Japan

Japan consists of four main islands and many smaller islands. From north to south, the home islands of Japan are: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Japan has a distinctive sporting tradition -- Sumo. This sport, in which two overweight combatants wrestle in a highly ritualised fashion, has a large fan base in Japan and is considered their national sport.

Japan has two major religions, Shinto, a native religion, and Buddhism, one of the most prevalent religions in Asia; between the two, they account for a combined total of 94% of the population.

During the Second World War, the U.S. dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. In August of 1945, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were hit with, to date, the only nuclear bombs ever used in warfare.

Japan's economic revival after WWII was remarkable. Prohibited by treaty from have a military, Japan poured all its resurces and energy into its industries; over time, it became the leading economic power in Asia, just as it had once been the leading military power in the area.

The recent economic downturn in Asia had Japan hard, though, and the country is still working to recover from the blow. If the past is any indication, Japan will rebuild itself and will be stronger than before.