Geography Japan There Are Many Significant Similarities

Geography

Japan

There are many significant similarities between the geography of Japan and the United States. Japan is a country with a 99% literacy rate, and unemployment of 5.4%, while the U.S. has a 97% literacy rate and unemployment of 5.8%. The countries are quite similar in industry, trade, and education. Japan sits on part of the Pacific Rim, just as the U.S. West Coast and Alaska do, and so, there are commonly earthquakes in all these areas. In addition, like this area, Japan contains many volcanoes, the largest of which is Mt. Fuji, which is also Japan's highest point. At a little over 12,000 feet, Mt. Fuji points out the extremes of America's geography, which are much more pronounced than Japan's. Our highest point is over 20,000 feet, and our lowest is almost 300 feet below sea level.

Of course, there are also many differences between the two countries. Japan is a group of islands, or archipelago, off the coast of Asia. The entire country is only about the size of our western state, Montana. Clearly, size is a great difference between the two countries. Unlike the U.S., Japan has few natural resources except fish, while the U.S. has numerous natural resources, including coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, and timber. Japan's population of 127,333,002 is crowded into a much smaller area than our own population of 293,027,571, which has much more square area to live, although most of the population is concentrated in the largest cities such as Los Angeles and New York. Unlike the U.S., Japanese make up a majority of the population, with only one major ethnic group of any size - Korean.

Japan has a climate similar to the temperate areas of the United States, but like the U.S., the climate can vary. In the North, the islands receive snow, while in the South, winters are mild but summers are hot and humid, more like the American South. There four distinct seasons in Japan, and summer also brings the monsoon season with heavy rains. Japan consists of large cities, but also mountains, forests, and hills, just like the United States.

Politically, the countries differ drastically. Japan's government is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government, much like that of Great Britain. Of course, our own government is not based on a monarchy; it is a two-party democracy with separate Congressional houses.

Culturally, Japan and the U.S. are quite dissimilar. Japan began as a feudalistic society that matured into the modern industrial society known today. Most Japanese are Shintoist, Buddhist, or Christian, while the United States is a melting pot of ethnicities and religions. In Japan, the men are more important socially than women, and it is still fairly recent in Japanese culture that women have successfully entered the workforce and made strides in equality. The Japanese culture is aggressive, as seen by their attempt to dominate world order during World War II, but in many other areas, they are a submissive and peaceful culture. The people place great importance on beauty, harmony, and the natural world.