shares the border with the Russian Far East, South Korea, China and the Philippines. The local population pronounces the name of the country as “Nippon” or “Nippon Koku”, which often translates as Country of the Rising Sun.

On an area of ​​377,944 square kilometers, approximately 127 million people live. The capital of Japan - the city of Tokyo - is located on the island of Honshu. Japan is a constitutional-parliamentary monarchy, headed by the emperor.

Forest resources

Forests - those natural resources of Japan, which the country has enough. They cover more than 65% of the territory. About a third of the forests are man-made stands. More than 2500 species of plants grow in the country. Subtropical forests grow in the southern mountainous regions, coniferous species prevail in the north, mixed forests are located in the central part.

Tropical vegetation is found on the islands: palm trees, ferns, fruit trees. Sweet potato and sugarcane are growing on the Ryukyu Islands. In mountainous areas grow pines, firs, evergreen oaks. The country has a large number of endemic species, including Japanese cypress and cryptomeria. Here you can see the relict ginkgo tree.

At the foot of the mountains on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, for example on Fuji, broad-leaved forests prevail. At an altitude of more than one kilometer, an area of ​​alpine shrubs begins, which are replaced by alpine meadows. Huge areas are occupied by bamboo forests cultivated for furniture production.

Water resources

Japan's water natural resources are represented by an abundance of underwater, lakes and rivers. Numerous mountain rivers are quite 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 Sinano, 367 kilometers long and Tone, 322 kilometers long, both located on Honshu Island. 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 floods, which often leads to flooding.

The country has both coastal shallow and deep-sea mountain lakes. Some of them, for example Kuttyaro, Tovado, are of volcanic origin. Saroma and Kasumigaura are lagoonal. Japan's largest freshwater lake, Biwa (670 sq. Km.), Is located on Honshu Island.

Minerals

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.

Significant amounts contain limestone, sand, dolomites and pyrites. 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

Japan's weather conditions have a positive effect on agricultural development. 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 mild.

Thanks to the humid monsoon winds and the warm Kuroshio Current, the Ryukyu and Kyushu Islands have a tropical and subtropical climate. Here the crop season occurs twice a year. Air masses and currents often contribute to heavy rainfall, and in winter they bring snowfall. In the northern regions, the climate is temperate.

A large number of sunny days, mountainous terrain, the presence of winds and fast mountain rivers create the 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 is developing methods for producing photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wind energy.

Natural resources of Japan (table)

Japan's conditions and natural resources (briefly)

Japan is an amazing and picturesque country. There are mountains, forests, rivers and minerals. Nevertheless, the economic assessment of the natural conditions and resources of Japan usually sounds disappointing. The thing is that most of the country's existing resources for industrial purposes is difficult or impossible to use.

Mineral and natural resources of Japan are very diverse, but their quantity is too small. Two-thirds of the state’s territory is not suitable for farming due to rugged terrain. Many forests growing in the mountains are inaccessible for deforestation because of the danger of landslides and landslides. The rivers are completely unsuitable for the development of shipping.

All this is relative. Indeed, despite the poor provision of natural resources, Japan manages to skillfully get out of the situation. Large exports of wood, seafood and fish, livestock, rice, vegetables, 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.