Editing Shimane Prefecture (section)

== Geography ==
Shimane Prefecture is situated on the [[Sea of Japan]] side of the [[Chūgoku region]]. Because of its mountainous landscape, rice farming is done mostly in the Izumo plain where the city of Izumo is located.<ref name="Junior High Map"/> Another major landform is the Shimane peninsula. The peninsula is located across the Sea of Japan from Izumo to [[Sakaiminato]], which is located in Tottori prefecture. Also, the peninsula created two brackish lakes, [[Lake Shinji]] and [[Nakaumi]]. The island of Daikon is located in Nakaumi. Off the main island of [[Honshū]], the island of [[Oki Island|Oki]] belongs to Shimane prefecture as well. The island itself is in the Daisen-Oki National Park.<ref name="Junior High Map">{{cite book|title=新編 中学校社会科地図 Updated Social studies map for Junior High school|year=2007|publisher=帝国書院 Teikoku Shoin|isbn=978-4-8071-4091-6}}</ref> Shimane also claims the use of [[Liancourt Rocks]], over which they are in dispute with [[South Korea]].<ref>[[Liancourt Rocks]]</ref>

As of 1 April 2012, 6% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as [[List of national parks of Japan#History|Natural Parks]], namely [[Daisen-Oki National Park]]; [[Hiba-Dogo-Taishaku Quasi-National Park|Hiba-Dōgo-Taishaku]] and [[Nishi-Chugoku Sanchi Quasi-National Park|Nishi-Chūgoku Sanchi]] Quasi-National Parks; and eleven 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 2012 |access-date=10 August 2014}}</ref>

Most major cities are located either on the seaside, or along a river.<ref name="Junior High Map"/>

===Cities===
{{See also|List of cities in Shimane Prefecture by population}}
{{Stack|
[[File:Map of Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|thumb|Map of Shimane Prefecture<br />{{legend0|#EAB|City}} {{legend0|#ED9|Town}} {{legend0|#BFE|Village}}]]
[[File:Cape Hinomisaki02.jpg|thumb|[[Cape Hinomisaki]] near [[Izumo, Shimane|Izumo]]]]
}}
[[File:松江市 松江城から (29882144321).jpg|thumb|[[Matsue]]]]
[[File:View from Taikodani Inari Shrine 4.jpg|thumb|[[Tsuwano]]]]
[[File:Okinoshima (15066448338).jpg|thumb|Saigo area of [[Oki Island]]]]
Eight cities are located in Shimane Prefecture, the largest in population being Matsue, the capital, and the smallest being Gōtsu. The cities Masuda, Unnan, Yasugi, and Gōtsu had a slight population increase due to the mergers in the early 2000s.<ref name="Yotsuya" />
{| 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 Gotsu, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Gōtsu, Shimane|Gōtsu]]
|江津市
|268.51
|24,009
|[[File:Gotsu in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Hamada, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Hamada, Shimane|Hamada]]
|浜田市
|689.6
|57,142
|[[File:Hamada in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Izumo, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Izumo, Shimane|Izumo]]
|出雲市
|624.36
|172,039
|[[File:Izumo in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Masuda, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Masuda, Shimane|Masuda]]
|益田市
|733.16
|46,892
|[[File:Masuda in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Matsue, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Matsue]] (capital)
|松江市
|572.99
|202,008
|[[File:Matsue in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Oda, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Ōda, Shimane|Ōda]]
|大田市
|436.11
|34,354
|[[File:Oda in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Unnan, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Unnan]]
|雲南市
|553.4
|38,281
|[[File:Unnan in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Yasugi, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Yasugi, Shimane|Yasugi]]
|安来市
|420.97
|38,875
|[[File:Yasugi in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|}

===Towns and villages===
These are the towns and villages of each [[Districts of Japan|district]]. The number of towns and villages greatly decreased during the mergers. However, they hold about one-third of the prefecture's population.<ref name="Yotsuya" />
{| 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 Ama Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Ama, Shimane|Ama]]
|海士町
|33.5
|2,293
|[[Oki District, Shimane|Oki District]]
|Town
|[[File:Ama in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Chibu, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Chibu, Shimane|Chibu]]
|知夫村
|13.7
|657
|[[Oki District, Shimane|Oki District]]
|Village
|[[File:Chibu in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Iinan, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Iinan, Shimane|Iinan]]
|飯南町
|242.84
|4,908
|[[Iishi District, Shimane|Iishi District]]
|Town
|[[File:Iinan in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Kawamoto, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Kawamoto, Shimane|Kawamoto]]
|川本町
|106.39
|3,331
|[[Ōchi District, Shimane|Ōchi District]]
|Town
|[[File:Kawamoto in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Misato, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Misato, Shimane|Misato]]
|美郷町
|282.92
|4,712
|[[Ōchi District, Shimane|Ōchi District]]
|Town
|[[File:Misato in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Nishinoshima, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Nishinoshima, Shimane|Nishinoshima]]
|西ノ島町
|55.98
|2,923
|[[Oki District, Shimane|Oki District]]
|Town
|[[File:Nishinoshima in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Okinoshima, Shimane.svg|25px]] [[Okinoshima, Shimane|Okinoshima]]
|隠岐の島町
|242.97
|14,422
|[[Oki District, Shimane|Oki District]]
|Town
|[[File:Okinoshima in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Okuizumo, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Okuizumo]]
|奥出雲町
|368.06
|12,655
|[[Nita District, Shimane|Nita District]]
|Town
|[[File:Okuizumo in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Ōnan, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Ōnan, Shimane|Ōnan]]
|邑南町
|419.29
|10,922
|[[Ōchi District, Shimane|Ōchi District]]
|Town
|[[File:Onan in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Tsuwano, Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Tsuwano, Shimane|Tsuwano]]
|津和野町
|307.09
|7,478
|[[Kanoashi District, Shimane|Kanoashi District]]
|Town
|[[File:Tsuwano in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|-
|[[File:Flag of Yoshika Shimane.svg|frameless|25x25px]] [[Yoshika, Shimane|Yoshika]]
|吉賀町
|336.29
|6,231
|[[Kanoashi District, Shimane|Kanoashi District]]
|Town
|[[File:Yoshika in Shimane Prefecture Ja.svg|frameless|50x50px]]
|}

