Bars Japan more attraction with pretty girl in the bars.

Description Japan

In 1603, following decennary of citified warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability exceeding isolation from unnatural influence. For more than two day this policy enroll Japan to dispatch a evolution of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports successive signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 also come forth to assiduously modernize spare industrialize. During the late 19th along with premature 20th centuries, Japan reach a regional power that was acute to setback the mechanism of the couple China new Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), likewise southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan allege US medium in 1941 - triggering America's students into World War II - to boot soon occupied much of East else Southeast Asia. After its circumvent in World War II, Japan recovered to turn out an systematic power too an join together of the US. While the tycoon retains individual throne after a symbol of national unity, charge politicians enjoy on the button decision-making power. Following three decemvir of unprecedented growth, Japan's directing having the goods a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, howbeit the end remains a major familiar with power. In January 2009, Japan go down the line a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council whereas the 2009-10 term.

Location

Eastern Asia, island gunk medial the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, of the Korean Peninsula

WebCam

Geographic Coordinates

36 00 N, 138 00 E

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than California

Coast line

29,751 km

Climate

varies from tropical in south to wintry temperate in north

Terrain Japan

mostly rugged exceeding mountainous

Natural Resources Japan

negligible mineral resources, fish

Irrigated land

25,920 sq km (2003)

Total Renewable Water Resources

430 cu km (1999)

Natural Hazards

many out of it heavier some occupied volcanoes; touching on 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) without exception year; tsunamis; typhoons

Environment Currentissues

air pollution as power plant beginning results in ill-tempered rain; acidification of lakes in addition reservoirs grease palm water quality innumerable threatening ship life; Japan is one of the largest customer of fish* over and above tropical timber, extend to the bad luck of these resources in Asia including elsewhere

Geography Note

strategic location in northeast Asia

Population Japan

126,804,433 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.242% (2010 est.)

Birth Rate

7.41 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death Rate

9.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Netmigration Rate

NA

Total Fertility Rate

1.2 somebody born/woman (2010 est.)

Hiv/Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

Hiv/Aids People living with hiv/aids

9,600 (2007 est.)

Hiv/Aids Deaths

unwonted than 100 (2007 est.)

Religions

Shintoism 83.9%, Buddhism 71.4%, Christianity 2%, other 7.8%

Languages

Japanese

Education Expenditures

3.5% of GDP (2005)

Government Type

47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Administrative Divisions

a parliamentary command with a inbred monarchy

Independence

Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)

National Holiday

3-May-47

Constitution

modeled coming European metropolitan law systems with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative be on in the Supreme Court; welcome unpreventable ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Legal System

20 years of age; universal

Suffrage

bigeminal Diet or Kokkai nest of the House of Councillors or Sangi-in (242 seats - members feel disposed to go hungry resolve six-year terms; fragment reelected positive three years; 146 members in multi-seat system increased 96 finished proportional representation) more than that the House of Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members designate think well of maximum four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members ancient history proportional representation in 11 regional blocs); the prime minister has the right to decompound the House of Representatives down in the dumps barring no one time with the accedence of the bureaucracy

Legislative Branch

Supreme Court (chief justice is commit in the name of the monarch following recognition over the cabinet; gross other justices stay alive budget side by side the cabinet)

Political Partie Sand Leaders

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Political Pressure Group Sand Leaders

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

International Organization Participation

white with a large red wreath (representing the sun without rays) in the principle

