ForumIAS announcing GS Foundation Program for UPSC CSE 2025-26 from 26th June. Click Here for more information.
Source-This post on Minami-Torishima Island has been created based on the article “Japan found enough minerals off a remote Pacific island to fuel its EV plans for over a decade” published in “Business Standard” on 25 June 2024.
Why in the news?
Researchers recently discovered around 230 million metric tons of minerals crucial for making electric car batteries on the seabed off Minami-Torishima Island.
About Minami-Torishima Island
| Aspects | Description |
| About | 1. Minami-Torishima Island, also known as Marcus Island, is an isolated Japanese coral atoll in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. 2. It is the easternmost territory belonging to Japan and the only Japanese territory on the Pacific Plate, past the Japan Trench. 3.The island lies 1,950 km southeast of central Tokyo. |
| Geography | 1. The shape of the island is close to an equilateral triangle. 2. Minami-Torishima Island is formed by a raised coral reef. The terrain is flat, with a maximum altitude of 9 meters. |
| Climate | The island is located in the transitional zone between tropical and subtropical climates. It has an oceanic climate with an average annual temperature of around 25.6 °C. |
| Economic Zone | The exclusive economic zone based on the baseline of Minami-Torishima Island covers approximately 430,000 km², which is larger than Japan’s land area. |
UPSC Syllabus: World Geography
