Nature of the island of Hokkaido. Islands of Japan, Hokkaido: description, sights, history and interesting facts

Hokkaido is one of the islands of the Japanese state. About its features and sights read further in the article.

Islands of Japan

Japan is an amazing country, which is completely surrounded by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese archipelago consists of 6852 islands. The largest are Shikoku, Honshu, Kyushu, Hokkaido. The islands of the Japanese state have well-developed infrastructure, fulfilling the functions of full-fledged territorial units. Communication with the mainland is supported by sea transport and aircraft.

The islands of Honshu and Hokkaido are the largest in Japan. Honshu occupies about a third of the entire territory of the country. It has many major facilities, for example, the capital of Japan, Tokyo, as well as the pride and symbol of the state - Mount Fuji. Kyushu is the third in size, there is a suggestion that on this island and there was a Japanese civilization. Here is the infamous city of Nagasaki, which currently houses the Peace Park.

Some islands are connected by railway tunnels, Honshu and Shikoku are connected by a system of bridges. Sea space, which is located between the islands of the state, is called the Inland Sea, its area is about 18 thousand square kilometers.

Hokkaido Island (Japan): description

By area, which is 83,400 square meters. Km, it is the second in the state. Its population is about 5.5 million inhabitants. The Japanese island of Hokkaido is the northernmost of the four largest islands of the state. From Honshu it is separated by the Sangar Strait.

The whole territory is divided into 14 districts. Under the control of Hokkaido there are several adjacent islands, for example, Risiri, Rebun and others. There are nine main cities on the island: Sapporo, Hakodate, Kushiro, Asahikawa, Ebetsu, Otaru, Tomakomai, Obihiro and Kitami. Sapporo is an administrative center, it is home to about 30% of the population of Hokkaido. There are 39 colleges and 37 universities on the island.

Hokkaido is a popular destination for tourists. Most often it is a ferry or an airplane, with other islands of the state it is connected only by a railway tunnel, which leads directly to the island of Honshu. The tunnel under the name "Seikan" is at a depth of 240 meters.

History of Hokkaido

The first settlements arose 20,000 years ago in Hokkaido. The islands of the central part of Japan differ significantly from the northern, where it is located. For a long time the life and traditions of one culture found a continuation in others. Such continuity was observed in the Satsumon culture, which was a transformed post-Jomon. It is Jomon that is considered the first culture that arose in Hokkaido. On the basis of Satsumon in the 13th century, the culture of the Ainu originated, which still exists.

In the Middle Ages, the Japanese come to the island. Fraying with the Ainu, they occupy the southern part of the territory. In the 17th century, the Japanese created a feudal principality, which established control over the entire island, and did not conquer the Ainu until the end.

In the 19th century, the Hokkaido Administration was created, which functions as a state body. On the island, significant work is underway to improve the infrastructure. Railways and ports are being built, and a transportation system is being established between Hokkaido and Honshu. There are steel mills, sawmills, paper mills, and agriculture is developing. Since then, industry is one of the important industries on the island.

Geography of Hokkaido

The islands of Japan are mostly of volcanic origin, Hokkaido is no exception. The territory of the island is formed by ophiolites and sedimentary-volcanic rocks. From the North coast is the Sea of Okhotsk. The island is also washed by the Sea of Japan and the waters of the Pacific Ocean. In the south, Hokkaido is represented by the Oshima Peninsula. On this island are at once two extreme points of the country: in the north it is Cape Soy, and in the east - Nosappu-Saki.

The terrain is mountainous and at the same time flat. Throughout the central part stretch volcanoes and mountains. The island is subject to the influence of seismic activity, and some volcanoes are considered to be active (Koma, Usu, Tokati, Tarume, Mezakan). Asahi is the highest peak. This mountain on the island of Hokkaido reaches 2,290 meters in height. Plains are located closer to the coast.

Climate

Due to the length from north to south, the climatic conditions of Japan differ in different parts of the country. Cold temperatures are different for Hokkaido. The islands in the south-western part, on the contrary, have warm conditions, since a subtropical climate has formed here.

In Hokkaido, winters are colder than in other regions of Japan, snow on the island can last up to 120 days per season. On mountain ranges, closer to the northern part of the island, drifts can reach 11 meters, and almost two meters off the Pacific coast. In January, the average temperature is -12 to -4 degrees. Throughout the winter from the side of the Sea of Okhotsk there are many drifting ice floes.

Summer, as a rule, is also cool. The average August temperature is from 17 to 22 degrees. In summer, the number of rainy days averages to 150, although on other islands this figure is much higher.

Animal and plant life

The nature of the island of Hokkaido is the main reason for visiting it by tourists. Despite a large number of industrial enterprises, the government managed to preserve natural resources. Approximately 70% of the forests are forests. In the northern part of the coniferous trees grow, they are represented by spruce, cedar, fir. In the southern part, broad-leaved trees grow. In Hokkaido is also widely distributed bamboo.

The animal world is quite diverse. Here is the largest population of brown bears in Asia. The island is inhabited by ermine, sable, foxes. The local lakes are full of fish, and in the spring a lot of birds come here. One of their local residents is a flying squirrel, called "edzo monomong", which can only be found in Hokkaido.

sights

The main attractions of the island, of course, are natural objects. There are about 20 national, quasi-national parks and reserves in Hokkaido. On the island there is a huge number of lakes, hot springs and picturesque mountains.

In the city of Kushiro there is a natural park of Japanese cranes, which are under special protection of the state. The Akan National Park, which is located on the shore of the lake of the same name, is famous for its hot springs.

At the Tomita farm in the town of Furano, you can witness amazing beauty. Hectares of the territory are planted with various varieties of lavender. From June to July, the fields are decorated with lilac, white and other colors. Grow here, and sunflowers, and poppies, and daffodils.

One of the most popular places on the island is the Blue Lake. From the water of a bright blue color, the gray trunks of withered trees peep out, creating a truly enchanting spectacle.

Resorts and Festivals

Thanks to snowy winters and mountains, already in November in Hokkaido ski resorts are opened. They operate in the city of Furano, Niseki, Biya. In addition, interesting festivals are organized on the island. In the main city of Hokkaido every year the Snow Festival opens. At this time, huge snowdrifts become a real material for creativity. About two million people from all over the world come together to compete in the ability to create sculptures of ice and snow. Another winter festival is organized in Mombetsu, called the "Festival of Drifting Ice".

On the already known to us Furano farm every summer opens the Lavender Festival. This action is dedicated, of course, to the flowering of this plant. More than a thousand different festivals and celebrations take place on the island. One of them, by the way, is very similar to the European harvest holidays, only everything happens on the sea coast, and instead of gratitude for the fruit harvest, the local people thank nature for the generous catch.

Conclusion

Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku are the largest Japanese islands. The island of Hokkaido is the second largest. It is located in the northern part of the country, due to which, its climate is colder and harsher than in the rest of Japan. Despite this, the island has a unique nature, to see which come millions of people from different corners of our planet.