Provinces of China

formally
Province-level administrative divisions

Chinese name

省级行政区

省級行政區

Transcriptions
Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Shěng Jí Xíngzhèngqū

Alternative Chinese name

Chinese

省

Transcriptions
Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Shěng

Tibetan name

Tibetan

ཞིང་ཆེན།

Transcriptions
Wylie	zhing

Zhuang name

Zhuang

Swngj

Mongolian name

Mongolian script

ᠮᠤᠶᠶ

Transcriptions
SASM/GNC	Moyy

Uyghur name

Uyghur

ئۆلكە

Transcriptions
Latin Yëziqi	Ölke
Yengi Yeziⱪ	Ɵlkə
SASM/GNC	Öleä

Administrative divisions of China
This article is part of a series on
Provincial level Municipalities Provinces Autonomous regions Special administrative regions
Sub-provincial level Sub-provincial cities Sub-provincial autonomous prefectures Sub-provincial city districts
Prefectural level Prefectures Prefectural cities Autonomous prefectures Leagues
Sub-prefectural-level Sub-prefectural cities Provincial-controlled cities Provincial-controlled counties Provincial-controlled districts
County level Counties Autonomous counties County cities City-controlled districts Ethnic districts Banners Autonomous banners Forestry districts Special districts Management areas Management Committees
Township level Townships Ethnic townships Towns Subdistricts Subdistrict bureaux Sumus Ethnic sumus Prefectural bureaux Neighbourhood Committee Town-level city (pilot) County-controlled districts County-controlled district bureaux (abolishing)
Village level (Grassroots Autonomous Organizations) Village · Gacha Village Committees Community Neighborhood Committees
Other Regions State-level new areas Autonomous administrative divisions National Central Cities Special Economic Zones
History: before 1912, 1912–49, 1949–present

Provinces (Chinese: 省; pinyin: Shěng), formally province-level administrative divisions (Chinese: 省级行政区; pinyin: Shěng Jí Xíngzhèngqū) are the highest-level Chinese administrative divisions. There are 34 such divisions, classified as 22 provinces, 4 municipalities, 5 autonomous regions, 2 Special Administrative Regions, and the claimed Taiwan Province.^[1]

The People's Republic of China (PRC) claims sovereignty over the territory administered by Taiwan (ROC), claiming most of it as its Taiwan Province. The ROC also administers some offshore islands which form Fujian Province, ROC. These were part of an originally unified Fujian province, which since the stalemate of the Chinese Civil War in 1949 has been divided between the PRC and ROC.

Every province has a Communist Party of China provincial committee, headed by a secretary beside the two special administrative regions. The committee secretary is in effective charge of the province, rather than the nominal governor of the provincial government.

Types of province-level divisions 1
- Direct-controlled municipality 1.1
- Province 1.2
- Autonomous region 1.3
- Special administrative region (SAR) 1.4
List of province-level divisions 2
History 3
- List of former provinces 3.1
Economies 4
See also 5
References 6
External links 7

Types of province-level divisions

Direct-controlled municipality

Direct-controlled municipality (Chinese: 直辖市; pinyin: zhíxiáshì): A higher level of city which is directly under the Chinese government, with status equal to that of the provinces. In practice, their political status is higher than common provinces.

Province

Province (Chinese: 省; pinyin: shěng): A provincial committee, headed by a secretary, nominally leads each standard provincial government. The committee secretary is first-in-charge of the province; second-in-command comes the governor of the provincial government.

The People's Republic of China claims the island of Taiwan and its surrounding islets, including Penghu, as "Taiwan Province". (Kinmen and the Matsu Islands are claimed by the PRC as part of its Fujian Province. Pratas and Itu Aba are claimed by the PRC as part of Guangdong and Hainan provinces respectively.) The territory is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC, commonly called "Taiwan").

Autonomous region

Autonomous region (simplified Chinese: 自治区; traditional Chinese: 自治區; pinyin: zìzhìqū): A minority subject which has a higher population of a particular minority ethnic group along with its own local government, but an autonomous region theoretically has more legislative rights than in actual practice. The governor of the Autonomous Regions is usually appointed from the respective minority ethnic group.

Special administrative region (SAR)

Special administrative region (SAR) (simplified Chinese: 特别行政区; traditional Chinese: 特別行政區; pinyin: tèbié xíngzhèngqū): A highly autonomous and self-governing subnational subject of the People's Republic of China that is directly under the Central People's Government. Each SAR has a provincial level^[2]^[3]^[4] chief executive as head of the region and head of government. The region's government is not fully independent, as foreign policy and military defence are the responsibility of the central government, according to the basic laws.

