formerly Yezo
Island (pop., 2000 prelim.: 5,683,000) and province, northern Japan.
Northernmost of the four main islands of Japan, it is bordered by the Sea of Japan (East Sea), the Sea of Pacific Ocean and has an area of 30,107 sq mi (77,978 sq km). Its administrative headquarters is Sapporo . Within its borders are several high mountains, including Asahi (7,513 ft [2,290 m]), and Japan's longest river, the Ishikari . Long the domain of the aboriginal {{link=Ainu">Ainu , Hokkaido attracted serious Japanese settlement beginning in 1869. It has a varied economy, supported by iron and steel, and the largest coal deposits in Japan. The Seikan Tunnel (1988) under the Tsugaru Strait links it with Honshu .