| Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China |
| Province level |
|---|
| Provinces |
| Autonomous regions |
| Municipalities |
| Special Administrative Regions (SARs) |
| Prefecture level |
| Prefectures Autonomous prefectures |
| Prefecture-level cities Sub-provincial cities |
| Leagues |
| County level |
| Counties Autonomous counties |
| County-level cities Sub-prefecture-level cities |
| City districts |
| Banners Autonomous banners |
| Township level |
| Townships (ethnic) Sumu (ethnic) |
| Towns |
| Subdistricts |
| County districts (defunct) |
Due to China's large population and area, the political divisions of China have consisted of several levels since ancient times. The Republic of China currently administers two historical Provinces of China (one completely and a small part of another one and centrally administers two Direct-controlled Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The politics of the People's Republic of China take place in a framework of a single-party socialist republic. Power within the Government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies the Communist Party of China, the state and the People's The Central People's Government is the Central government of the People's Republic of China in Beijing. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China ( is the highest law within the People's Republic of China. The 1954 Constitution of the People's Republic of China was promulgated by the 1st National People's Congress meeting in Beijing on September 20, The 1975 Constitution of the People's Republic of China was promulgated in the midst of the unrest of the Cultural Revolution by the 4th National People's Congress The 1978 Constitution of the People's Republic of China was promulgated in 1978. Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led Maoism, variably and officially known as Mao Zedong Thought ( is a variant of Marxism derived from the teachings of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping ( 22 August 1904 19 February 1997) was a prominent Chinese Revolutionary, Politician, Pragmatist and Reformer Deng Xiaoping Theory ( also known as Dengism, is the series of political and economic ideologies first developed by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. Jiang Zemin ( born 17 August 1926 was the "core of the third generation " of Communist Party of China leaders serving as General Secretary of The Three Represents ( is a socio-political ideology credited to General Secretary Jiang Zemin which became a guiding ideology of the Communist Party of China at Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist The Scientific Development Concept ( Pinyin: Kēxué Fāzhǎn Guān is the current official guiding socio-economic ideology of the Communist Party of China The President of the People's Republic of China ( literally Chairman of the Chinese People's Republic or abbreviated Guójiā Zhǔxí 国家主席 literally State Chairman Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist A similar term is "National Congress" which is a less common translation of People's Political Consultative Conference. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) is a committee of about 150 members of the National People's Congress (NPC of the People's The legislative system of the People's Republic of China may either refer to the system of laws and regulations generated in China's legal system or more narrowly the system of formulation The Premier of the State Council ( sometimes incorrectly referred to as the "Prime Minister" is the Chairman of the State Council of the People's Republic of China This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wen. Wen Jiabao ( (born 15 September 1942 is the Premier of the The State Council ( which is largely synonymous with the Central People's Government ( is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China The People's Liberation Army ( PLA) ( is the unified Military organization of all land sea and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The Central Military Commission ( CMC) ( refers to one of two bodies within the People's Republic of China, either to the Central Military Commission of the People's Law of the People's Republic of China is the legal regime of the People's Republic of China, with the separate legal traditions and systems of Mainland China, Supreme People's Procuratorate ( is the highest agency at the national level responsible for Prosecution in the People's Republic of China. The Judicial system (or Judicial branch) of the People's Republic of China has both broad and narrow meanings The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the The Constitution of the Communist Party of China (CPC ( has 53 Articles and includes contents of General Program Membership Organization System Central Organizations The General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee ( is the highest ranking official within the Communist Party of China and heads the Secretariat The National Congress of the Communist Party of China ( is a Party congress that is held about once every five years The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China ( Chinese: 中国共产党中央委员会 Pinyin: Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Wěiyuánhuì formerly The Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee ( Chinese: 中国共产党中央委员会书记处 pinyin Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Wěiyuánhuì The Politburo of the Communist Party of China ( Chinese: 中国共产党中央政治局 Pinyin: Zhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Zhèngzhìjú (also "Political The Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (PSC, abbreviated) is a committee whose membership varies between 5 and 9 people usually men and includes The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference ( People's Political Consultative Conference The People's Republic of China (PRC is formally a multi-party state under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CCP in the Popular front model similar Elections in the People's Republic of China take two forms Direct elections occur for village councils in designated rural areas and for the local People's Congress See also Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Due to China 's large Population and area the political divisions of China have consisted Since the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the human rights issue of China has come to the forefront The Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China draw upon traditions extending back to imperial China in the Qing Dynasty Foreign aid to the People's Republic of China takes the form of both bilateral and multilateral official Development assistance and official aid to individual recipients Politics of Hong Kong takes place in a framework of a political system dominated by People's Republic of China, its own legislature the Chief Executive Politics of Macau takes place in a framework of a political system dominated by the People's Republic of China, an own legislature the Chief Executive as the The Politics of the Republic of China (ROC takes place in a framework of a Semi-presidential representative democratic Republic, Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES See also Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Due to China 's large Population and area the political divisions of China have consisted A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division An autonomous region ( is a first-level administrative subdivision of China. Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to A Special Administrative Region ( SAR) is a high autonomous administrative division of the People's Republic of China. Prefecture, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' A prefecture-level city ( or prefecture-level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and A sub-provincial city ( Chinese: 副省级城市 (or deputy-provincial city in the People's Republic of China, is a Prefecture-level city A league ( ayimaɣ or historically čiɣulɣan; Chinese: 盟 Pinyin: méng is an administrative unit in Inner Mongolia, In the context of Political divisions of China, county is the standard English translation of 县 ( xiàn) In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' A county-level city ( is a county-level administrative division of Mainland China. A sub-prefecture-level city (副地級市 or vice-prefecture-level city, is an administrative division of China The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. This article is about a type of administrative division in Inner Mongolia China In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Township ( is the basic level of political divisions in China. In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Sum, sumu, sumon, and somon ( sumuud) are a type of administrative district used in China, Mongolia, and Russia In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' When referring to Political Divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 (simplified 镇; pinyin zhèn Wade-Giles The subdistrict ( Chinese: 街道 Pinyin: Jiēdào is one of the smallest Political divisions of China. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology This article talks about the history of the Political divisions of China. The constitution of the People's Republic of China provides for three de jure levels of government. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Currently, however, there are five practical (de facto) levels of local government: the province, prefecture, county, township, and village.
