Square | Square
Miles. | Miles.
Alakton-kul 1,300 | Palter 1,600
Aral 24,500 | Po-yang 2,800
Baikal 12,500 | Tingri-noor 2,800
Balkash 8,600 | Tong-Lung 3,000
Caspian 180,000 | Van 2,000
Dead Sea 400 | Zaisang 1,300
Gennesaret 90 | Zurrah 4,000
Koko-nor 2,040 |
{37}
[Illustration]
* * * * *
{38}
JAPAN. Zipangu.
"SUNRISE KINGDOM."
An empire composed of islands lying east of Asia. Supposed to have been
founded 660 B.C. Area, 148,456 square miles. Pop., 36,700,118. The
population is divided into classes, as follows: Imperial family, 39;
kwazokii, or nobles, 3,204; shizoku, or knights, 1,931,824; common people,
34,765,051. Tokio, formerly known as Jeddo, or Yedo, is the capital; pop.,
823,557.
The government is an absolute monarchy. The title of the sovereign is
Supreme Lord, or Emperor (Mikado).
Agriculture is followed to a great extent. The chief annual agricultural
products are: rice, 155,629,409 bu.; wheat, 62,049,940 bu.; beans,
10,795,717 bu. The annual value of silk production is $20,500,000. The
principal manufactures are silk and cotton goods, japanned ware, porcelain
and bronze. The value of the exports, 1883, was $35,609,000; of imports,
$28,548,000.
A law went into effect in 1874, by which the government gives nine bushels
of rice annually to each person over seventy or under fifteen years of age
unable to work, and to foundlings until they reach the age of thirteen.
Latest reports place the number of paupers at 10,050, and expenditures at
$88,975.
School attendance is compulsory. There are 30,275 schools in the empire, of
which 71 are normal, 98 are technical, and 2 are universities; also, a
military college and military school, with 1,200 students. Latest reports
give 82,213 teachers and 2,703,343 pupils. School age is from 6 to 14.
Total number of school age, 5,750,946. Public libraries, 21. Shintoism is
the ancient religious faith; but Buddhism is the religion of nearly all the
common people.
The first railroad in the empire was opened June, 1875; it extended from
Hiogo to Osaka, twenty-five miles. At the end of June, 1884, there were 236
miles of railway in the empire. There are 4,880 miles of telegraph, with
13,144 miles of wire. Postoffices were first established in 1871, and now
number about 5,200.