Provinces of the People's Republic of China

formally Provincial level divisions
Simplified Chinese	省级行政区
Traditional Chinese	省級行政區
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Shěng Jí Xíngzhèngqū
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese	省
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Shěng

This article is part of the series: Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China

Provincial level Provinces (省; shěng) Autonomous regions (自治区; zìzhìqū) Municipalities (直辖市; zhíxiáshì) Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国特别行政区/中華人民共和國特别行政區; tèbié xíngzhèngqū)

Sub-provincial level Sub-provincial autonomous prefectures (副省级自治州; fùshěngjí zìzhìzhōu) Sub-provincial cities (副省级城市; fùshěngjí chéngshì) Sub-provincial new areas (副省级市辖新区; fùshěngjí shìxiá xīnqū)

Prefectural level Prefectures (地区; dìqū) Autonomous prefectures (自治州; zīzhìzhōu) Prefecture-level cities (地级市; dìjíshì) Leagues (盟; méng)

Sub-prefecture-level Sub-prefectural-level cities (副地级市; fùdìjíshì)

County level Counties (县; xiàn) Autonomous counties (自治县; zìzhìxiàn) County-level cities (县级市; xiànjíshì) City districts (市辖区; shìxiáqū) Ethnic districts Banners (旗; qí) Autonomous banners (自治旗; zìzhìqí) Forestry areas (林区; línqū) Special districts (特区; tèqū)

Township level Townships (乡; xiāng) Ethnic townships (民族乡; mínzúxiāng) Towns (镇; zhèn) Subdistricts (街道办事处; jiēdào bànshìchù) Sumus (苏木; sūmù) Ethnic sumus (民族苏木; mínzúsūmù) District public offices (abolishing) (区公所; qū gōngsuǒ)

Village level Village Committees (村民委员会; cūnmín-wěiyuánhùi) Neighborhood Committees (居民委员会; jūmín-wěiyuánhùi)

History of the political divisions of China view · talk · edit

A province, in the context of Chinese government, is a translation of sheng formally provincial level divisions, which is an administrative division. Provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, and the special administrative regions, make up the four types of province of administrative division of People's Republic of China (PRC or commonly "China" for short).^[1] The PRC claims Taiwan (Republic of China) as a first-level province, though Taiwan is actually a self-governing democracy that has never recognised the claim. A "first-level province" is considered to be a province that was administered by the Republic of China between 1912 and 1949 that is not today administered by the PRC.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) currently administers total of 33 province divisions (22 provinces, 4 municipalities, 5 autonomous regions and 2 special administrative regions). The PRC also asserts herself as the sole legitimate representative of all of China, but does not administer, Taiwan as a 23rd province. The Republic of China (ROC) administers Taiwan, as well as some offshore islands including Kinmen and Matsu, which form Fujian Province, Republic of China and was part of an originally unified Fujian province, but since 1949 divided between PRC and ROC after the Chinese Civil War.

In the People's Republic of China, every province has a Communist Party of China provincial committee, headed by a secretary beside the two special administrative regions. The committee secretary is in charge of the province, rather than the governor of the provincial government.

Types of provinces

Province

Province (省; shěng)— A standard provincial government is nominally led by a provincial committee, headed by a secretary. The committee secretary is first-in-charge of the province, come in second is the governor of the provincial government.

The People's Republic of China claims the island of Taiwan and its surrounding islets, including Penghu, as "Taiwan Province". (Kinmen and the Matsu Islands are claimed by the PRC as part of its Fujian Province. Pratas and Itu Aba are claimed by the PRC as part of Guangdong and Hainan provinces respectively.) The territory is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC, commonly called "Taiwan").

Special administrative region (SAR)

Main article: Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China

Special administrative region (SAR) (特别行政区; tèbiéxíngzhèngqū)— A highly autonomous and self-governing subnational subject of the People's Republic of China that is directly under the Central People's Government. Each SAR has a provincial level^[2][3][4] chief executive as head of the region and head of government. The region's government is not fully independent, as foreign policy and military defence are the responsibility of the central government, according to the basic laws.

