Nagasaki Prefecture, an unification of former provinces of Hizen, Tsushima, and Iki, has had close ties with foreign civilization for centuries.
Nagasaki borders Saga Prefecture on the east, and is otherwise surrounded by water, including Ariake Bay, the Tsushima Straits, and the East China Sea.
As of 2002, there are 68,617 Catholics in Nagasaki Prefecture, accounting for 4.52 percent of the total population of the prefecture.