CAPF AC 2025 Q85: Geography – World Political Geography & Borders
The cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are situated on which of the following islands?
- (a) Kyushu and Shikoku respectively
- (b) Kyushu and Honshu respectively
- (c) Honshu and Kyushu respectively
- (d) Honshu and Shikoku respectively
Answer: (c) Honshu and Kyushu respectively
Explanation
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
How to think: Japan has four main islands, Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu.
Hiroshima is in the south-west of the biggest island, Honshu.
Nagasaki is on the west coast of Kyushu.
| City | Island |
|---|---|
| Hiroshima | Honshu (Chugoku region) |
| Nagasaki | Kyushu |
The two cities were hit by atomic bombs on 6 and 9 August 1945.
Answer: (c) Honshu and Kyushu respectively.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Hiroshima is on Honshu, not Kyushu.
- (b) Incorrect. Both cities are on the wrong islands here; Nagasaki is on Kyushu.
- (c) CORRECT. Hiroshima is on Honshu and Nagasaki on Kyushu.
- (d) Incorrect. Nagasaki is on Kyushu, not Shikoku.
Key point
Japan's main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu (largest, Tokyo, Hiroshima), Shikoku, Kyushu (Nagasaki, Fukuoka). Atomic bombings: Hiroshima 6 August 1945, Nagasaki 9 August 1945.
Remember
Hiroshima on Honshu, Nagasaki on Kyushu.
Common mistakes
- Placing Hiroshima on Kyushu because of its western position.
- Putting Nagasaki on Shikoku, the smallest main island.
- Reversing the order of the two cities.
Exam tip
Educated guess: Nagasaki is clearly in the far south-west, which is Kyushu. Only (c) has Kyushu second, and Honshu is the island of Hiroshima.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Hiroshima and Nagasaki: geography and the atomic bombings of 1945
- National Geographic Atlas of the World, map of Japan (Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu)