The continent of Asia stretches two arms into the Pacific Ocean, Kamchatka in the north and Malacca in the south, between which lies a long cluster of islands constituting the Japanese empire, which covers 37° 14´ of longitude and 29° 11´ of latitude. On the extreme north are the Kuriles (called by the Japanese _Chishima_, or the "myriad isles"), which extend to 156° 32´ E. and to 50° 56´ N.; on the extreme south is Formosa (called by the Japanese _Taiwan_), which extends to 122° 6´ E., and to 21° 45´ N. There are six large islands, namely Sakhalin (called by the Japanese _Karafuto_); Yezo or Ezo (which with the Kuriles is designated _Hokkaido_, or the north-sea district); Nippon (the "origin of the sun"), which is the main island; Shikoku (the "four provinces"), which lies on the east of Nippon; Kiushiu or Kyushu (the "nine provinces"), which lies on the south of Nippon, and Formosa, which forms the most southerly link of the chain. Formosa and the Pescadores were ceded to Japan by China after the war of 1894-1895, and the southern half of Sakhalin--the part south of 50° N.--was added to Japan by cession from Russia in 1905. Korea, annexed in August 1910, is separately noticed. _Coast-line._--The following table shows the numbers, the lengths of coast-line, and the areas of the various groups of islands, only those being indicated that have a coast-line of at least 1 _ri_ (2½ m.), or that, though smaller, are inhabited; except in the case of Formosa and the Pescadores, where the whole numbers are given:-- Length of Area Number. coast in in square miles. miles.