Administrative divisions of China
149655
225597212
2008-07-14T14:04:52Z
79.123.41.170
/* Ambiguity of the word "city" in China */
{{seealso|Administrative divisions of the Republic of China}}
{{Politics of the People's Republic of China}}
{{Administrative levels and divisions of the People's Republic of China (sidebar)}}
Due to [[China]]'s large [[population]] and area, the '''political divisions of China''' have consisted of several levels since [[History of the political divisions of China|ancient times]]. The constitution of the [[People's Republic of China]] provides for three [[de jure]] levels of government. 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]]. 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 of China|autonomous regions]] which are based on Soviet nationality theory.
== Levels ==
The [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China]] provides for three levels: the province, county, and township. 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 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]].
=== Summary ===
This table summarizes the divisions of the area administered by the [[People's Republic of China]] as of [[December 31]], [[2005]].
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Level
! Name
! Types
|-
| 1
| [[#Province level|Province level]]
| style="text-align:left;" |
* [[Province (China)|Provinces]] (省 shěng) (22)
* [[Autonomous regions of China|Autonomous regions]] (自治区 zìzhìqū) (5)
* [[Direct-controlled municipality|Municipalities]] (直辖市 zhíxiáshì) (4)
* [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|Special administrative regions]] (特别行政区 tèbié xíngzhèngqū) (2)
|-
| 2
| [[#Prefecture level|Prefecture level]]
| style="text-align:left;" |
* [[Prefecture (China)|Prefectures]] (地区 dìqū) (17)
* [[Autonomous prefectures of China|Autonomous prefectures]] (自治州 zìzhìzhōu) (30)
* [[Prefecture-level city|Prefecture-level cities]] (地级市 dìjíshì) (283)
* [[Leagues of Inner Mongolia|Leagues]] (盟 méng) (3)
|-
| 3
| [[#County level|County level]]
| style="text-align:left;" |
* [[County (China)|Counties]] (县 xiàn) (1,464)
* [[Autonomous counties of China|Autonomous counties]] (自治县 zìzhìxiàn) (117)
* [[County-level city|County-level cities]] (县级市 xiànjíshì) (374)
* [[District (China)|Districts]] (市辖区 shìxiáqū) (852)
* [[Banner (Inner Mongolia)|Banners]] (旗 qí) (49)
* [[Autonomous areas of China|Autonomous banners]] (自治旗 zìzhìqí) (3)
* Forestry areas (林区 línqū) (1)
* Special districts (特区 tèqū) (2)
|-
| 4
| [[#Township level|Township level]]
| style="text-align:left;" |
* [[Township (China)|Townships]] (乡 xiāng) (14,677)
* [[Autonomous areas of China|Ethnic townships]] (民族乡 mínzúxiāng) (1,092)
* [[Town (China)|Towns]] (镇 zhèn) (19,522)
* [[Subdistrict (China)|Subdistricts]] (街道办事处 jiēdàobànshìchù) (6,152)
* [[District (China)|District public offices]] (区公所 qūgōngsuǒ) (11)
* [[Sum (administrative division)|Sumu]] (苏木 sūmù) (181)
* [[Autonomous areas of China|Ethnic sumu]] (民族苏木 mínzúsūmù) (1)
|-
| 5
| [[#Village level|Village level (informal)]]
| style="text-align:left;" |
* Neighborhood committees (社区居民委员会 jūmínwěiyuánhùi) (80,717)<ref>China Statistical Yearbook 2007, Ch. 23-28 Basic Conditions of Civil Affairs Agencies"</ref>
** Neighborhoods or communities (社区)
* Village committees (村民委员会 cūnmínwěiyuánhùi) (623,669)<ref>China Statistical Yearbook 2007, Ch. 23-28, op.cit. </ref> or Village groups (村民小组 cūnmínxiǎozǔ)
** Administrative villages (行政村 xíngzhèngcūn)
** Natural villages (自然村 zìráncūn)
|}
===Province level=== <!--linked from [[Template:People's Republic of China politics]]-->
{{China divisions by}}
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. 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 actual practical power of the provinces has created what some economists call [[Chinese federalism|federalism with Chinese characteristics]].
