SHIKOKU

island, smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is separated from Honshu by the Inland Sea and from Kyushu by the Bungo Strait. Much of the island's 7,063 square miles (18,292 square km) is mountainous, and the population is concentrated in urban areas along the coast. The island is divided into the prefectures of Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi, and Tokushima. Agriculture is intensive in the north; rice, barley, wheat, and mandarin oranges are among the major crops. Fishing is well developed, and salt is produced from evaporated seawater. Industries produce petroleum, nonferrous metals, textiles, wood pulp, and paper. Important cities and industrial centres are Matsuyama, Takamatsu, Kochi, and Tokushima. Pop. (1990) 4,195,106.