General characteristics of Japan. Complete lessons – Knowledge Hypermarket

Japan is a mountainous country (3/4 of its area is made up of mountains and hills). These are young mountains, many volcanoes (200, of which 40 are active). Mount Fuji (3776 m) is the highest peak in Japan. Lowlands are located along the coast of the islands, the largest of them is Kanto, which is located in the eastern part of the island. Honshu. The Ryukyu Islands are dominated by low mountains and plateaus.

The rivers of Japan are short, mountainous, and full-flowing (Shinano, Tone, Kitanami). After typhoons pass, there are floods. There are many lakes in Japan, the largest being Biwa (716 km2). Rivers are a source of hydropower and irrigation of fields. The country is rich in mineral and thermal springs.

In the north of Japan, podzolic and meadow-swamp soils are common; in the south of the temperate zone, brown forest soils predominate; in the subtropical and tropical parts - yellow- and red-earth. Along the river valleys there are alluvial soils. Favorable agroclimatic resources allow harvesting two crops per year.

2/3 of the country's territory is occupied by forests and shrubs. 37% of the forest area consists of coniferous trees. In the north of Hokkaido there is a spruce-fir taiga with the presence of bamboo, thickets of rhododendron and dwarf cedar. In the south of Honshu there are broad-leaved forests (oak, maple, beech, chestnut, alder, linden). Shikoku and Kyushu are covered subtropical forests from magnolia, camphor wood, Japanese cypress, bamboo, evergreen oak, Japanese pine, thuja. Tropical forests grow in Okinawa (sugar and sago palms, banana, ficus, tree ferns, rattan vine, numerous epiphytes).

The country's forest resources are very limited; only 27% of forests produce industrial timber. This is the result of deforestation, unsatisfactory forest management, long-term predatory exploitation, and soil erosion. Forests are severely depleted.

Animal world different parts are very different. So, in Hokkaido they live brown bear, ermine, sable, weasel, raccoon dogs. On Honshu - Japanese macaque, black bear, salamander. The southern islands are characterized by tropical fauna: monkeys, bats, woolly wing, Japanese deer, black hare, bluebird. Various sea resources - fish, shellfish, crabs, algae.

Japan's mineral resources are very diverse, but there are almost no large deposits of industrial importance. Sufficient reserves of only sulfur, limestone, very little coal, manganese, lead-zinc, copper ores, gold, silver, mercury and chromites. The country has significant recreational resources.

Natural resource potential of Japan Wikipedia
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Japan- an archipelago of East Asia, which consists of more than 6,800 islands of various sizes. Among them the largest ones are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku.

Islands

The islands are connected to each other by ferry, tunnels and bridges. On all sides, the territory of the state is washed by the seas: from the west - the East China and Japan, from the north - the Okhotsk Ocean, from the east and south - the Pacific Ocean. The capital of the country is Tokyo, the largest cities are Osaka and Yokohama.

Nature of the country

The country's nature is incredibly beautiful and diverse. There are waterfalls, gorges, hot springs and snow-capped mountain peaks. They blend harmoniously with skyscrapers and multiple high-speed highways and ancient temples and medieval palaces.

The terrain is predominantly mountainous, with the highest peaks located on the northern islands. The mountain ranges of Japan are similar to the European Alps. Flat landscapes can only be seen along the coast. Japan has many extinct and active volcanoes. One of the active ones is the famous sacred Mount Fuji. This is one of the main symbols of Japan. The height of Fuji is 3776 meters. It is located on the island of Honshu.

Mountain rivers are mostly high-water and short. Power plants have been built on many of them. The country's largest lake is Biwa.

Location

From the north, the Land of the Rising Sun borders on Russia.

The southern border is with the Philippines, and the northwest and western borders are with South Korea and China.

It is difficult to call the location of Japan advantageous.

With it, the predominance of pronounced unfavorable, sometimes catastrophic factors is especially clearly noticeable.

The heavily indented coastline is longer than the entire coastline of Africa. Japan has access to world trade routes, but at the same time remains an island state, rather isolated and closed.
The creation of large ports was facilitated by the presence of a considerable number of deep-water bays and bays jutting into the land. The country has three ports, which are among the largest structures in the world.

The country is located in the Pacific seismic belt. During the year it experiences more than 2,000 earthquakes. In most cases, they are almost imperceptible, but they can also be very strong, with catastrophic consequences. As a result of underwater earthquakes, a tsunami may form. Japan is located on the path of tropical typhoons. They often cause severe floods.

The geographical location of a country is one of the important factors that influence its economic development, history, culture and mentality of the people of this country.

The geographical location of Japan itself is quite specific, which not least determined the specificity of its culture.

Japan, located on the islands of the Japanese Archipelago (6852 in total) in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, off the eastern tip of Eurasia, is isolated from the continent by seas. In the south and east it is the Pacific Ocean (the part of the Pacific Ocean west of the Ogasawara Islands is also called the Philippine Sea), in the northwest - the Sea of ​​Japan, which separates Japan from the Korean Peninsula, in the west - the East China Sea, separating the archipelago from China and Taiwan, in the northeast is the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

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

Through it, Japan borders on Russia. Thus, Japan has no land borders with other countries. The closest sea ​​border- with Russia.

The sea between the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku is also called the Inland Sea of ​​Japan (or Seto-naikai), and it contains a large number of small islands.

The coastline of the islands is highly indented, especially in its southwestern part, and amounts to 29,751 km.

If we talk about sea currents, the warm Kuroshio Current passes from the southern side of the Japanese Islands, Sea of ​​Japan, and from the north - the cold Oyashio Current.

The Japanese archipelago itself is a narrow and long chain of islands, shaped like a bow. Among them are 4 large islands that make up the main territory (from north to south):

Hokkaido,

as well as 6848 small ones. They consist of

Izuya Islands

— the Ogasawara Islands, located in the south of the main territory,

Nansei Islands, or Ryukyu Islands, in the southwest. The largest of them is the island of Okinawa

In addition, in Japanese reference books, the territory of Japan includes the four islands of the southern Kuril Islands (called the “northern islands” or “northern territories”), which are actually under the control of the Russian Federation.

The area of ​​Japan is 378,000 square meters. km, of which 374,744 sq. km is occupied by land, and the rest is water. The country ranks 61st in the world by area. 70% of its territory is occupied by mountains, 67% is covered with forests, that is, the lion's share of Japan's territory is forested mountain landscape.

Japan is considered a small country. However, in area it is larger than England, Germany, New Zealand, Malaysia, Italy or Korea. But due to the fact that most of its territory is occupied by mountains, only a narrow coast and a few plains are suitable for settlement (the largest of them is Kanto, equal to 13 thousand sq. km). This determines the high population density of the country.

The rivers here are short, again, due to the abundance of mountains. None of them is a through artery that would connect the west and east of the country, so Japanese rivers have never played the role of important transport routes that rivers play in continental countries. Moreover, they are located in rainy areas, so their currents are very powerful and fast, and they form valleys in mountainous areas and sediments at the mouth.

The large extent of the country from north to south determined the diversity of its climate in different areas: from the cold climate of Hokkaido to the tropical climate of the southern islands.

The climate of the eastern part of Japan, facing the Pacific Ocean, is very different from the climate of the western part, facing the Sea of ​​Japan, since the country is divided along the mountain ranges in the central part of the archipelago.

In winter, the northwestern part of Japan, where cold seasonal winds blow, receives a lot of snow, while the eastern part is characterized by clear and dry weather. The temperature difference gradually increases towards the north. The climate of Japan is characterized by a clearly defined change of seasons. At the beginning of summer there is a long period of rain, after which hot and humid weather sets in. In the second half of August, the heat subsides and dry autumn arrives. In autumn there are often typhoons, which pose a great danger.

Another dangerous feature is the high seismicity of the Japanese archipelago. There are many volcanoes here (the highest point in the country and " national symbol» Japan - Mount Fuji is also a volcano), earthquakes are frequent, which can cause destructive tsunamis.