Most of the [[province of China|province]]s, with the exception of the provinces in the northeast, have boundaries which were established during the [[Yuan Dynasty|Yuan]], [[Ming Dynasty|Ming]], and [[Qing Dynasty|Qing]] dynasties. Sometimes provincial borders veer markedly away from cultural or geographical boundaries, a phenomenon described as "dog's teeth interlocking" ({{zh-cp|c=犬牙交错|p=quǎnyájiāocuò}}). This was an attempt by the imperial government to discourage [[separatism]] and warlordism through a [[divide and rule]] policy. 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 Region]]s.
{{PRC provinces small imagemap/45em}}
==== List in alphabetical order ====
{{mainarticle|Province of China}}
[[Province of China|Provinces]] are the most common type of province-level division.
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! <small>Name</small>
! <small>Chinese ([[Traditional Chinese|T]])</small>
! <small>Chinese ([[Simplified Chinese|S]])</small>
! <small>[[Pinyin]]</small>
! <small>[[Chinese Postal Map Romanization|Postal map]]</small>
! <small>Types</small>
! <small>Abb.</small>¹
! <small>Area</small>²
! <small>Capital</small>
! [[Image:China Regions (including Taiwan).png|50px]]<br><small>Region</small>
! <small>ISO</small>
! <small>Admin. Division</small>
|-
| [[Anhui]]
| {{lang|zh|安徽}}
| {{lang|zh|安徽}}
| Ānhuī
| Anhwei
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|皖}} wǎn
| 139,700
| [[Hefei]]
| bgcolor=#8bffe8| [[East China|East]]
| CN-34
| [[List of administrative divisions of Anhui|List]]
|-
| [[Beijing]]
| {{lang|zh|北京}}
| {{lang|zh|北京}}
| Běijīng
| Peking
| bgcolor=#ff8585| [[Direct-controlled municipality|Municip.]]
| {{lang|zh|京}} jīng
| 16,800
| —
| bgcolor=#79ff76| [[North China|North]]
| CN-11
| [[List of administrative divisions of Beijing|List]]
|-
| [[Chongqing]]
| {{lang|zh|重慶}}
| {{lang|zh|重庆}}
| Chóngqìng
| Chungking
| bgcolor=#ff8585| [[Direct-controlled municipality|Municip.]]
| {{lang|zh|渝}} yú
| 82,300
| —
| bgcolor=#d16eff| [[Southwest China|Southwest]]
| CN-50
| [[Chongqing#Administrative divisions|List]]
|-
| [[Fujian]]
| {{lang|zh|福建}}
| {{lang|zh|福建}}
| Fújiàn
| Fukien
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|闽}} mǐn
| 121,300
| [[Fuzhou]]
| bgcolor=#8bffe8| [[East China|East]]
| CN-35
| [[List of administrative divisions of Fujian|List]]
|-
| [[Gansu]]
| {{lang|zh|甘肅}}
| {{lang|zh|甘肃}}
| Gānsù
| Kansu
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|甘}} gān ''or'' {{lang|zh|陇}} lǒng
| 454,300
| [[Lanzhou]]
| bgcolor=#ff9148| [[Northwest China|Northwest]]
| CN-62
| [[List of administrative divisions of Gansu|List]]
|-
| [[Guangdong]]
| {{lang|zh|廣東}}
| {{lang|zh|广东}}
| Guǎngdōng
| Kwangtung
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|粤}} yuè
| 180,000
| [[Guangzhou]]
| bgcolor=#fffb91| [[South Central China|South Central]]
| CN-44
| [[List of administrative divisions of Guangdong|List]]
|-
| [[Guangxi]]
| {{lang|zh|廣西}}
| {{lang|zh|广西}}
| Guǎngxī
| Kwangsi
| bgcolor=#fffb91|[[Autonomous areas of China|AR]]
| {{lang|zh|桂}} Guì
| 236,000
| [[Nanning]]
| bgcolor=#fffb91| [[South Central China|South Central]]
| CN-45
| [[List of administrative divisions of Guangxi|List]]
