Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands in
Japan. The inland sea separates it from Honshu and the Bungo Strait separates it from Kyushu. It covers a total of 7,063 square miles of this most of it is mountains. The population is mainly concentrated in urban areas throughout the coast. Shikoku is divided into prefectures which are, Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima.
The North is where the most extensive agriculture is located. This agriculture includes rice, barley, wheat, and mandarin oranges production. These are also the major crops of the island. Fishing in Shikoku is well developed as well as salt being produced from evaporated seawater. The industries of Shikoku produce petroleum, nonferrous metals, textiles, wood pulp, and paper. The most important cities in this industrial region are Matsuyama, Takamatsu, Kochi, and Tokushima. Shikoku is very well known for the 88 pilgrimage which extends well over 700 miles. Many visitors come to the pilgrimage every year.
The climate of Shikoku is tropical. It really gets any snow even in the winter which offers a comfortable climate. Shikoku though does have frequent Typhoons and heavy rains.
Shikoku is connected with Honshu by way of ferries as well as air services. The city was not very well developed before several bridges were constructed which now connect Shikoku to other Islands. There are many different ferry routes that are available from Shikoku to Honshu and Kyushu. There are also several main highways inside Shikoku that make travel along the island easier.