Japan is poor in mineral resources, which determines the intensive, resource-saving nature of the country's economic development. The fauna is also poor due to Japan's island position. The landscape features do not provide opportunities for breeding and grazing livestock. At the same time, sea currents create favorable conditions for the habitat of a huge number of fish species. This influenced the traditional diet of the inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago, a large share of which is seafood.

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Area – 372 thousand km2.

Population: 125 million people.

The capital is Tokyo.

Like Great Britain, Japan developed a form of government called constitutional monarchy. Believers profess Buddhism and Shintoism.

Geographical location. Natural conditions and resources

Japan is an island country in the far east of Asia.

Japanese government system. Natural conditions and resources. Population

It is no coincidence that the Japanese call their homeland “The Land of the Rising Sun.” Japan occupies a chain of islands (about 4 thousand of them), the largest of which are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Japan is a mountainous country with an acute shortage of land resources. Fertile lowlands occupy only a third of the islands. The country practically lacks the main types of mineral raw materials. Therefore, other natural resources have become important: for example, the climate, which in the southern islands makes it possible to consistently obtain two harvests a year. Mountain forests are of particular value, as even the Japanese proverb says: “Mountains are valuable not because they are high, but because they are rich in forests.” Various ocean resources are being used very intensively, in which Japan is a recognized leader.

Many generations of Japanese have significantly changed the nature of the islands. This is especially noticeable on the coasts, where industry and agriculture, a developed transport network disrupted natural complexes. However, in numerous national parks nature has been preserved completely intact.

Population

Japan is a single-ethnic country, 99% of its population is Japanese. National minorities include primarily the Ainu - descendants of the indigenous inhabitants of Hokkaido.

The country's population is characterized by low natural growth. Japan ranks first in the world in terms of life expectancy (almost 80 years), so there are many elderly people here.

Japan is a densely populated (300 people per 1 km2) and highly urbanized country (86% of the population are city dwellers). Three-quarters of the city's inhabitants are concentrated in the agglomerations that form the giant Tokaido metropolis, stretching from Tokyo to Kobe.

Japan's international success is due in part to the fact that the manufacturing population makes up half the nation. This is a very high figure.

Transport. Internal differences. International connections

In domestic transportation, about 90% of cargo in Japan is carried out by road transport. The average speed of passenger express trains reaches 120 km per hour. In Japan, the world's largest tunnel, Seikan, was built between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, which stretches 23 km underwater alone. Maritime transport provides almost all foreign trade relations. It is he who, not counting the fleet of “cheap flag” countries, is the world leader in cargo capacity.

Internal differences in the location of the economy are determined by the fact that the state consists of two “countries” - the capital and the rest of Japan.

The main political, financial (the largest in the world), industrial and scientific center of Japan is the capital of Tokyo. Together with Yokohama, it forms a huge urban agglomeration.

A local proverb says: “Japan begins in Tokyo.” The city, which was completely destroyed by an earthquake and fires in 1923, now has a population of 8.5 million people and 6 million cars. There are 70 thousand restaurants in the city alone. 2/3 of the country’s population and 85% of the manufacturing industry are concentrated in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

Japan is investing heavily in setting up production facilities in other countries where Japanese technology and cheap labor force significantly reduce production costs. Japan's main trading partners are the United States and Western European countries.

Conclusions:

Japan is an island country with limited natural resources.

Japan is a highly developed industrial state, one of the world leaders in mechanical engineering.

High-intensity agriculture meets most food needs.

High-tech transport provides intensive domestic and international connections.

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The rapid growth of industry, the deepening of the inter-regional and international division of labor, the increasing dependence on exports and imports, the increasing mobility of the population - all this has placed and is placing increased demands on Japan's transport system. By the nature of the transport system, it resembles the countries of Western Europe, but in terms of the volume of transport of goods and passengers it is much larger than any of them. All modes of transport are well developed in Japan, with the exception of inland waterways and pipelines.

In domestic cargo transportation, the coastal fleet plays a leading role, and the importance of road transport has also increased noticeably. But almost no cargo is transported by rail. The structure of domestic passenger turnover has also changed, in which road transport has taken first place, railway transport has remained in second place, and air transport has taken third place. External cargo transportation is provided almost exclusively by sea transport.

It’s most logical to start characterizing Japan’s transport system with railway transport. First of all, because it is the railways that still form its backbone.

The main highways run along the northern and especially southern coasts of the island. Honshu. Shorter transverse roads cross the central part of the mountainous island, connecting coastal highways. Complementing this system are roads on the islands of Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku. Over time, almost all of them were duplicated by highways.

Total length railways Japan has noticeably decreased over the past decades, amounting to 20 thousand km in 2005 (18th place in the world). In terms of railway freight turnover, it also ranks only 10th. But in terms of their passenger turnover (380 billion passenger km) Japan for a long time competed for first place with the huge Soviet Union and only recently lost leadership to China and India - countries with a billion people. The following figures are no less clear: each Japanese travels an average of 1,900 km by rail per year, while a Frenchman travels 1,235 km, a German travels 1,170 km, a Russian travels 1,060 km, and an Englishman travels 670 km.

Japan's railways have a very high technical level. All main highways are electrified. Monorails and roads for maglev trains have become widespread. Thanks to this, Japan, along with France, occupies a leading position in the world in the development of high-speed railways, ensuring the movement of passenger trains at speeds of 200–300 km/h.

Back in 1979, an experimental carriage with electromagnetic-dynamic suspension overcame the “dream barrier” – a speed of 500 km/h. And in 1999, a five-car train with passengers, also magnetically suspended, reached a speed of 552 km/h, and in 2008 – 581 km/h.

Japan's success in creating high-speed railways can most clearly be demonstrated by the example of Shinkansen highway(“new gauge line”), which was opened in 1964, on the eve of the Tokyo Olympics. This line connected the “big three” urban agglomerations of Japan, i.e. Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, which together form the Tokaido megalopolis.

The length of the Shinkansen was initially 515 km. The blue and white Hikari (“light”) express began to run along it, accommodating from 1,200 to 2,000 passengers. It covers the distance between Tokyo and Osaka in 2.5 hours. And this despite the most difficult route with 300 bridges and 66 tunnels. In 1996, the super express “Nozomi” (“hope”) began to run along this highway, the speed of which reaches 300 km/h. The Shinkansen is also characterized by exceptional traffic density, reaching 285 trains per day. It is estimated that during the 35 years of the line's existence, 3.5 billion passengers were transported along it, and during all this time not one of them was injured due to any incidents on the railway. And the average delay for the year is only 0.4 minutes, including delays due to reasons such as typhoons, earthquakes, snowfalls, avalanches and other natural disasters.

Over time, however, the concept of Shinkansen expanded far beyond the Tokaido metropolis. First, this highway was extended to the city of Fukuoka, located in the north of the island. Kyushu, while its length increased to 1100 km. Then a whole network of high-speed (up to 270 km/h) railways was built, which connected different parts of the island. Honshu (Fig. 119). By 2025, their total length is planned to be increased to 14 thousand km.

Younger road transport has been successfully competing with the railway for a long time. In terms of the length of roads, Japan ranks fifth in the world, behind only such giant countries as the USA, India, Brazil and China. But in terms of the density of the road network (3,130 km per 1,000 km 2 of territory) it is second only to Belgium and Singapore, and in terms of freight traffic on roads and the size of the vehicle fleet (75 million cars) it is second only to the United States.

Large, efficient trucks took over general cargo transportation, becoming a major competitor to the railroads. And in terms of passenger turnover, Japanese road transport is already twice as large as rail transport.

Highways usually run parallel to railways, forming so-called polyhighways. Highways in Japan provide two-lane or even multi-lane traffic in both directions. Every 15–20 km, in the most picturesque places, there are recreation areas with cafes, canteens, long-distance and emergency telephones, gas stations, and souvenir kiosks. And every 40–60 km there are service stations operating around the clock.

The role is extremely large in Japan maritime transport, which undertakes cabotage and almost all foreign trade transportation. The Japanese navy ranks second after Panama in terms of the number of ships (more than 2.5 thousand). True, in terms of its tonnage the country is now inferior to twelve other states, but if we take into account Japanese ships sailing under “cheap flags”, then its tonnage will be not 11, but almost 90 million br. – reg. T.

