Autonomous region Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description

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).

Table of contents

1 Modern autonomous regions 2 Spain 3 Portugal 4 China 5 Russia

Modern autonomous regions

More information on existing autonomous regions can be found at the list of autonomous entities.

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:

• Special administrative regions (2 in total)
  • Hong Kong
  • Macau
• Autonomous regionss (5 in total)
  • Guangxi
  • Inner Mongolia
  • Ningxia
  • Tibet
  • Xinjiang

At the prefecture level:

• Autonomous prefectures (30 in total)

At the county level:

• Autonomous counties (117 in total)
• Autonomous banners (3 in total)

See Political divisions of China for more information.

Russia

In Russia, there are three administrative levels of autonomous regions:

• autonomous republic,
• autonomous oblast, and
• autonomous okrug (district).

See Subdivisions of Russia.

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