Period+8+Japan+Geography

By: Annie Chess and Nicole Monti
Japan is a country that consists of long chains of islands. Some easily recognize Japan on a map because of how its shape looks similar to a dragon. The chain of islands, small and large, spread over 1,800 miles and the four largest islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. The Sea of Japan separates the country from the Asian continent, although its neighbors are still Russia, China, and Korea.



73% of Japan's land consists mainly of tree-covered mountains and hills: several of these mountains which are actually active volcanoes. One of Japan's most famous mountain is Mt. Fuji, which is Japan's highest mountain, standing at 12,385 ft. Japan is not only a country of many volcanoes, but it is also an area of several earthquakes. Past earthquakes have been so destructive that they formed hot springs, which are now attractions in Japan.

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In Japan, summers are very hot and winters are very cold, although in certain regions, such as Hokkaido, winters are below freezing and summers are very cool. Late June and early July are rainy seasons (not including Hokkaido), and typhoons begin to appear during the last days of summer and the early days of autumn. Typhoons attack Japan with heavy rainfall.

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Images: http://www.iceagenow.com/Kilauea.jpg

Video: www.youtube.com