The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometers. Altogether, Japan is a little smaller than the size of California. It is made up of four main islands and surrounded by nearly 4,000 smaller islands, though. This makes it an archipelago.
With the 10th largest population in the world, Japan is home to nearly 128 million people. The population of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area alone is approximately 12 million. The main ethnicity in Japan, of course, is Japanese. Every other ethnic group fits into a whopping 1%.
Some of Japan's natural resources are minerals and fish. Japan maintains one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global catch.
Most of Japan's terrain is rugged, mountainous, and forested. It is home to the famous Mt. Fuji. Japan also has many dormant and some active volcanoes. Most of the terrain is unsuitable for agricultural, industrial, or residential use. This is because of the number of earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons that have afflicted the country. The terrain is mostly covered in steep steep elevations, adding to the risk of landslides.
Japan's government is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government. They have an Emperor, Akihito. They also have a Prime Minister, Taro Aso. The Prime Minster holds most of the power in the government. The Emperor effectively acts as the head of state on diplomatic occasions.
Japan has been a member state of the United Nations since 1956. It is also a member of the Group of Eight (G8), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the three East Asian nations of China, Japan, and South Korea (ASEAN Plus Three). Japan is also a participant in the East Asia Summit.
