User:David Kernow/Autonomous area
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An autonomous area is an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy. Typically it is either geographically distinct from the country or is populated by a national minority. Countries that include autonomous areas are often federacies.
For a list of autonomous areas, see List of autonomous areas by country.
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[edit] Contemporary
Many autonomous areas lie within the world's two largest countries, China (PRC) and Russia.
[edit] China
China (PRC) has four types of autonomous area:
[edit] Autonomous banner
Found only as divisions of Inner Mongolia, these are in effect autonomous counties.
[edit] Autonomous county
The most numerous type of autonomous area in China, found both within and outside the larger autonomous prefectures and regions.
[edit] Autonomous prefecture
[edit] Autonomous region
The five largest autonomous areas in China, including Inner Mongolia and the Tibet Autonomous Region.
[edit] Special administrative region
Although not autonomous in name, China's special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau) enjoy a high degree of autonomy.
[edit] Russia
Apart from its republics, which by definition have a degree of autonomy, Russia has two types of autonomous region:
[edit] Autonomous okrug
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 2006, there are nine country-sized autonomous okrugs of Russia.
[edit] Autonomous oblast
Oblast is a transliterated Slavic loanword usually understood to mean "province". As of 2006, one autonomous oblast exists: the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in Russia.
[edit] Other countries
The other types of autonomous area to be found in the world are:
[edit] Autonomous city
Four cities are formally designated by their countries as autonomous: the capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent; 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.
[edit] Autonomous commune
Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, is described as an autonomous commune (commune autonome).
[edit] Autonomous community
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.
[edit] Autonomous province
Six countries formally designate areas of their territory as autonomous provinces:
- The Åland Islands, part of Finland;
- South Tyrol, part of Italy's Trentino-South Tyrol autonomous region;
- Jeju-do, a South Korean offshore island;
- All six provinces of Madagascar;
- The Serbian provinces of Kosovo[1] and Vojvodina.
[edit] 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], autonomous regions within the Kingdom of Denmark;
- Iraqi Kurdistan;
- the autonomous regions of India;
- the "autonomous regions with special statute" in Italy;
- the autonomous regions of Portugal (the Azores and Madeira);
- Mount Athos in Greece;
- Zelaya in Nicaragua;
- the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, within the Philippines.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Autonomous sector
The Bissau Region, in which Guinea-Bissau's capital Bissau is found, is described as an "autonomous sector" (sector autónomo).
[edit] Historical
[edit] Other
Other areas that are autonomous in nature but not in name are areas [set aside] 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.
[edit] Notes
- ^ presently (September 2006) under United Nations administration.
- ^ also described as a "self-governing territory".
