The Japanese government carried out the count of the islands that belong to it and reaches the figure of 14,125.
The number of listed Japanese islands has doubled significantly, from 6,852 to 14,125, in the count made by the Japanese government, reports the local news agency Kyodo, referring to a source close to the matter.
The count was carried out using an electronic version of the map of Japan that was approved by the authorities last year. The information was cross-checked with previous aerial photographs to exclude man-made objects, as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The list includes only those islands whose diameter exceeds 100 meters. Using this digital mapping technology, local geographers will announce the final count figure in March, the first of its kind in the last 35 years. The final amount could change, as the Japan Geospatial Information Authority is making final adjustments.
However, the government body noted that the new information is unlikely to change the size of Japan’s territory or territorial waters, as the total area is calculated independently of the islands listed.
Some of Japan’s 47 prefectures include a huge number of islands. There are more than 1,400 in the northern Hokkaido prefecture, one of the four main islands along with Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, while the southwestern Nagasaki prefecture has 1,479.
Source: RT
