1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
370,370 km2; 16% arable and cultivated, 3% grassland, 12% urban and waste, 69% forested WATER
Coastline
13,685 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm except 3 nm in five international straits (fishing 200 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
99.2% Japanese, 0.8% other (mostly Korean)
Language
Japanese
Literacy
99% Labor force (1980): 56.5 million; 10% agriculture, forestry, and fishing; 35% manufacturing, mining, and construction; 51% trade and services; 4% government; 2% unemployed
Nationality
noun—Japanese (sing., pl.); adjective—Japanese
Organized labor
22% of labor force
Population
118,519,000, (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.7%
Religion
most Japanese observe both Shinto and Buddhist rites; about 16% belong to other faiths, including 0.8% Christian
Government
Capital
Tokyo
Communists
approximately 400,000 registered Communist Party members
Elections
general elections held every four years or upon dissolution of lower house, triennially for one-half of upper house Political parties and leaders: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Z. Suzuki, president; Japan Socialist Party (JSP), I. Asukata, chairman; Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), R. Sasaki, chairman; Japan Communist Party (JCP), K. Miyamoto, Presidium chairman; Komeito (CGP), Y. Takeiri, chairman; New Liberal Club (NLC), S. Tagawa; Social Democratic Federation (SDF), H. Den Voting strength (1980 elections): Lower House—47.9% LDP, 19.3% JSP, 9.8% JCP, 9.0% CGP, 6.6% DSP, 3.0% NLC, 0.7% SDF, 3.6% independents and minor parties; Upper House—43.3% LDP, 22.4% JSP, 11.7% JCP, 5.0% CGP, 5.1% DSP, 0.6% NLC, 0.0% SDF, 11.8% independents and minor parties
Government leaders
Emperor HIROHITO; Prime Minister Zenko SUZUKI
Legal system
civil law system with English-American influence; constitution promulgated in 1946; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Member of
ADB, ASPAC, Colombo Plan, DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC—International Whaling Commission, IWC—International Wheat Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG
National holiday
Birthday of the Emperor, 29 April Branches: Emperor is merely symbol of state; executive power is vested in Cabinet dominated by the Prime Minister, chosen by the lower house of the bicameral, elective legislature (Diet); judiciary is independent
Official name
Japan
Political subdivisions
47 prefectures
Suffrage
universal over age 20
Type
constitutional monarchy
Economy
Agriculture
land intensively cultivated—rice, sugar, vegetables, fruits; 73% self-sufficient in food (1978); food shortages—meat, wheat, feed grains, edible oil and fats; caloric intake, 2,502 calories per day per capita (1974)
Aid
bilateral economic and committed (ODA and OOF), $22 billion (1970-79)
Budget
revenues $101 billion, expenditures $168 billion, deficit $67 billion (general account for fiscal year ending March 1980)
Crude steel
111 million metric tons produced (1980)
Electric power
153,000,000 kW capacity (1980); 520.0 billion kWh produced (1980), 4,435 kWh per capita
Exports
$130.7 billion (f.o.b., 1980); 88% manufactures (including 27% machinery, 23% motor vehicles, 14% iron and steel)
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
Fishing
catch 10.6 million metric tons (1979)
GNP
$1,038 billion (1980, at 226.8 yen=US$1); $8,889 per capita (1980); 58% personal consumption, 32% investment, 10% government current expenditure, 1% stocks, and—1% foreign balance; real growth rate 4.2% (1980); average annual growth rate (1976-80), 5.5%
Imports
$122.9 billion (f.o.b., 1980); 50% fossil fuels, 17% manufactures, 13% foodstuffs, 8% machinery and equipment
Major industries
metallurgical and engineering industries, electrical and electronic industries, textiles, chemicals
Major trade partners
exports—24% US, 21% Southeast Asia, 11% Middle East, 7% Communist countries, 17% Western Europe; imports—31% Middle East, 13% Southeast Asia, 17% US, 7% Western Europe, 5% Communist countries
Monetary conversion rate
219 yen=US$1 (mid-January 1982), floating since February 1973
Shortages
fossil fuels, most industrial raw materials
Communications
Airfields
195 total, 170 usable; 125 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 24 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 46 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
265 major transport aircraft
Highways
1,106,138 km total (1976); 474,434 km paved, 631,704 km gravel, crushed stone, or unpaved
Inland waterways
approx. 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal "inland seas"
Pipelines
crude oil, 50 km; natural gas, 1,728 km
Ports
53 major, over 2,000 minor
Railroads
29,711 km total (1979); 1,077 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 28,634 km predominantly narrow gauge (1.067 m), 7,539 km double track, 8,279 km or 28% of total route length electrified; 82% government owned
Telecommunications
excellent domestic and international service; 55.4 million telephones (47.6 per 100 popl.); 167 AM stations, 48 FM stations plus 429 relay stations; 5,525 TV stations (192 major—1 kw or greater), and 2 ground satellite stations; submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines, China, and USSR
Military and Security
Military budget
proposed for fiscal year ending 31 March 1983, $11.8 billion; about 5.2% of total budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 31,204,000; 26,059,000 fit for military service; about 884,000 reach military age (18) annually
Supply
defense industry potential is large, with capability of producing the most sophisticated equipment; manufactured equipment includes small arms artillery, armored vehicles, and other types of ground forces materiel, aircraft (jet and prop), naval vessels (submarines, guided missile and other destroyers, patrol craft, mine warfare ships, and other minor craft including amphibious, auxiliaries, service craft, and small support ships), small amounts of all types of army materiel; several missile systems are produced under US license and a vigorous domestic missile development program exists