Hiroshima Prefecture

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**Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県 *Hiroshima-ken*)**

Capital	Hiroshima
Region	Chūgoku
Island	Honshū
Governor	Yuzan Fujita
Area	8,476.95 km² (11^th)
- % water	0.3%
Population (October 1, 2000)
- Population	2,878,915 (12^th)
- Density	340 /km²
Districts	5
Municipalities	23
ISO 3166-2	JP-34
Website	http://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp
Prefectural Symbols
- Flower
- Tree	Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)
- Bird	Red-throated diver (Gavia stellata)
Symbol of Hiroshima Prefecture

Hiroshima Prefecture (広島県, Hiroshima-ken^?) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Economy
4 Culture
5 Sports
6 Tourism
7 External links

The area around Hiroshima, formerly divided into Bingo and Aki provinces, has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history. Hiroshima is a traditional center of the Chūgoku region and was the seat of the Mori clan until the Battle of Sekigahara.

Hiroshima is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites:

the Atomic Dome in Hiroshima, one of the few remnants of prewar Hiroshima following the atomic bombing in 1945;
Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, famed for filling with water and appearing to "float" during high tide.

Hiroshima prefecture lies in the middle of Chūgoku, facing Shikoku across the Seto Inland Sea. Most of the prefecture consists of mountains leading towards Shimane Prefecture, but rivers produce rich plains near the coast, and the prefecture also includes many small islands in the Inland Sea. The sheltered nature of the Inland Sea makes Hiroshima's climate very mild.

Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:

Hiroshima (capital)

Map of Hiroshima Prefecture.

These are the towns and villages in each district:

Aki District

Jinseki District

Jinsekikōgen

Sera District

Sera

Toyota District

Ōsakikamijima

Yamagata District

Akiōta

Kitahiroshima

Main article: Merger and dissolution of municipalities of Japan

On February 3, 2003, Shin'ichi from Ashina District (dissolved by this action) merged into the expanded city of Fukuyama.

On March 1, 2003, the town of Saeki and the village of Yoshiwa from Saeki District merged into the expanded city of Hatsukaichi.

On April 1, 2003, the towns of Osaki, Higashino and Kinoe from Toyota District merged to form the city of Osakikamijima.

On April 1, 2003, the town of Shimokamigari from Aki District merged into the expanded city of Kure.

On March 1, 2004, Kōta, Midori, Mukaihara, Takamiya, Yachiyo, and Yoshida from Takata District (dissolved by this action) merged, creating the city of Akitakata.

On April 1, 2004, Funo, Kimita, Kisa, Mirasaka, Miwa, and Sakugi from Futami District (dissolved by this action) and Kōnu from Kōnu District merged with the old city of Miyoshi to create the new city of Miyoshi.

On April 1, 2004, the town of Jōge from Kōnu District merged with the expanded city of Fuchu.

On April 1, 2004, the town of Kawajiri from Toyota District merged into the expanded city of Kure.

On October 1, 2004, the towns of Kozan, Sera, and Seranishi from Sera District merged to form the new town of Sera.

On October 1, 2004, Kake, Togouchi, and Tsutsuga from Yamagata District merged, creating the town of Akiota.

On November 1, 2004, the town of Etajima from Aki District merged with the towns of Nomi, Ogaki, and Okimi from Saeki District forming the city of Etajima.

On November 5, 2004, the towns of Jinseki, Sanwa, and Yuki and the village of Toyomatsu from Jinseki District merged, creating the town of Jinsekikogen.

On February 1, 2005, Chiyoda, Geihoku, Oasa, and Toyohira from Yamagata District merged, creating the town of Kitahiroshima.

On February 1, 2005, Numakuma from Numakuma District (dissolved by this action) merged with the expanded city of Fukuyama.

On February 7, 2005, Fukutomi, Kochi, Kurose, and Toyosaka from Kamo District and Akitsu from Toyota District merged into the expanded city of Higashihiroshima.

On March 20, 2005, the towns of Ondo, Kurahashi, Kamagari from Aki District and the towns of Yasuura, Toyohama and Yutaka from Toyota District merged into the expanded city of Kure.

On March 22, 2005, the town of Daiwa from the former Kamo District (dissolved by this action), the town of Kui from Mitsugi District, and the town of Hongo from Toyota District merged with the old city of Mihara to create the new city of Mihara.

On March 28, 2005, the towns of Mitsugi and Mukaishima from Mitsugi District merged into the expanded city of Onomichi. Mitsugi District was dissolved as a result.

On March 31, 2005, the towns of Hiwa, Kuchiwa, Saijo, Takano, and Tojo, from the former Hiba District (dissolved by this action) and the town of Sōryō from the former Kōnu District (dissolved by this action) merged with the city of Shōbara to create the new city of Shōbara.

On April 25, 2005, the town of Yuki from Saeki District merged into the expanded city of Hiroshima.

On November 3, 2005, the towns of Miyajima and Ono from Saeki District merged into the expanded city of Hatsukaichi. Saeki District was dissolved as a result of this merger.

On January 10, 2006, the city of Innoshima and the town of Setoda from Toyota District merged into the expanded city of Onomichi.

On March 1, 2006, the town of Kannabe from Fukayasu District merged into the expanded city of Fukuyama. Fukayasu District was dissolved as a result of this merger.

Hiroshima's main industries include automobiles (Mazda is headquartered in Hiroshima Prefecture) and shipbuilding (Kure was one of the main naval bases of the Imperial Japanese Navy and remains a major commercial yard).