Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/121.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 12.3 KB | 406 lines

@node Geography (Japan)
@section Geography (Japan)

@display

Location:
  Northeast Asia, off the southeast coast of Russia and east of the Korean
  peninsula
Map references:
  Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  377,835 km2
 land area:
  374,744 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than California
 note:
  includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima,
  Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands
  (Kazan-retto)
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  29,751 km
Maritime claims:
 exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:   12 nm
  3 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and
  Eastern and Western channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
International disputes:
  Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan Islands and the Habomai island group
  occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, claimed by
  Japan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku
  Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
Climate:
  varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain:
  mostly rugged and mountainous
Natural resources:
  negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use:
 arable land:
  13%
 permanent crops:
  1%
 meadows and pastures:
  1%
 forest and woodland:
  67%
 other:
  18%
Irrigated land:
  28,680 km2 (1989)
Environment:
  many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences
  (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
Note:
  strategic location in northeast Asia



@end display

@node People (Japan)
@section People (Japan)

@display

Population:
  124,711,551 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.32% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  10.31 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  7.17 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  79.18 years
 male:
  76.35 years
 female:
  82.15 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.54 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Japanese (singular and plural)
 adjective:
  Japanese
Ethnic divisions:
  Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)
Religions:
  Shinto 95.8%, Buddhist 76.3%, Christian 1.4%, other 12%
 note:
  most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites so the percentages add
  to more than 100%
Languages:
  Japanese
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1970)
 total population:
  99%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  63.33 million
 by occupation:
  trade and services 54%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%,
  agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%, government 3% (1988)



@end display

@node Government (Japan)
@section Government (Japan)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Japan
Digraph:
  JA
Type:
  constitutional monarchy
Capital:
  Tokyo
Administrative divisions:
  47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,
  Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, 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
Independence:
  660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)
Constitution:
  3 May 1947
Legal system:
  modled after European civil law system with English-American influence;
  judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory
  ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
  Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Political parties and leaders:
  Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Kiichi MIYAZAWA, president; Seiroku
  KAJIYAMA, secretary general; Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Sadao
  YAMAHANA, Chairman; Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keizo OUCHI, chairman;
  Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, Presidium chairman; Komeito
  (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro ISHIDA, chairman; Japan New Party
  (JNP), Morihiro HOSOKAWA, chairman
Suffrage:
  20 years of age; universal
Elections:
 House of Councillors:
  last held on 26 July 1992 (next to be held NA July 1995); results - percent
  of vote by party NA; seats - (252 total) LDP 106, SDPJ 73, CGP 24, DSP 12,
  JCP 11, JNP 4, other 22
 House of Representatives:
  last held on 18 February 1990 (next to be held by NA February 1994); results
  - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (512 total) LDP 274, SDPJ 137, CGP
  46, JCP 16, DSP 13, others 5, independents 6, vacant 15
Executive branch:
  Emperor, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Diet (Kokkai) consists of an upper house or House of Councillors
  (Sangi-in) and a lower house or House of Representatives (Shugi-in)
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Kiichi MIYAZAWA (since 5 November 1991)



@end display

@node Government (Japan 2. usage)
@section Government (Japan 2. usage)

@display

Member of:
  AfDB, AG (observer), Australia Group, APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE
  (observer), EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
  INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NEA, NSG,
  OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNRWA,
  UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Takakazu KURIYAMA
 chancery:
  2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  [phone]
 consulates general:   Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas
  City (Missouri), Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Seattle,
  and Portland (Oregon)
 consulates:
  Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Michael H. ARMACOST
 embassy:
  10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo
 mailing address:
  APO AP 96337-0001
 telephone:
  [81] (3) 3224-5000
 FAX:
  [81] (3) 3505-1862
 consulates general:
  Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
 consulate:
  Fukuoka
Flag:
  white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the
  center



@end display

@node Economy (Japan)
@section Economy (Japan)