Rice. 119. Shinkansen high-speed rail network

A very important place in the transport system of Japan is occupied by its seaports, providing both coastal and international transportation. In total, there are more than a thousand ports in the country, 19 of them are of international importance, including 9 that belong to the category of world ports, that is, they have a cargo turnover of more than 50 million tons per year (see Table 150 in Book I). They form three port complexes.

The main one is Keihin, located on the coast of Tokyo Bay and includes four major ports. The central place in this complex is occupied by Tokyo, where a large container terminal has been built and berths for general cargo are located. More than 2/3 of the total cargo turnover of the Port of Tokyo comes from coastal shipping, but it also participates in international transport. The port of Tokyo is accessible to ships with a draft of up to 12 m. The outport of Tokyo is Yokohama, located 30 km from the capital and connected with it by a shipping canal. Its cargo turnover is dominated by bulk cargo - oil, iron ore, chemical products, food, but also occupies an important place finished goods. In the past, Yokohama was also the country's main passenger port, but now this function has almost completely died out. Between Tokyo and Yokohama there is the port of Kawasaki, whose berths are adjacent to heavy industrial enterprises, and on the opposite shore of Tokyo Bay is the port of Chiba, specializing mainly in oil cargo.

The second place is occupied by the Hanshin port complex, located on the shores of the Akashi Strait, which connects the Inland Sea of ​​Japan with Osaka Bay. This complex includes the ports of Osaka and Kobe. The first of them performs approximately the same functions as the port of Tokyo, and the second - like the port of Yokohama in the Keihin complex. Most of the territory of the port of Kobe was created artificially, by filling soil, and the depth here reaches 12–15 m. Like Yokohama, Kobe used to be one of the main centers of regular passenger shipping in Asia, but today the basis of its activity is coastal and international cargo transportation.

The third port complex - Tokai - developed on the shores of Ise Bay. Nagoya stands out in it, the berths of which have a depth of 5-15 m and are adapted to receive liquid, bulk and general cargo.

Natural resource potential of Japan

And cars, mineral fertilizers, metals, and various equipment are exported through this port.

By level of development air transport Japan is also one of the first places in the world. In terms of passenger turnover, it is second only to the United States, although by a large margin. Air transport provides both domestic and international transportation. And the largest airports in the country are in Tokyo (Haneda, Narita) and Osaka.

In Japan, as a mountainous country, the problem of overcoming various types of natural barriers. Suffice it to say that its railways have 3.5 thousand tunnels with a total length of 1,500 km. Of the ten longest railway tunnels in the world, half are in Japan. Perhaps the greatest difficulty for this archipelago country is ensuring reliable sea and land connections between its four main islands.

For this purpose, the Inland Sea of ​​Japan (Seto), which stretches for 450 km and is one of the busiest shipping areas of the World Ocean, is widely used. In addition, the islands are connected to each other by bridges and transport tunnels. Back in 1942, the Kanmon underwater tunnel was opened under the narrow Shimonoseki Strait, separating the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. This tunnel has three levels and is suitable for rail, road and pedestrian traffic. In the post-war period, when its capacity became insufficient, a second tunnel was built - "Shinkanmon" - almost 19 km long. At the end of the 1980s. The construction of the Seto-Ohashi bridge system was completed, connecting the islands of Honshu and Shikoku. Traffic along them occurs at two levels – lower (railway) and upper (road). These are the largest double-decker bridges in the world.

But, naturally, an even more complex matter was the connection of the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, separated by the Tsugaru Strait, which stretches for almost 100 km with a minimum width of about 20 km. For a long time, railway and road transport A special ferry vessel served through the Tsugaru Strait. However, in 1954 it capsized, killing more than a thousand passengers. That's when the idea of ​​building the Seikan Tunnel arose. Its construction lasted more than 20 years. After the start of the global energy crisis, even doubts arose about its profitability and other options for its use were proposed: for laying power lines, for setting up tourist attractions, a giant underground oil storage facility and even... plantations for growing champignons. But in the 1980s. it was still completed. The world's longest tunnel, the Seikan Tunnel, is 54 km long, of which 23 km are 100 m deep underwater. Thanks to this tunnel, a fast train now travels from Tokyo to Sapporo in 6 hours rather than 16 hours.

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2.4 Non-production sphere

2.4.1 Geography of communications and transport

Japan is famous for its well-developed transport infrastructure. Its improvement based on latest achievements science and technology has long been one of the most important government tasks. The Pacific coast of the island of Honshu, where the main industrial centers are located and most of the country's population is concentrated, has the highest density of transport system facilities. At the beginning of the new century, passenger flows increased significantly due to road and air transport. Road transport also leads in cargo transportation. The length of roads is 1203777 km.

The length of railways is 26,435 km, of which 15,895 km are electrified. On Shinkasen express lines, trains reach speeds of up to 300 km/h.

The majority of maritime transport occurs on foreign lines. Approximately 40% of domestic freight transport is carried out on coastal routes. The country has several dozen large seaports. The largest and most important of them: Yokohama (average turnover 9 trillion yen), Osaka (4 trillion yen), Tokyo (8.9 trillion yen), Kobe (6.1 trillion yen), Nagoya (8.9 trillion yen), Shimizu (2.2 trillion yen), Nagasaki (182 billion), Moji (767 billion).

Air transport accounts for up to 80% of international passenger traffic, as well as urgent cargo. 176 airports (2010) are divided into three classes. The first includes two international airports in Tokyo - Narita and Haneda and one in Osaka - Kansai. The second contains large airports for domestic traffic, and the third contains small airports for domestic traffic.

2.4.2 Tourism

More than 5 million tourists visit the country every year. Japan is famous high level service. There are 3.5 thousand European-style hotels in Japan, as well as a large number of national Ryokan hotels.

Japan attracts tourists with the unique and unique traditions of its people, picturesque and unique nature.

In Japan, the Council for Tourism Policy and the Interdepartmental Coordination Council for Tourism have been created, coordinating the policies of government agencies on tourism issues, as well as the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Transport of Japan, which promotes tourism and regulates the activities of tourism organizations.

The most influential travel companies in Japan are the Japan Association of Travel Agencies and the Japan National Tourism Organization. In total, in Japan there are more than 500 travel agencies licensed by the Ministry of Transport, and more than 2,000 organizations in charge of domestic tourism.

2.4.3 Trade and finance

The currency of Japan is the yen (¥). Inflation – -0.9% (2010).

The country's financial year begins on April 1 and ends on March 31 of the following year. In the revenue side of the state, the budget is formed mainly from tax revenues (57%), other revenues make up an insignificant percentage. The largest expenditure items of the state budget are: social security expenditures, servicing the national debt, the needs of prefectures, public works, education and science.

The main role in the monetary system is played by the central bank, a dozen city banks, several dozen regional banks of the first and second category, trust banks, and advance loan banks. The Central Bank is the only currency issuer in the country; it implements monetary policy.

Japan is a developed post-industrial country, despite the scarcity of mineral reserves. In many sectors of the manufacturing industry, Japan occupies a leading position in the world. The country has a well-developed service sector, and its transport infrastructure is one of the best in the world. The country attracts many tourists every year with its mystery and originality. In recent years, R&D expenditures have increased significantly. Also, in terms of the scale of use of the most advanced types of industrial equipment, Japan is significantly ahead of all countries in the world. It can be said that Japan is an example of how, without enough territory, raw materials and favorable conditions, you can become one of the most advanced countries in the world.

2.5 Foreign economic relations of the country

2.5.1 Trade in goods, services and finance

Japan is one of the world's largest trading powers.

Imports: $636,800,000,000 (2010). Partners: China 22.2%, USA 10.96%, Australia 6.29%, Saudi Arabia 5.29%, UAE 4.12%, South Korea 3.98%, Indonesia 3.95% (2009). Imports are dominated by fuel and industrial raw materials. IN lately Imports of finished goods from NIS Asia are increasing. The most important items of Japanese imports are mechanical engineering products - 23%, industrial raw materials and fuel - 14%, food - 7%, clothing - 5%.

