Hiroshima Prefecture Information & Hiroshima Prefecture Links at HealthHaven.com

Hiroshima Prefecture
	Hiroshima Prefecture
Japanese:	広島県
	Hiroshima-ken
Capital	Hiroshima
Region	Chūgoku
Island	Honshū
Governor	Yuzan Fujita
Area (rank)	8,476.95 km² (11th)
- % water	0.3%
	Population (October 1, 2000)
- Population	2,878,915 (12th)
- 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)
- Fish	{{{Fish}}}
	; Symbol of Hiroshima Prefecture
	Template ■ Discussion ■ WikiProject Japan

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.

[edit] History

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;
The Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, famed for filling with water and appearing to "float" during high tide.

[edit] Geography

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.

[edit] Cities

Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:

Hiroshima (capital)

[edit] Towns and villages

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

[edit] Mergers

Main article: List of mergers in Hiroshima Prefecture

[edit] Economy

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).