Editing Shikoku (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Chugoku-Region-Shikoku-Japan-ISS-Space.png|thumb|220x220px|left|[[Chūgoku region]] and Shikoku seen from the [[International Space Station]]]]

Shikoku Island, comprising Shikoku and its surrounding islands,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Geography {{!}} The Science of Our World |url=https://geography.com/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=geography.com}}</ref> covers about {{convert|18800|km2|sqmi|0}} and consists of four [[Prefectures of Japan|prefectures]]: [[Ehime Prefecture|Ehime]], [[Kagawa Prefecture|Kagawa]], [[Kōchi Prefecture|Kōchi]], and [[Tokushima Prefecture|Tokushima]]. Across the [[Seto Inland Sea]] lie [[Wakayama Prefecture|Wakayama]], [[Osaka Prefecture|Osaka]], [[Hyōgo Prefecture|Hyōgo]], [[Okayama Prefecture|Okayama]], [[Hiroshima Prefecture|Hiroshima]], and [[Yamaguchi Prefecture]]s on [[Honshu]]. To the west lie [[Ōita Prefecture|Ōita]] and [[Miyazaki Prefecture]]s on [[Kyushu]].
[[File:Geofeatures_map_of_Shikoku_Japan_ja.svg|left|thumb|Geofeatures map of Shikoku]]
Shikoku is ranked as the [[List of islands by area|50th largest island by area]] in the world. Additionally, it is ranked as the [[List of islands by population|23rd most populated island]] in the world, with a population density of 193 inhabitants per square kilometre (500/sq mi).

Mountains running east and west divide Shikoku into a narrow northern subregion, fronting on the [[Seto Inland Sea]], and a southern part facing the Pacific Ocean. The ''[[Hydrangea hirta]]'' species can be found in these mountain ranges. Most of the 3.8&nbsp;million inhabitants live in the north, and all but one of the island's few larger cities are located there. [[Mount Ishizuchi]] ({{lang|ja|石鎚山}}) in Ehime at {{convert|1982|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} is the highest mountain on the island. Industry is moderately well developed and includes the processing of ores from the important [[Besshi copper mine]]. Land is used intensively. Wide alluvial areas, especially in the eastern part of the zone, are planted with rice and subsequently are double-cropped with winter wheat and barley. Fruit is grown throughout the northern area in great variety, including citrus fruits, persimmons, peaches, and grapes. Because of wheat production, [[Sanuki udon]] ({{lang|ja|讃岐うどん}}) became an important part of the diet in Kagawa Prefecture (formerly Sanuki Province) in the [[Edo period]].

The larger southern area of Shikoku is mountainous and sparsely populated. The only significant lowland is a small alluvial plain at [[Kōchi, Kōchi|Kōchi]], the prefectural capital. The area's mild winters stimulated some [[truck farming]], specializing in growing out-of-season vegetables under plastic covering. Two crops of rice can be cultivated annually in the southern area. The [[pulp and paper industry]] took advantage of the abundant forests and hydroelectric power.

The major river in Shikoku is the [[Yoshino River]]. It runs {{convert|196|km|1|abbr=on}} from its source close to [[Mount Ishizuchi]], flowing basically west to east across the northern boundaries of Kōchi and Tokushima Prefectures, reaching the sea at the city of Tokushima. The Yoshino is famous for Japan's best white-water rafting, with trips going along the Oboke Koboke sections of the river.

Shikoku has four important capes: Gamōda in [[Anan, Tokushima]] on the easternmost point on the island, Sada in [[Ikata|Ikata, Ehime]] on the westernmost point. Muroto in [[Muroto, Kōchi]] and Ashizuri, the southern extreme of Shikoku, in [[Tosashimizu, Kōchi]], jut into the Pacific Ocean. The island's northernmost point is in [[Takamatsu]].

Unlike the other three major islands of Japan, Shikoku has no active volcanoes, and is the largest of Japan's islands to completely lack them.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.answers.com/topic/shikoku |title=Shikoku: Frommer's Guide from |publisher=Answers.com |access-date=2012-02-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229183226/http://www.answers.com/topic/shikoku |archive-date=2012-02-29 }}</ref> But Shikoku did experience volcanic activity in the distant prehistoric past; a major volcanic [[caldera]] in the area of Mount Ishizuchi was active during the [[Miocene]] around 14&nbsp;million years ago<ref>{{Cite journal|doi = 10.1111/iar.12182|title = Timescale of magma chamber processes revealed by U-Pb ages, trace element contents and morphology of zircons from the Ishizuchi caldera, Southwest Japan Arc|year = 2017|last1 = Takehara|first1 = Mami|last2 = Horie|first2 = Kenji|last3 = Tani|first3 = Kenichiro|last4 = Yoshida|first4 = Takeyoshi|last5 = Hokada|first5 = Tomokazu|last6 = Kiyokawa|first6 = Shoichi|journal = Island Arc|volume = 26|issue = 2|pages = e12182| bibcode=2017IsArc..26E2182T | s2cid=133362063 |doi-access = }}</ref> and the small [[volcanic cone]] of [[Mount Iino]] at an unknown date.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hikinginjapan.com/tag/mt-iino/|title=Mount Iino|access-date=2023-04-23}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Mount_Ishizuchi.jpg|[[Mount Ishizuchi]] is the highest mountain in Shikoku.
File:Ashizurimisaki Cape.JPG|Cape Ashizuri is at the southernmost tip of Shikoku.
File:Shimanto_sada_chinkabashi_fukin.jpg|[[Shimanto River]]
File:Seto-Inland-Sea-Photo.jpg|Seto Inland Sea
</gallery>