|-
| [[Guizhou]]
| {{lang|zh|貴州}}
| {{lang|zh|贵州}}
| Gùizhōu
| Kweichow
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|黔}} qián ''or'' {{lang|zh|贵}} gùi
| 176,000
| [[Guiyang]]
| bgcolor=#d16eff| [[Southwest China|Southwest]]
| CN-52
| [[List of administrative divisions of Guizhou|List]]
|-
| [[Hainan]]
| {{lang|zh|海南}}
| {{lang|zh|海南}}
| Hǎinán
| Hainan
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|琼}} qióng
| 34,000
| [[Haikou]]
| bgcolor=#fffb91| [[South Central China|South Central]]
| CN-46
| [[List of administrative divisions of Hainan|List]]
|-
| [[Hebei]]
| {{lang|zh|河北}}
| {{lang|zh|河北}}
| Héběi
| Hopeh
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|冀}} jì
| 187,700
| [[Shijiazhuang]]
| bgcolor=#79ff76| [[North China|North]]
| CN-13
| [[List of administrative divisions of Hebei|List]]
|-
| [[Heilongjiang]]
| {{lang|zh|黑龍江}}
| {{lang|zh|黑龙江}}
| Hēilóngjiāng
| Heilungkiang
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|黑}} hēi
| 454,000
| [[Harbin]]
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Northeast China|Northeast]]
| CN-23
| [[List of administrative divisions of Heilongjiang|List]]
|-
| [[Henan]]
| {{lang|zh|河南}}
| {{lang|zh|河南}}
| Hénán
| Honan
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|豫}} yù
| 167,000
| [[Zhengzhou]]
| bgcolor=#fffb91| [[South Central China|South Central]]
| CN-41
| [[List of administrative divisions of Henan|List]]
|-
| [[Hong Kong]]
| {{lang|zh|香港}}
| {{lang|zh|香港}}
| Xiānggǎng
| Hongkong
| bgcolor=#79ff76| [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|SAR]]
| {{lang|zh|港}} gǎng
| 1,104
| —
| bgcolor=#fffb91| [[South Central China|South Central]]
| CN-91
| [[Districts of Hong Kong|List]]
|-
| [[Hubei]]
| {{lang|zh|湖北}}
| {{lang|zh|湖北}}
| Húběi
| Hupeh
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|鄂}} è
| 185,900
| [[Wuhan]]
| bgcolor=#fffb91| [[South Central China|South Central]]
| CN-42
| [[List of administrative divisions of Hubei|List]]
|-
| [[Hunan]]
| {{lang|zh|湖南}}
| {{lang|zh|湖南}}
| Húnán
| Hunan
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|湘}} xiāng
| 210,000
| [[Changsha]]
| bgcolor=#fffb91| [[South Central China|South Central]]
| CN-43
| [[List of administrative divisions of Hunan|List]]
|-
| [[Inner Mongolia]]
| {{lang|zh|內蒙古}}
| {{lang|zh|内蒙古}}
| Nèiměnggǔ
| Mongolia
| bgcolor=#fffb91|[[Autonomous areas of China|AR]]
| {{lang|zh|内蒙}} Nèiměng
| 1,183,000
| [[Hohhot]]
| bgcolor=#79ff76| [[North China|North]]
| CN-15
| [[List of administrative divisions of Inner Mongolia|List]]
|-
| [[Jiangsu]]
| {{lang|zh|江蘇}}
| {{lang|zh|江苏}}
| Jiāngsū
| Kiangsu
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|苏}} sū
| 102,600
| [[Nanjing]]
| bgcolor=#8bffe8| [[East China|East]]
| CN-32
| [[List of administrative divisions of Jiangsu|List]]
|-
| [[Jiangxi]]
| {{lang|zh|江西}}
| {{lang|zh|江西}}
| Jiāngxī
| Kiangsi
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|赣}} gàn
| 167,000
| [[Nanchang]]
| bgcolor=#8bffe8| [[East China|East]]
| CN-36
| [[List of administrative divisions of Jiangxi|List]]
|-
| [[Jilin]]
| {{lang|zh|吉林}}
| {{lang|zh|吉林}}
| Jílín
| Kirin
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|吉}} jí
