Olive Tree (Ulivo): Democratic Party of the Left or PDS [Massimo
D'ALEMA]; Greens (Verdi) [Carlo RIPA DI MEANA]; Italian Renewal or RI
[Lamberto DINI]; Italian Popular Party or PPI [Franco MARINI - elected
12 January 1997]
Freedom Pole: Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; National
Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI]; Christian Democratic Center or CCD
[Pierferdinando CASINI]; Christian Democratic Union or CDU [Rocco
BUTTIGLIONE]
other: Northern League or NL [Umberto BOSSI]; Communism Refoundation
or RC [Fausto BERTINOTTI]; Italian Social Movement-Tricolor Flame or
MSI-Fiamma Tricolore [Pino RAUTI]; Pannella-Sgarbi's List (Lista
Pannella-Sgarbi) [Marco PANNELLA]; Italian Socialists or SI [Enrico
BOSELLI]; Autonomous List (a group of minor parties); Southern Tyrols
List or SVP (German speakers)
Political pressure groups and leaders: the Roman Catholic Church;
three major trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale
Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL which is PDS-dominated, Confederazione
Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL which is centrist, and
Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL which is center-right); Italian
manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria,
Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori,
Confagricoltura)
International organization participation: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB,
Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CDB (non-regional), CE, CE (observer), CEI,
CERN, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, 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, LAIA
(observer), MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ferdinando SALLEO
chancery: 1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 and 2700 16th
Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 328-5500
FAX: [1] (202) 483-2187
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los
Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco
consulate(s): Detroit and New Orleans
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Reginald BARTHOLOMEW
embassy : Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome
mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (6) 46741
FAX: [39] (6) 488-2672
consulate(s) general : Florence, Milan, Naples
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side),
white, and red; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is
green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the
Cote d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side),
white, and green
Economy
Economy - overview: Since World War II, the Italian economy has
changed from one based on agriculture into a ranking industrial
economy, with approximately the same total and per capita output as
France and the UK. This basically capitalistic economy is still
divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private
companies, and a less developed agricultural south, with large public
enterprises. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of
energy requirements must be imported. In the second half of 1992, Rome
became unsettled by the prospect of not qualifying to participate in
EU plans for economic and monetary union later in the decade; thus, it
finally began to address its huge fiscal imbalances. Subsequently, the
government has adopted fairly stringent budgets, abandoned its
inflationary wage indexation system, and started to scale back its
generous social welfare programs, including pension and health care
benefits. In November 1996 the lire rejoined the European monetary
system, which it had left in September 1992 when under extreme
pressure in currency markets. Italy in early 1997 faces the problem of
restructuring its economy to meet Maastricht criteria for inclusion in
the EMU, together with other problems of refurbishing a tottering
communications system, curbing industrial pollution, and adjusting to
new EU and global competitive forces.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.12 trillion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.8% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $19,600 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3.3%
industry : 33%
services: 63.7% (1994)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 4% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 22.851 million
by occupation: services 61%, industry 32%, agriculture 7% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $416 billion
expenditures : $506 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1996 est.)
Industries: tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food
processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 57.19 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 241.6 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,238 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar
beets, soybeans, grain, olives; meat and dairy products; fish catch of
525,000 metric tons in 1990
Exports:
total value: $250 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: metals, textiles and clothing, production machinery,
motor vehicles, transportation equipment, chemicals
partners : EU 53.4%, US 7.8%, OPEC 3.8%
Imports:
total value: $205 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities : industrial machinery, chemicals, transport equipment,
petroleum, metals, food, agricultural products
partners: EU 56.3%, OPEC 5.3%, US 4.6%
Debt - external: $45 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid:
donor: ODA, $3.043 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi
Exchange rates: Italian lire (Lit) per US$1 - 1,568.1 (January 1997),
1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993),
1,232.4 (1992)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Italy:Communications
Telephones: 25.6 million (1996 est.)
Telephone system: modern, well-developed, fast; fully automated
telephone, telex, and data services
domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total of
5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat
(Atlantic Ocean Region), and NA Eutelsat; 21 submarine cables
Radio broadcast stations: AM 135, FM 28 (repeaters 1,840), shortwave 0
Radios: 45.7 million (1996 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 83 (repeaters 1,000)
Televisions: 17 million (1996 est.)
