Autonomous regions of China (original) (raw)

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Autonomous regions自治区_Zìzhìqū_
Category Unitary state
Location China
Number 5 (Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet, and Xinjiang)
Populations 110,879,058[a]
Areas 4,380,000 km2 (1,690,000 sq mi)[b]
Government Regional People's Government, Central People's Government
Subdivisions Prefecture-level city, prefecture, league, sub-provincial autonomous prefecture, autonomous prefecture

The autonomous regions (Chinese: 自治区; pinyin: Zìzhìqū) are one of four types of province-level divisions of China. Like Chinese provinces, an autonomous region has its own local government, but under the law 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] An autonomous region is the highest level of minority 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), and Xinjiang.

Established in 1947, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region became the first autonomous region in the Chinese liberated zone. Xinjiang was made autonomous in 1955 after the PRC's founding, and Guangxi and Ningxia were made autonomous in 1958. Tibet was annexed by the People's Republic of China in 1951, and was declared an autonomous region in 1965. The designation of Guangxi and Ningxia as Zhuang and Hui autonomous areas, respectively, was bitterly protested by the local Han Chinese, who made up two-thirds of the population of each region.[_citation needed_] Although Mongols made up an even smaller percentage of Inner Mongolia than either of these, the ensuing Chinese Civil War gave little opportunity for protest.[2]

Autonomous regions in China have no legal right to secede, unlike in the Soviet Union – the Law 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]

Public goods and services

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In general, China's minority regions have some of the highest per capita government spending on education, among other public 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

List of autonomous regions

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Name in English Simplified ChinesePinyin Abbreviation Local nameSASM/GNC romanization (Language) Capital Designated minority Language Pre-1949 ROC subdivision
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 内蒙古自治区_Nèi Měnggǔ Zìzhìqū_ 蒙Měng(IMAR) ᠦᠪᠦᠷ ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠨ ᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠭᠡᠨ ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠣ ᠣᠷᠣᠨ Öbür mongüol-un öbertegen zasaqu orun (Mongolian) Hohhot(呼和浩特; ᠬᠥᠬᠡᠬᠣᠲᠠ) Mongol Mongolian Suiyuan, Chahar, Rehe, Liaobei, Xing'an, Gansu and Ningxia.
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 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 language (Vahcuengh) Guangxi (province)
Tibet Autonomous Region 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 宁夏回族自治区_Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū_ 宁Níng(NHAR) The Hui speak Chinese Yinchuan(银川) Hui Dungan, Chinese Ningxia (province)
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 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%

  1. ^ Guangxi – 50,126,804
    Inner Mongolia – 24,049,155
    Ningxia – 7,202,654
    Xinjiang – 25,852,345
    Tibet – 3,648,100

  2. ^ Guangxi – 237,600 km2 (91,700 sq mi)
    Inner Mongolia – 1,183,000 km2 (457,000 sq mi)
    Ningxia – 66,400 km2 (25,600 sq mi)
    Xinjiang – 1,665,000 km2 (643,000 sq mi)
    Tibet – 1,228,000 km2 (474,000 sq mi)

  3. ^ "Regional Autonomy for Ethnic Minorities in China (2005)". english1.english.gov.cn. Archived from the original on 2021-05-01. Retrieved 2021-07-07.

  4. ^ Dreyer, June Teufel (1997). "Assimilation and Accommodation in China". In Brown, Michael Edward; Ganguly, Šumit (eds.). Government Policies and Ethnic Relations in Asia and the Pacific. MIT Press. p. 365.

  5. ^ "First Union Constitution". Seventeen Moments in Soviet History. 2015-08-27. Archived from the original on 2017-01-11. Retrieved 2021-07-07. ARTICLE 4. Each one of the member Republics retains the right to freely withdraw from the union.

  6. ^ "中华人民共和国民族区域自治法 – Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional Ethnic Autonomy". www.gov.cn. Archived from the original on 2005-12-10. Retrieved 2021-07-07. 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.

  7. ^ Zhu, Yuchao; Blachford, Dongyan (2006-08-31). "China's Fate as a Multinational State: a preliminary assessment". Journal of Contemporary China. 15 (47): 329–348. doi:10.1080/10670560500535043. ISSN 1067-0564. S2CID 154008693. 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.

  8. ^ a b Lin, Shuanglin (2022). China's Public Finance: Reforms, Challenges, and Options. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-009-09902-8.

  9. ^ "Communiqué of the Seventh National Population Census (No. 3)". stats.gov.cn. Retrieved 10 August 2021.

  10. ^ "Communiqué of the National Bureau of Statistics of People's Republic of China on Major Figures of the 2010 Population Census". National Bureau of Statistics of China. Archived from the original on 2013-07-27.

  11. ^ 现将2000年第五次全国人口普查快速汇总的人口地区分布数据公布如下. National Bureau of Statistics of China. Archived from the original on 2012-08-29.

  12. ^ 中华人民共和国国家统计局关于一九九〇年人口普查主要数据的公报. National Bureau of Statistics of China. Archived from the original on 2012-06-19.

  13. ^ 中华人民共和国国家统计局关于一九八二年人口普查主要数字的公报. National Bureau of Statistics of China. Archived from the original on 2012-05-10.

  14. ^ 第二次全国人口普查结果的几项主要统计数字. National Bureau of Statistics of China. Archived from the original on 2012-09-14.

  15. ^ 中华人民共和国国家统计局关于第一次全国人口调查登记结果的公报. National Bureau of Statistics of China. Archived from the original on 2009-08-05.