Natural hazards: many dormant and some active volcanoes; about
1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis
Environment--current issues: air pollution from power plant
emissions results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and
reservoirs degrading water quality and threatening aquatic life;
Japan is one of the largest consumers of fish and tropical timber,
contributing to the depletion of these resources in Asia and
elsewhere
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertication, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography--note: strategic location in northeast Asia
People
Population: 126,182,077 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15% (male 9,697,851; female 9,242,027)
15-64 years: 68% (male 43,405,024; female 43,023,885)
65 years and over: 17% (male 8,686,347; female 12,126,943) (1999
est.)
Population growth rate: 0.2% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 10.48 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 8.12 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 4.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.11 years
male: 77.02 years
female: 83.35 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.48 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Japanese
Ethnic groups: Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)
Religions: observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16%
(including Christian 0.7%)
Languages: Japanese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1970 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Japan
Data code: JA
Government 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)
National holiday: Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Constitution: 3 May 1947
Legal system: modeled after European civil law system with
English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Keizo OBUCHI (since 30 July 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the Diet designates the
prime minister; the constitution requires that the prime minister
must command a parliamentary majority, therefore, following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of
a majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes
prime minister
Legislative branch: bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the
House of Councillors or Sangi-in (252 seats; one-half of the members
elected every three years--76 seats of which are elected from the 47
multi-seat prefectural districts and 50 of which are elected from a
single nationwide list with voters casting ballots by party; members
elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
Representatives or Shugi-in (500 seats--200 of which are elected from
11 regional blocks on a proportional representation basis and 300 of
which are elected from 300 single-seat districts; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Councillors--last held 12 July 1998 (next to be
held NA July 2001); House of Representatives--last held 20 October
1996 (next to be held by October 2000)
election results: House of Councillors--percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--LDP 102, DPJ 47, JCP 23, Komeito 22, SDP 13, Liberal
Party 12, independents 26, others 7; note--the distribution of seats
as of January 1999 is as follows--LDP 104, DPJ 56, Komeito 24, JCP
23, SDP 14, Liberal Party 12, independents 5, others 14; House of
Representatives--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--LDP 240,
NFP 142, DPJ 52, JCP 26, SDP 15, Sun Party 10, others 15; note--the
distribution of seats as of January 1999 is as follows--LDP 266, DPJ
94, Komeito/Reform Club 52, Liberal Party 39, JCP 26, SDP 14,
independents 5, others 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, chief justice is appointed by the
monarch after designation by the cabinet, all other justices are
appointed by the cabinet
Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party or LDP
president, Hirohisa FUJII, secretary general]; Japan Communist Party
Katsuyuki ISHIDA, secretary general]
note: subsequent to the last legislative elections, the New Frontier
Party or NFP and the Sun Party disbanded; the DPJ was formed by
former members of the SDP and Sakigake and, in April 1998, was
joined by three additional parties which had formed after the NFP
disbanded; New Peace Party and Komei merged to form Komeito in
November 1998
International organization participation: AfDB, APEC, AsDB,
Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EBRD,
ESCAP, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UN Security Council
(temporary), UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNRWA,
UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kunihiko SAITO
chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Hagatna (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston,
Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los
Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San
Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas S. FOLEY
embassy: 10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-5004
consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya
Flag description: white with a large red disk (representing the
sun without rays) in the center
Economy
Economy--overview: Government-industry cooperation, a strong work
ethic, mastery of high technology, and a comparatively small defense
allocation (1% of GDP) have helped Japan advance with extraordinary
rapidity to the rank of second most powerful economy in the world.
