Japan earthquake
An 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan, setting off a disastrous tsunami. Here are some facts found in the CIA World Factbook about the country.
Size: 145,914 square miles
Location : Map of country
Population: 126,475,664
Seismic activity: About 1,500 tremors every year
Active volcanoes: Unzen and Sakurajima are listed as "Decade Volcanoes" because of their history and proximity to nearby populations. Japan has more than 100 active volcanoes.
Major cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Sapporo
How do Japan and California compare?
How do Japan and California compare?
Japan is slightly smaller than the state of California. Here's how they compare in other areas:
Square miles: Japan | California
Population: Japan | California
Median age: Japan | California
How do Japan and the U.S. compare?
How do Japan and the U.S. compare?
Square miles: Japan | U.S.
Population: Japan | U.S.
Median age: Japan | U.S.
Ethnic groups
- Japan: Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%
- U.S: White 79.96%, Black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate)
Japan’s economy
Japan’s economy
Third-largest economy
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2010:
- Industry: 23 percent
- Agriculture: 1.1 percent
- Services: 75.9 percent
GDP per person: $34,200
Public debt: 225.8 percent of GDP
Workforce: 65.7 million
Unemployment rate: 5.1 percent
Main exports: Motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, chemicals, textiles and processed foods.
Japan’s political system
Japan’s political system
Japan was united as a nation in 1590. Find out more about how that happened.
The U.S. and Japan fought each other during World War II.
- Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
- The U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Japan became a member of the United Nations in 1956.
Emperor: Akihito.
Prime minister: Naoto Kan, elected in June 2010.
Economic minister: Yoshihiko Noda
Additional Information
Top 15 World’s biggest quakes
Here’s a list of the largest earthquakes to rattle the world since 1900, according to MCT. Maps show where they struck.
- A 9.5 magnitude quake struck Chile in 1960.
- A 9.2 magnitude quake struck Prince William Sound, Alaska, in 1964.
- A 9.1 magnitude quake struck off the coast of northern Sumatra in 2004.
- A 9.0 magnitude quake struck Kamchatka, Russia, in 1952.
- An 8.9 magnitude quake struck Japan in 2011.
- An 8.8 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Ecuador in 1906.
- An 8.8 magnitude quake struck Chile in 2010.
- An 8.7 magnitude quake struck Rat Islands, Alaska, in 1965.
- An 8.6 magnitude quake struck northern Sumatra, Indonesia, in 2005.
- An 8.6 magnitude quake struck Tibet in 1950.
- An 8.6 magnitude quake struck Andreanof Islands, Alaska, in 1957.
- An 8.5 magnitude quake struck southern Sumatra, Indonesia, in 2007.
- An 8.5 magnitude quake struck Banda Sea, Indonesia, in 1938.
- An 8.5 magnitude quake struck Kamchatka, Russia, in 1923.
- An 8.5 magnitude quake struck Argentina’s border with Chile in 1922.
Source: special