| 187,400
| [[Changchun]]
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Northeast China|Northeast]]
| CN-22
| [[List of administrative divisions of Jilin|List]]
|-
| [[Liaoning]]
| {{lang|zh|遼寧}}
| {{lang|zh|辽宁}}
| Liáoníng
| Fengtien
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|辽}} liáo
| 145,900
| [[Shenyang]]
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Northeast China|Northeast]]
| CN-21
| [[List of administrative divisions of Liaoning|List]]
|-
| [[Macau]]
| {{lang|zh|澳門}}
| {{lang|zh|澳门}}
| Àomén
| Macau
| bgcolor=#79ff76| [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|SAR]]
| {{lang|zh|澳}} ào
| 28.6
| —
| bgcolor=#fffb91| [[South Central China|South Central]]
| CN-92
| [[Municipalities of Macau|List]]
|-
| [[Ningxia]]
| {{lang|zh|寧夏}}
| {{lang|zh|宁夏}}
| Níngxià
| Ningsia
| bgcolor=#fffb91|[[Autonomous areas of China|AR]]
| {{lang|zh|宁}} níng
| 66,400
| [[Yinchuan]]
| bgcolor=#ff9148| [[Northwest China|Northwest]]
| CN-64
| [[List of administrative divisions of Ningxia|List]]
|-
| [[Qinghai]]
| {{lang|zh|青海}}
| {{lang|zh|青海}}
| Qīnghǎi
| Tsinghai
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|青}} qīng
| 721,200
| [[Xining]]
| bgcolor=#ff9148| [[Northwest China|Northwest]]
| CN-63
| [[List of administrative divisions of Qinghai|List]]
|-
| [[Shaanxi]]
| {{lang|zh|陝西}}
| {{lang|zh|陕西}}
| Shǎnxī
| Shensi
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|陕}} shǎn ''or'' {{lang|zh|秦}} qín
| 205,600
| [[Xi'an]]
| bgcolor=#ff9148| [[Northwest China|Northwest]]
| CN-61
| [[List of administrative divisions of Shaanxi|List]]
|-
| [[Shandong]]
| {{lang|zh|山東}}
| {{lang|zh|山东}}
| Shāndōng
| Shantung
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|鲁}} lǔ
| 153,800
| [[Jinan]]
| bgcolor=#8bffe8| [[East China|East]]
| CN-37
| [[List of administrative divisions of Shandong|List]]
|-
| [[Shanghai]]
| {{lang|zh|上海}}
| {{lang|zh|上海}}
| Shànghǎi
| Shanghai
| bgcolor=#ff8585| [[Direct-controlled municipality|Municip.]]
| {{lang|zh|沪}} hù
| 6,340.5
| —
| bgcolor=#8bffe8| [[East China|East]]
| CN-31
| [[List of administrative divisions of Shanghai|List]]
|-
| [[Shanxi]]
| {{lang|zh|山西}}
| {{lang|zh|山西}}
| Shānxī
| Shansi
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|晋}} jìn
| 156,300
| [[Taiyuan]]
| bgcolor=#79ff76| [[North China|North]]
| CN-14
| [[List of administrative divisions of Shanxi|List]]
|-
| [[Sichuan]]
| {{lang|zh|四川}}
| {{lang|zh|四川}}
| Sìchuān
| Szechuan
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|川}} chuān ''or'' {{lang|zh|蜀}} shǔ
| 485,000
| [[Chengdu]]
| bgcolor=#d16eff| [[Southwest China|Southwest]]
| CN-51
| [[List of administrative divisions of Sichuan|List]]
|-
| [[Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China|Taiwan]] '''†'''
| {{lang|zh|臺灣}}
| {{lang|zh|台湾}}
| Táiwān
| Formosa
| bgcolor=#d16eff| [[Political status of Taiwan|Province (Claim)]]
| {{lang|zh|台}} tái
| 35,581
| [[Taipei]]
| bgcolor=#8bffe8| [[East China|East]]
| CN-71
| [[Administrative divisions of the Republic of China|List]]
|-
| [[Tianjin]]
| {{lang|zh|天津}}
| {{lang|zh|天津}}
| Tiānjīn
| Tientsin
| bgcolor=#ff8585| [[Direct-controlled municipality|Municip.]]