Municipality

Main article: Direct-controlled municipality of the People's Republic of China

Municipality (直辖市; zhíxiáshì)— A higher level of city which is directly under the Chinese government, with status equal to that of the provinces. In practise, their political status are higher than common provinces.

Autonomous region

Main article: Autonomous regions of the People's Republic of China

Autonomous region (自治区; zìzhìqū)— A minority subject which has a higher population of a particular minority ethnic group along with its own local government, but an autonomous region theoretically has more legislative rights than in actual practice. The governor of the Autonomous Regions is usually appointed from the respective minority ethnic group.

List of Provinces

GB Code[5]	ISO №[6]	Province	Chinese Name	Capital	Population¹	Density²	Area³	Abbreviation
BJ	11	Beijing Municipality	北京市 Běijīng Shì	Beijing	19,612,368	1,167.40	16,800	京 Jīng
TJ	12	Tianjin Municipality	天津市 Tiānjīn Shì	Tianjin	12,938,224	1,144.46	11,305	津 Jīn
HE	13	Hebei Province	河北省 Héběi Shěng	Shijiazhuang	71,854,202	382.81	187,700	冀 Jì
SX	14	Shanxi Province	山西省 Shānxī Shěng	Taiyuan	35,712,111	228.48	156,300	晋 Jìn
NM	15	Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region	內蒙古自治区 Nèiměnggǔ Zìzhìqū	Hohhot	24,706,321	20.88	1,183,000	蒙 Měng
LN	21	Liaoning Province	辽宁省 Liáoníng Shěng	Shenyang	43,746,323	299.83	145,900	辽 Liáo
JL	22	Jilin Province	吉林省 Jílín Shěng	Changchun	27,462,297	146.54	187,400	吉 Jí
HL	23	Heilongjiang Province	黑龙江省 Hēilóngjiāng	Harbin	38,312,224	84.38	454,000	黑 Hēi
SH	31	Shanghai Municipality	上海市 Shànghǎi Shì	Shanghai	23,019,148	3,630.20	6,341	沪 Hù
JS	32	Jiangsu Province	江苏省 Jiāngsū Shěng	Nanjing	78,659,903	766.66	102,600	苏 Sū
ZJ	33	Zhejiang Province	浙江省 Zhèjiāng Shěng	Hangzhou	54,426,891	533.59	102,000	浙 Zhè
AH	34	Anhui Province	安徽省 Ānhuī Shěng	Hefei	59,500,510	425.91	139,700	皖 Wǎn
FJ	35	Fujian Province	福建省 Fújiàn Shěng	Fuzhou	36,894,216	304.15	121,300	闽 Mǐn
JX	36	Jiangxi Province	江西省 Jiāngxī Shěng	Nanchang	44,567,475	266.87	167,000	赣 Gàn
SD	37	Shandong Province	山东省 Shāndōng Shěng	Jinan	95,793,065	622.84	153,800	鲁 Lǔ
HA	41	Henan Province	河南省 Hénán Shěng	Zhengzhou	94,023,567	563.01	167,000	豫 Yù
HB	42	Hubei Province	湖北省 Húběi Shěng	Wuhan	57,237,740	307.89	185,900	鄂 È
HN	43	Hunan Province	湖南省 Húnán Shěng	Changsha	65,683,722	312.77	210,000	湘 Xiāng
GD	44	Guangdong Province	广东省 Guǎngdōng Shěng	Guangzhou	104,303,132	579.46	180,000	粤 Yuè
GX	45	Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region	广西壮族自治区 Guǎngxī Zhuàngzú Zìzhìqū	Nanning	46,026,629	195.02	236,000	桂 Guì
HI	46	Hainan Province	海南省 Hǎinán Shěng	Haikou	8,671,518	255.04	34,000	琼 Qióng
CQ	50	Chongqing Municipality	重庆市 Chóngqìng Shì	Chongqing	28,846,170	350.50	82,300	渝 Yú
SC	51	Sichuan Province	四川省 Sìchuān Shěng	Chengdu	80,418,200	165.81	485,000	川 Chuān
GZ	52	Guizhou Province	贵州省 Gùizhōu Shěng	Guiyang	34,746,468	197.42	176,000	黔 Qián
YN	53	Yunnan Province	云南省 Yúnnán Shěng	Kunming	45,966,239	116.66	394,000	滇 Diān
XZ	54	Tibet Autonomous Region	西藏自治区 Xīzàng Zìzhìqū	Lhasa	3,002,166	2.44	1,228,400	藏 Zàng
SN	61	Shaanxi Province	陕西省 Shǎnxī Shěng	Xi'an	37,327,378	181.55	205,600	陕 Shǎn
GS	62	Gansu Province	甘肃省 Gānsù Shěng	Lanzhou	25,575,254	56.29	454,300	甘 Gān
QH	63	Qinghai Province	青海省 Qīnghǎi Shěng	Xining	5,626,722	7.80	721,200	青 Qīng
NX	64	Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region	宁夏回族自治区 Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū	Yinchuan	6,301,350	94.89	66,400	宁 Níng
XJ	65	Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region	新疆维吾尔自治区 Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū	Ürümqi	21,813,334	13.13	1,660,400	新 Xīn
HK	91	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region	香港特别行政区 Xiānggǎng Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū	Hong Kong	7,061,200	6,396.01	1,104	港 Gǎng
MC	92	Macau Special Administrative Region	澳门特别行政区 Àomén Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū	Macau	552,300	19,044.82	29	澳 Ào
TW	71	Taiwan Province †	台湾省 Táiwān Shěng	Taibei	23,140,000	650.34	35,581	台 Tái

