Hokkaido's Distinctive Features
[Geographical features]
Hokkaido is an island located in the north of the long and narrow Japanese archipelago that stretches north to south, accounting for approximately 22.1% of the national area. Hokkaido is the largest prefecture in the nation, being equal to the size of the whole of Austria (83,858 km²). The ratio of mountains to flatlands is half and half, with less mountains and slope areas compared with those across the nation, characterized by their gently-sloping areas.
[Population]
The population of Hokkaido is 5.63 million according to the 2005 FY Basic Resident Register, representing approximately 4.4% of the nation's total population. Hokkaido has the seventh largest prefectural population following Tokyo (12.58 million), Osaka (8.82 million), Kanagawa (8.79 million), Aichi (7.25 million), Saitama (7.05 million) and Chiba (6.06 million).
Hokkaido has a minimum population density of 72 people per square kilometer, roughly one-fifth of the national rate.
[Nature]
Hokkaido is especially blessed with nature and has six national parks, five quasi-national parks and 12 prefectural nature parks. The total park area is approximately 860,000 ha, accounting for 10.4% of the area across Hokkaido. Grand mountains as well as tracts of virgin forest and alpine plants extend, along with vast marshes and lakes that form northland-like landscapes.
In addition, Shiretoko, located in eastern Hokkaido, was designated the nation's third World Natural Heritage site in 2005
[Climate]
The climate of Hokkaido belongs to the northernmost temperate zone as well as being the southernmost of the subarctic climate. The average temperature is between 6 and 10°C, and the average precipitation is around 800 to 1,500 mm per year. Hokkaido has a cool climate and low humidity, with no rainy season and few typhoons. In terms of temperature and precipitation, Hokkaido is similar to that of Chicago and Montreal.
[Economy]
Hokkaido's gross regional production, which shows the scale of production activities in Hokkaido, is approximately 20 trillion yen (in FY 2005), accounting for roughly 4% of the national figure.
The component percentages of industries accounting for Hokkaido's gross production, are given as follows with national figures in parentheses; primary industries: 3.6% (1.5%), secondary industries: 17.5% (27.4%), and tertiary industries: 82.6% (75.0%), showing high rates in the primary and tertiary industries and low in the secondary industries when compared with their respective national figures.
Comparing the composition ratio of manufacturing industries to that of the nation, the share of food, pulp and paper is high.
[Agriculture, forestry and fisheries]
Although Hokkaido experiences severe natural conditions with cold temperatures and extensive snow, northern-style agriculture was established by focusing on rice cropping, upland farming, and dairy farming with beef cows through the introduction of European modern agricultural techniques as well as promoting production infrastructure.
The total cultivated acreage in Hokkaido in 2007 is approximately 1,163,000 ha, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the nation.
The gross agricultural output in 2006 was 1,527 billion yen, accounting for 12.2% of the nation's total output. Hokkaido topped the lists in agricultural production, including farm cropping of wheat, soybeans, potatoes and beets, as well as milk, beef and vegetables such as onions, pumpkins and sweet corns, playing an important role as the nation's largest food supply base.
Hokkaido's total forest area is 5.54 million ha, accounting for 71% of the total area of Hokkaido and 22% of the total national forest area. Among the forests, 67% are natural forests, 27% is artificial, and the area of growing forest stock is approximately 694,000,000 m³.
Hokkaido is surrounded by three different seas; the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, occupying 12.5% of the nation's total coastline, extending 4,402 km, with good fishery grounds, including continental shelves, spreading north far out to sea.
The marine fisheries and marine culture production in 2006 was 1.39 million tons, 24.6% of the national figure (5.65 million tons). The volume of production was 293.9 billion yen, 19.2 % of the national figure (1,527.9 billion yen), ranking the highest in the nation.
Scallops, salmon, Alaska pollack, atka mackerel and sauries are mainly caught in Hokkaido.