@Italy:Transportation
Railways:
total : 18,961 km
standard gauge: 17,981 km 1.435-m gauge; Italian Railways (FS)
operates 16,118 km of the total standard gauge routes (10,560 km
electrified)
narrow gauge: 113 km 1.000-m gauge (113 km electrified); 867 km
0.950-m gauge (144 km electrified)
Highways:
total: 305,388 km
paved: 305,388 km (including 6,301 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1991 est.)
Waterways: 2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although
of limited overall value
Pipelines: crude oil 1,703 km; petroleum products 2,148 km; natural
gas 19,400 km
Ports and harbors: Ancona, Augusta (Sicily), Bari, Cagliari
(Sardinia), Catania (Sicily), Gaeta, Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno,
Naples, Oristano (Sardinia), Palermo (Sicily), Piombino, Porto Torres
(Sardinia), Ravenna, Savona, Trieste, Venice
Merchant marine:
total : 396 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,503,637 GRT/7,794,505
DWT
ships by type: bulk 36, cargo 50, chemical tanker 39, combination
ore/oil 2, container 17, liquefied gas tanker 36, multifunction
large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 106, passenger 7, roll-on/roll-off
cargo 54, short-sea passenger 30, specialized tanker 11, vehicle
carrier 7 (1996 est.)
Airports: 132 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 112
over 3,047 m : 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 34
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 24
under 914 m: 34 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total : 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 18 (1996 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 14,356,666 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 12,423,178 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 339,255 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $20.4 billion (1995)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.9% (1995)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Italy is negotiating with Slovenia over
property and minority rights issues dating from World War II; Croatia
and Italy have not resolved a bilateral issue dating from WWII over
property and ethnic minority rights
Illicit drugs: important gateway for and consumer of Latin American
cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market
______________________________________________________________________
JAMAICA
@Jamaica:Geography
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Geographic coordinates: 18 15 N, 77 30 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 10,990 sq km
land: 10,830 sq km
water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,022 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point : Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use:
arable land : 14%
permanent crops: 6%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 17%
other: 39% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 350 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hurricanes (especially July to November)
Environment - current issues: deforestation; coastal waters polluted
by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs;
air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica
Channel, the main sea lanes for Panama Canal
@Jamaica:People
Population: 2,615,582 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : 32% (male 428,831; female 409,959)
15-64 years: 61% (male 793,609; female 806,031)
65 years and over: 7% (male 78,453; female 98,699) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.75% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 21.56 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 5.5 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -8.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 15 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.12 years
male : 72.8 years
female: 77.56 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.39 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican
Ethnic groups: black 76.3%, Afro-European 15.1%, East Indian and
Afro-East Indian 3%, white 3.2%, Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%, other
1.2%
Religions: Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%,
Anglican 7.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist
3.1%, United Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other,
including some spiritual cults 39.1% (1982)
Languages: English, Creole
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 85%
male: 80.8%
female: 89.1% (1995 est.)
@Jamaica:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Jamaica
Data code: JM
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Kingston
Administrative divisions: 14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston,
Manchester, Portland, Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint
Elizabeth, Saint James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny,
Westmoreland
Independence: 6 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day (first Monday in August) (1962)
Constitution: 6 August 1962
Legal system: based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1 August
1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since 30
March 1992) and Deputy Prime Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA 1993)
cabinet : Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor general
appointed by the queen on the recommendation of the prime minister;
prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the governor
general
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a
21-member body appointed by the governor general on the
recommendations of the prime minister and the leader of the
opposition; ruling party 13 seats, opposition 8 seats) and the House
of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 30 March 1993 (next to be held by March 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PNP
52, JLP 8; note - the establishment of a major third party, the
National Democratic Movement (NDM) in 1995 led to a realignment of
seats - PNP 51, JLP 7, NDM 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the governor
general on advice of the prime minister
Political parties and leaders: People's National Party (PNP), P. J.
PATTERSON; Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), Edward SEAGA; National
Democratic Movement (NDM), Bruce GOLDING
Political pressure groups and leaders: Rastafarians (black
religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New Beginnings Movement
(NBM)
International organization participation: ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB,
ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard Leighton BERNAL
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 452-0660
FAX : [1] (202) 452-0081
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador J. Gary COOPER
embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor,
Kingston
mailing address : use embassy street address
telephone: [1] (876) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX: [1] (876) 926-6743
Flag description: diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four
triangles - green (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer
side)
Economy
Economy - overview: Key sectors in this island economy are bauxite
(alumina and bauxite account for more than half of exports) and
tourism. Since assuming office in 1992, Prime Minister PATTERSON has
consolidated the market-oriented reforms initiated by his predecessor,
Michael MANLEY, to make Jamaica a regional leader in economic reform.
PATTERSON has eliminated most price controls, streamlined tax
schedules, and privatized government enterprises. Tight monetary and
fiscal policies under an IMF program have helped slow inflation and
stabilize the exchange rate, but, as a result, economic growth has
slowed down and unemployment remains high. Jamaica's medium-term
prospects depend largely on its ability to continue to attract foreign
capital and to limit speculation against the Jamaican dollar.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.4 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,260 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 8.1%
industry: 36.2%
services: 55.7% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 17% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 1,062,100
by occupation: services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%,
unemployed 17.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 15.4% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.45 billion
expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $732
million (FY95/96 est.)
Industries: bauxite, tourism, textiles, food processing, light
manufactures
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 848,400 kW (1995)
Electricity - production: 5.829 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 2,014 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes,
vegetables; poultry, goats, milk
Exports:
total value: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum
partners: US 47%, UK 11%, Canada 9%, Norway 7%, France 4% (1993)
Imports:
total value: $2.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: machinery and transport equipment, construction
materials, fuel, food, chemicals
partners: US 54%, Japan 4.0%, Mexico 6%, UK 4%, Venezuela 3% (1993)
Debt - external: $4.2 billion (1995)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $239 million (1993)
Currency: 1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 - 34.952 (December
1996), 37.120 (1996), 35.142 (1995), 33.086 (1994), 24.949 (1993),
22.960 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March
@Jamaica:Communications
Telephones: 212,257 (1991 est.)
Telephone system: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
3 coaxial submarine cables
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 17, shortwave 0
Radios: 1.04 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 8
Televisions: 330,000 (1992 est.)
@Jamaica:Transportation
Railways:
total: 272 km
standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge; note - 207 km belonging to the
Jamaica Railway Corporation which were in common carrier service are
no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned and used
to transport bauxite
Highways:
total: 18,600 km
paved: 13,132 km
unpaved : 5,468 km (1995 est.)
Pipelines: petroleum products 10 km
Ports and harbors: Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego
Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Rocky Point
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,435 GRT/6,105 DWT
ships by type: oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1996 est.)
Airports: 26 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 25
2,438 to 3,047 m : 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 20 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Jamaica Defense Force (includes Ground Forces,
Coast Guard and Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 691,799 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 488,569 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males : 25,532 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $30 million (FY95/96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South
America to North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis;
government has an active cannabis eradication program
______________________________________________________________________
JAN MAYEN
(territory of Norway)
@Jan Mayen:Geography
Location: Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the
Norwegian Sea, northeast of Iceland
Geographic coordinates: 71 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references: Arctic Region
Area:
total: 373 sq km
land: 373 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 124.1 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone : 10 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 4 nm
Climate: arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain: volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 m
Natural resources: none
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops : 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100%
Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)
Natural hazards: dominated by the volcano Beerenberg; volcanic
activity resumed in 1970
Environment - current issues: NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to : NA
signed, but not ratified: NA
Geography - note: barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
@Jan Mayen:People
Population: no permanent inhabitants
note: there are personnel who operate the Long Range Navigation
(Loran) C base and the weather and coastal services radio station
@Jan Mayen:Government
Country name:
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: Jan Mayen
Data code: JN
Dependency status: territory of Norway; administered from Oslo,
Norway, through a governor (sysselmann) resident in Longyearbyen
(Svalbard); however, authority has been delegated to a station
commander of the Norwegian Defense Communication Service
Flag description: the flag of Norway is used
Economy
Economy - overview: Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable
natural resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services
for employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on
the island.
Electricity - capacity: NA kW
Electricity - production: NA kWh
Electricity - consumption per capita: NA kWh
@Jan Mayen:Communications
Telephone system:
domestic: NA
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
note: radio and meteorological station
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: NA
Televisions: NA
@Jan Mayen:Transportation
Highways:
total: NA km
paved : NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1996 est.)
Military
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Norway
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
______________________________________________________________________
JAPAN
@Japan:Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean
and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic coordinates: 36 00 N, 138 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area:
total: 377,835 sq km
land: 374,744 sq km
water: 3,091 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto,
Minami-jima, Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and
Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 29,751 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic 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
Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Hachiro-gata -4 m
highest point: Fujiyama 3,776 m
Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use:
arable land : 11%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 2%
forests and woodland: 67%
other : 19% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 27,820 sq km (1993 est.)