Japan

Japan belongs to the continent of Asia, it is classed as an island country and is positioned in the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Japan in Eastern Asia. There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Asia is the world's largest continent, it has 48 countries, with some countries belonging to both Asia and Europe, occupies a total area of 43,820,000 km2 and forms 29.5% of the landmass of the world. Japan is an island country that spans across a total area of approximately 377,930 km2. It is an archipelago of 6,852 islands that have a circumference over 100m. Around 430 of Japan's islands are inhabited, but there are five main islands that we consider when referring to the Japanese Mainland. The names of the five main islands are Honshu, Sakhalin, Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

The following border information provides details on the length of Japan's borders:
Coastline 29,751 km.

The climate of Japan can be described as being temperate in the north and tropical in the south. The geography of Japan is formed of a series of islands and comprises majorly of rugged terrain and mountainous regions. The main islands of Japan are called Sakhalin, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. The lowest point of Japan is the Hachiro-gata at -4m, and the highest point of elevation is Mount Fuji at 3,776m.

The official language of Japan is Japanese, which is spoken by the overwhelming majority of the population.

The main religion of Japan is Shintoism at approximately 79% of the population. Around 66% are Buddhism. The remaining population either belongs to other religions or no religion at all.

Natural resources are materials and substances that can be found occurring naturally on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. An individual country's natural resources can depend on many factors including the climate, geography and location. Some countries, such as Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada, are rich with natural resources, where as others have practically none. Food, transport and construction are three of the primary uses of natural resources. For example, fish is a naturally occurring resource that can be caught for food consumption. Crude oils can be refined into different types of fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. Wood/timber from forests can be used to build homes and furniture. The natural resources of Japan include negligible mineral resources and fish.

Every country has its own unique culture, history and identity. Flags, symbols, emblems, mottos, songs, anthems and colors are used by countries across the world to represent national pride and identity. These national symbols are forged through a nation's unique history and can represent both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, colors, songs and mottos reflect the past, present and future aspirations of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can include a mixture of things that are symbolic to a country such as animals, birds, flowers, trees, geographical features, tools of agriculture, crops, and tools of war. The following facts and information provide a guide to some of the most important national symbols, songs and colors of Japan: