| − | '''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. The principal islands are, in the [[Romanization|Roman alphabet]], [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]], [[Kyushu]] and [[Shikoku]]. Japan also controls many smaller islands, notably the [[Ryuku]] chain south of Kyushu, for a total land area slightly smaller than California. The climate, however, has traditionally varied from north to south as much as that from [[Maine]] to [[Georgia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest metropolitan area in the world. [http://www.demographia.com/db-world-metro2000.htm] | + | '''Japan''' is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. The principal islands are, in the [[Romanization|Roman alphabet]], [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]], [[Kyushu]] and [[Shikoku]]. Japan also controls many smaller islands, notably the [[Ryuku]] chain south of Kyushu, for a total land area slightly smaller than California. The islands of Japan are scattered between 24ºN and 45ºN lattitude (roughly 1,800 miles, or [[Florida]] to [[Maine]]). As a result, the climate varies greatly. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest metropolitan area in the world. [http://www.demographia.com/db-world-metro2000.htm] |
| | Early signs of human life appeared in Japan around the year 3000 BC. The wild Japanese Bison was an early target of wild game, hunted to extinction within 500 years. | | Early signs of human life appeared in Japan around the year 3000 BC. The wild Japanese Bison was an early target of wild game, hunted to extinction within 500 years. |