The provinces serve an important cultural role in China. Many people tend to identify with their native province. Most of the provinces of China have boundaries which were established in the late Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led Major changes since then have been the reorganization of provinces in the northeast after the establishment of the People's Republic of China and the formation of autonomous regions which are based on Soviet nationality theory. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES An autonomous region ( is a first-level administrative subdivision of China.
Contents |
Levels
The Constitution of the People's Republic of China provides for three levels: the province, county, and township. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China ( is the highest law within the People's Republic of China. However, two more levels have been inserted in actual implementation: the prefecture, under provinces; and the village, under townships. There is a sixth level, the district public office, below counties, but it is being abolished. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. The People's Republic of China administers 33 province-level regions, 333 prefecture-level regions, 2,862 county-level regions, 41,636 township-level regions, and several village-level regions.
Each of the levels correspond to a level in the Civil service of the People's Republic of China. The civil service of the People's Republic of China consists of civil servants of all levels who run the day-to-day affairs in Mainland China.
Summary
This table summarizes the divisions of the area administered by the People's Republic of China as of December 31, 2005. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
| Level | Name | Types |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Province level |
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| 2 | Prefecture level |
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| 3 | County level |
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| 4 | Township level |
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| 5 | Village level (informal) |
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Province level
The People's Republic of China administers 33 province-level divisions, including 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two special administrative regions:
Provinces are theoretically subservient to the PRC central government, but in practice provincial officials have large discretion with regard to economic policy. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division An autonomous region ( is a first-level administrative subdivision of China. Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to A Special Administrative Region ( SAR) is a high autonomous administrative division of the People's Republic of China. Prefecture, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. Autonomous prefectures are one type of Autonomous areas of China, existing at the prefecture level. A prefecture-level city ( or prefecture-level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and A league ( ayimaɣ or historically čiɣulɣan; Chinese: 盟 Pinyin: méng is an administrative unit in Inner Mongolia, In the context of Political divisions of China, county is the standard English translation of 县 ( xiàn) Autonomous counties and autonomous banners are one kind of Autonomous areas of China. A county-level city ( is a county-level administrative division of Mainland China. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. This article is about a type of administrative division in Inner Mongolia China In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Township ( is the basic level of political divisions in China. In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' When referring to Political Divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 (simplified 镇; pinyin zhèn Wade-Giles The subdistrict ( Chinese: 街道 Pinyin: Jiēdào is one of the smallest Political divisions of China. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. Sum, sumu, sumon, and somon ( sumuud) are a type of administrative district used in China, Mongolia, and Russia In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' See also Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Due to China 's large Population and area the political divisions of China have consisted Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (PRC including all provinces autonomous regions special administrative This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (PRC including all provinces autonomous regions municipalities This articles lists of the first-level administrative divisions of People's Republic of China (P This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of Mainland China (including all provinces autonomous regions and municipalities in order of their total Gross This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (PRC including all provinces autonomous regions and municipalities in order of This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (P This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (P This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (P This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (P This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of China proper (including all provinces autonomous regions and municipalities in order of tax revenues collected in 2005 This is a list of the current and former Capitals of subnational entities of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Unlike the United States, the power of the central government was (with the exception of the military) not exercised through a parallel set of institutions until the early 1990s. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The actual practical power of the provinces has created what some economists call federalism with Chinese characteristics. Chinese federalism refers to political theories which argue that China 's central government either does or should devolve large amounts of power to local entities
Most of the provinces, with the exception of the provinces in the northeast, have boundaries which were established during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division The Yuan Dynasty ( Pinyin: Yuáncháo Dai Ön Ulus (Дай Юан Улс was a ruling Dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai The Ming Dynasty ( or Empire of the Great Ming ( was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol -led Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China Sometimes provincial borders veer markedly away from cultural or geographical boundaries, a phenomenon described as "dog's teeth interlocking" (Chinese: 犬牙交错; pinyin: quǎnyájiāocuò). Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use This was an attempt by the imperial government to discourage separatism and warlordism through a divide and rule policy. Separatism refers to the advocacy of a state of cultural ethnic tribal religious racial or gender separation from the larger group often with demands for greater political autonomy In Politics and Sociology, divide and rule (derived from Latin divide et impera) (also known as divide and conquer) is a combination Nevertheless, provinces have come to serve an important cultural role in China. People tend to be identified in terms of their native provinces, and each province has a stereotype that corresponds to their inhabitants.