Exports: $735,800,000,000 (2010). Partners: China 18.88%, USA 16.42%, South Korea 8.13%, Taiwan 6.27%, Hong Kong 5.49% (2009). In the export of finished industrial products, 64% falls on machinery and equipment. Japan's international specialization on the world market is trade in products of knowledge-intensive high-tech industries.

An important area of ​​Japan's foreign economic activity is the export of capital. In terms of the volume of foreign investment, the country has become one of the world leaders along with the USA and Great Britain. Moreover, the share of capital investment in developed countries is growing. Japan invests its capital in the manufacturing and mining industries around the world. Japan remains the world's leading creditor and has the world's largest foreign assets.

3.2 Cooperation between Belarus and Japan

Cooperation between Belarus and Japan is developed in the following areas:

1. Cooperation in the border area.

In Minsk on December 11, 2010. A working meeting took place between the First Deputy Chairman of the State Border Committee, Major General Andrei Gorulko, and the Charge d'Affaires of Japan in Belarus, Kiyoshi Matsuzaki. The parties considered the implementation of the international technical assistance project "Modernization of the system for combating illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials on the State Border of Belarus" (RADBEL), and also outlined directions further development cooperation between the two countries on border issues.

In accordance with the project, it is planned to create mobile laboratories for operational and operational-strategic response to facts of illicit trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials at the border. In addition, it is planned to create a departmental center and regional response points for radiation incidents on the border of Belarus.

2.Humanitarian cooperation. State and public structures of the Republic of Belarus and Japan actively cooperate in matters of overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster.

3.Financial relations. In Tokyo on November 9-10, 2010, the conference “JSC JSB Belarusbank opens investment and business opportunities in the Republic of Belarus” was held.

The speakers noted the importance of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in December 2009 between NEXI and JSC JSB Belarusbank for the development of trade between Belarus and Japan, as well as good prerequisites for the development of Belarusian-Japanese business relations in such areas as petrochemicals, light, food industry and mechanical engineering.

Thus, we can conclude that Japan occupies a leading position in trade in goods and services and occupies an important position in international financial relations. Japan is developing its international contacts, both political and economic. The multi-vector development of relations between Belarus and Japan can also be traced.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF JAPAN

4.1 Science and education

Scientific developments in Japan are carried out by specialized research institutions, private companies, as well as universities and other higher education institutions. educational institutions.

Japan is one of the leading countries in scientific research, especially in high technology, biomedicine and robotics. The national R&D budget is US$130 billion and nearly 700 thousand scientists are involved in research. Japan ranks third in terms of funds spent on science. She is a leader in basic science: among the Japanese 13 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry or medicine, three Field Medal winners and a Gauss Medal winner. Japan ranks first in the production and use of robots. This country invented such robots as QRIO, ASIMO and AIBO.

The main scientific centers of Japan: Tsukuba, Nomura, Mitsubishi, Torei, Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya universities.

The country has a 1947 law on compulsory free 9-year education. It was introduced by the American occupation authorities and made an invaluable contribution to the country's economic success.

The current education system includes primary schools (6 years), junior high schools (3 years), secondary schools (3 years), universities (4 years). There are also kindergartens, technical colleges (5 years) for graduates of secondary schools and schools for the disabled. Education up to the lower secondary school level is compulsory. 95% of primary and secondary schools are public.

Natural resources of Japan: description and assessment

Private educational institutions account for 24% of secondary schools and 73% of universities.

97.8% of primary school graduates continue to study at both levels of secondary schools. 40% of high school graduates go to universities, 10% to other educational institutions.

The largest state universities: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hokkaido, Tohoku. Among the private ones, the most famous are Nihon, Waseda, Keio, Chuo, Meiji, Tokai, Kanasaisky.

4.2 Culture

Japan is a country of ancient and continuously renewed culture, which has always absorbed foreign trends, adapting to them and without losing its uniqueness. The culture of Japan is fraught with a lot of mysterious concepts for a person who grew up in the bosom of European or so-called Western culture. A refined tea ceremony, fragile and graceful, original and unique, theatrical art unlike anything else in the world, traditional poetry and literature characteristic only of Japan, painting. All this is very mysterious, but at the same time very alluring for European man.

Sumo is considered the national sport of Japan and is the third most popular professional sport. Some types martial art, such as judo, kendo and karate also attracts a large number of spectators. Baseball is the most popular professional sport. Football is also developed in modern Japan. Other popular sports include golf, boxing, motor sports and wrestling.

The country has 15 public holidays called shukujitsu. These days are officially days off; their list is established by the law on public holidays. In addition to state holidays, there are unofficial holidays in Japan called matsuri. Another well-known holiday event is the cherry blossom.

4.4 Healthcare

Japan ranks one of the first in the world in terms of healthcare. Per 10 thousand inhabitants, Japan has the highest number of hospital beds (128) among all other developed countries in the world.

Medical services in Japan are provided by state and local governments. Payment for personal health services is made through the universal health insurance system, which ensures relative equality of access, fees set by a government committee. People without insurance can participate in a national health insurance program run by local governments through an employer. Since 1973, government-sponsored insurance has been extended to all older people. Patients have the right to choose a doctor as well as facilities.

We see that Japan is a progressive country in the field of social relations and social policy. Every year the state tries to increasingly develop the so-called “social package” for the country’s citizens. Despite their original and ancient culture, the Japanese get along well with the achievements of European civilization. One cannot help but pay tribute to the fact that their culture does not suffer from this, but only develops more and more, without copying the standards of Western countries.

CONCLUSION

As a result of the work, the following conclusions were made:

Firstly, the territory of Japan does not have a very favorable geographical position. There are practically no mineral resources; the main mineral raw materials are imported. In general, the country is not well suited for agriculture due to the small size of the country. However, it should be noted that the climate is favorable, which favors the development of agriculture and tourism.

Secondly, it should be noted the relative homogeneity of the country's population. The majority of the population is Japanese, which is also due to the fact that Japan is still relatively closed to foreigners. In recent years, a policy has been in place to reduce the birth rate to reduce the population. It should be noted that this policy is producing results.

Thirdly, Japan is a developed post-industrial country. The manufacturing industry is the basis of the entire industrial structure. Main industries: mechanical engineering, equipment production. Currently, we have set a course for the priority development of knowledge-intensive industries that produce high-tech products with high added value.

Fourthly, Japan is one of the leaders in foreign economic relations. Japan has very diverse foreign economic relations, the country has many partners. In terms of import and export indicators, the country occupies a leading position. Japan remains the world's leading creditor and has the world's largest foreign assets. The uniqueness of Japanese culture should also be noted. There is also good social development of the country, which has a beneficial effect on its economic development.

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Japan is a small state, entirely located on islands. Among them there are 4 large ones (Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu) and many small ones. Let's consider Japan's endowment with natural resources.

Brief introduction to the country

Japan is washed by several seas in the Pacific basin:

• Okhotsky.
• Japanese.
• East China.

The entire territory of this country is located on numerous islands, some of which are of volcanic origin.

Climate and nature

Before conducting an economic assessment of the natural conditions and resources of Japan, let us characterize the climate of this country. It is diverse: the north is characterized by low temperatures and long winters. In the southeast, winters are mild, summers are hot, and there is a large amount of precipitation.

On the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan there is heavy snowfall in winter, but in summer it is quite warm here. The central part is characterized by sharp temperature changes both in winter and summer, and day and night.

Volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and earthquakes are frequent in this state.

Minerals

Let's begin our consideration of Japan's natural resources by getting acquainted with mineral deposits, of which there are not many here. We present information about what resources are available in this unusual country and what are missing in the table.

Interestingly, Japan, which is generally poor in minerals, is one of the world leaders in iodine production. On the territory of this country there are and large deposits uranium, vanadium, lithium, titanium ores, very modest reserves of gold and silver ore.