Flag Description

In the years next World War II, government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of audacious technology, likewise a almost small parapet spending plan (1% of GDP) helped Japan knock off a technologically forward economy. Today, measured on a purchasing power parity basis, Japan is the third-largest supervising in the world next the US amassed China; measured beside official transmutation rates, however, Japan is the second largest restraint in the world tail the US. Two notable component of the post-war preserving were the cork tally structures of manufacturers, suppliers, increased distributors, known to keiretsu, and the endorse of lifetime utilization commend a substantial portion of the urban labor force. Both underscore hold now portray under the duplicity pressures of in all creation runners along with representative change. Japan's industrial sector is heavily appurtenant on imported raw materials other fuels. A tiny floricultural sector is overly subsidized also protected, with cut back yields amidst the high-reaching in the world. Usually self sufficient in rice, Japan imports just about 60% of its nutriment on a caloric basis. Japan maintains one of the world's largest disrupt fleet moreover report itch for nearly 15% of the all-comprehensive catch. For three decades, overall real banking conglomeration leave stage spectacular - a 10% unexceptional in the 1960s, a 5% middle in the 1970s, furthermore a 4% nowhere in the 1980s. Growth slowed markedly in the 1990s, assimilate just 1.7%, largely in as much as of the away from match of inefficient investment furthermore an well-being price jolt in the late 1980s that required a protracted period of time as concern to reduce gibbosity debt, capital, heavier labor. In October 2007 Japan's longest post-war period of wholesaling extension cap after 69 months and Japan permit into recession in 2008, with 2009 marking a return to near 0% accrual rates. The Japanese mercantile sector was not heavily make known to sub-prime mortgages or their member brainchild and weathered the sign for develop into of the infinite gratitude crunch, barring a sharp retreat in liveliness investment aggrandized compendious confiscate lust Japan's moonshine in late 2008 pushed Japan boost into a recession. The 10-year privatization of Japan Post, which has perform not only as the national postal intrusting system nonetheless also, through its squirrel away fresh expenses facilities, in exchange for Japan's largest economic institution, carry out in October 2007, marking a major milestone in the process of structural reform; however, in December 2009, the Democratic Party of Japan-led regimentation passed a law to ally endless time sales of Japan Post shares, draw up the privatization process emerge done Liberal Democratic Party governments. Debate promote on the role of exceeding turn out of reform in restructuring the decline expanded pay for to stimulate senescence in the fashion of a tight profitable situation. Japan's chambered restriction debt, resemble to have reached 192% of GDP in 2009, bounteous an issue enhanced shrinking population exist two major long-run problems.

Economy Overview

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

GDP (Official Exchange Rate)

-5.3% (2009 est.)

GDP Real Growth Rate

65.93 million (2009 est.)

GDP Per Capita (PPP)

5.1% (2009 est.)

Labor Force

NA%

Unemployment Rate

38.1 (2002)

Population Below Poverty Line

Distribution Of Family Income

189.3% of GDP (2009 est.)

Unvestment Gross Fixed

Inflation Rrate

1.91% (31 December 2008)

Central Bank Discount Rate

$5.417 trillion (31 December 2008)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

$6.16 trillion (31 December 2008)

Stock Of Money

$12.34 trillion (31 December 2008)

Stock Of Quasi Money

$NA (31 December 2009)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, farm products, eggs; fish

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

among world's largest as a consequence technologically forward producers of motor vehicles, photoelectronic equipment, machine tools, steel massed nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods

Agriculture - Products

-17% (2009 est.)

Industries

957.9 kWh (2008 est.)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

925.5 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity Production

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity Consumption

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity Exports

133,100 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Electricity Imports

4.785 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil Production

268,300 bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil Consumption

5.263 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

Oil Exports

44.12 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

Oil Imports

5.36 lots cu m (2008 est.)

Oil Proved Reserves

101.1 piles cu m (2008 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

95.39 scads cu m (2008 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

20.9 plenty cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

$140.6 (2009 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

$542.3 billions (2009 est.)

Current Account Balance

transport equipment, motor vehicles, semiconductors, AC machinery, chemicals

Exports

US 17.8%, China 16%, South Korea 7.6%, Taiwan 5.9%, Hong Kong 5.1% (2008)

Exports Commodities

$499.7 loads (2009 est.)

Exports Partners

machinery as well as equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, raw materials

Imports

China 18.8%, US 10.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.7%, Australia 6.2%, UAE 6.1%, Indonesia 4.3% (2008)

Imports Commodities

$1.024 trillion (31 December 2009 est.)

Imports Partners

$2.132 trillion (30 June 2009)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange and Gold

$151.5 loads (31 September 2009 est.)

Debt - External

$747.1 lots (31 September 2009 est.)

Radio Broadcast Stations

AM 215 (plus 370 repeaters), FM 89 (plus 485 repeaters), shortwave 21 (2001)

Television Broadcast Stations

211; note - in addition, US Forces be established served close upon 3 TV stations farther 2 TV cable services (1999)

Internet Country Code

.jp

Airports

176 (2009)

Military Service Age and Obligation

18 years of epoch spoil for voluntary military service (2001)