The most recent administrative changes have included the elevation of Hainan (1988) and Chongqing (1997) to provincial level status and the organization of Hong Kong (1997) and Macau (1999) as Special Administrative Regions. Hainan ( POJ: Hai-lam Pinyin:, Jyutping: hoi2 naam4 literal meaning "South of the Sea" is the smallest province of the People's Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. A special administrative region or SAR may be;People's Republic of China Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, present-day
For a larger version of this map, see here.
List in alphabetical order
Provinces are the most common type of province-level division. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division
| Name | Chinese (T) | Chinese (S) | Pinyin | Postal map | Types | Abb. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Chinese Postal Map Romanization ( Traditional Chinese: 郵政式拼音 Simplified Chinese: 邮政式拼音 Pinyin: Yóuzhèngshì Pīnyīn refers to the ¹ | Area² | Capital | .png/50px-China_Regions_(including_Taiwan).png){kind=small} Region |
ISO | Admin. Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anhui | 安徽 | 安徽 | Ānhuī | Anhwei | Province | 皖 wǎn | 139,700 | Hefei | East | CN-34 | List |
| Beijing | 北京 | 北京 | Běijīng | Peking | Municip. | 京 jīng | 16,800 | — | North | CN-11 | List |
| Chongqing | 重慶 | 重庆 | Chóngqìng | Chungking | Municip. | 渝 yú | 82,300 | — | Southwest | CN-50 | List |
| Fujian | 福建 | 福建 | Fújiàn | Fukien | Province | 闽 mǐn | 121,300 | Fuzhou | East | CN-35 | List |
| Gansu | 甘肅 | 甘肃 | Gānsù | Kansu | Province | 甘 gān or 陇 lǒng | 454,300 | Lanzhou | Northwest | CN-62 | List |
| Guangdong | 廣東 | 广东 | Guǎngdōng | Kwangtung | Province | 粤 yuè | 180,000 | Guangzhou | South Central | CN-44 | List |
| Guangxi | 廣西 | 广西 | Guǎngxī | Kwangsi | AR | 桂 Guì | 236,000 | Nanning | South Central | CN-45 | List |
| Guizhou | 貴州 | 贵州 | Gùizhōu | Kweichow | Province | 黔 qián or 贵 gùi | 176,000 | Guiyang | Southwest | CN-52 | List |
| Hainan | 海南 | 海南 | Hǎinán | Hainan | Province | 琼 qióng | 34,000 | Haikou | South Central | CN-46 | List |
| Hebei | 河北 | 河北 | Héběi | Hopeh | Province | 冀 jì | 187,700 | Shijiazhuang | North | CN-13 | List |
| Heilongjiang | 黑龍江 | 黑龙江 | Hēilóngjiāng | Heilungkiang | Province | 黑 hēi | 454,000 | Harbin | Northeast | CN-23 | List |
| Henan | 河南 | 河南 | Hénán | Honan | Province | 豫 yù | 167,000 | Zhengzhou | South Central | CN-41 | List |
| Hong Kong | 香港 | 香港 | Xiānggǎng | Hongkong | SAR | 港 gǎng | 1,104 | — | South Central | CN-91 | List |
| Hubei | 湖北 | 湖北 | Húběi | Hupeh | Province | 鄂 è | 185,900 | Wuhan | South Central | CN-42 | List |
| Hunan | 湖南 | 湖南 | Húnán | Hunan | Province | 湘 xiāng | 210,000 | Changsha | South Central | CN-43 | List |
| Inner Mongolia | 內蒙古 | 内蒙古 | Nèiměnggǔ | Mongolia | AR | 内蒙 Nèiměng | 1,183,000 | Hohhot | North | CN-15 | List |
| Jiangsu | 江蘇 | 江苏 | Jiāngsū | Kiangsu | Province | 苏 sū | 102,600 | Nanjing | East | CN-32 | List |
| Jiangxi | 江西 | 江西 | Jiāngxī | Kiangsi | Province | 赣 gàn | 167,000 | Nanchang | East | CN-36 | List |
| Jilin | 吉林 | 吉林 | Jílín | Kirin | Province | 吉 jí | 187,400 | Changchun | Northeast | CN-22 | List |
| Liaoning | 遼寧 | 辽宁 | Liáoníng | Fengtien | Province | 辽 liáo | 145,900 | Shenyang | Northeast | CN-21 | List |
| Macau | 澳門 | 澳门 | Àomén | Macau | SAR | 澳 ào | 28. Anhui (in Chinese: 安徽 Ānhuī) is a province of the People's Republic of China. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Hefei ( literally "Junction of the (South Fei Rivers " former names Ho-fei Luzhou Luchow is a Prefecture-level city and the provincial capital of East China ( is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. Anhui, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of administrative division: Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to Northern China or North China ( literally "China's north" is a Geographical region of China. Beijing, an independent municipality in China is divided into sixteen districts and two counties Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to Southwest China ( Chinese: 西南 Pinyin: Xīnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China This article is about the People's Republic of China province A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division ( Foochow Romanized: Hók-ciŭ EFEO: Fou-Tcheou also seen as Foochow, Fuchow, Fuh-chau or Hokchew in earlier Western East China ( is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. Fujian is a province of China, with the vast majority administered by the People's Republic of China (PRC and the offshore islands of ( is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Lanzhou ( Postal map spelling: Lanchow is a Prefecture-level city and capital of Gansu province in northwestern China. Northwestern China (西北 Xīběi includes the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Ningxia and the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu Gansu, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: 14 prefecture-level Guangdong ( EFEO: Kouangtong; Pinyin Guǎngdōng; Postal map spelling: Kwangtung) is a province on the A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Guangzhou ( Jyutping: Gwong²zau¹; Yale: Gwóngjàu) is the Capital and a Sub-provincial city South Central China ( Chinese: 中南 Pinyin: Zhōngnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces Guangdong, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: 21 Guangxi (or Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region;) is a Zhuang autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Nanning ( Zhuang: Namzningz, meaning 'South Prosperity' is the capital of Guangxi autonomous region in southern China. South Central China ( Chinese: 中南 Pinyin: Zhōngnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, an Autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of administrative ( also spelled Kweichow) is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Guiyang ( is the capital of Guizhou Province the People's Republic of China. Southwest China ( Chinese: 西南 Pinyin: Xīnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality Guizhou, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: 9 prefecture-level Hainan ( POJ: Hai-lam Pinyin:, Jyutping: hoi2 naam4 literal meaning "South of the Sea" is the smallest province of the People's A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Haikou ( Pinyin: Hǎikǒu situated at the north of Hainan island is the Capital of Hainan Province of the People's Republic of China South Central China ( Chinese: 中南 Pinyin: Zhōngnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces Hainan The political divisions of Hainan are Two Prefecture-level cities: Haikou City (海口市 Hǎikǒu Shì subdivided ( Postal map spelling: Hopeh) is a northern province of the People's Republic of China. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Shijiazhuang ( literally "The Stones' Village" is a Prefecture-level city and the Capital of Hebei province, China Northern China or North China ( literally "China's north" is a Geographical region of China. The administrative divisions of Hebei, a province of the People's Republic of China, consists of prefecture-level divisions subdivided into county-level ( Postal map spelling: Heilungkiang Manchu: Sahaliyan ula is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division ( Russian Kharbin) is a Sub-provincial city and the Capital of the Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. Northeast China ( is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers from Heilongjiang, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: Henan ( is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Zhengzhou ( formerly called Zhengxian is a Prefecture-level city, and the capital of Henan province, People's Republic of China. South Central China ( Chinese: 中南 Pinyin: Zhōngnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces The administrative divisions of Henan, a province of the People's Republic of China, consists of prefecture-level divisions subdivided into county-level Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders A Special Administrative Region ( SAR) is a high autonomous administrative division of the People's Republic of China. South Central China ( Chinese: 中南 Pinyin: Zhōngnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces The Districts of Hong Kong are the 18 administrative areas by which Hong Kong is geographically divided ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division ( is the capital of Hubei province and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. South Central China ( Chinese: 中南 Pinyin: Zhōngnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces The administrative divisions of Hubei, a province of the People's Republic of China, consists of prefecture-level divisions subdivided into county-level ( is a province of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting (hence the name Hunan, meaning A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Changsha ( is the Capital city of Hunan, a province of south-central China, located on the lower reaches of Xiang river a branch of the South Central China ( Chinese: 中南 Pinyin: Zhōngnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces The administrative divisions of Hunan, a province of the People's Republic of China, consists of prefecture-level divisions subdivided into county-level Inner Mongolia ( Mongolian:, Öbür mongɣul; occasionally romanized to Nei Mongol is the Mongol In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Hohhot ( Mongolian:, Kökeqota; lit "Blue Town") occasionally spelled Huhehot or Huhhot, is a city in North-central China and the Northern China or North China ( literally "China's north" is a Geographical region of China. Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, is made up of prefecture-level divisions which are divided into county-level divisions ( Postal map spelling: Kiangsu) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles East China ( is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. Jiangsu, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of administrative division: ( Postal map spelling: Kiangsi is a southern province of the People's Republic of China, spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Nanchang ( is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. East China ( is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. Jiangxi, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of administrative division: ( Postal map spelling: Kirin; Manchu: Girin ula is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Changchun ( is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the centre of the Northeast China ( is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers from Jilin, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: 9 prefecture-level ( is a northeastern province of the People's Republic of China. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Shenyang ( Ch: 沈阳 pinyin Shěnyáng, or Mukden ( in Manchu) is a Sub-provincial city and capital of Liaoning Northeast China ( is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers from Liaoning, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of administrative division: For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. A Special Administrative Region ( SAR) is a high autonomous administrative division of the People's Republic of China. 6 | — | South Central | CN-92 | List |
| Ningxia | 寧夏 | 宁夏 | Níngxià | Ningsia | AR | 宁 níng | 66,400 | Yinchuan | Northwest | CN-64 | List |
| Qinghai | 青海 | 青海 | Qīnghǎi | Tsinghai | Province | 青 qīng | 721,200 | Xining | Northwest | CN-63 | List |
| Shaanxi | 陝西 | 陕西 | Shǎnxī | Shensi | Province | zh|秦 qín | 205,600 | Xi'an | Northwest | CN-61 | List |
| Shandong | 山東 | 山东 | Shāndōng | Shantung | Province | 鲁 lǔ | 153,800 | Jinan | East | CN-37 | List |
| Shanghai | 上海 | 上海 | Shànghǎi | Shanghai | Municip. | 沪 hù | 6,340. South Central China ( Chinese: 中南 Pinyin: Zhōngnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces The councils and assemblies of the municipalities of Macau were abolished on 1 January 2002 and their functions transferred to the Instituto para os Assuntos Cívicos e Municipais Ningxia ( Postal map spelling: Ningsia full name Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region ( is a Hui autonomous region of the People's Republic In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Yinchuan ( is the Capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region People's Republic of China, and former capital of the Western Xia Empire of the Northwestern China (西北 Xīběi includes the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Ningxia and the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, an Autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of administrative division (青海 qīnghǎi is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Xining ( Simplified Chinese: 西宁 Traditional Chinese: 西寧 Tibetan: ཟི་ནིང་ Pinyin: Xīníng Wylie: Zi-ning Northwestern China (西北 Xīběi includes the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Ningxia and the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu Qinghai, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: 8 prefecture-level ( Postal map spelling: Shensi) is a north-central province of the People's Republic of China, and includes portions of the Loess A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division UserEl_C --> Xi'an ( Postal map spelling: Sian is the Capital of the Shaanxi province in the Northwestern China (西北 Xīběi includes the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Ningxia and the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu Shaanxi, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: 10 prefecture-level ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Jinan ( in some literatures the pinyin without tones is given as Ji'nan, to disambiguate from a possible misreading as Jin'an is a Sub-provincial city East China ( is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. Shandong, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: 17 Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to 5 | — | East | CN-31 | List |
| Shanxi | 山西 | 山西 | Shānxī | Shansi | Province | 晋 jìn | 156,300 | Taiyuan | North | CN-14 | List |
| Sichuan | 四川 | 四川 | Sìchuān | Szechuan | Province | 川 chuān or 蜀 shǔ | 485,000 | Chengdu | Southwest | CN-51 | List |
| Taiwan † | 臺灣 | 台湾 | Táiwān | Formosa | Province (Claim) | 台 tái | 35,581 | Taipei | East | CN-71 | List |
| Tianjin | 天津 | 天津 | Tiānjīn | Tientsin | Municip. | 津 jīn | 11,305 | — | North | CN-12 | List |
| Tibet | 西藏 | 西藏 | Xīzàng | Tibet | AR | 藏 zàng | 1,228,400 | Lhasa | Southwest | CN-54 | List |
| Xinjiang | 新疆 | 新疆 | Xīnjiāng | Sinkiang | AR | 新 xīn | 1,660,400 | Ürümqi | Northwest | CN-65 | List |
| Yunnan | 雲南 | 云南 | Yúnnán | Yunnan | Province | 滇 diān or 云 yún | 394,000 | Kunming | Southwest | CN-53 | List |
| Zhejiang | 浙江 | 浙江 | Zhèjiāng | Chekiang | Province | 浙 zhè | 102,000 | Hangzhou | East | CN-33 | List |
Notes:
- ¹: Abbreviation for each Province level region
- ²: in Km²
- †: Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has considered Taiwan to be its 23rd province. East China ( is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. Shanghai is administratively equal to a province and is divided into 19 county-level divisions: 18 districts and 1 county. ( Postal map spelling: Shansi) is a province in the northern part of the People's Republic of China. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Taiyuan ( lit "Great Plains" is a Prefecture-level city and the capital of Shanxi province China. Northern China or North China ( literally "China's north" is a Geographical region of China. Shanxi, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of prefecture-level divisions which are divided into county-level divisions which are then divided ( Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in western China with its capital in Chengdu. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division ( located in southwest People's Republic of China, is the capital of Sichuan province and a Sub-provincial city. Southwest China ( Chinese: 西南 Pinyin: Xīnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality Sichuan, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: 21 prefecture-level Taiwan Province of the People's Republic of China ( is a theoretical administrative Province of the People's Republic of China (PRC, covering an area over which The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu should remain effectively independent as territory Taipei ( Taiwanese Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-chhī Jhuyin Fuhao: ㄊㄞˊ ㄅㄟˇ ㄕˋ Hakka: Thòi-pet-sṳ has been the capital of East China ( is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. The Republic of China currently administers two historical Provinces of China (one completely and a small part of another one and centrally administers two Direct-controlled ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China. Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to Northern China or North China ( literally "China's north" is a Geographical region of China. ( Postal map spelling: Tientsin) is the second largest city in northern coastal China. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR also called Xizang Autonomous Region (བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་ Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Lhasa, ( in English l̥ʰásə or in Tibetan; Chinese: 拉萨 Pinyin: Lāsà sometimes spelled Lasa, is the administrative capital of the Southwest China ( Chinese: 西南 Pinyin: Xīnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality Tibet Autonomous Region, an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of administrative division Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Ürümchi or Ürümqi, sometimes spelled Wulumuqi (English uːˈruːmtʃi ئۈرۈمچی|Ürümchi) is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Northwestern China (西北 Xīběi includes the autonomous regions of Xinjiang and Ningxia and the provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu Xinjiang, an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division Kunming ( kʊn'mɪŋ UN/LOCODE: CNKMG is a Prefecture-level city and capital of Yunnan province in Southwestern China. Southwest China ( Chinese: 西南 Pinyin: Xīnán) is a region of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality Yunnan, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following administrative divisions: 16 prefecture-level Zhejiang ( is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division ( Postal map spelling: Hangchow) is a Sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People's Republic of China, East China ( is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China. Zhejiang, a province of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of administrative division: Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES However, the PRC has never controlled Taiwan. The Republic of China (ROC, "Taiwan") currently controls Taiwan which it governs as Taiwan Province, consisting of Taiwan island and the Pescadores. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES History In 1683 following a naval engagement with Admiral Shi Lang, Koxinga 's (Cheng Ch'eng Kung grandson Zheng Keshuang and ruler of Taiwan The Pescadores ( from Portuguese, "fishermen" pron pɨʃ The ROC also controls one county of Fuchien (or Fukien) province: Kinmen; and part of a second county: Lienchiang. This article is about the People's Republic of China province Kinmen, ( Traditional Chinese: 金門 Simplified Chinese: 金门 Hanyu Pinyin: Jīnmén Tongyong Pinyin: Jinmén Wades-Giles The Matsu Islands (also Mazu Islands ( are a minor Archipelago of 19 Islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait administered as Lienchiang
