Japan is an island located east of the Korean peninsula. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the north and east, by the Philippine Sea and the East China Sea to the south and by the Sea of Japan on the west. Japan comprises more than 3,000 islands and its four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Its capital is Tokyo and the total area of the land is 145,883 square miles (377,835 square kilometers), which makes it slightly smaller than the state of California.
Its population was estimated at 127,433,494 in 2007 and it is very homogenous with 99.4 percent of ethnic Japanese. The major religions are Shinto and Buddhism, and there is a Christian minority. The official language is Japanese.
The Japanese state was founded over 2,000 years ago and is today the oldest monarchy in the world. Under the Constitution of 1947, the Emperor is a Head of State but has no governing power. The Emperor appoints the Prime Minister who is the head of government.
The monetary unit is Yen (¥).
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