Kyushu: Encyclopedia - Kyushu

Kyushu

Kyushu (九州 kyūshū) is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands. It is considered the birthplace of the Japanese civilization. Its alternate ancient names include Kyukoku (九国), Chinzei (鎮西), and Tsukushi-shima (筑紫島). The ancient region Saikaido consists of Kyushu and its surrounding islands.

Population: 13.44 million (1995). Area: 35,640 km².

Kyushu - Geography

The island is mountainous, and Japan's largest active volcano, Aso at 1,592 m, is on Kyushu. There are many other signs of tectonic activity, including numerous areas of hot springs. The most famous of these are in Beppu, on the east shore, and around Mt.Aso, in central Kyushu.

The Kyushu region (九州地方, kyūshū-chiho) includes the seven prefectures on Kyushu as well as the outlying island of Okinawa.

• Fukuoka
• Kagoshima
• Kumamoto
• Miyazaki
• Nagasaki
• Oita
• Saga

The largest city on the island by population is Fukuoka, populated approximately 1.4 million - a major business center with a major international port as well as one of five stock exchanges in Japan. Kitakyushu is also a designated city and major center for heavy industries, populated slightly less than a million. Kumamoto and Kagoshima are 3rd and 4th biggest, populated more than a half million. Nagasaki has one of the oldest international port, which had been the only gateway to the foreign countries during the Edo Period, from mid 16th to mid 18th centuries.

Kyushu - Economy

Parts of Kyushu have a subtropical climate, particularly the Miyazaki and Kagoshima regions. Major agricultural products are rice, tea, tobacco, sweet potatoes, and soy; silk is also widely produced. The island is noted for various types of porcelain e.g. Arita, Imari, Satsuma and Karatsu. Heavy industry is concentrated in the north around Kitakyushu, Nagasaki, and Oita and includes chemicals and metal processing.

Kyushu - Education

Major Universities and Colleges in Kyushu:

• National Universities
  • Kyushu University [1] - One of seven former "Imperial Universities"
  • Kyushu Institute of Technology
  • Saga University
  • Nagasaki University
  • Kumamoto University
  • Oita University
  • Miyazaki University
  • Kagoshima University
  • National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya
  • University of the Ryukyus
• Universities run by Local Governments
  • The University of Kitakyushu
  • Kyusyu Dental College
  • Fukuoka Women's University
  • Fukuoka Prefectural University
  • Siebold University of Nagasaki
  • Nagasaki Prefectural University
  • Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences
  • Prefectural University of Kumamoto
  • Miyazaki Municipal University
  • Miyazaki Prefectural Nursing University
  • Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts
• Major Private Universities
  • Fukuoka University - University with the biggest number of students in Kyushu
  • Seinan Gakuin University
  • Kyushu Sangyo University - Baseball Team has won the National Championship in 2005
  • University of Occupational and Environmental Health
  • Kurume University

See also

• Geography of Japan
• List of regions in Japan

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Kyushu", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki