Oita

Oita (ō`ētä), city (1990 pop. 408,501), capital of Oita prefecture, NE Kyushu, Japan, a port on Beppu Bay. It is a rail hub, a manufacturing center, and a distribution point for agricultural products. It has several oil refineries and petrochemical plants. Oita was an important castle town in the 16th cent. and traded with the Portuguese. Oita prefecture (1990 pop. 1,236,924), 2,447 sq mi (6,338 sq km), is mountainous, rising to 5,850 ft (1,783 m) in Mt. Kuju. Farming, forestry, and industry are the main economic activities. Beppu, a well-known hot springs resort, is an important city. In 1995, a long-dormant volcano located southwest of the capital city erupted.

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Oita

an industrial city in SW Japan, on NE Kyushu: dominated most of Kyushu in the 16th century. Pop.: 437 699 (2002 est.)

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Oita 

a prefecture in Japan, on the island of Kyushu. Area, 6,300 sq km; population, 1,161,000 (1973), about 70 percent urban. The administrative center is the city of Oita.

Most of Oita Prefecture is a volcanic plateau; the highest peak on the island is Kuju-san, (1,788 m). It is heavily wooded: forests cover about 70 percent of the prefecture. There are alluvial plains along the coast and in river valleys. About 12 percent of the area of the prefecture is tilled. The main agricultural crops are rice (1971 harvest, 184,000 tons), wheat, barley, and sweet potatoes. Mandarins are grown in the coastal zone (annual harvests, 100,–000 tons; Tsukumi region). On the Hida and Kusu plateaus there is dairy farming (90,000 head of cattle); sheep and goats are also bred. Oita is a major logging center. There is fishing for horsemackerel, sardines, and flounder. There is mining of gold (the Taio mine), silver, copper, and lead (Kiyura and Odaira regions), as well as coal.

Among the sectors of manufacturing industry in Oita Prefecture are nonferrous metallurgy, food processing, chemicals, petroleum refining, glass and ceramics, cement, and furniture. The prefecture is an area of tourism. The Yabakei-Hita National Preserve is located in Oita Prefecture.

N. A. SMIRNOV

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Oita 

a city and international port (Oita Tsurusaki) in Japan, on the northeastern part of the island of Kyushu. Administrative center of Oita Prefecture. Population, 261,000 (1973). Industry includes petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, food processing, paper and pulp, and cement. There is a steel foundry and an aluminum smelter. Oita has a major steam power plant.