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Japan
The land
Japan is made up of four main islands and thousands of smaller
ones which lie in the north Pacific Ocean. The four main islands
are Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku. Most of the land is
covered by mountains and hills and many of the mountains are active
volcanoes. There are about 60 active volcanoes in Japan and there
are often earthquakes throughout the country.
Go
here to read the kidcyber page about volcanoes
Thick forests cover many of the mountains. Most of the people live on the flat land in the valleys between the mountains or on the plains near the coast of each island. Honshu is the island with the largest population. It is linked to Hokkaido by an underground tunnel and to Shikoku and Kyushu across the sea by a series of bridges.
Climate
Japan's climate varies from north to the south. In the south,
the winters are mild and the summers are hot. In the north, the
winters are cold and snowy, and the summers are mild. All parts
of Japan get plenty of rain. Big storms called typhoons often
cause floods and damage houses and crops during the summer months
from August to October.
Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission
Plants
a pond in a Japanese garden
Most of Japan's mountains are covered with forests of fir, larch
and spruce trees. In the south where the weather is warmer, bamboo
and camphor trees grow. Japan is famous for its flowering plants
which include azaleas and cherry blossom trees. There are many
festivals that celebrate flowers such as the November chrysanthemum
festival. The chrysanthemum is Japan's national flower. There
are many national parks in Japan where the people can enjoy the
natural beauty of the country.
more about
Japan
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acknowledge where you find information
If you use any of the information on this page acknowledge this
source in your bibliography like this:
Japan (2003). [Online], Available:
www.kidcyber.com.au
updated March 2003