| {{lang|zh|津}} jīn
| 11,305
| —
| bgcolor=#79ff76| [[North China|North]]
| CN-12
| [[Tianjin#Subdivisions|List]]
|-
| [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]]
| {{lang|zh|西藏}}
| {{lang|zh|西藏}}
| Xīzàng
| Tibet
| bgcolor=#fffb91|[[Autonomous areas of China|AR]]
| {{lang|zh|藏}} zàng
| 1,228,400
| [[Lhasa]]
| bgcolor=#d16eff| [[Southwest China|Southwest]]
| CN-54
| [[List of administrative divisions of Tibet Autonomous Region|List]]
|-
| [[Xinjiang]]
| {{lang|zh|新疆}}
| {{lang|zh|新疆}}
| Xīnjiāng
| Sinkiang
| bgcolor=#fffb91|[[Autonomous areas of China|AR]]
| {{lang|zh|新}} xīn
| 1,660,400
| [[Ürümqi]]
| bgcolor=#ff9148| [[Northwest China|Northwest]]
| CN-65
| [[List of administrative divisions of Xinjiang|List]]
|-
| [[Yunnan]]
| {{lang|zh|雲南}}
| {{lang|zh|云南}}
| Yúnnán
| Yunnan
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|滇}} diān ''or'' {{lang|zh|云}} yún
| 394,000
| [[Kunming]]
| bgcolor=#d16eff| [[Southwest China|Southwest]]
| CN-53
| [[List of administrative divisions of Yunnan|List]]
|-
| [[Zhejiang]]
| {{lang|zh|浙江}}
| {{lang|zh|浙江}}
| Zhèjiāng
| Chekiang
| bgcolor=#9696ff| [[Province (China)|Province]]
| {{lang|zh|浙}} zhè
| 102,000
| [[Hangzhou]]
| bgcolor=#8bffe8| [[East China|East]]
| CN-33
| [[List of administrative divisions of Zhejiang|List]]
|}
Notes:
:¹: Abbreviation for each Province level region
:²: in Km²
:†: Since its founding in 1949, the [[People's Republic of China|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|Republic of China (ROC, "Taiwan")]] currently controls Taiwan which it governs as [[Taiwan Province]], consisting of Taiwan island and the [[Pescadores]]. The ROC also controls one county of [[Fuchien]] (or Fukien) province: [[Kinmen]]; and part of a second county: [[Lienchiang]].
=== Prefecture level ===
[[Image:Location of Foshan within Guangdong (China).png|thumb|300px|Map of Foshan, a prefecture-level city in in the Province of Guangdong]]
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)
* [[prefecture of China|prefectures]] (17)
* [[autonomous prefectures]] (30)
* [[League (Inner Mongolia)|Leagues]] (3) -- ''[[Inner Mongolia]] only''
''[[Prefecture-level cities]]'' form the vast majority of prefecture-level divisions. 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.
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 Autonomous Region|Tibet]]) have more than three [[Political divisions of China#Prefecture-level|second-level or prefecture-level divisions]] that are not prefecture-level cities.
''[[Prefecture of China|Prefectures]]'' are another level of government found at the prefecture-level. 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. Today, prefectures exist mostly in [[Xinjiang]] and [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]].
''[[League (Inner Mongolia)|Leagues]]'' are effectively the same as prefectures, but they are to be found only in [[Inner Mongolia]]. 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 prefecture]]s'' are prefectures with one or more designated [[List of Chinese nationalities|ethnic minorities]]. 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).
[[County of China|Counties]] are the most common county-level division. Counties have continuously existed since the [[Warring States Period]], much earlier than any other level of government in China. In [[Sinology|Sinologist]] literature, ''xian'' are often translated as "districts" or "prefectures".
[[Autonomous county|Autonomous counties]] are counties with one or more designated [[List of Chinese nationalities|ethnic minorities]]. These are analogous to autonomous regions (at the province-level) and autonomous prefectures (at the prefecture-level).
[[Inner Mongolia]] has [[banner (Inner Mongolia)|banner]]s and [[autonomous banner]]s, which are the same as counties and autonomous counties except in name. The name is a holdover from earlier forms of administration in Mongolia.
[[County-level city|County-level cities]] are, like prefecture-level cities, not "[[city|cities]]" in the traditional sense of the word, since they are actually large administrative regions that cover both urban and rural areas. It was popular for counties to become county-level cities in the 1990s, though this has since been halted.
[[District of China|District]]s are another type of county-level division. 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 Special District|Liuzhi]] and [[Wanshan Special District|Wanshan]].
=== Township level ===
As of [[December 31]], [[2005]], there were 41,636 township-level divisions. These include 19,522 [[town of China|towns]], 14,677 [[township of China|township]], 1,092 [[ethnic township]]s, 181 [[sumu]], 1 [[ethnic sumu]], 6,152 [[subdistrict]]s, and 11 [[district public office]]s.
In general, urban areas are divided into [[subdistrict]]s, while rural areas are divided into [[Town of China|towns]], [[Township of China|townships]], and [[ethnic township]]s. [[Sumu]] and [[ethnic sumu]] are the same as townships and ethnic townships, but are unique to [[Inner Mongolia]].