Prefecture level
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Prefecture-level divisions are the second level of the administrative structure. As of December 31, 2005, this structure consisted of 333 divisions composed of:
- prefecture-level cities (283)
- prefectures (17)
- autonomous prefectures (30)
- Leagues (3) -- Inner Mongolia only
Prefecture-level cities form the vast majority of prefecture-level divisions. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A prefecture-level city ( or prefecture-level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and Prefecture, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' A league ( ayimaɣ or historically čiɣulɣan; Chinese: 盟 Pinyin: méng is an administrative unit in Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia ( Mongolian:, Öbür mongɣul; occasionally romanized to Nei Mongol is the Mongol A prefecture-level city ( or prefecture-level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and Prefecture-level cities are generally composed of an urban center and surrounding rural areas much larger than the urban core, and thus are not "cities" in the strict sense of the term. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status
Most provinces are divided into only prefecture-level cities and contain no other second-level administrative units. Of the 22 provinces and 5 autonomous regions only 3 provinces (Yunnan, Guizhou, Qinghai) and 2 autonomous regions (Xinjiang, Tibet) have more than three second-level or prefecture-level divisions that are not prefecture-level cities. ( also spelled Kweichow) is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country (青海 qīnghǎi is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR also called Xizang Autonomous Region (བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་ Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs See also Administrative divisions of the Republic of China Due to China 's large Population and area the political divisions of China have consisted
Prefectures are another level of government found at the prefecture-level. Prefecture, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. These were formerly the dominant second-level division, which is why this administrative level is often called "prefecture-level". However, they were replaced for the most part by prefecture-level cities from 1983 to the 1990s. A prefecture-level city ( or prefecture-level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and Today, prefectures exist mostly in Xinjiang and Tibet. Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR also called Xizang Autonomous Region (བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་ Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs
Leagues are effectively the same as prefectures, but they are to be found only in Inner Mongolia. A league ( ayimaɣ or historically čiɣulɣan; Chinese: 盟 Pinyin: méng is an administrative unit in Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia ( Mongolian:, Öbür mongɣul; occasionally romanized to Nei Mongol is the Mongol Like prefectures, leagues have mostly been replaced with prefecture-level cities. The unique name is a holdover from earlier forms of administration in Mongolia.
Autonomous prefectures are prefectures with one or more designated ethnic minorities. Autonomous prefectures are one type of Autonomous areas of China, existing at the prefecture level. The following is a list of ethnic groups in China where "China" is taken to mean areas controlled by either of the two states using "China" in their formal These are mostly to be found in China's western regions.
County level
As of December 31, 2005, there are 2,872 county-level divisions, including 862 districts, 374 cities, 1,464 counties, 117 autonomous counties, 49 banners, 3 autonomous banners, 2 special districts and 1 forestry district in mainland China (the Republic of China governs 23 county-level divisions, including 18 counties and 5 provincial municipalities). Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES
Counties are the most common county-level division. In the context of Political divisions of China, county is the standard English translation of 县 ( xiàn) Counties have continuously existed since the Warring States Period, much earlier than any other level of government in China. The Warring States Period ( also known as the Era of Warring States covers the period from some time in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by the In Sinologist literature, xian are often translated as "districts" or "prefectures". Sinology in general use is the study of China and things related to China but especially in the American academic context refers more strictly to the study of classical language
Autonomous counties are counties with one or more designated ethnic minorities. Autonomous counties and autonomous banners are one kind of Autonomous areas of China. The following is a list of ethnic groups in China where "China" is taken to mean areas controlled by either of the two states using "China" in their formal These are analogous to autonomous regions (at the province-level) and autonomous prefectures (at the prefecture-level).
Inner Mongolia has banners and autonomous banners, which are the same as counties and autonomous counties except in name. Inner Mongolia ( Mongolian:, Öbür mongɣul; occasionally romanized to Nei Mongol is the Mongol This article is about a type of administrative division in Inner Mongolia China In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' The name is a holdover from earlier forms of administration in Mongolia.
County-level cities are, like prefecture-level cities, not "cities" in the traditional sense of the word, since they are actually large administrative regions that cover both urban and rural areas. A county-level city ( is a county-level administrative division of Mainland China. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status It was popular for counties to become county-level cities in the 1990s, though this has since been halted.
Districts are another type of county-level division. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. These were formerly the subdivisions of urban areas, consisting of built-up areas only. In recent years, however, many counties have been converted into districts, so that today districts are often just like counties, with towns, villages, and farmland.
