Editing Niigata Prefecture (section)

== Geography ==
{{stack|clear=true|
[[File:Map of Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|thumb|Map of Niigata Prefecture<br />{{legend0|#D8E|Government Ordinance Designated City}} {{legend0|#EAB|City}} {{legend0|#ED9|Town}} {{legend0|#BFE|Village}}]]
[[File:Nagaoka from the sky.jpg|thumb|Niigata Prefecture in winter from the sky]]
[[File:Oyashirazu tenkendangai.jpg|thumb|Ten-Ken cliff of Oya-Shirazu, [[Itoigawa]]]]
}}
Niigata Prefecture stretches about {{cvt|240.|km}} along the [[Sea of Japan]], from the southwest to the northeast, with a coastal plain between the mountains and the sea. It also includes [[Sado, Niigata|Sado Island]]. Niigata Prefecture could be placed in either the [[Hokuriku region|Hokuriku]] or the [[Kōshin'etsu region|Kōshinetsu]], both of which are considered parts of the [[Chūbu region]].
The prefecture is generally divided into four geographical areas: {{nihongo|[[Jōetsu region]]|上越}} in the south, {{nihongo|[[Chūetsu]]|中越}} in the center, {{nihongo|[[Kaetsu]]|下越}} in the north, and [[Sado, Niigata|Sado Island]]. The mouth of the [[Shinano River]], the longest river in Japan, is located in Niigata Prefecture.

As of 1 April 2014, 25% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as [[List of national parks of Japan#History|Natural Parks]], namely [[Bandai-Asahi National Park|Bandai-Asahi]], [[Chūbu-Sangaku National Park|Chūbu-Sangaku]], [[Nikkō National Park|Nikkō]], and [[Oze National Park|Oze]] National Parks; [[Echigo Sanzan-Tadami Quasi-National Park|Echigo Sanzan-Tadami]] and [[Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama Quasi-National Park|Sado-Yahiko-Yoneyama]] Quasi-National Parks; and thirteen Prefectural Natural Parks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/nps/park/doc/files/np_6.pdf |title=General overview of area figures for Natural Parks by prefecture |publisher=[[Ministry of the Environment (Japan)|Ministry of the Environment]] |date=1 April 2014 |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
NiigataCityOpenData_kuusatsu002.jpg|[[Port of Niigata]] in [[Niigata (city)|Niigata City]]
NiigataCityOpenData denen005.jpg|[[Echigo Plain]]
Myokousan_from_hiutiyama_1996_6_29.jpg|[[Mount Myōkō]]
Senkakuwan_20170416-2.jpg|Senkakuwan in [[Sado, Niigata|Sado Island]]
Find47 Niigata-Hasagi-trees of winter (Odiya City)-m.jpg|Paddy fields and mountains in [[Ojiya, Niigata|Ojiya]] in winter
</gallery>

===Cities===
{{See also|List of cities in Niigata Prefecture by population}}
Twenty cities are located in Niigata Prefecture:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="2" |Name
! rowspan="2" |Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
! rowspan="2" |Population
! rowspan="2" |Map
|-
![[Romanization of Japanese|Rōmaji]]
![[Kanji]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Agano, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Agano, Niigata|Agano]]
|阿賀野市
|192.74
|41,204
|[[File:Agano in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Gosen Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Gosen, Niigata|Gosen]]
|五泉市
|351.91
|48,458
|[[File:Gosen in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Itoigawa, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Itoigawa, Niigata|Itoigawa]]
|糸魚川市
|746.24
|41,333
|[[File:Itoigawa in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Joetsu, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Jōetsu, Niigata|Jōetsu]]
|上越市
|973.81
|189,430
|[[File:Joetsu in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Kamo Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Kamo, Niigata|Kamo]]
|加茂市
|133.72
|25,971
|[[File:Kamo in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Kashiwazaki, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Kashiwazaki, Niigata|Kashiwazaki]]
|柏崎市
|442.03
|81,836
|[[File:Kashiwazaki in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Minamiuonuma Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Minamiuonuma]]
|南魚沼市
|584.55
|55,354
|[[File:Minamiuonuma in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Mitsuke, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Mitsuke, Niigata|Mitsuke]]
|見附市
|77.91
|39,908
|[[File:Mitsuke in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Murakami Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Murakami, Niigata|Murakami]]
|村上市
|1,174.26
|58,300
|[[File:Murakami in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Myoko Nigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Myōkō, Niigata|Myōkō]]
|妙高市
|445.63
|31,374
|[[File:Myoko in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Nagaoka, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Nagaoka, Niigata|Nagaoka]]
|長岡市
|891.06
|266,539
|[[File:Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Niigata, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Niigata (city)|Niigata]] (capital)
|新潟市
|726.45
|797,591
|[[File:Niigata in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Ojiya Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Ojiya, Niigata|Ojiya]]
|小千谷市
|155.19
|34,704
|[[File:Ojiya in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Sado, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Sado, Niigata|Sado]]
|佐渡市
|855.26
|55,474
|[[File:Sado in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Sanjo, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Sanjō, Niigata|Sanjō]]
|三条市
|431.97
|95,706
|[[File:Sanjo in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Shibata, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Shibata, Niigata|Shibata]]
|新発田市
|533.1
|96,236
|[[File:Shibata in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Tainai Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Tainai]]
|胎内市
|264.89
|28,495
|[[File:Tainai in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Tokamachi Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Tōkamachi]]
|十日町市
|590.39
|53,333
|[[File:Tokamachi in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Tsubame, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Tsubame, Niigata|Tsubame]]
|燕市
|110.96
|77,382
|[[File:Tsubame in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Uonuma, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Uonuma]]
|魚沼市
|946.76
|35,027
|[[File:Uonuma in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|}

===Towns and villages===
These are the towns and villages in each [[Districts of Japan|district]]:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="2" |Name
! rowspan="2" |Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
! rowspan="2" |Population
! rowspan="2" |District
! rowspan="2" |Type
! rowspan="2" |Map
|-
![[Romanization of Japanese|Rōmaji]]
![[Kanji]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Aga, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Aga, Niigata|Aga]]
|阿賀町
|952.89
|10,386
|[[Higashikanbara District, Niigata|Higashikanbara District]]
|Town
|[[File:Aga in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Awashimaura, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Awashimaura]]
|粟島浦村
|9.78
|353
|[[Iwafune District, Niigata|Iwafune District]]
|Village
|[[File:Awashimaura in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Izumozaki, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Izumozaki]]
|出雲崎町
|44.38
|4,190
|[[Santō District, Niigata|Santō District]]
|Town
|[[File:Izumozaki in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Kariwa, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Kariwa]]
|刈羽村
|26.27
|4,578
|[[Kariwa District, Niigata|Kariwa District]]
|Village
|[[File:Kariwa in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Seiro, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Seirō, Niigata|Seirō]]
|聖籠町
|37.58
|14,025
|[[Kitakanbara District, Niigata|Kitakanbara District]]
|Town
|[[File:Seiro in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Sekikawa, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Sekikawa]]
|関川村
|299.61
|5,291
|[[Iwafune District, Niigata|Iwafune District]]
|Village
|[[File:Sekikawa in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Tagami, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Tagami, Niigata|Tagami]]
|田上町
|31.71
|11,481
|[[Minamikanbara District, Niigata|Minamikanbara District]]
|Town
|[[File:Tagami in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Tsunan, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Tsunan]]
|津南町
|170.21
|9,349
|[[Nakauonuma District, Niigata|Nakauonuma District]]
|Town
|[[File:Tsunan in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Yahiko, Niigata.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Yahiko, Niigata|Yahiko]]
|弥彦村
|25.17
|7,824
|[[Nishikanbara District, Niigata|Nishikanbara District]]
|Village
|[[File:Yahiko in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Yuzawa, Niigata (white).svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Yuzawa, Niigata|Yuzawa]]
|湯沢町
|357.29
|7,926
|[[Minami-Uonuma District, Niigata|Minami-Uonuma District]]
|Town
|[[File:Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|51x51px]]
|}

===Mergers===
{{main|List of mergers in Niigata Prefecture}}