Official name: Japan - Country Profile: Japan

US Department of State Dispatch, July 12, 1993

* Geography

Area: 377,765 sq. km. (145,856 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than California. Cities: Capital-Tokyo. Other major cities--Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kobe, Kyoto. Terrain: Varied, predominantly mountainous to rugged. Climate: Varies from subtropical to temperate.

* People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Japanese. Population (1992 est.): 125 million. Annual growth rate (1992): 0.5%. Ethnic groups: Japanese; Korean 1%. Religions: Shintoism and Buddhism; Christian 1%. Language: Japanese. Education: Literacy--99%. Life expectancy--males 76 yrs., females 81 yrs. Work force (63 million): Services--43%. Trade, manufacturing, mining, and construction-32%. Agriculture--8%. Government--7%.

* Government

Type: Parliamentary democracy. Constitution: May 3,1947. Branches: Executive--prime minister (head of government). Legislative--bicameral Diet (House of Representatives and House of Councillors). Judicial--Civil law system with Anglo-American influence. Subdivisions: 47 prefectures. Political parties: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP); Japan Socialist Party (JSP), Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Komeito (Clean Government Party), Japan Communist Party (JCP). Suffrage: Universal at 20. Flag: Red sun on white field.

* Economy

GNP (1992): $3.6 trillion. Real growth rate (1992): 1.5%. Per capita GNP (1992): $28,800. Natural resources: Negligible mineral resources, fish. Agriculture: Products--rice, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, silk. Industry: Types--machinery and equipment, metals and metal products, textiles, autos, chemicals, electrical and electronic equipment. Trade (1992): Exports--$330 billion: motor vehicles, machinery and equipment, electrical and electronic products, metals and metal products. Major markets--U.S. 29%, Western Europe 21%, developing countries 43%. Imports--$210 billion: fossil fuels, machinery and equipment, raw materials and foodstuffs. Major suppliers--U.S. 23%, Western Europe 17%, developing countries 48%.

* Principal Government Officials

Prime Minister--Kiichi Miyazawa Foreign Minister--Kabun Muto Other ministers: Finance--Yoshiro Hayashi Trade/Industry--Yoshiro Mori Justice--Masaharu Gotoda Health/Welfare--Yuya Niwa Transportation--Ihei Ochi Labor--Masakuni Murakami Construction--Kishiro Nakamura Ambassador to the United States--Takakazu Kuriyama Ambassador to the United Nations--Yoshio Hatano