There are also a few special county-level divisions. There is a county-level forestry district in Hubei province, Shennongjia, that is a county-level division; so are two special districts in Guizhou province, Liuzhi and Wanshan. ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. ( also spelled Kweichow) is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country Wanshan Special District ( Chinese: 万山特区 Pinyin: Wànshān Tèqū is a county-level administrative special district belonging to Tongren Prefecture
Township level
As of December 31, 2005, there were 41,636 township-level divisions. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. These include 19,522 towns, 14,677 township, 1,092 ethnic townships, 181 sumu, 1 ethnic sumu, 6,152 subdistricts, and 11 district public offices. When referring to Political Divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 (simplified 镇; pinyin zhèn Wade-Giles Township ( is the basic level of political divisions in China. In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Subdistrict is a low level Administrative division of a country The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China.
In general, urban areas are divided into subdistricts, while rural areas are divided into towns, townships, and ethnic townships. Subdistrict is a low level Administrative division of a country When referring to Political Divisions of China, town is the standard English translation of the Chinese 鎮 (simplified 镇; pinyin zhèn Wade-Giles Township ( is the basic level of political divisions in China. In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Sumu and ethnic sumu are the same as townships and ethnic townships, but are unique to Inner Mongolia. In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union 's Titular nations a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as '''autonomous''' Inner Mongolia ( Mongolian:, Öbür mongɣul; occasionally romanized to Nei Mongol is the Mongol
District public offices are a vestigial level of government. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. These once represented an extra level of government between the county- and township-levels. Today there are very few of these remaining and they are gradually being phased out.
Village level
The village level serves as an organizational division (census, mail system) and does not have much importance in political representative power. The village ( Chinese 村, Pinyin: cun) in China serves as a fundamental organizational unit for its rural population(census mail system Basic local divisions like neighborhoods and communities are not informal like in the West, but have defined boundaries and designated heads (one per area):
In urban areas, every subdistrict of a district of a city administers many communities or neighborhoods. A neighbourhood or neighborhood (see spelling differences) is a geographically localised Community within a larger City, Town or A residential community is a Community, usually a small Town or City, that is composed mostly of residents, as opposed to commercial A residential community is a Community, usually a small Town or City, that is composed mostly of residents, as opposed to commercial A neighbourhood or neighborhood (see spelling differences) is a geographically localised Community within a larger City, Town or Each of them have a neighborhood committee to administer the dwellers of that neighborhood or community. Rural areas are organized into village committees or villager groups. A "village" in this case can either be a natural village, one that spontaneously and naturally exists, or an administrative village, which is a bureaucratic entity.
Special cases
Although every single administrative division has a clearly defined level associated with it, sometimes an entity may be given more autonomy than its level allows for.
For example, a few of the largest prefecture-level cities are given more autonomy. These are known as sub-provincial cities, meaning that they are given a level of power higher than a prefecture, but still lower than a province. A sub-provincial city ( Chinese: 副省级城市 (or deputy-provincial city in the People's Republic of China, is a Prefecture-level city Such cities are half a level higher than what they would normally be. Although these cities still belong to provinces, their special status gives them a high degree of autonomy within their respective provinces.
A similar case exists with some county-level cities. Some county-level cities are given more autonomy. These cities are known as sub-prefecture-level cities, meaning that they are given a level of power higher than a county, but still lower than a prefecture. A sub-prefecture-level city (副地級市 or vice-prefecture-level city, is an administrative division of China Such cities are also half a level higher than what they would normally be. Sub-prefecture-level cities are often not put into any prefecture (i. e. they are directly administered by their province).
A concrete example is the Pudong District of Shanghai. Pudong ( officially known as Pudong New Area (浦東新区 Pinyin: Pǔdōng Xīn Qū is a district of Shanghai, China that Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Although its status as a district of a direct-controlled municipality would define it as prefecture-level, the district head of Pudong is given sub-provincial powers. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to In other words, it is half a level higher than what it would normally be.
Ambiguity of the word "city" in China
Due to the complexity of the political divisions, the Chinese word "市"(shì) or in English "city", have many different meanings.
By its political level, when a "city" is referred, it can be a:
- LV 1:
-
- Municipality of China, for example, Beijing
- LV 2:
-
- Sub-provincial city, for example, Shenyang
- Prefecture-level city, for example, Baoding
- LV 3:
-
- Sub-prefecture-level city, for example, Jiyuan
- County-level city, for example, Yiwu
When used in the statistical data, the word "city" may have three different meanings:
- The area administrated by the city. A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or A sub-provincial city ( Chinese: 副省级城市 (or deputy-provincial city in the People's Republic of China, is a Prefecture-level city Shenyang ( Ch: 沈阳 pinyin Shěnyáng, or Mukden ( in Manchu) is a Sub-provincial city and capital of Liaoning A prefecture-level city ( or prefecture-level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and Baoding ( is a Prefecture-level city in Hebei province China. A sub-prefecture-level city (副地級市 or vice-prefecture-level city, is an administrative division of China Jiyuan ( is a Sub-prefecture-level city in northwestern Henan province, People's Republic of China. A county-level city ( is a county-level administrative division of Mainland China. Yiwu ( is a city of about 1000000 people in central Zhejiang Province near the central eastern coast of the People's Republic of China For the municipality, the sub-provincial city, or the prefecture-level city, a "city" in this sense includes all of the counties, county-level cities, city districts that the city governed. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. For the Sub-prefecture-level city or the County-level city, it includes all of the subdistricts, towns and townships that it has. A sub-prefecture-level city (副地級市 or vice-prefecture-level city, is an administrative division of China A county-level city ( is a county-level administrative division of Mainland China. The subdistrict ( Chinese: 街道 Pinyin: Jiēdào is one of the smallest Political divisions of China. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan Township ( is the basic level of political divisions in China.
