 Symbol of Hokkaido |
Hokkaido (北海道 Hokkaidō, literally "Northern Sea Circuit"), formerly known as Ezo,
Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it
is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectures. The Tsugaru
Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the
underwater railway Seikan Tunnel. The largest city on Hokkaido is its capital, Sapporo,
which is also its only ordinance-designated city.
The island of Hokkaido is located at the north end of
Japan, near Russia,
and has coastlines on the Sea of Japan, the Sea of
Okhotsk, and the Pacific Ocean. The center of the island has a
number of mountains and volcanic plateaus, and there are coastal plains
in all directions. Major cities include Sapporo
and Asahikawa in the central region and the port of
Hakodate facing Honshu.
The governmental jurisdiction of Hokkaido
incorporates several smaller islands, including Rishiri,
Okushiri Island, and Rebun.
(By Japanese reckoning, Hokkaido also incorporates several of the Kuril Islands.)
Because the prefectural status of Hokkaido is denoted by the dō in its
name, it is rarely referred to as "Hokkaido Prefecture", except when
necessary to distinguish the governmental entity from the island.
The island ranks 21st in the world by area. It is 3.6% smaller than the
island of Ireland
while Hispaniola
is 6.1% smaller than Hokkaido. By population it ranks 20th, between
Ireland and Sicily.
Hokkaido's population is 4.7% less than that of the island of Ireland, and
Sicily's is 12% lower than Hokkaido's.
In the east, there are two areas (surrounding, for
example, Shari and the Nakashibetsu Airport) where a grid with
spacing of nearly 3km is formed by narrow bands of forest.[17]
It was designed to buffer wind, especially during blizzards, to protect cattle.
It also serves as habitat and transportation corridors for animals and hikers.
