is the largest
island of
Japan, called the Mainland; it is south of
Hokkaidō across the
Tsugaru Strait, north of
Shikoku across the
Inland Sea, and northeast of
Kyūshū across the
Kanmon Strait. It is the seventh
largest island, and the second
most populous island in the world after
Java.The island is roughly 1,300 km long and ranges from 50 to 230 km wide, and its total area is
230,500 km², around 60% of the total area of Japan. It is larger than the island of
Great Britain, and slightly larger than the state of
Minnesota. Honshū has 5,450 km of coastline.
Mountainous and
volcanic, Honshū has frequent
earthquakes (the
Great Kantō earthquake heavily damaged
Tokyo in September
1923); the highest peak is the active
volcano Mount Fuji at 3,776 m, which makes it the world's
7th highest island. There are many rivers, including the
Shinano River, Japan's longest. The climate is
temperate, but has marked difference between the eastern or southern (Pacific or Inland Sea coast) side, and the western or northern (Sea of Japan coast) side. A mountain range runs along the length of Honshū from end to end. In addition to Mt. Fuji, the
Japanese Alps are features of Honshū.
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