Japan. Nature of Japan: description

Extremely fascinating country Japan! The nature of Japan is fascinating from the first minute. It can be talked about tirelessly - it is so diverse and beautiful. Blooming cherry blossoms in spring, abundance of flowers in the summer, bright autumn maples, pure snow cover in winter - this is just a small piece of Japanese charm.

general review

The wild nature of Japan was formed taking into account the fact that the country has an island state. The state is located on the stratovolcanic archipelago, which is located on the Pacific coast of Asia, and belongs to the zone with four temperature seasons. The climate here depends on the seasonal winds blowing from the continent in winter, and in the summer in the opposite direction.

The land of mountains and forests is Japan. The nature of Japan is rich in vegetation: coniferous trees prevail in the north, mixed forests in the central part, and subtropical in the south. Mountain and forest tracts occupy more than two thirds of the territory of the state. Often they are unsuitable for living, farming and industrial development due to frequent landslides, typhoons, earthquakes. Although it should be noted that natural vegetation could well survive in densely populated areas. Artificial plantations occupy one-third of the territory.

Flora

What kind of vegetation is Japan remarkable? The nature of Japan is very different. Here there are about 2750 species of all kinds of plants, of which there are many endemics. In general, the flora of this country is similar to the vegetation of East China. On the island of Kosu almost to the crests of the mountains reach evergreen subtropical forests, in the tree tier of which there are different kinds of oak (myrtle, ostrich, etc.), castanopsis, camellia, camphor laurel, grooves, aniseed tree (baden), magnolia. The copious undergrowth mainly consists of ferns, it is rich in epiphytes and lianas.

Description of the nature of Japan in its southern parts will not do without mentioning the tropical palm trees, which are growing very much here. Also there is a cycad, arena, a larva, livistona, cyanate tree. On sandy soils, you can see a dense-colored pine tree.

The northern regions of the country are covered with coniferous forests, which are similar to our Far Eastern ones. Fir and spruce grow mainly here. When moving in a southerly direction, beeches, oaks, maples begin to appear, then - pines and cypresses, then - Japanese magnolias. Artificial vegetation predominates on the mountain slopes of the southern islands and Hokkaido. Here, in places, larch is found, Sakhalin fir and Hokkaid spruce are common.

In the very south of the country grow evergreen multi-tiered forests, rich in endemics. There are a lot of lianas, ferns, you can see palm trees, banana trees and even ficus.

The nature of Japan. Sakura

This is the favorite tree of the Japanese, the flowering of which every year admire all the inhabitants of the country during the festival of Hanami. It passes, as a rule, in early spring - in the middle-end of March (the date of celebration is different each year). The celebration begins in the capital, Tokyo, and then continues in other cities and villages. People from all over the world come to this event to see for themselves how beautiful the nature of Japan is.

Photos and posters with the image of the cherry blossoms still not spread all over the place before the start of the festival. But Hanami is a very short pleasure: the Japanese cherry blossoms only seven to ten days, after which the petals fall off.

Fauna

The animal kingdom of the country is also characterized by a multitude of species. In Hokkaido there are sables, caresses, brown bears, ermines. Also here, as well as on the island of Honshu, there are foxes, otters, wolves, raccoon dogs, hares, badgers. To the south of the Sangar Strait there are Japanese macaques, giant salamanders, black bears, antelopes. South of the Togara Strait, the tropical fauna prevails.

The nature of Japan is also rich in birds (photo below). Here there are tits, cranes, thrushes, starlings, eagles, hawks, woodpeckers, swallows, black grouse, storks, owls. A lot of sea birds are concentrated on the ocean coasts. In rivers and lakes there are lampreys, carp, eels, catfishes, artificially bred salmon. In the coastal waters there is an abundance of commercial fish: it is tuna, Pacific herring, flounder, and cod. Also there are shrimps, crabs, oysters.

Volcanoes and mountains. Japan

The nature of Japan is largely predetermined by a specific relief: about 71 percent of the entire land surface is occupied by mountains, and they are quite high: there are specimens with a height of more than three thousand meters. The most famous mountain of the country is deservedly considered Fujiyama, located between Shizuoka and Yamanashi. This peak reaches a height of 3,776 meters, which makes it the highest point in Japan. Fuji is not just a mountain, it's a sleeping volcano, but since it's still young, there is always a chance of awakening.

In general, very many mountains of the country are volcanoes. On the archipelago there are about two hundred, of which 67 are operating or sleeping. At present, such fiery mountains as Asam, Miharayama, Sakuradzima and Asosan are notably active. The last of these volcanoes is on the island of Kyushu. Thanks to a large number of eruptions (more than seventy), far beyond the limits of the Japanese state, the fame of this fiery mountain spread.

Due to such mountain formations in Japan there are many all kinds of mineral springs (including hot springs). Some tourists just for their sake come to the Land of the Rising Sun, because such bathing, such sources - a real panacea for many diseases.

Finally

Traditional Japan - it's foggy mountains, ponds with splashing carps, reserved valleys, hidden in dense forests. According to ancient paintings, engravings and books this country seems to be exactly this. Of course, modern Japan is in many ways different. But local residents honor and protect the natural beauty of the country, considering it a valuable and important resource. New generations of Japanese are brought up in the spirit of ancient traditions, and this means that this corner of the Earth will long please us with its unsurpassed beauties.