National flag of Japan

    Official Name: Nihon or Nippon (Japan) -- Land of the Rising Sun

    Location: Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula 

    Climate: varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

    Terrain: mostly rugged and mountainous

    Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish

    Capital: Tokyo

    Official Language: Japanese

National emblem of Japan

    Government: National Diet consisting of two legislative houses

    Chief of State: Emperor

    Head of Government: Prime Minister

    Legal system: modeled after European civil law system with English-American influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

    Monetary Unit: Yen

    Population: 127,214,499 (July 2003)

    Area: 145,883 square miles (377,835 square kilometers)

    Term for Citizens: Japanese

    Religion: Shinto, various sects of Buddhism, and Christianity coexist.