Ebetsu, Hokkaidō

Infobox City Japan
Name= Ebetsu
JapaneseName= 江別市
Map

Region= Hokkaidō
Prefecture= Hokkaidō (Ishikari)
District=
Area_km2= 187.57
PopDate= March 2008
Population= 123,012
Density_km2= 656
Coords=
LatitudeDegrees= 43
LatitudeMinutes= 6
LatitudeSeconds=
LongtitudeDegrees= 141
LongtitudeMinutes= 32
LongtitudeSeconds=
Tree= Japanese Rowan
Flower= Chrysanthemum
Symbol
!border
SymbolDescription= Flag
Mayor= Noboru Miyoshi
CityHallPostalCode= 067-8674
CityHallAddress=6, Takasagochō, Ebetsu-shi, Hokkaidō
CityHallPhone= 011-382-4141
CityHallLink= [http://www.city.ebetsu.hokkaido.jp/ Ebetsu City]

nihongo|Ebetsu|江別市|Ebetsu-shi is a city located in Ishikari, Hokkaidō, Japan.

History

Ebetsu was settled originally by Japanese people in 1871, that came from the Miyagi Prefecture on Honshu Island. In 1878, militia men began moving into the area. When the Meiji Government, in 1878, designated Hokkaido as part of Japan, settlers began to flood the area. Ebetsu earned township status in 1916, and city status in 1954. During the 1960s and 1970's, a burgeoning population in Sapporo caused the population in Ebetsu to concurrently boom. In 1991, the city reached 100,000 people.

Climate

The 10-year average temperature for Ebetsu is 7.1 degrees celsius. The hottest and coldest temperatures, respectively, ever recorded are 34.5°C and -27.7°C.

Demographics

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 123,012 and the density of 656 persons per km². The total area is 187.57 km².

Geography and Transportations

The majority of commercial Ebetsu is located on or immediately surrounding Route 12 (runs north-south through town). The northern limits of town are delineated by the Ishikari River; the southern sub-city of Oasa by Ebetsu's boundary with Kitahiroshimashi. It also bounds the city limits of Sapporo, Iwamizawa, Nanporo, Tobetsu, and Shinshinotsu. Ebetsu is located about 20 km from downtown Sapporo, accessed by the Hokkaido Expressway, by Chuo or JR Hokkaido bus lines, or by the Asahikawa-Hakodate train line that approximately follows Route 12 north-south through town (With Oasa, Nopporo, Takasago, and Ebetsu stations), joining with the northwest-southeast running main line that extends from Chitose Airport to Sapporo Station in Shinsapporo (meaning new Sapporo, a district of larger metropolitan Sapporo).

The extensive Nopporo Forest State Park (the world's largest park of virgin forest on level ground) is located behind Ebetsu's Rakuno Gakuen University (the first university in Ebetsu, founded in 1949), encompassing 2015 hectares of preserved forest. Because of Ebetsu's location approximately in the middle of the Ishikari Plain upon which Sapporo city is the southwestern extent, it is known for having wind year-round.

Sister city

Ebetsu's sister city is Gresham, Oregon, USA.

Education

Universities

* Hokkaido Information University
* Rakunō Gakuen University
* Sapporo Gakuin University
* Hokushō University

Others

* Hokkaido Institute of Information and Technology, part of the Research Triangle North (RTN), a technological establishment located west and south of Nopporo Forest State Park, are located in Ebetsu.

External links

*ja icon [http://www.city.ebetsu.hokkaido.jp/ Official homepage]
*en icon [http://www.city.ebetsu.hokkaido.jp/english/e_top_index.html Official homepage]