List of province-level divisions

GB^[5]	ISO^[6]	Province	Chinese Hanyu Pinyin	Capital	Population¹	Density²	Area³	Abbreviation
BJ	CN-11	Beijing Municipality	北京市 Běijīng Shì	Beijing	19,612,368	1,167.40	16,800	京 Jīng
TJ	CN-12	Tianjin Municipality	天津市 Tiānjīn Shì	Tianjin	12,938,224	1,144.46	11,305	津 Jīn
HE	CN-13	Hebei Province	河北省 Héběi Shěng	Shijiazhuang	71,854,202	382.81	187,700	冀 Jì
SX	CN-14	Shanxi Province	山西省 Shānxī Shěng	Taiyuan	35,712,111	228.48	156,300	晋 Jìn
NM	CN-15	Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region	內蒙古自治区 Nèi Měnggǔ Zìzhìqū	Hohhot	24,706,321	20.88	1,183,000	內蒙古 Nèi Měnggǔ
LN	CN-21	Liaoning Province	辽宁省 Liáoníng Shěng	Shenyang	43,746,323	299.83	145,900	辽 Liáo
JL	CN-22	Jilin Province	吉林省 Jílín Shěng	Changchun	27,462,297	146.54	187,400	吉 Jí
HL	CN-23	Heilongjiang Province	黑龙江省 Hēilóngjiāng	Harbin	38,312,224	84.38	454,000	黑 Hēi
SH	CN-31	Shanghai Municipality	上海市 Shànghǎi Shì	Shanghai	23,019,148	3,630.20	6,341	沪 Hù
JS	CN-32	Jiangsu Province	江苏省 Jiāngsū Shěng	Nanjing	78,659,903	766.66	102,600	苏 Sū
ZJ	CN-33	Zhejiang Province	浙江省 Zhèjiāng Shěng	Hangzhou	54,426,891	533.59	102,000	浙 Zhè
AH	CN-34	Anhui Province	安徽省 Ānhuī Shěng	Hefei	59,500,510	425.91	139,700	皖 Wǎn
FJ	CN-35	Fujian Province	福建省 Fújiàn Shěng	Fuzhou	36,894,216	304.15	121,300	闽 Mǐn
JX	CN-36	Jiangxi Province	江西省 Jiāngxī Shěng	Nanchang	44,567,475	266.87	167,000	赣 Gàn
SD	CN-37	Shandong Province	山东省 Shāndōng Shěng	Jinan	95,793,065	622.84	153,800	鲁 Lǔ
HA	CN-41	Henan Province	河南省 Hénán Shěng	Zhengzhou	94,023,567	563.01	167,000	豫 Yù
HB	CN-42	Hubei Province	湖北省 Húběi Shěng	Wuhan	57,237,740	307.89	185,900	鄂 È
HN	CN-43	Hunan Province	湖南省 Húnán Shěng	Changsha	65,683,722	312.77	210,000	湘 Xiāng
GD	CN-44	Guangdong Province	广东省 Guǎngdōng Shěng	Guangzhou	104,303,132	579.46	180,000	粤 Yuè
GX	CN-45	Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region	广西壮族自治区 Guǎngxī Zhuàngzú Zìzhìqū	Nanning	46,026,629	195.02	236,000	桂 Guì
HI	CN-46	Hainan Province	海南省 Hǎinán Shěng	Haikou	8,671,518	255.04	34,000	琼 Qióng
CQ	CN-50	Chongqing Municipality	重庆市 Chóngqìng Shì	Chongqing	28,846,170	350.50	82,300	渝 Yú
SC	CN-51	Sichuan Province	四川省 Sìchuān Shěng	Chengdu	80,418,200	165.81	485,000	川(蜀) Chuān (Shǔ)
GZ	CN-52	Guizhou Province	贵州省 Gùizhōu Shěng	Guiyang	34,746,468	197.42	176,000	贵(黔) Guì (Qián)
YN	CN-53	Yunnan Province	云南省 Yúnnán Shěng	Kunming	45,966,239	116.66	394,000	云(滇) Yún (Diān)
XZ	CN-54	Tibet Autonomous Region	西藏自治区 Xīzàng Zìzhìqū	Lhasa	3,002,166	2.44	1,228,400	藏 Zàng
SN	CN-61	Shaanxi Province	陕西省 Shǎnxī Shěng	Xi'an	37,327,378	181.55	205,600	陕(秦) Shǎn (Qín)
GS	CN-62	Gansu Province	甘肃省 Gānsù Shěng	Lanzhou	25,575,254	56.29	454,300	甘(陇) Gān (Lǒng)
QH	CN-63	Qinghai Province	青海省 Qīnghǎi Shěng	Xining	5,626,722	7.80	721,200	青 Qīng
NX	CN-64	Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region	宁夏回族自治区 Níngxià Huízú Zìzhìqū	Yinchuan	6,301,350	94.89	66,400	宁 Níng
XJ	CN-65	Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region	新疆维吾尔自治区 Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū	Ürümqi	21,813,334	13.13	1,660,400	新 Xīn
HK	CN-91	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region	香港特别行政区 Xiānggǎng Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū	Hong Kong	7,061,200	6,396.01	1,104	港 Gǎng
MC	CN-92	Macau Special Administrative Region	澳门特别行政区 Àomén Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū	Macau	552,300	19,044.82	29	澳 Ào
TW	CN-71	Taiwan Province *	台湾省 Táiwān Shěng	Taipei	23,140,000	650.34	35,581	台 Tái

