JAPANESE PHYSICAL RESOURCES
By RON TATUM
General Characteristics of Japan's Physical Resources
Japan has very few natural resources. It has forest for wood, the sea for fishing and many rivers for hydroelectric power. But unlike most industrialized nations, Japan is almost completely dependent on imports for raw materials. In fact, Japan is one of the world's major importers of oil, coal, iron ore, lumber, cotton, wool, and even silk.
Conclusions on Whether Japan Is Primarily a Resource Rich or Resource Poor Country
In conclusion Japan is primarily a resource poor nation. The Japanese need to import most of their raw materials, However the economic miracle occurs because they take in these goods and they use their people resources to produce new goods to export to the nations who sold them the raw materials. Although Japan is a resource poor nation one would never know this by the way they balance the products leaving and entering Japan. This is the main reason Japan needs to continue to be creative and continue to produce to offset their lack of their country's own natural resources.
Additional Online Sources on Japan's Physical Resources
Traditional Bibliographic Sources on Japan's Physical Resources
- Baker, Donald (1993), Japan's Economic Power: Routledger & Kegan
- Van Dyke, Vernon (1994), Japanese Human Rights and Ethnicity: McGraw Hill Publishing
- Barclay, William (1990), Japan The Land Of The Rising Sun: Penguin Group Publishing
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