Notes:

¹: as of 2010

²: per km²

³: km²

†: Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has considered Taiwan to be its 23rd province. However, the PRC has never controlled Taiwan. The Republic of China (ROC, "Taiwan") currently administers Taiwan which it governs as part of Taiwan Area, consisting of Taiwan island, Penghu, as well as Kinmen and Matsu locate off the coast of mainland Fujian Province, Republic of China.

Map

History

See also: History of the political divisions of China

Administrative divisions of the Republic of China. Note: this map depicts the theoretical administrative divisions of the Republic of China, which are not synchronized with the actual administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China. The ROC controls Taiwan and nearby islands while the PRC controls Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The rulers of China first set up provinces - initially 10 in number - during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). By the time of the establishment of the Qing Dynasty in 1644 there were 18 provinces, all of them in China proper. These were:

Anhui Fujian Gansu Guangdong Guangxi Guizhou Henan Hubei Hunan

Jiangsu Jiangxi Shaanxi Shandong Shanxi Sichuan Yunnan Zhejiang Zhili

Each province had a xunfu (巡撫; translated as "governor"), a political overseer on behalf of the emperor, and a tidu (提督; translated as "Captain General"), a military governor. In addition, there was a zongdu (總督), a general military inspector or governor general, for every two to three provinces.

Outer regions of China (those beyond China proper) were not divided into provinces. Military leaders or generals (將軍) oversaw Manchuria (consisting of Fengtian (now Liaoning), Jilin, Heilongjiang), Xinjiang, and Mongolia, while vice-dutong (副都統) and civilian leaders headed the leagues (盟長), a subdivision of Mongolia. The ambans (驻藏大臣) supervised the administration of Tibet.

In 1884 Xinjiang became a province; in 1907 Fengtian, Jilin, and Heilongjiang were made provinces as well. Taiwan became a province in 1885, but China ceded Taiwan to Japan in 1895. As a result, there were 22 provinces in China (Outer China and China proper) near the end of the Qing Dynasty.

