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| Autonomous regions 自治区 Zìzhìqū | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | China |
| Number | 5 (Guangxi,Inner Mongolia,Ningxia,Tibet, andXinjiang) |
| Populations | 110,879,058[a] |
| Areas | 4,380,000 km2 (1,690,000 sq mi)[b] |
| Government |
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Administrative divisions of China |
|---|
Analogous county level units Management areas Management committee |
Analogous township level units Management areas Management committee Farms area (Overseas Chinese Farm Region [zh]),Prison area,University towns, etc. |
(Grassroots Autonomous Organizations) Villages · Gaqa · Ranches Residential Committees |
History:before 1912,1912–49,1949–present Administrative division codes |
Theautonomous regions (Chinese:自治区;pinyin:Zìzhìqū;lit. 'self-governing area') are one of the four types ofprovince-level divisions in the People's Republic of China. Likeprovinces, an autonomous region has its own local government, but under thelaw of the People's Republic of China, an autonomous region has more legislative rights, such as the right to "formulate self-government regulations and other separate regulations."[1] Anautonomous region is the highest level ofminority autonomous entity in China, which has a comparably higher population of a particular minority ethnic group.
There are five autonomous regions in China:Guangxi,Inner Mongolia (Nei Menggu),Ningxia,Tibet (Xizang), andXinjiang.
Established in 1947, theInner Mongolia Autonomous Region became the first autonomous region in theChinese liberated zone.Xinjiang was made autonomous in 1955 after the PRC's founding, andGuangxi andNingxia were made autonomous in 1958.Tibet wasannexed by the People's Republic of China in 1951, and was declared an autonomous region in 1965. The designation of Guangxi and Ningxia asZhuang andHui autonomous areas, respectively, was protested by the localHan Chinese, who made up two-thirds of the population of each region.[citation needed] AlthoughMongols made up an even smaller percentage of Inner Mongolia than either of these, the ensuingChinese Civil War gave little opportunity for protest.[2]
Autonomous regions in China have no legal right to secede,unlike in the Soviet Union – theLaw of the People's Republic of China on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, written in 1984, states that "each and every ethnic autonomous region is an inseparable part of the People's Republic of China," and that "any form of ... separatism ... is absolutely prohibited."[3][4][5]
In general, China's minority regions have some of the highest per capita government spending on education, among otherpublic goods and services.[6]: 366 Providing public goods and services in these areas is part of a government effort to reduce regional inequalities, reduce the risk of separatism, and stimulate economic development.[6]: 366
| Name in English | Map | Simplified Chinese Pinyin | Abbreviation | Local name SASM/GNC romanization (Language) | Capital | Designated minority | Language | Pre-1949 ROC subdivision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region | .svg) | 内蒙古自治区 Nèi Měnggǔ Zìzhìqū | 蒙 Měng (IMAR) | ᠦᠪᠦᠷᠮᠣᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠨᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠭᠡᠨᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠣ ᠣᠷᠣᠨ Öbür mongüol-un öbertegen zasaqu orun (Mongolian) | Hohhot (呼和浩特) ᠬᠥᠬᠡᠬᠣᠲᠠ | Mongol | Mongolian | Suiyuan,Chahar,Rehe,Liaobei,Xing'an,Gansu, andNingxia |
| Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region | .svg) | 广西壮族自治区 Guǎngxī Zhuàngzú Zìzhìqū | 桂 Guì (GZAR) | Gvangjsih Bouxcuengh Swcigih (Standard Zhuang/Zhuang) | Nanning (南宁;Nanzningz) | Zhuang | Zhuang,Standard Zhuang (Vahcuengh) | Guangxi (province) |
| Tibet Autonomous Region | _(%252Ball_claims_hatched).svg) | 西藏自治区 Xīzàng Zìzhìqū | 藏 Zàng (TAR) | བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས། Poi Ranggyong Jong (Standard Tibetan) | Lhasa (拉萨;ལྷ་ས།) | Tibetan | Standard Tibetan | Tibet Area,Xikang |
| Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region | .svg) | 宁夏回族自治区 Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū | 宁 Níng (NHAR) | The Hui speakChinese | Yinchuan (银川) | Hui | Dungan,Chinese | Ningxia (province) |
| Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region | _(%252Ball_claims_hatched).svg) | 新疆维吾尔自治区 Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū | 新 Xīn (XUAR) | شىنجاڭ ئۇيغۇر ئاپتونوم رايونى Shinjang Uyghur Aptonom Rayoni (Uyghur) | Ürümqi (乌鲁木齐;ئۈرۈمچی) | Uyghur | Uyghur | Xinjiang (province) |
| Administrative Division | National Share (%) | 2020 Census[7] | 2010 Census[8] | 2000 Census[9] | 1990 Census[10] | 1982 Census[11] | 1964 Census[12] | 1954 Census[13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guangxi | 3.55 | 50,126,804 | 46,026,629 | 43,854,538 | 42,245,765 | 36,420,960 | 20,845,017 | 19,560,822 |
| Inner Mongolia | 1.70 | 24,049,155 | 24,706,321 | 23,323,347 | 21,456,798 | 19,274,279 | 12,348,638 | 6,100,104 |
| Ningxia | 0.51 | 7,202,654 | 6,176,900 | 5,486,393 | 4,655,451 | 3,895,578 | * | * |
| Tibet Autonomous Region | 0.26 | 3,648,100 | 3,002,166 | 2,616,329 | 2,196,010 | 1,892,393 | 1,251,225 | 1,273,969 |
| Xinjiang | 1.83 | 25,852,345 | 21,813,334 | 18,459,511 | 15,155,778 | 13,081,681 | 7,270,067 | 4,873,608 |
| Total | 7.85 | 110,879,058 | 101,725,350 | 93,740,118 | 85,709,802 | 74,561,891 | 41,714,947 | 31,808,503 |
| Administrative Division | Titular Ethnic Group | Han Chinese | Other ethnic minorities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xinjiang (Uyghur) | 45.0% | 42.2% | 12.8% |
| Tibet (Tibetan) | 86.0% | 12.2% | 1.8% |
| Inner Mongolia (Mongol) | 17.7% | 78.7% | 3.6% |
| Ningxia (Hui) | 35.0% | 64.1% | 0.9% |
| Guangxi (Zhuang) | 31.4% | 62.5% | 6.1% |
ARTICLE 4. Each one of the member Republics retains the right to freely withdraw from the union.
各民族自治地方都是中华人民共和国不可分离的部分 – Each and every ethnic autonomous region is an inseparable part of the People's Republic of China.
Based on China's Constitution, any sub-national unit, either a province or an ethnic minority autonomous region, does not legally have the right to secede from China.
