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Mie Prefecture is located
roughly in the centre of Japan, extending over long area of land
extending from north to south. It covers an area of 5,774km2,
accounting for 1.55% of the total area of Japan, and is ranked 25th
in prefecture size. The total length of the coastline of the prefecture
is about 1,140km, ranking Mie Prefecture 7th in Japan (as of 1990).
| Number
of municipalities |
:
66 (01/Dec/2003) |
| Capital city |
: Tsu: |
| Total population |
:1,861,257 (01/Oct/2002)
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When the prefecture is viewed in terms of nature and type, it can
be largely divided into 4 areas of Ise, Shima, lga and Kishu.
Ise has mountains such as Yoro, Suzuka and Nunobiki in the west
and the Ise Plain that extends around Ise Bay in the east. The coast
features a sandy beach which is known as a Tokai type climate.
lga is surrounded by the Nunobiki mountain range in the east and
the Kasagi mountain range in the west, forming the Ueno Basin, which
is an inland type climate. Shima and Kishu are in the Kuroshio (Japan)
Current zone that links Kyushu and Shikoku, which is a Nankai type
climate. The Shima Peninsula is hill shaped and surrounded by a
bending coast line.
On the other hand, the Kishu area features Mount Kii, the Kumano
Sea and Pacific Ocean beaches. Areas having good natural landscapes
and requiring promotion for their protection and use are specified
as natural parks. At present,MiePrefecture has 2 national parks,
2 quasi-national parks and 5 prefectural natural parks. The total
area of these natural parks is about 205 thousand hectares, accounting
for about 35.4% of the total area of the prefecture.
Areas having a good natural environment outside the natural parks
and requiring conservation are specified as nature conservation
areas. Four areas in the prefecture have been specified as nature
conservation areas. For conservation, control and guidance are carried
out in accordance with specified actions such as the construction
of new buildings and quarrying in the area. |
| Mie is known for the Ise Grand Shrine,
the birthplace of ninja and the haiku master Matsuo Basho and for
other cultural legacies; it is also a prefecture with modern large
scale amusement parks, museums and rich variety of sightseeing areas
and resorts. |
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