- The area comprised by its the urban city districts and suburb city districts. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. The difference between the urban district and the suburb districts is that an urban district is only comprised by the subdistricts, while a suburb district also have towns and townships to govern rural areas. The subdistrict ( Chinese: 街道 Pinyin: Jiēdào is one of the smallest Political divisions of China. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan Township ( is the basic level of political divisions in China. In some sense, this definition is approximately the metropolitan area. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central This definition is not applied to the sub-prefecture-level city and the county-level city since they do not have city districts under them. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China.
- The urban area. Sometimes the urban area is referred as (市区 shìqū). For the municipality, the sub-provincial city, and the prefecture-level city, it is comprised by the urban city district and the adjacent subdistricts of the suburb city districts. The subdistrict ( Chinese: 街道 Pinyin: Jiēdào is one of the smallest Political divisions of China. For the sub-prefecture-level city and the county-level city, only central subdistricts are included. The subdistrict ( Chinese: 街道 Pinyin: Jiēdào is one of the smallest Political divisions of China. This definition is close to the strict meaning of "city" in western countries.
It is important to specify the definition of "city" when referring to statistical data of Chinese cities. Otherwise, confusion may arise. For example, Shanghai is the largest city in China by the population in the urban area, but it is a smaller city than Chongqing by the population within the administration area. Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China
History
Before the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, China was ruled by a network of kings, nobles, and tribes. This article talks about the history of the Political divisions of China. Not to be confused with the Qing Dynasty, the last dynasty of China The rivalry of these groups culminated in the Warring States Period, and the state of Qin eventually emerged dominant. The Warring States Period ( also known as the Era of Warring States covers the period from some time in the 5th century BC to the unification of China by the Qín or Ch'in ( Wade-Giles) (秦 ( 778 BC - 207 BC) was a State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods
The Qin Dynasty was determined not to allow China to fall back into disunity, and therefore designed the first hierarchical administrative divisions in China, based on two levels: jùn commanderies and xiàn counties. Not to be confused with the Qing Dynasty, the last dynasty of China The commandery ( 郡 in Pinyin: jùn was a historical administrative level of China. In the context of Political divisions of China, county is the standard English translation of 县 ( xiàn) The Han Dynasty that came immediately after added zhōu (usually translated as "provinces") as a third level on top, forming a three-tier structure. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The zhōu (州 was a historical political division of China. First established during the Han Dynasty, zhou continued to exist until the establishment
The Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty abolished commanderies, and added circuits (dào, later lù under the Song) on top, maintaining a three-tier system that lasted through the Song Dynasty. The Sui Dynasty ( 581 - 618 AD and in the undertaking of other construction projects including the reconstruction of the Great Wall. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by In Law, a circuit is an appellate judicial district used in the Court systems of several nations The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (As a second-level division, zhou are translated as "prefectures". ) The Mongol-established Yuan Dynasty introduced the modern precursors to provinces, bringing the number of levels to four. The Yuan Dynasty ( Pinyin: Yuáncháo Dai Ön Ulus (Дай Юан Улс was a ruling Dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng ( which is an administrative division This system was then kept more or less intact until the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty to rule China. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China
The Republic of China streamlined the levels to just provinces and counties in 1928, and made the first attempt to extend political administration beyond the county level by establishing townships below counties. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES In the context of Political divisions of China, county is the standard English translation of 县 ( xiàn) Township ( is the basic level of political divisions in China. This was also the system officially adopted by the People's Republic of China in 1949, which defined the administrative divisions of China as three levels: provinces, counties, and townships. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES In the context of Political divisions of China, county is the standard English translation of 县 ( xiàn) Township ( is the basic level of political divisions in China.
In practice, however, more levels were inserted. The ROC government soon learned that it was not feasible for a province to directly govern tens and sometimes hundreds of counties. Started from Jiangxi province in 1935, Prefectures were later inserted between provinces and counties. Prefecture, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. They continue be ubiquitously applied by the PRC government to nearly all areas of China until 1980s. Since then, most of the perfectures were converted into prefecture-level cities. Greater administrative areas were inserted on top of provinces by the PRC government, but they were soon abolished, in 1954. Greater administrative areas (大行政区 Pinyin: Dàxíngzhèngqū were early top-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China that directly District public offices were inserted between counties and townships; once ubiquitous as well, they are currently being abolished, and very few remain. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China.
The most recent developments major developments have been the establishment of Chongqing as a municipality and the creation of Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions. Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China Direct-controlled municipality (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) is the highest level classificiation for Cities used by Chinese governments with status equal to Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. A special administrative region or SAR may be;People's Republic of China Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, present-day
Reform
In recent years there have been calls to reform the administrative divisions and levels of China. In recent years there have been calls to reform the administrative divisions and levels of China. Rumours of an impending major reform have also spread through various online bulletin boards.
The abolition of district public offices is an ongoing reform to remove an extra level of administration from between the county and township levels. The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China. There have also been calls to abolish the prefecture level, and some provinces have transferred some of the power prefectures currently hold to the counties they govern. There are also calls to reduce the size of the provinces. The ultimate goal is to reduce the different administration levels from five to three, (Provincial, County, Village) reducing the amount of corruption as well as the number of government workers, in order to lower the budget.