One notable characteristic of the economy is the working together of
manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely knit groups
called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of
lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor
force; this guarantee is eroding. Industry, the most important
sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw
materials and fuels. The much smaller agricultural sector is highly
subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the
world. Usually 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. For three decades overall real economic
growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5%
average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed
markedly in 1992-95 largely because of the aftereffects of
overinvestment during the late 1980s and contractionary domestic
policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the stock and
real estate markets. Growth picked up to 3.9% in 1996, largely a
reflection of stimulative fiscal and monetary policies as well as
low rates of inflation. But in 1997-98 Japan experienced a wrenching
recession, centered about financial difficulties in the banking
system and real estate markets and exacerbated by rigidities in
corporate structures and labor markets. In early 1999 output has
started to stabilize as emergency government spending begins to take
hold. The crowding of habitable land area and the aging of the
population are two major long-run problems.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$2.903 trillion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: -2.6% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$23,100 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 2%
industry: 38%
services: 60% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.9% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 67.72 million (November 1998)
Labor force--by occupation: trade and services 50%, manufacturing,
mining, and construction 33%, utilities and communication 7%,
agriculture, forestry, and fishing 6%, government 3% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 4.4% (November 1998)
Budget:
revenues: $407 billion
expenditures: $711 billion, including capital expenditures (public
works only) of about $86 billion (FY99/00 est.)
Industries: among world's largest and technologically advanced
producers of steel and nonferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical
equipment, construction and mining equipment, motor vehicles and
parts, electronic and telecommunication equipment, machine tools,
automated production systems, locomotives and railroad rolling
stock, ships, chemicals; textiles, processed foods
Industrial production growth rate: -6.9% (1998)
Electricity--production: 948.559 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 61.47%
hydro: 8.34%
nuclear: 29.83%
other: 0.36% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 948.559 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork,
poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish
Exports: $440 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: manufactures 96% (including machinery 50%,
motor vehicles 19%, consumer electronics 3%)
Exports--partners: US 30%, EU 18%, Southeast Asia 12%, China 5%
Imports: $319 billion (c.i.f., 1998)
Imports--commodities: manufactures 54%, foodstuffs and raw
materials 28%, fossil fuels 16%
Imports--partners: US 24%, Southeast Asia 14%, EU 14%, China 13%
Debt--external: $NA
Economic aid--donor: ODA, $9.1 billion (1999)
Currency: yen (Y)
Exchange rates: yen (Y) per US$1--113.18 (January 1999), 130.91
(1998), 120.99 (1997), 108.78 (1996), 94.06 (1995), 102.21 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 April--31 March
Communications
Telephones: 64 million (1987 est.)
Telephone system: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations--5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and 1
Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to
China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 318, FM 58, shortwave 0
Radios: 97 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 7,549 (consisting of 6,995
non-government and non-commercial stations, of which 95 are main
stations of 1 kW or greater power and 6,900 are low-power stations,
and 554 commercial stations of which 113 are main stations and 441
are repeaters); note--in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV
stations and 2 TV cable stations (1997)
Televisions: 100 million (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 23,670.7 km
standard gauge: 2,893.1 km 1.435-m gauge (entirely electrified)
narrow gauge: 89.8 km 1.372-m gauge (89.8 km electrified); 20,656.8
km 1.067-m gauge (10,383.6 km electrified); 31 km 0.762-m gauge (3.6
km electrified) (1994)
Highways:
total: 1.16 million km
paved: 859,560 km (including 6,070 km of expressways)
unpaved: 300,440 km (1996 est.)
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 and harbors: Akita, Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate,
Higashi-Harima, Himeji, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura, Kobe, Kushiro,
Mizushima, Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo,
Tomakomai
Merchant marine:
total: 713 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 13,753,027
GRT/19,311,312 DWT
ships by type: bulk 159, cargo 54, chemical tanker 13, combination
bulk 16, combination ore/oil 4, container 27, liquefied gas tanker
40, oil tanker 232, passenger 10, passenger-cargo 2, refrigerated
cargo 27, roll-on/roll-off cargo 48, short-sea passenger 13, vehicle
carrier 68 (1998 est.)
Airports: 170 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 140
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 39
914 to 1,523 m: 30
under 914 m: 31 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 28 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 14 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Japan
Maritime Self-Defense Force (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force
(Air Force)
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 30,646,516 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 26,438,961 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 784,658 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $42.9 billion (FY98/99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 0.9% (FY98/99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan,
and the Habomai group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now
administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks
(Takeshima/Tokdo) disputed with South Korea; Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku
Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
======================================================================
@Jarvis Island
-------------
Geography
Location: Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to the Cook Islands
Geographic coordinates: 0 22 S, 160 03 W
Map references: Oceania
Area:
total: 4.5 sq km
land: 4.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: about eight times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 8 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain: sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m
Natural resources: guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1998)
Natural hazards: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island
can be a maritime hazard
Environment--current issues: no natural fresh water resources
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and
low-growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging
habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
People
Population: uninhabited
note: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally
used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was
abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical
Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use
permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally
restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish
and Wildlife Service
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jarvis Island
Data code: DQ
Dependency status: unincorporated territory of the US;
administered from Washington, DC by the Fish and Wildlife Service of
the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife
Refuge system
Legal system: NA
Flag description: the flag of the US is used
Economy
Economy--overview: no economic activity
Transportation
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only; note--there is
one boat landing area in the middle of the west coast and another
near the southwest corner of the island
Transportation--note: there is a day beacon near the middle of the
west coast
Military
Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the US; visited
annually by the US Coast Guard
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: none
======================================================================
@Jersey
------
Geography
Location: Western Europe, island in the English Channel,
northwest of France
Geographic coordinates: 49 15 N, 2 10 W
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 116 sq km
land: 116 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area--comparative: about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 70 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Terrain: gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north
coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 m
Natural resources: agricultural land
Land use:
arable land: 66%
permanent crops: NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 34%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: NA
Environment--current issues: NA
Environment--international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography--note: largest and southernmost of Channel Islands;
about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier
People
Population: 89,721 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 8,308; female 7,663)
15-64 years: 68% (male 30,168; female 30,754)
65 years and over: 14% (male 5,348; female 7,480) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.63% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 11.85 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.08 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 2.76 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.83 years
male: 76.08 years
female: 81.87 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups: UK and Norman-French descent
Religions: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New
Church, Methodist, Presbyterian
Languages: English (official), French (official), Norman-French
dialect spoken in country districts
Literacy: NA
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey
Data code: JE
Dependency status: British crown dependency
Government type: NA
Capital: Saint Helier
Administrative divisions: none (British crown dependency)
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
National holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and
practice
Legal system: English law and local statute
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Sir
Michael WILKES (since NA 1995) and Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE
(since NA 1995)
cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and
bailiff appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of the States (57
seats--53 elected including 12 senators popularly elected for
six-year terms, half retiring every third year, 12 constables
popularly elected triennially, and 29 deputies popularly elected
triennially)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: percent of vote--NA; seats--independents 52
Judicial branch: Royal Court, judges elected by an electoral
college and the bailiff
Political parties and leaders: none; all independents
International organization participation: none
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (British crown
dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (British crown
dependency)
Flag description: white with the diagonal red cross of Saint
Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) extending to the corners of the
flag
Economy
Economy--overview: The economy is based largely on financial
services, agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes,
and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to
the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and
represents an important export earner. Milk products go to the UK
and other EU countries. In 1996 the finance sector accounted for
about 60% of the island's output. Tourism, another mainstay of the
economy, accounts for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the government
has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result
that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional
manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements
are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light
tax and death duties make the island a popular tax haven.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$NA
GDP--real growth rate: NA%
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$NA
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 2%
services: 93% (1995)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1996)
Labor force: 57,050 (1996)
Unemployment rate: 0.7% (1996)
Budget:
revenues: $666.9 million
expenditures: $618.5 million, including capital expenditures of
$128.4 million (1996 est.)
Industries: tourism, banking and finance, dairy
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity--production: NA kWh
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA%
Electricity--consumption: 467 million kWh (1995)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh
Electricity--imports: NA kWh; note?much electricity supplied by
France
Agriculture--products: potatoes, cauliflowers, tomatoes; beef,
dairy products
Exports: $NA
Exports--commodities: light industrial and electrical goods,
foodstuffs, textiles
Exports--partners: UK
Imports: $NA
Imports--commodities: machinery and transport equipment,
manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals
Imports--partners: UK
Debt--external: none
Economic aid--recipient: none
Currency: 1 Jersey pound (LJ) = 100 pence