Japan discovers 7,000 new unknown islands

Volcanic activity along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” gave rise to a tiny island in late November 2013. Located in the Ogasawara Islands, Japan
Volcanic activity along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” gave rise to a tiny island in late November 2013. Located in the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. Photo: NASA Earth Observatory satellite image by Robert Simmon.

The Geospatial Information Authority determines that Japan has 14,125 islands, twice as many as previously reported.