Japan's natural resources include sands, limestones and pyrites, which have long been used in the production of Japanese steel, famous throughout the world. Surprisingly sharp blades for edged weapons were made from it.

To summarize, mineral wealth is very diverse, but there is little of it, so minerals necessary for industrial development have to be purchased abroad.

Forest wealth

Let's consider the natural conditions and resources of Japan. More than half the area of ​​this island state is occupied by forests, in which more than 2,000 species of flora grow. What kind of plants are these?

• Japan has many mountains in which pine, oak and fir trees grow.
• A variety of coniferous species can be found in the north of the country.
• There are also plants typical of the tropics: ferns, palm trees, and numerous fruit trees.
• Sweet potatoes are found on the territory of the Ryukyu Islands.

However, the country cannot fully provide itself with timber, so timber also has to be imported. Due to the development of agriculture, forest land has shrunk, so trees had to be planted artificially.

Riches of the animal world

Speaking about the natural resources of Japan, it should be mentioned that this country is rich in various species of animals:

• Weasels, raccoon dogs and stoats are found on the island of Hokkaido.
• You can see a black bear in Honshu.
• The south of the country is home to the black hare and an abundance of monkeys.

The seas are more than rich; a large number of commercial fish, crabs, and shellfish are found here. Algae is also abundant.

Earth

The next type of natural resources in Japan that you should pay attention to is soil. The country is entirely covered with mountains, but agriculture is thriving here, so the Japanese manage to almost completely meet their food needs. Only about 30% is imported, which is a fairly high figure for a mountainous island state. What soils are typical for Japan?

• Meadow-swamp and podzolic soils are typical for the northern zones.
• Brown forests - in the south, in temperate regions.
• Red soils and yellow soils are common in the tropics and subtropics.

The Japanese grow rice, wheat, barley, and various types of vegetables. Often the harvest can be obtained twice a year.

Water wealth

There are a huge number of small rivers on the territory of the country, which are not suitable for navigation, but are actively used for irrigating agricultural crops. Due to the fact that the rivers are mountainous and full-flowing, they become sources of hydropower. There are also a lot of lakes and groundwater, which generally has a positive effect on the development of agriculture. The country is rich in mineral and thermal springs.

Water resources can cause a lot of problems for the country's residents, since frequent typhoons here are often accompanied by floods.

Modern developments

An assessment of Japan's natural resources suggests that this country is highly dependent on imports. Thus, it is necessary to import minerals and minerals, wood and even food products. To reduce this dependence, the Japanese are working on creating alternative energy sources:

• Sunny.
• Water.
• Wind.

Such work is highly effective. The country has all the makings for this: there are many sunny days a year, there are regular winds, there are also enough rivers and lakes on Japanese territory.

Despite the fact that the country as a whole is poor in natural resources, it is one of the strongest economic powers. The Japanese have learned to effectively use the wealth they have. The standard of living here is also very high, average duration- over 80 years old, infant mortality is minimal.

The geographical location and landscape features have made Japan a country poor in natural resources. This, however, did not stop her from becoming one of the world leaders. The Japanese purchase everything necessary for the development of industry abroad, and also learn to use the wealth that is located on the territory of the island state.

JAPAN (Japanese Nippon, Nihon) is a state in the east, located on 4 large islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu) and numerous small ones. Area 372.2 thousand km2. Population 122 million people (1988), Capital - Tokyo. Administratively, it is divided into 43 prefectures, 3 districts and the governorate of Hokkaido (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto). Official language— Japanese. The monetary unit is the yen. Member of the Organization economic cooperation and Development (OECD) (since 1961).

General characteristics of the farm. In terms of gross domestic product and industrial production, Japan ranks 2nd in the capitalist world (after). Structure of gross domestic product (1986,%): agriculture 2.9; mining industry 0.4; manufacturing industry 29.3; electric power 3.6; construction 7.5; trade 13.2; transport and communications 6.2. Main industries: ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, radio electronics, shipbuilding and automotive, petrochemical, instrument making.

In the 80s The country is winding down energy-intensive and material-intensive industries as part of the structural restructuring of industry in order to reduce its dependence on imports of raw materials and fuel. A peculiar feature of the Japanese economy is the combination of large concerns with a large number small enterprises. Giant monopolistic associations (including Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo, Fuji, Sanwa) control almost all sectors of the economy.

Japan's fuel and energy base is underdeveloped. Traditionally, the basis of Japanese energy was hydro and forest resources. On modern stage The scale of oil consumption, mainly imported, has sharply increased, and the role of nuclear energy has grown. Structure of the fuel and energy balance for 1986 (%); coal 23.7, liquid fuel 56.3, natural gas 12.8, hydropower 3.4, nuclear energy 4.7, geothermal 0.1.

Electricity generation 671.8 billion kWh (1986). The length of railways is 28 thousand km, paved roads are over 1.16 million km. In terms of the total tonnage of the merchant fleet (about 38 million registered gross tons, 1987) it ranks 2nd in the capitalist world (after Liberia).

The total cargo turnover of seaports (including small ports for coastal vessels) is about 3 billion tons (1985). Largest seaports: Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Kobe, Nagoya.

The climate is monsoonal, subtropical in most of the country, temperate in the north, tropical in the southern part. The average January temperature ranges from -5°C on the island of Hokkaido to 6°C in the south of the Japanese Islands and to -16°C on the Ryukyu Archipelago, average temperature July 22, 27 and 28 °C respectively. Precipitation is 1000-3000 mm per year, in the south up to 3500 mm; in the north there is continuous snow cover. Typhoons (mainly in autumn) with hurricane winds and downpours are common.

Short, high-water rivers are used for irrigation and hydroelectricity. Numerous lakes, the largest being Biwa. 68% of the territory is covered with shrubs and forests, on the island of Hokkaido mainly coniferous, to the south evergreen, subtropical and tropical. Numerous national parks(including underwater, in shallow waters), nature reserves, sanctuaries.

Geological structure. The Japanese islands belong to the island arc system of the Western Pacific Mobile Belt. They are divided into three regions - the island of Hokkaido (except for the southwest of the Oshima Peninsula), the northeastern part of the island of Honshu, the southwestern part of the island of Honshu, the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu and the Ryukyu Archipelago. The core zone of Hokkaido Island is the anticlinorium of the Hidaka Ridge, composed of both Upper Paleozoic and Lower Mesozoic sedimentary-volcanogenic strata, intruded by granitoid intrusions. To the west, the Hidaka anticlinorium is accompanied by a narrow Kamunkotan zone with ophiolites, the rocks of which are also metamorphosed. The latter is thrust over the Ishikari-Rumon synclinorium, made up of Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic sediments and adjacent to the uplift of the Oshima Peninsula in the west. The Nemuro Peninsula (northeastern part of Hokkaido) is the end of the Kuril island ridge, composed of Upper Cretaceous volcanics and bordered by the southern end of the Kuril-Kamchatka deep-sea trench. The northeastern part of the island of Honshu is separated from the southwestern part by a fault zone, between which stretches the meridional graben (rift) Fossa Magna, on the southern extension of which the Izu-Bonin (Ogasawara) young volcanic arc stretches in the ocean, accompanied from the east by the deep-sea trench of the same name . The northeastern part of the island of Honshu is bordered by the Japan Trench, which articulates in the northeast with the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, and in the south with the Izu-Bonin Trench. In the structure of the northeastern part of the island of Honshu, the main role is played by Paleozoic sediments, starting from the Silurian, unconformably overlying metamorphites (apparently Precambrian). The Paleozoic is mainly represented by terrigenous strata, shallow in the west, deep-water in the east with the presence of ophiolites. All these deposits have been intensively folded since the end of the Early Carboniferous (the “Abe orogeny”). Mesozoic rocks have a limited distribution (mainly in the east) and are represented by shallow-marine sediments; they experienced end-beginning folding (“Sakawa orogeny” or “Oga-Oshima”). On the west coast, so-called green tuffs of Neogene age are developed.

