LAND AREA 377,815 sq km(145,875 sq mi)

Major physical features highest point:Mount Fuji 3,776m(12,388ft); largest lake:Biwa 695 sq km(268 sq mi)

Population 123,460,000(1990)

Form of goverment multiparty constitutional monarchy with two legistive houses

Largest citties Tokyo(capital-11,936,000); Yokohama(3,220,000); Osaka(2,624,000); Nagoya(2,155,000); Sapporo(1,672,000); Kyoto(1,461,000)

Official language Japanese

Ethnic composition Japanese99.2%; Korean0.6%; others0.2%

Official religion None

Religious affliliations Most Japanese are adherents both of Shinto(93.1%) and Buddhism(73.9%); Christians(0.23%)

Life expectancy at birth male76.0yr; female82.0yr