Hokkaido

Hokkaido, formerly Ezo or Yezo, northernmost and second-largest island of the Japanese archipelago, situated between the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the west, the Sea of Okhotsk to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The island is separated from the island of Sakhalin to the north by La Pérouse Strait (known as Soya Strait in Japan), from Honshu (the largest Japanese island) to the south by Tsugaru Strait, and from the Kuril Islands to the north-east by Nemuro Strait. The island is irregularly shaped, about 450 km (280 mi) wide and about 420 km (260 mi) long, with an area (including some small adjacent islands) of 83,456 sq km (32,223 sq mi). Summers are cool and winters are long and severe because of the prevailing cold Oyashio (or Kuril) Current. Topographically, Hokkaido is characterized by a complexity of mountain systems and volcanic masses that rise to 2,290 m (7,513 ft) at Asahi Peak in Daisetsuzan National Park, the highest point. Heavily forested mountains rise above extensive plains in the Ishikari and Tokachi river basins. The landscape of the Shiretoko Peninsula and the surrounding marine area, in the north-east of the island, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005; the site provides a protected habitat for several rare and endangered species, including the Steller's sea lion and the Blakiston’s fish owl.

The island is the most important stock-grazing and dairying area in Japan, producing about 80 per cent of its butter and cheese. The Ishikari fields in the western part of the island yield about 30 per cent of the coal mined in Japan, and deposits of iron ore and manganese are also found there. Hokkaido is important for its forestry products, and the surrounding waters are a rich source of fish. Among the people on this, the most sparsely populated of the Japanese main islands, are the Ainu, an aboriginal group of uncertain ancestry. Hakodate is the chief seaport, and Sapporo is the largest city and capital of Hokkaido Prefecture, which is coextensive with the island. Other major cities include Asahikawa, Kushiro, and Muroran. The population totals 5,600,705 (2007).