southernmost and third largest of the four main islands of Japan. It is bordered by the East China Sea on the west and the Pacific Ocean on the east. Its name refers to the nine ancient provinces (kuni) into which the island was divided. It is separated from the island of Honshu to the north by the Shimonoseki Strait and from Korea to the northwest by the Tsushima Strait, or Eastern Channel. The island, with an area of 14,177 square miles (36,719 square km), is composed of a complex system of volcanic ranges. The climate in the south is subtropical, and Kyushu is known for its subtropical vegetation and heavy rainfall. It is the site of Mount Aso, the world's largest active volcanic crater, and of Aso-Kuju, Kirishima-Yaku, and Unzen-Amakusa national parks. Beppu is a well-known hot-springs resort.

The main crops raised on the island include rice, tea, tobacco, sweet potatoes, and citrus fruit. Industries, concentrated in northern Kyushu, include iron and steel and chemicals. Saga ken (prefecture) is famous for porcelain and pottery.

Kyushu is divided into the seven prefectures of Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Ōita, and Saga. The chief cities are the northern industrial complex of Kita-Kyūshū, the commercial centre of Fukuoka, and Nagasaki. Pop. (1990) 13,296,054; (1995 prelim.) 13,423,791.