[[District public office]]s are a vestigial level of government. 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 (China)|village]]''' level serves as an organizational division (census, mail system) and does not have much importance in political representative power. Basic local divisions like [[neighborhoods]] and [[community (China)|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 [[residential community|communities]] or [[neighborhoods]]. Each of them have a [[neighborhood committee]] to administer the dwellers of that neighborhood or community. Rural areas are organized into [[village committee]]s 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. 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. 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]]. Although its status as a [[District of China|district]] of a [[direct-controlled municipality]] would define it as prefecture-level, the district head of Pudong is given sub-provincial powers. 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 (provincial-level):
:* [[Municipality|Municipality of China]], for example, [[Beijing]]
* LV 2 (prefecture-level):
:* [[Sub-provincial city]], for example, [[Shenyang]]
:* [[Prefecture-level city]], for example, [[Baoding]]
* LV 3 (county-level):
:* [[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. 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, [[District (China)#city districts|city districts]] that the city governed. For the [[Sub-prefecture-level city]] or the [[County-level city]], it includes all of the [[Subdistricts of China|subdistricts]], [[town]]s and [[township of China|townships]] that it has.
* The area comprised by its the urban [[District (China)#city districts|city districts]] and suburb [[District (China)#city districts|city districts]]. The difference between the urban district and the suburb districts is that an urban district is only comprised by the [[Subdistricts of China|subdistricts]], while a suburb district also have [[town]]s and [[township of China|townships]] to govern rural areas. In some sense, this definition is approximately the [[metropolitan area]]. This definition is not applied to the sub-prefecture-level city and the county-level city since they do not have [[District (China)#city districts|city districts]] under them.
* 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 China|subdistricts]] of the suburb city districts. For the sub-prefecture-level city and the county-level city, only central [[Subdistricts of China|subdistricts]] are included. 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.
== History ==
{{mainarticle|History of the political divisions of China}}
Before the establishment of the [[Qin Dynasty]], China was ruled by a network of kings, nobles, and tribes. The rivalry of these groups culminated in the [[Warring States Period]], and the [[state of Qin]] eventually emerged dominant.
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'' [[county of China|counties]]. The [[Han Dynasty]] that came immediately after added ''[[zhou (political division)|zhōu]]'' (usually translated as "provinces") as a third level on top, forming a three-tier structure.
The [[Sui Dynasty]] and [[Tang Dynasty]] abolished commanderies, and added [[circuit (political division)|circuits]] (''dào'', later ''lù'' under the [[Song Dynasty|Song]]) on top, maintaining a three-tier system that lasted through the [[Song Dynasty]]. (As a second-level division, ''zhou'' are translated as "prefectures".) The Mongol-established [[Yuan Dynasty]] introduced the modern precursors to [[province of China|provinces]], bringing the number of levels to four. This system was then kept more or less intact until the [[Qing Dynasty]], the last imperial dynasty to rule China.
The [[Republic of China]] streamlined the levels to just provinces and [[county of China|counties]] in 1928, and made the first attempt to extend political administration beyond the county level by establishing [[township of China|townships]] below counties. 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, [[county of China|counties]], and [[township of China|townships]].
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, [[Prefecture of China|Prefecture]]s were later inserted between provinces and counties. 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 area]]s were inserted on top of provinces by the PRC government, but they were soon abolished, in 1954. [[District public office]]s were inserted between counties and townships; once ubiquitous as well, they are currently being abolished, and very few remain.
The most recent developments major developments have been the establishment of [[Chongqing]] as a [[municipality of China|municipality]] and the creation of [[Hong Kong]] and [[Macau]] [[special administrative regions]].
== Reform ==
{{mainarticle|Reform of the political divisions 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.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}
The abolition of [[District (China)|district public office]]s is an ongoing reform to remove an extra level of administration from between the county and township levels. 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.
== See also ==
* [[Regions of China]]
* [[Tiao-kuai]]
== External links ==
* [http://www.china.org.cn/english/eng-shuzi2003/gq/biao/1-1.htm Statistics]
* [http://www.guang.net/map.htm Provincial, prefecture, and county maps] {{zh icon}}
{{People's Republic of China topics|state=autocollapse}}
[[Category:Lists of country subdivisions|China]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of China]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China]]
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