The Republic of China, established in 1912, set up 4 more provinces in Inner Mongolia and 2 provinces in historic Tibet, bringing the total to 28. But China lost four provinces with the establishment of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Manchuria. After the defeat of Japan in World War II in 1945, China re-incorporated Manchuria as 10 provinces, and assumed control of Taiwan as a province. As a result, the Republic of China in 1946 had 35 provinces. Although the Republic of China now only controls one province, (Taiwan), and some islands of a second province (Fujian), it continues to formally claim all 35 provinces.

List of former Provinces

List of former province-level subdivisions 

Division	Chinese	abbreviation	Capital	Administration period	belongs today to
Andong Province	安东 Āndōng	安 Ān	Tonghua 通化	1934–1939, 1945–1949	today part of Liaoning and Jilin In 1949 it became Liaodong
Anshan Municipality	鞍山 Ānshān	鞍 Ān	none	1949–1954	today part of Liaoning
Benxi Municipality	本溪 Běnxī	本 Běn	none	1949–1954	today part of Liaoning
Chahar Province	察哈爾 Cháhāěr	察 Chá	Zhangyuan 张垣	1928–1936, 1945–1952	today part of Inner Mongolia
Changchun Municipality	长春 Chángchūn	春 Chūn	none	1953–1954	today part of Jilin
Changdu Territory (Qamdo Territory)	昌都 Chāngdū	昌 Chāng	Changdu Town 昌都镇	1949–1965	today part of Tibet
Chuanbei Administrative Territory	川北 Chuānběi	充 Chōng	Nanchong 南充	1950-1952	today part of Sichuan
Chuandong Administrative Territory	川东 Chuāndōng	渝 Yú	Chongqing 重庆	1950-1952	today part of Sichuan
Chuannan Administrative Territory	川南 Chuānnán	泸 Lú	Luzhou 泸州	1950-1952	today part of Sichuan
Chuanxi Administrative Territory	川西 Chuānxī	蓉 Róng	Chengdu 成都	1950-1952	today part of Sichuan
Dalian Municipality	大连 Dàlián	连 Lián	none	1927–1949, 1950–1954	today part of Liaoning
Fengtian Province	奉天 Fèngtiān	奉 Fèng	Shengjing 盛京	1911–1929	today part of Liaoning. The former name of Liaoning province from 1907 to 1929. Under the Manchukuo regime, the name was revived, but was again abolished in 1945.
Fushun Municipality	抚顺 Fǔshùn	抚 Fǔ	none	1949–1954	today part of Liaoning
Guangzhou Municipality	广州 Guǎngzhōu	穗 Suì	none	1927–195	today part of Guangdong
Hankou Municipality	汉口 Hànkǒu	汉 Hàn	none	1927–1949	today part of Hubei In 1949 it merge with Hanyang and Wuchang to form Wuhan
Harbin Municipality	哈尔滨 Hāěrbīn	哈 Hā	none	1927–1949, 1953–1954	today part of Heilongjiang
Hejiang Province	合江 Héjiāng	合 Hé	Jiamusi 佳木斯	1945–1948	today part of Heilongjiang In 1948 it became part of Songjiang
Liaobei Province	遼北 Liáoběi	洮 Tāo	Liaoyuan 辽源	1947–1949	today part of Inner Mongolia
Liaodong Province	辽东 Liáoodōng	关 Guān	Andong 安东	1949–1954	today part of eastern Liaoning
Liaoxi Province	辽西 Liáoxī	辽 Liáo	Jinzhou 锦州	1949–1954	today part of western Liaoning and Jilin
Nenjiang Province	嫩江 Nènjiāng	嫩 Nèn	Qiqihar 齐齐哈尔	1947–1950	today part of Heilongjiang In 1949 it merged with Xing'an In 1950 it merged with Heilongjiang
Mudanjiang Province	牡丹江 Mǔdānjiāng	丹 Dān	Mudanjiang 牡丹江	1946–1948	today mostly part of Heilongjiang In 1948 it became Songjiang
Nanjing Municipality	南京 Nánjīng	京(1927) / 宁(1949) Jīng / Níng	none	1927–1952	today part of Jiangsu
Mongolia Area (Outer)	蒙古 Měnggǔ	蒙 Měng	Kulun 库伦	1911–1921	today part of the country of Mongolia
Pingyuan Province	平原 Píngyuán	平 Píng	Xinxiang 新乡	1949–1952	today part of Hebei and Henan
Qingdao Municipality	青岛 Qīngdǎo	青 Qīng	none	1927–1949	today part of Shandong
Rehe Province	熱河 Rèhé	熱 Rè	Chengde 承德	1928–1955	today mostly part of Hebei
Shenyang Municipality	沈阳 Shěnyáng	沈 Shěn	none	1929–1954	today part of Liaoning
Songjiang Province	松江 Sōngjiāng	松 Sōng	Mudanjiang 牡丹江	1948–1950	today part of Heilongjiang In 1948 it merge with Hejiang In 1950 it became Heilongjiang
Subei Administrative Territory	苏北 Sūběi	扬 Yáng	Yangzhou 扬州	1950–1952	today part of Jiangsu
Suiyuan Province	绥宁 Suīyuǎn	綏 Suī	Guisui 归绥	1946–1947	today part of Inner Mongolia
Sunan Administrative Territory	苏南 Sūnán	锡 Xī	Wuxi 无锡	1950–1952	today part of Jiangsu
Wanbei Administrative Territory	皖北 Wǎnběi	合 or 庐 Hé or Lú	Hefei 合肥	1950–1952	today part of Anhui
Wannan Administrative Territory	皖南 Wǎnnán	芜	Wuhu 芜湖	1950–1952	today part of Anhui
Wuhan Municipality	武汉 Wǔhàn	汉 Hàn	none	1927–1949	today part of Hubei
Xi'an Municipality	西安 Xī'ān	鎬 Hào	none	1927–1954	today part of Shaanxi
Xikang Province	西康 Xīkāng	康 Kāng	Kangding 康定	1939–1955	Its western part today belongs to Tibet, its eastern part to Sichuan.
Xing'an Province	兴安 Xīng'ān	兴 Xīng	Hailar 海拉尔	1947–1949	today part of Heilongjiang and Liaoning In 1949 it became part of Nenjiang
Zhili Province	直隶 Zhílì	直 Zhí	Tianjin 天津	1911–1928	today part of Hebei, Liaoning and the Inner Mongolia

The People's Republic of China abolished many of the provinces in the 1950s and converted a number of them into autonomous regions. Hainan became a separate province in 1988, bringing the total number of provinces under PRC control to 22.

Economy

The provinces in south coastal area of China - such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and, (mainly) Guangdong - tend to be more industrialized, while regions in the hinterland are less developed.

References

1. ^ Administrative divisions of China
2. ^ Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国行政区划; Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Xíngzhèng Qūhuà), 15 June, http://www.gov.cn/test/2005-06/15/content_18253.htm, retrieved 5 June 2010 
3. ^ Chapter II : Relationship between the Central Authorities and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Article 12, http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/chapter_2.html, retrieved 5 June 2010 
4. ^ Chapter II Relationship between the Central Authorities and the Macao Special Administrative Region, Article 12, http://bo.io.gov.mo/bo/i/1999/leibasica/index_uk.asp#c2, retrieved 5 June 2010 
5. ^ GB/T 2260 codes for the provinces of China
6. ^ ISO 3166-2:CN (ISO 3166-2 codes for the provinces of China)

See also

• Chinese federalism
• List of China administrative divisions by population
• Regional discrimination in China
• Taiwan Province
• Tiao-kuai
• Zhou (country subdivision)
• Yangtze River Delta

External links

• Interactive WebMap with economic indicators over all provinces