Physiography. 443 



The islands are of volcanic origin part of the 

 "girdle of fire" which reaches from the Alaska pen- 

 insula through the Philippines to the Antilles with 

 many active craters, subject to frequent disastrous 

 earthquakes and tidal waves; mountainous, with 

 numerous ranges of high hills and with lofty central 

 ridges, with numerous short rivers, apt to turn into 

 treacherous torrents, while hurricanes and water- 

 spouts, typhoons and equinoctial gales sweep the 

 surrounding seas frequently. 



The soil is nowhere particularly fertile, but the 

 patient and painstaking labor of the Japanese has 

 brought every available foot of it little more than 

 10% is arable into producing condition, wherever 

 the climate compensates for the infertility, especially 

 in the most densely populated part, the southern half 

 of Hondo. 



Extending through 30 degrees of latitude, the 

 climate naturally varies from the tropical one of 

 Formosa, through all variations of the temperate, to 

 the alpine one of the high mountains and the nearly 

 arctic one of the Kurile islands. The Japan current 

 skirting the eastern coast, and the mountain ranges, 

 with elevations generally not exceeding 6,000 feet, oc- 

 casionally up to over 13,000 feet, which cut off the 

 dry continental west winds, also produce great 

 climatic variations between east and west coasts. In 

 general, however, the climate of the whole empire 

 is characterized by a high percentage of relative 

 humidity and ample rainfall, especially during the 

 hot season, producing luxuriant growth. 



