Autonomous area

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Countries with at least one autonomous area.

An autonomous area is an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or freedom from an external authority. Typically it is either geographically distinct from the country or is populated by a national minority. Countries that include autonomous areas are often federacies. Autonomous areas can be divided into territorial autonomies, personal autonomies (cultural autonomy) and local autonomies.

For a list of autonomous areas, see List of autonomous areas by country and List of territorial autonomies.

1 Contemporary
2 Historical
3 Other
4 Notes
5 See also
6 Bibliography

Contemporary

Many autonomous areas lie within two of the world's largest countries, People's Republic of China and Russia.

Iraq

Main article: Iraqi Kurdistan

Iraqi Kurdistan is the only region which has gained official recognition internationally as an autonomous federal entity.

China

Main article: Autonomous areas of China

China (PRC) has four types of autonomous area.

Autonomous banner

Found only as divisions of Inner Mongolia. In effect, these are autonomous counties (see below).

Autonomous county

Main article: Autonomous counties of China

The most numerous type of autonomous area in China, found both within and outside the larger autonomous prefectures and regions.

Autonomous prefecture

Autonomous region

Main article: Autonomous regions of China

A first-level administrative subdivision of China. There are five ARs in China. They are Inner Mongolia AR, Tibet AR, Ningxia Hui AR, Xinjiang Uyghur AR, and Guangxi Zhuang AR.

Special administrative region

Main article: Special administrative region (People's Republic of China)

Although not autonomous in name, in practice China's special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau) enjoy a high degree of autonomy.

Russia

Apart from its republics, which by definition have a degree of autonomy, Russia has two types of autonomous region:

Autonomous okrug

Main article: Autonomous okrugs of Russia

Okrug is a transliterated Slavic loanword usually translated as "district". The sizes of okrugs, however, vary more widely than other areas commonly identified as "districts", from large first-level divisions to third-level divisions within cities. As of 2008, Russia has four autonomous okrugs.

Autonomous oblast

Main article: Autonomous oblasts of Russia

Oblast is a transliterated Slavic loanword usually understood to mean "province". As of 2006, one autonomous oblast exists: the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.

Other countries

The other types of autonomous area to be found in the world are:

Autonomous city

Main articles: Buenos Aires, Tashkent, Autonomous cities of Spain, and Brussels

Four cities are formally designated by their countries as autonomous: the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent;the capital of Belgium Brussels; the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla; and the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires. Another Argentinian city that has been pressing for autonomous status is Rosario, a city of around one million inhabitants that receives less subsidy than the smaller provincial capital Santa Fe.

Autonomous commune

Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, is described as an autonomous commune (commune autonome).

Autonomous community

Main articles: Tokelau and Autonomous communities of Spain

The region-like areas into which Spain's provinces are grouped are known as autonomous communities (comunidades autónomas), as are the three atolls constituting the New Zealand territory of Tokelau.

Autonomous province

Six countries formally designate areas of their territory as autonomous provinces:

The Åland Islands, a part of Finland;
The two provinces of Trento (or Trentino) and Bolzano (or South Tyrol) in Italy;
The Bougainville province in Papua New Guinea;
Jeju-do, a South Korean offshore island;
The Serbian provinces of Kosovo [1] and Vojvodina.

Autonomous region

In addition to the autonomous regions of China mentioned above, various other areas of the world are formally described as autonomous regions:

the Faroe Islands and Greenland [2], two autonomous regions within the Kingdom of Denmark;
Rodrigues, an autonomous dependency within the Republic of Mauritius.
Iraqi Kurdistan;
the three autonomous regions of India;
the five "autonomous regions with special statute" in Italy;
the two autonomous regions of Portugal (the Azores and Madeira);
Mount Athos in Greece;
Zelaya in Nicaragua;
the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, within the Philippines.
the five municipalities, or caracoles in Chiapas, in the southeast of Mexico.
Nunatsiavut, a self-governing region of Labrador Inuit in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Nisga'a of British Columbia and Tli Cho of the Northwest Territories have self-government as a result of treaties

Autonomous republic

In addition to the Russian republics mentioned above, areas known as "autonomous republics" exist within some of the countries established following the end of the Soviet Union:

the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic within Azerbaijan;
Abkhazia and the Autonomous Republic of Adjaria within Georgia;
the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province within Tajikistan;
the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within Ukraine;
the Karakalpakstan Republic within Uzbekistan.
the Palestinian Authority within Israel exercises certain sovereign powers within its borders, but is not a fully independent government. The PA-administrated territories are internationally recognized as occupied by Israel, and not a proper part of that country.

Autonomous sector

The Bissau Region, in which Guinea-Bissau's capital Bissau is found, is described as an "autonomous sector" (sector autónomo).

Historical

Bantustans of apartheid-era South Africa and Namibia
Subcarpathian Ruthenia and Slovakia within Czechoslovakia (1938-1939)
Grand Duchy of Finland
Hungarian Autonomous Province

Other

Other areas that are autonomous in nature but not in name are areas designated for indigenous peoples, such as those of the Americas:

"Indian" (First Nation or Native American) reserves and reservations, in, respectively, Canada and the United States;
the five comarcas indígenas ("indigenous regions") of Panama.

If elected, the Action démocratique du Québec party, now the official opposition in the Canadian province of Quebec, promises to work to make Quebec an autonomous region within the Canadian confederation.

Notes

^ Currently under United Nations administration.
^ Also described as a "self-governing territory"[citation needed].

Bibliography

M. Weller and S. Wolff (eds), Autonomy, Self-governance and Conflict Resolution: Innovative Approaches to Institutional Design in Divided Societies. Abingdon, Routledge, 2005
From Conflict to Autonomy in Nicaragua: Lessons Learnt, report by Minority Rights Group International
P.M. Olausson, Autonomy and Islands, A Global Study of the Factors that determine Island Autonomy. Åbo: Åbo Akademi University Press, 2007.

v • d • eTypes of administrative country subdivisionBoldface indicates a type used by ten or more countries. Current English terms

Autonomous area · Bailiwick · Banner (Autonomous banner) · Block · Borough (County borough · Metropolitan borough) · Cadastral division · Capital (Federal capital) · Canton · Circle · Circuit · City (Autonomous city · Chartered city · Independent city) · Colony · Commune · Community (Autonomous community · Residential community) · Condominium · Constituency · County (Administrative county · Autonomous county · Metropolitan county) · Council · Department · District (Autonomous district · Capital district · City district · Federal district · Metropolitan district · Municipal district · Subdistrict) · Division · Duchy · Eldership · Federal dependency · Governorate · Hamlet · Hundred · Insular area · Local administrative unit · Local government area · Municipality (District municipality · Regional municipality · Regional county municipality · Rural municipality) · Neighbourhood · Parish (Civil parish) · Periphery · Prefecture (Autonomous prefecture · Subprefecture) · Principality (Co-principality) · Protectorate · Province (Autonomous province) · Quarter · Regency · Region (Autonomous region · Capital region · Special administrative region) · Republic (Autonomous republic) · Reservation (Reserve) · Shire · State · Suzerainty · Territory (Autonomous territorial unit · Capital territory · Dependent territory · National territory · Union Territory) · Town · Townland · Township (Township (Scotland) · Civil township) · Urban (urbanized) area · Village · Ward