@display

Overview:
  Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, and a comparatively
  small defense allocation have helped Japan advance with extraordinary
  rapidity, notably in high-technology fields. Industry, the most important
  sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and
  fuels. Self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its
  requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of the
  world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the global
  catch. Overall economic growth has been spectacular: a 10% average in the
  1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. Economic growth slowed markedly
  in 1992 largely because of contractionary domestic policies intended to
  wring speculative excesses from the stock and real estate markets. At the
  same time, the stronger yen and slower global growth are containing export
  growth. Unemployment and inflation remain low at 2%. Japan continues to run
  a huge trade surplus - $107 billion in 1992, up nearly 40% from the year
  earlier - which supports extensive investment in foreign assets. The
  crowding of its habitable land area and the aging of its population are two
  major long-run problems.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.468 trillion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
  1.5% (1992)
National product per capita:
  $19,800 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.1% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
  2.2% (1992)
Budget:
  revenues $490 billion; expenditures $579 billion, including capital
  expenditures (public works only) of about $68 billion (FY93)
Exports:
  $339.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
 commodities:
  manufactures 97% (including machinery 40%, motor vehicles 18%, consumer
  electronics 10%)
 partners:
  Southeast Asia 31%, US 29%, Western Europe 23%, Communist countries 4%,
  Middle East 3%
Imports:
  $232.7 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
 commodities:
  manufactures 44%, fossil fuels 33%, foodstuffs and raw materials 23%
 partners:
  Southeast Asia 25%, US 22%, Western Europe 17%, Middle East 12%, former
  Communist countries and China 8%
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate -6.0% (1992); accounts for 30% of GDP
Electricity:
  196,000,000 kW capacity; 835,000 million kWh produced, 6,700 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  steel and non-ferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical equipment, construction
  and mining equipment, motor vehicles and parts, electronic and
  telecommunication equipment and components, machine tools and automated
  production systems, locomotives and railroad rolling stock, shipbuilding,
  chemicals, textiles, food processing



@end display

@node Economy (Japan 2. usage)
@section Economy (Japan 2. usage)

@display

Agriculture:
  accounts for only 2% of GDP; highly subsidized and protected sector, with
  crop yields among highest in world; principal crops - rice, sugar beets,
  vegetables, fruit; animal products include pork, poultry, dairy and eggs;
  about 50% self-sufficient in food production; shortages of wheat, corn,
  soybeans; world's largest fish catch of 10 million metric tons in 1991
Economic aid:
  donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $83.2 billion; ODA outlay of $9.1
  billion in 1990 (est.)
Currency:
  1 yen (Y) = 100 sen
Exchange rates:
  yen (Y) per US$1 - 125.01 (January 1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991),
  144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March



@end display

@node Communications (Japan)
@section Communications (Japan)

@display

Railroads:
  27,327 km total; 2,012 km 1.435-meter standard gauge and 25,315 km
  predominantly 1.067-meter narrow gauge; 5,724 km doubletrack and multitrack
  sections, 9,038 km 1.067-meter narrow-gauge electrified, 2,012 km
  1.435-meter standard-gauge electrified (1987)
Highways:
  1,111,974 km total; 754,102 km paved, 357,872 km gravel, crushed stone, or
  unpaved; 4,400 km national expressways; 46,805 km national highways; 128,539
  km prefectural roads; and 930,230 km city, town, and village roads, 6,400 km
  other
Inland waterways:
  about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas
Pipelines:
  crude oil 84 km; petroleum products 322 km; natural gas 1,800 km
Ports:
  Chiba, Muroran, Kitakyushu, Kobe, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo,
  Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Niigata, Fushiki-Toyama, Shimizu, Himeji,
  Wakayama-Shimozu, Shimonoseki, Tokuyama-Shimomatsu
Merchant marine:
  950 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 21,080,149 GRT/32,334,270 DWT;
  includes 10 passenger, 39 short-sea passenger, 1 passenger cargo, 81 cargo,
  43 container, 43 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 87 refrigerated cargo, 97 vehicle
  carrier, 240 oil tanker, 11 chemical tanker, 39 liquefied gas, 9 combination
  ore/oil, 2 specialized tanker, 247 bulk, 1 multi-function large load
  carrier; note - Japan also owns a large flag of convenience fleet, including
  up to 44% of the total number of ships under the Panamanian flag
Airports:
 total:
  162
 usable:
  159
 with permanent-surface runways:
  132
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  2
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  32
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  50
Telecommunications:
  excellent domestic and international service; 64,000,000 telephones;
  broadcast stations - 318 AM, 58 FM, 12,350 TV (196 major - 1 kw or greater);
  satellite earth stations - 4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean
  INTELSAT; submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and Russia



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Japan)
@section Defense Forces (Japan)

@display

Branches:
  Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
  (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force), Maritime Safety Agency
  (Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 32,134,496; fit for military service 27,689,029; reach
  military age (18) annually 1,002,998 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $37 billion, 0.94% of GDP (FY93/94 est.)



@end display