Agriculture, forestry, mining, and fishing support most of the population. Rice paddies occupy more than half the cultivated land, yielding only one crop per year. Morioka, located on the Kitakami River, is the prefectural capital and the site of Iwate University (1949). A major railway hub, it produces ironware and charcoal. The first modern ironworks in Japan were in Kamaishi. Other towns—including Hanamaki, Kitakami, Mizusawa, and Ichinoseki—are situated on the Tohoku Main Line (railway). Area 5,898 square miles (15,277 square km). Pop. (2005) 1,385,041.