Distribution of the earthquake movement courtesy japan meteorological agency
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake has shaken the Iwate-ken Oki region of Japan. The earthquake occurred at 06:51 Japanese Standard Time on 23rd June 2011. The quake was located 20km below the Earth’s surface and at a latitude of 39.9N and longitude of 142.5E.
A series of lower-level quakes have rumbled throughout Japanese territory over the last week, including a magnitude 5.6 at Ibaraki-ken Oki on 21st June and a magnitude 5.9 at Fukushima-ken Oki on 18th June.
The country sits on the Japan Trench – part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The oceanic Pacific plate subducts beneath the continental Okhotsk Plate. This movement accounts for the large number of earthquakes and tsunamis experienced by the island nation.
In This Story: Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia located in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan comprises an archipelago of 6,852 islands covering 377,975 square kilometers (145,937 sq mi); the country’s five main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Tokyo is Japan’s capital and largest city.
Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37.4 million residents.
Japan is a great power and a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations (since 1956), the OECD, and the G7. Japan is a leader in the automotive and electronics industries.