The structure of southwestern Japan is characterized by a distinct zonal structure, with a general rejuvenation of zones from northwest to southeast. There are internal and external groups of zones, separated by a fault called the Median Line. The most ancient rocks (Precambrian) make up the Hida zone on the peninsula of the same name. To the southeast are developed Paleozoic volcanic-sedimentary deposits that underwent folding at the beginning of the Triassic (“Akiyoshi orogeny”), and Jurassic and Neocomian formations dislocated in the Sakawa era; Maizuru ophiolites are known in the frame of the Hida and Tamba zones. The Rijoke Cretaceous volcanoplutonic belt extends along the border with the complex of outer zones. The Ryukyu Archipelago (Nansei), bordered by the deep-sea trench of the same name, represents a continuation of the outer zones of southwestern Japan. Deformations of these zones began at the end of the Jurassic - beginning of the Cretaceous, in the Sakawa (Oga) era and continued until the late Miocene, and on the underwater slope facing the deep-sea Nankai trench, until the modern era. At the same time, thrusts and upheavals directed to the southeast, as well as olistostromes, were formed. The activity of seismofocal zones that emerge on the bottom surface in the Kuril-Kamchatka, Japan, Nankai and Izu-Bonin trenches is associated with the high seismicity of the Japanese islands, as well as their volcanic activity. The bend of the modern Japan Arc, according to paleomagnetic data, arose at the beginning of the Miocene and is associated with the opening of deep-sea depressions in the Sea of ​​Japan.

Hydrogeology. Hydrogeologically, the territory of Japan is divided into a system of artesian basins, represented by small depressions with Cenozoic design, and mountain structures framing them. The groundwater of the folded mountain frame of the depressions is ultra-fresh (mineralization about 0.1 g/l), the composition is HCO 3 - -Ca 2+ and HCO 3 - -Cl - -Ca 2+. Paleogene and Miocene deposits of artesian basins are characterized by low permeability and water content. Pliocene sands and sandstones are more water-bearing. Well flow rates reach 12 l/s. The entire section of Neogene deposits is characterized by the distribution of mineralized (from 3 to 35 g/l), usually thermal, groundwater.

The main resources of fresh groundwater in the depressions are associated with Quaternary sediments up to 250-300 m thick. The water-bearing horizons are highly aquiferous horizons of sands and pebbles. The flow rates of wells with depths from 30 to 330 m vary from 5.6 to 63 l/s, specific flow rates - from 0.9 to 39.4 l/s. Water is pressurized, piezometric levels are set several meters below and above the Earth's surface. Water mineralization usually does not exceed 0.5 g/l, composition HCO 3 - - Ca 2+.

Total resources groundwater of Quaternary sediments is estimated at 5-10.10 4 m 3 /year. They are operated by numerous (1500 in Tokyo, more than 500 in Osaka, etc.) wells.

There are more than 10 thousand groups in Japan, the waters of which are widely used for balneological purposes and in various fields economic activity.

Seismicity. Japan is one of the countries most affected by destructive earthquakes. The Japanese islands are an important link in the Pacific seismic belt. If the belt as a whole accounts for 80% of the world's earthquakes, then Japan accounts for 36% of the belt.

In the system of the Pacific zones, extreme earthquakes with a magnitude (M) over 8 can occur. As a rule, they cause destructive tsunamis, with water rising on the shore up to 10-20 m. Such events occurred in different places on the Pacific coast of Japan in 684, 869 , 887, 1096, 1099, 1351, 1498, 1611, 1703, 1707, 1854 (twice), 1896, 1933, 1944, 1946, 1952. Earthquake with magnitude = 7.9 centered in Sagami Bay (south of Tokyo) on September 1 1923 completely destroyed the capital of Japan. Another zone with a maximum earthquake magnitude of less than 8 is confined to the shelf edge of the Sea of ​​Japan and is caused by the gradual rotation of Japan: the subsidence of its eastern coast and the rise of its western coast.

All the islands on which Japan is located are divided into blocks by a complex system of active faults, on which numerous moderate and weak earthquakes occur. The swarm of weak, shallow-focus Matsushiro earthquakes in Nagano Prefecture in 1965-70 was intense, when up to 600 tremors occurred daily and were recorded by instruments. Weak tremors accompany the eruptions of volcanoes located in Japan.

Minerals. Japan is relatively poor in mineral resources; Coal, oil and gas, polymetallic ores, mining chemical raw materials, and non-metallic building materials are mined in significant quantities. A significant part of the country's needs for mineral raw materials is covered by imports (for example, 9/10 in iron ore, 8/10 in coal, 3/4 in copper, more than 1/2 in lead and zinc). Most of the minerals are concentrated in small-scale deposits. Reserves of basic minerals (Table 1), with the exception of ores, silver, sulfur and barite, account for less than 1% of the total reserves of developed capitalist and developing countries. Along with this, significant reserves of minerals such as limestone, dolomite, quartz sand, and pyrite have been explored in Japan (map).

More than 200 small oil and gas fields have been discovered in Japan, including 9 offshore fields. The vast majority of deposits (more than 150) are located in the north-west of the island of Honshu and the Sea of ​​Japan - in the Uetsu basin, confined to the Neogene-Quaternary trough filled with volcanic-sedimentary complexes up to 6 km thick. The Middle Upper Miocene and Lower Pliocene deposits are oil and gas bearing, and the Pliocene-Quaternary deposits are gas bearing, lying at a depth of 0.02-3.0 km. The largest fields in the basin are Agi-Oki and Kubiki, the initial recoverable hydrocarbon reserves reach 10 million tons. In the Ishikari-West Sakhalin basin, confined to the marginal Cenozoic trough of the island of Hokkaido, where more than 10 fields have been discovered, oil and gas formations of the Lower - Middle Miocene , oil source clayey strata of the Oligocene and Lower Miocene. More than 40 fields are known in the Abukuma Basin, located on the eastern (geosynclinal) edge of the Japanese island arc; oil and gas deposits are of the lower and middle Miocene, and gas-bearing are Oligocene and Pliocene-Quaternary formations.

Coal reserves in Japan are relatively small. The largest coal basin is Ishikari, where the coal content is associated with Paleogene strata. Coals from subbituminous to bituminous coking. In the Kushiro Basin on the east coast of Hokkaido, coal content is confined to sediments of Eocene-Oligocene age, partially underlying the seabed. The second place in economic importance is occupied by the coal basins of the island of Kyushu (Chikuho, Fukuoka, Miike, Sakito-Matsushima, Takashima, Sasebo).

Since 1955, a number of uranium deposits have been discovered. The main uranium-bearing areas in Japan are located on the island of Honshu. In the Tono region, which includes 4 deposits with uranium reserves of 5 thousand tons, ore mineralization is associated with conglomerates and sandstones of Miocene age. The Ningyo-Togo region in Tot-tori Prefecture includes 5 deposits with reserves of 2.1 thousand tons. Here, uranium mineralization in the Miocene arkosic sandstones is represented by ningioite, uraninite, cofinite, and in the oxidation zone - otenite. Smaller hydrothermal vein deposits have also been identified (Kurayoshi et al.).

About 20% of the country's total iron ore reserves are contained in primary deposits, among which the metasomatic deposits on the island of Honshu, Kamaishi (Iwate Prefecture) and Akatani (Niigata Prefecture) are of greatest industrial importance. At the Kamaishi deposit, magnetite ores associated with skarns are developed in Paleozoic sediments intruded by Cretaceous granitoids. More than 15 ore bodies are known. To volcanic deposits mineral springs include Kutchan on the island of Hokkaido, Gunma and Urakawa (Gunma Prefecture) on the island of Honshu. The ores are composed of limonite and goethite. Coastal-marine placers of Quaternary ferruginous sands are widely developed in the areas of Sendai, Sapporo, Tokyo, and Fukuoka. Underwater placers of ferruginous sands with a high content of Fe and TiO 2, developed in the coastal parts of the sea at a depth of about 25 m, are also of industrial importance.

Numerous small deposits of manganese ores are located on the islands of Hokkaido, Honshu and Shikoku. The hydrothermal deposits of Hokkaido Island (Inakuraishi, Yakumo, Oxe, Jekoku), represented by rhodo-chrosite veins in Miocene tuffs, andesites and rhyolites, are of main industrial importance. Of lesser importance are deposits of predominantly carbonate ores occurring in Paleozoic and Mesozoic metasedimentary rocks - Hamayokogawa (Nagano Prefecture) and Ino (Kochi Prefecture). Sedimentary deposits (Pirika, Mennu) are also known in the southwest of Hokkaido.

Ore of trace and rare elements. Industrial concentrations have been identified in some coal deposits, where its content is 0.01-0.05%; in some sulfide deposits, concentrations reach 0.03-0.1%. Gallium is often present in coal deposits in quantities of 0.0003-0.0015%. Gallium is found in some lead-zinc deposits. Polymetallic ores often contain indium and thallium (Takaoka deposit).

The main industrial importance among lead and zinc ores are vein (over 60% of domestic production of Pb and 50% of Zn) and skarn (over 30% of domestic production of Pb and 40% of Zn) deposits. Of the veins, the largest are lead-zinc deposits (Hosokura and Taishu on the island of Honshu and Toyoha on the island of Hokkaido). The reserves of the Hosokura deposit are 100 thousand tons of Pb and 500 thousand tons of Zn with a Pb content of 1.0-1.7% in the ores; Zn 4.2-5.9%. Galena contains industrial concentrations of Ag. In deposits of the Kuroko type (Kosaka, Hanawa, Uchinotai, Yatani, etc.), the Pb content in ores is 0.9-3.7%; Zn 4.2-1.7%. The largest skarn deposit, Kamioka in Gifu Prefecture, contains over 50% of the country's Pb and Zn reserves. The mineralization, represented by complex tube-shaped bodies, is associated with Paleozoic and Mesozoic limestones intruded by acidic granites. Large contact-metasomatic deposits are also known in Fukui Prefecture (Nakayama, Hitokato, Senno).

Non-metallic industrial raw materials are represented by asbestos, vermiculite, gypsum, graphite, fluorite, kaolin, bentonite, etc. Over 80% of asbestos reserves are chrysotile asbestos. The identified resources of 10 deposits are estimated at 1,500 thousand tons. The main deposits are concentrated on the island of Hokkaido, in the Furano and Yamabe areas, as well as on the island of Honshu. Industrial deposits of vermiculite have been identified in Fukushima Prefecture. Gypsum reserves exceed 2 million tons. Hydrothermal-metasomatic deposits occurring together with Kuroko-type ores are of main industrial importance; the largest are the Wanibuchi and Iwami fields in Shimane Prefecture, Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture, Yonaihita and Ishigamori in Fukushima Prefecture. Numerous small deposits of flake graphite are located on the border of Gifu and Toyama prefectures. On the island of Hokkaido, at the largest deposit of Oshi-rabetsu, the extent of ore bodies confined to gabbro is mica, montmorillonite), the upper ones are predominantly kaolin.

The main localization areas of bentonite and other acidic clay deposits are located in the prefectures of Aomori, Niigata (Kanben, Haguro deposits), Yamagata (Tsukinumo, Oohiro), Shimane (Iwami), etc. Bentonite reserves are about 1 million tons.

Reserves of refractory clays exceed 70 million tons and are concentrated in the prefectures of Iwate, Gifu, Kobe, and Hiroshima. At the largest deposit of hard refractory clays, Iwate, reserves amount to 6.4 million tons. The main reserves of “kibushi” clays, also classified as refractory, are concentrated in Gifu Prefecture in the Ejibora, Nishiyama, and Higashitama deposits. The most significant reserves of roseki clay (waxy clay with a high content of pyrophyllite) have been explored in the Mitsuishi area, west of the city of Kobe.

The country has large reserves of diatomite. Neogene deposits of marine origin are known in the prefectures of Ishikawa (Noto), Akita (Takanosu), Miyagi (Enda) and Shimane (Oki); they are represented by deposits with a thickness of over 10 m. Deposits of lacustrine origin are developed in the prefectures of Okayama (Yatsuka) and Miyagi (Onikobe).

The main deposits of quartz sands are localized in the prefectures of Tochigi, Fukushima, Mie, Gifu, and Fukuoka. Reserves of high purity quartz (SiO 2 94-96%), associated with pegmatites (Fukushima Prefecture), as well as with zones of silicification of andesites (Shizuoki Prefecture, Izu deposit), amount to over 460 million tons. The largest diaspora deposits are located in Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. The main feldspar deposits associated with granitic pegmatites and aplites have been identified in the prefectures of Fukushima, Niigata, Nara, Hiroshima, and Shimane. The main deposits of pyrophyllite, located on the island of Honshu (Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi prefectures) and on the island of Kyushu (Nagasaki Prefecture), are usually localized in rhyolites and quartz porphyry stocks of Tertiary and Cretaceous age. Talc reserves amount to about 700 thousand tons. Small-scale deposits with low quality raw materials, usually confined to serpentinites, are known in the prefectures of Ibaraki, Gunma, and Hyogo. The bulk of fluorite deposits are concentrated on the island of Honshu, where the Hotaru vein deposits in Fukushima Prefecture and Hiraiwa in Gifu Prefecture are known. Deposits of metasomatic ores: Igashima in Niigata Prefecture, Jimmu and Mihara in Hiroshima Prefecture. Industrial deposits of zeolites are known in the northeastern part of the island of Honshu, in areas of development of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. At the Itaya deposit, one of the largest in the country, in Yamagata Prefecture, the mineral composition of the ores is dominated by clinoptilolite and mordenite.

Nonmetallic building materials are represented mainly by limestone, dolomite, tuff, pumice, perlite, marble, granite, and andesite. Most limestone deposits are confined to Carboniferous and Permian formations; deposits of Triassic, Jurassic and Tertiary age are less common. The largest deposits of dolomite are located in the areas of Kuzuu (Tochigi Prefecture) and Kasuga (Gifu Prefecture). The thickness of the productive horizons is 50-100 m. Smaller deposits are known in the prefectures of Fukuoka, Oita, Ehime, and Iwate. Numerous deposits of other non-metallic minerals are widespread in Japan. building materials: tuffs (Tochigi, Fukui, Fukushima and Shizuoka prefectures); pumice (Gumma, Kagoshima prefectures); perlite (Akita, Fukushima, Nagano prefectures); granite, andesite, marble (Yamaguchi, Iwate, Okayama, Gifu prefectures).

Precious and semi-precious stones identified in Fukushima and Ishikawa prefectures (opal), in Niigata prefecture (jadeite), in Miyagi, Niigata, Tottori prefectures (amethyst); China's ruby ​​deposits are also known. Iron came into use only from the 3rd-4th centuries. Here they knew how to extract iron-containing minerals from sand dunes - the so-called sand iron.

The mastery of iron smelting technology in Japan coincides with the beginning of statehood. According to the first mining code "Taihore" (701), the entire population was allowed to freely search for minerals and their development in those provinces where the authorities did not practice this fishing. Miners received bonuses for their discoveries, and entrepreneurs were given loans for the development of mining. In 708, large deposits of copper ores were discovered in Chichibu (Musashi Province); On this occasion, production declared a general amnesty and exemption of the free population from taxes. Mining developed at a rapid pace. In addition to copper in Musashi, gold was mined in Wakuya. Mining workings at the silver mine ost

Japan is an island nation with virtually no oil or natural gas, or many other minerals or natural resources of any value other than timber. It is one of the world's largest importers of coal, liquefied natural gas, and the second largest importer of oil.

Some of the few resources Japan has are titanium and mica.

• Titanium is an expensive metal valued for its strength and lightness. It is mainly used in jet engines, air frames, rocketry and space equipment.
• Mica sheet is used in electronic and electrical equipment processes.

History remembers a time when Japan was a leading copper producer. Today, its huge mines in Ashio, central Honshu and Bessi in Shikoku are depleted and closed. Reserves of iron, lead, zinc, bauxite and other ores are negligible.

