＜正しい知識を得るためと、すでにあるものを活用させていただくために総務省統計局の総合統計書から引用させていただいています。＞
1. Land (前回の記事の続きです)
Since the Japanese archipelago is located in a zone of the newest tectonic plate movement, it is particularly prone to various physiographical phenomena. Therefore, the number of earthquakes in the country is quite high, and so is the proportion of active volcanoes. The land is full of undulations, with mountainous regions including hilly terrain accounting for about three-quarters of its total area. The mountains are generally steep and are intricately carved out by ravines. Hilly terrain extends between the mountainous regions and the plains.
As of 2014, forestland and fields account for the largest portion of the nation's surface area. There are approximately 254,000 square kilometers of forestland and fields (which equates to 67 percent of the nation's surface area), followed by approximately 45,000 square kilometers of agricultural land (12 percent). Together, forestland, fields and agricultural land thus cover approximately 80 percent of the nation. There are approximately 20,000 square kilometers of developed land (5 percent).
Source: Statistical Handbook of Japan 2018, Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan.
簡単に言っちゃうと、上の緑色の部分で大方説明できますね。その前に難しい単語を見ておきましょう。
archipelago = a group of islands, an expanse of water with many scattered islands ということで、諸島、この場合は日本列島ですね。発音は、アーケペラゴに近いです。キとケの間。ペにアクセントがあります。アカペーラと言うのに似ていると思うといいでしょう。
tectonic plate 地球表層部の岩盤、いわゆるなんちゃらプレートのことですね。日本語にして理解しようとすると難しいので、この際、a zone of the newest tectonic plate movement をそのまま覚えてしまいましょう。
prone to = likely to (do) something よく～する、～しがち
various いろいろな（種類の混じった）複数のものを表します。
physiographical phenomena 地形学的な現象
physiography （名詞）は真ん中のオーにアクセントがありますが、形容詞 physiographical になると、グラの部分が強くなります。
phenomena は phenomenon の複数形。実は phenomena 自体を単数として扱うこともあるのですが、これを語り始めるとごちゃごちゃしちゃうので、詳しく知りたい方は調べてくださいね。
Since the Japanese archipelago is located in a zone of the newest tectonic plate movement, it is particularly prone to various physiographical phenomena. Therefore, the number of earthquakes in the country is quite high, and so is the proportion of active volcanoes.
Forestland, fields and agricultural land cover approximately 80 percent of the nation.
この最後の文章の前に、
Japan is a very mountainous island nation. 山の多い国です、と付け加えてもいいですね。
