Autonomous region
An
autonomous region or
autonomous district is a subnational region with special powers of self-rule. Typically an autonomous region contains a national minority which is different from the national majority.
Some countries have several levels of autonomous regions. For example,
Russia among its
subdivisions has
(autonomous) republics, autonomous region (autonomous
oblast) and autonomous districts (okrugs).
Nations with autonomous regions include
China,
Spain,
Portugal,
Russia,
Ukraine, and
Italy.
Spain
In the case of Spain, after the drafting of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the first areas to become autonomous communities were highly nationalistic, ethnically distinct ones such as the Basque Country and Catalonia. It was not intended that all Spanish regions should become autonomous communities; however, this is what ended up happening, in what was dubbed café para todos ("coffee for everyone"). However, the more ethnically distinct autonomous communities have more powers than ones that are less so.
Portugal
In Portugal, the two island regions of Azores and Madeira became autonomous regions in 1976 with self-rule by a regional government and a regional legislative assembly. They gain their autonomy because of the great distance from the capital of the country, it is not due to ethnic distinction like in Spain.
China
In the People's Republic of China, administrative divisions with various levels of autonomy occur at several levels of the administrative hierarchy. Except for special administrative regions, all of these autonomous divisions are designated for one or more ethnic minorities.
At the province level:\n* Special administrative regions (2 in total)\n** Hong Kong\n** Macau\n* Autonomous regionss (5 in total)\n** Guangxi\n** Inner Mongolia\n** Ningxia\n** Tibet\n** Xinjiang
At the prefecture level:\n* Autonomous prefectures (30 in total)
At the county level:\n* Autonomous counties (117 in total)\n* Autonomous banners (3 in total)
See Political divisions of China for more information.
Russia
In Russia, there are three administrative levels of autonomous regions:\n* autonomous republic,\n* autonomous oblast, and\n* autonomous okrug (district).
See Subdivisions of Russia.
zh-cn:自治区\nzh-tw:自治區