Geological research recent years discovered a large number of places potentially rich in minerals. All of them are within the continental plume, which belongs to Japan. Scientists prove that these underwater deposits contain large amounts of gold, silver, manganese, chromium, nickel and other heavy metals used to produce various types of alloys. In particular, vast reserves of methane have been discovered, the extraction of which can meet the country’s needs for 100 years.

Forest resources

The area of ​​Japan is about 372.5 thousand km2, with about 70% of the entire territory being forests. It ranks 4th in the world in terms of forest cover to area ratio after Finland and Laos.

Thanks to climatic conditions In the land of the rising sun, deciduous and coniferous forests predominate. It should be noted that some of them are planted artificially.

Despite the abundance of timber in the country, due to the historical and cultural characteristics of the nation, Japan often imports timber from other countries.

Land resources

Japan is considered to be a highly cultural and technologically developed country, but not an agricultural one. Perhaps the only crop that produces good yields is rice. They are also trying to grow other grains - barley, wheat, sugar, legumes, etc., but they are not able to provide the country’s consumer capacity even by 30%.

Water resources

Mountain streams, merging into waterfalls and rivers, provide the Land of the Rising Sun not only with drinking water, but also with electricity. Most of these rivers are turbulent, which makes it possible to place hydroelectric power plants on them. The main waterways of the archipelago include the following rivers:

• Shinano;
• Tone;
• Mimi;
• Gokase;
• Yoshino;
• Chiguko.

We should not forget about the waters washing the shores of the state - the Sea of ​​Japan on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. Thanks to them, the country has become a leading exporter of sea fish.

Lesson 5. Political system. Natural conditions and resources. Population

Educational tasks:

1. Introduce the main features of the EGP, problems of using the territory, national composition, population distribution, economic development countries.

2. Develop the ability to compile an economic and geographical profile of the country and use various sources of geographic information.

3. To form moral values ​​and an aesthetic attitude towards the culture of the Japanese people.

Equipment: political and economic map Japan, atlases, contour maps, coat of arms, flag.

Lesson progress

I. Economic and geographical position of the “Land of the Rising Sun”.

Japan is located on four large islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu) and more than four thousand small islands. This is a whole island world! Relatively poor in natural resources, Japan is very rich in coastlines. In terms of the total length of the coastline, it is comparable to the whole of Africa.

Question: Why is Japan called “the land of the rising sun” (student message).

The ancient name of the country is Yamato. Since ancient times, the Japanese themselves have called their country Nippon or Nihon. This name consists of two hieroglyphs “sun” and “base”. Red sun circle on the Japanese flag and round chrysanthemum (national flower of Japan) on state emblem also symbolize the rising sun.

The capital is Tokyo. The city is located on the largest plain, Kanto. It became the capital in 1869. “Tokyo” is translated as “eastern capital”; Edo Castle used to be there.

The Japanese have always been proud of their capital for being “the best.” Now the question arises about moving the capital. According to experts, the construction of the new capital (a city with a population of 800 thousand people) will take 20 years and cost 20 trillion yen.

Japan's EGP is determined by its island position. The Japanese islands have never been successfully invaded by foreign forces. The Korean Strait, separating the “land of the rising sun” from the Asian mainland, was a serious obstacle for the ancient conquerors. In 1274, the Mongol ruler of China attempted to invade Japan but was repulsed.

In 1281, Kublai Khan again launched a campaign. This time, according to the chroniclers, he planned to place 10,000 ships across the Korean Strait in order to connect them with wooden flooring and send Mongol cavalry across this bridge. However, this gigantic fleet was destroyed by a sudden typhoon, which in Japanese history received the name of the Divine Wind - Kamikaze.

The islands are located in the center of the Asia-Pacific region. This situation opens up very great opportunities for the country’s participation in international geographical division labor, including with Russia. No wonder the Japanese proverb says: “A close neighbor is more important than a distant relative.” However, the development of Japanese-Russian relations is hampered by territorial claims to part of the Kuril Islands.

II. Natural conditions and resources.

Japan is a mountainous country. Three quarters of its territory is occupied by mountains. Such relief features force the reconquest of land areas suitable for economic activity from the ocean: airfields, ports, enterprises, residential and administrative complexes are located on artificial islands and peninsulas created as a result of filling shallow waters. The highest point in Japan is Mount Fuji. Its height is 3776 m above sea level. Most of the mountains of the archipelago are volcanoes; there are 150 of them in total, and 15 of them are active.

The Japanese islands are an area with increased seismic hazard. On average, about one and a half thousand earthquakes of varying strength occur here every year. Strong earthquakes cause significant destruction in cities, in addition, they result in the well-known giant waves - tsunamis.

From March 11 to March 25, 2011, Japan experienced a wave of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 1 to 9. According to eyewitnesses, many cities shook almost constantly. All these earthquakes caused several powerful waves that hit Japan, ranging in height from 3 to a record 10 meters. Got hit by the waves , as a result of which there occurred , which became the most serious radiation accident since .

These events are called the biggest crisis in Japan since World War II.

Due to frequent earthquakes, Japan has become a world leader in the study and prediction of earthquakes. Discoveries in modern technologies allow the construction of skyscrapers even in seismically active zones.

Other natural hazards are ( 台風 Taifa: ), which come to Japan from .

Minerals

Japan has few mineral resources. occupies a central place in the Japanese mining industry (3.4 million tons of sulfur were produced in 2010, 6th place in the world) Japan also ranks 2nd in the world in mining (9500 tons in 2015)and 1st place in iodine reserves (5 million tons) In addition, Japan in small quantities mines (136.8 thousand barrels per day in 2015, 43rd place) , (167 billion cubic feet in 2014, 21st place), (7.2 tons in 2012, 38th place), (3.58 tons in 2012, 48th place). As of 1976, coal reserves amounted to 8630 million tons; iron ore - 228 million tons; sulfur - 67.6 million tons; manganese ore - 5.4 million tons; lead-zinc ore - 4.7 million tons; oil - 3.8 million tons; copper ore- 2.0 million tons; chromites - 1.0 million tons.

Climate

Japan belongs to a temperature zone with four distinct seasons, but its climate ranges from low temperatures in the north to subtropical temperatures in the south. The climate also depends on seasonal winds, blowing from the continent in winter and in the opposite direction in summer.

Japan can be roughly divided into six climate zones:

It belongs to the zone of low temperatures and is characterized by long frosty winters and cool summers.

IN the northeast seasonal wind brings heavy snowfall in winter. Summers are less warm than in the Pacific Ocean, but sometimes extreme high temperatures are observed due to the phenomenon .

Climate It has a typical island climate with a wide range of temperatures in winter and summer, night and day.

In the zone The climate is temperate due to the mountains in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions blocking seasonal winds.typhoons .

III. Political system.

In 1947, a new Constitution was adopted in Japan, according to which Japan was declared a constitutional monarchy, an empire. Currently, the emperor of the country is a symbol of the state and the unity of the nation, since all legislative and executive power belongs to the parliament and the cabinet of ministers. By state structure– Japan is a unitary state, it has 47 prefectures and the Governorate of Hokkaido

IV. Population.

In terms of population, Japan is in the top ten, with 127 million people. But at present, natural population growth is decreasing. Japan became the first state to move from type II to type I. Japan is a nation healthy people with the lowest mortality rate among children - 4 people per thousand inhabitants and the highest level of life expectancy (men - 76 years, women - 82 years). Classes on the basics of family planning are held in high school.

The national composition is homogeneous. 99% are Japanese.

The Japanese language is very specific and does not belong to any language family. The Japanese writing system is also very complex. Even in ancient times, the Japanese borrowed Chinese writing. Studying in a 9-year compulsory school gives knowledge of 1200 characters, and in total you need to know about 2000. Japanese texts are read from top to bottom and from right to left.

Japan is a country of high culture and complete literacy, where great attention is paid to the education and upbringing of children from early childhood.

In terms of average population density, Japan ranks among the first in the world - 337 people per km2. But the actual population density is higher, since the entire population of the country is concentrated in the coastal lowlands and river valleys. Japan has a high level of urbanization - 76% of the population lives in cities. There are more than 200 large cities in the country, 12 of them are millionaire cities.