===Mergers===
{{Main|List of mergers in Shimane Prefecture}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 
! !! colspan="2"|  April 1976 !! January 2011 !! January 2012
|-
! rowspan="29" | Izumo Region
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="2"| Matsue City (Old System) || rowspan="8" | Matsue City (New System) || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="9" | Matsue City<br/> (August 1, 2011 Merger with Higashiizumo Town)
|-
| rowspan="8" | Yatsuka District || Kashima Town 
|-
| Shimane Town
|-
| Mihonoseki Town
|-
| Yakumo Village
|-
| Tamayu Town
|-
| Shinji Town
|-
| Yatsuka Town
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="2"|  Higashiizumo Town
|-
| style="text-align: center;"  colspan="2"| Yasugi City (Old System) || rowspan="3" | Yasugi City (New System) || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="3" | Yasugi City
|-
| rowspan="2" | Nogi District || Hirose Town 
|-
| Hakuta Town 
|-
| rowspan="2" | Nita District || Yokota Town || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="2" colspan="2"|  Okuizumo Town
|-
| Nita Town
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="2"| Izumo City (Old System) || rowspan="6" | Izumo City (New System) || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="7" | Izumo City<br/> (October 1, 2011 Merger with Hikawa Town)
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="2"| Hirata City
|-
| rowspan="5" | Hikawa District || Taisha Town
|-
| Koryo Town
|-
| Taki Town
|-
| Sada Town
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="2"|  Hikawa Town
|-
| rowspan="3" | Ōhara District || Daitō Town || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="6" colspan="2"| Unnan City
|-
| Kamo Town
|-
| Kisuki Town
|-
| rowspan="5" | Iishi District || Mitoya Town
|-
| Kakeya Town
|-
| Yoshida Village
|-
| Tonbara Town  || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="2" colspan="2"|  Iinan Town
|-
| Akagi Town
|-
! rowspan="23" | Iwami Region
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="2"| Ōda City (Old System) || rowspan="3" | Ōda City (New System) || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="3" | Ōda City
|-
| rowspan="2" | Nima District || Yunotsu Town
|-
| Nima Town 
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="2"| Gōtsu City (Old System) || rowspan="2" | Gōtsu City (New System) || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="2" | Gōtsu City
|-
| rowspan="7" | Ōchi District || Sakurae Town
|-
| Ōchi Town || style="text-align: center;" rowspan="2" colspan="2"| Misato Town
|-
| Daiwa Village
|-
| Iwami Town || style="text-align: center;" rowspan="3" colspan="2"| Ōnan Town
|-
| Mizuho Town
|-
| Hasumi Village
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="4"| Kawamoto Town
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="2"| Hamada City (Old System) || rowspan="5" | Hamada City (New System) || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="5" | Hamada City
|-
| rowspan="4" | Naka District || Asahi Town
|-
| Kanagi Town
|-
| Misumi Town
|-
| Yasaka Village
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="2"| Masuda City (Old System) || rowspan="3" | Masuda City (New System) || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="3" | Masuda City
|-
| rowspan="2" | Mino District || Mito Town
|-
| Hikimi Town
|-
| rowspan="4" | Kanoashi District || Tsuwano Town (Old System) || rowspan="2" | Tsuwano Town (New System) || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="2" | Tsuwano Town
|-
| Nichihara Town
|-
| Muikaichi Town || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="2" colspan="2"| Yoshika Town
|-
| Kakinoki Village
|-
! rowspan="7" | Oki Region
| rowspan="7" | Oki District || Saigō Town || style="text-align: center;"  rowspan="4" colspan="2"| Okinoshima Town
|-
| Fuse Village
|-
| Goka Village
|-
| Tsuma Village
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="4"| Nishinoshima Town
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="4"| Ama Town
|-
| style="text-align: center;" colspan="4"| Chibu Village
|}