Notes:

¹: as of 2010

²: per km²

³: km²

°: Abbreviation/Symbol in the parentheses are informal

*: Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has considered Taiwan to be its 23rd province. However, the PRC has never controlled Taiwan. The Republic of China (ROC, "Taiwan") currently administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu

History

Administrative divisions of the Republic of China (1912–49). Note: this map depicts the theoretical administrative divisions of the Republic of China, which are not synchronized with the actual administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China. The ROC controls Taiwan and nearby islands while the PRC controls Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The rulers of China first set up provinces—initially 10 in number—during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). By the time of the establishment of the Qing Dynasty in 1644 there were 18 provinces, all of them in China proper. These were:

Each province had a xunfu (巡撫; translated as "governor"), a political overseer on behalf of the emperor, and a tidu (提督; translated as "Captain General"), a military governor. In addition, there was a zongdu (總督), a general military inspector or governor general, for every two to three provinces.

Outer regions of China (those beyond China proper) were not divided into provinces. Military leaders or generals (將軍) oversaw Manchuria (consisting of Fengtian (now Liaoning), Jilin, Heilongjiang), Xinjiang, and Mongolia, while vice-dutong (副都統) and civilian leaders headed the leagues (盟長), a subdivision of Mongolia. The ambans (驻藏大臣) supervised the administration of Tibet.

In 1884 Xinjiang became a province; in 1907 Fengtian, Jilin, and Heilongjiang were made provinces as well. Taiwan became a province in 1885, but China ceded Taiwan to Japan in 1895. As a result, there were 22 provinces in China (Outer China and China proper) near the end of the Qing Dynasty.

The Republic of China, established in 1912, set up four more provinces in Inner Mongolia and two provinces in historic Tibet, bringing the total to 28. But China lost four provinces with the establishment of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Manchuria. After the defeat of Japan in World War II in 1945, China re-incorporated Manchuria as 10 provinces, and assumed control of Taiwan as a province. As a result, the Republic of China in 1946 had 35 provinces. Although the Republic of China now only controls one province (Taiwan), and some islands of a second province (Fujian), it continues to formally claim all 35 provinces.

List of former provinces

abolished

claimed

**Administrative divisions of China**
Greater Administrative Areas
Name	Hanzi	Pinyin	Translation	Capital	Hanzi	Notes
Huabei	华北	Huáběi	"North China"	Beijing	北京	1949–1954
Dongbei	东北	Dōngběi	"Northeast"	Shenyang	沈阳	1949–1954
Huadong	华东	Huádōng	"East China"	Shanghai	上海	1949–1954
Zhongnan	中南	Zhōngnán	"South Central"	Wuhan	武汉	1949–1954
Xibei	西北	Xīběi	"Northwest"	Xi'an	西安	1949–1954
Xinan	西南	Xīnán	"Southwest"	Chongqing	重庆	1949–1954

Name	Hanzi	Pinyin	Abbreviation	Capital	Hanzi	GAA	Note
Provinces
Andong	安东	Āndōng	安 ān	Tonghua	通化	Dongbei	1949 abolished → Liaodong, Jilin
Anhui	安徽	Ānhuī	皖 wǎn	Hefei	合肥	Dongbei	1949 abolished → Wanbei, Wannan; 1952 reverted
Chahar	察哈尔	Cháhā'ěr	察 chá	Zhangjiakou	张家口	Huabei	1952 abolished → Inner Mongolia, Hebei
Fujian	福建	Fújiàn	闽 mǐn	Fuzhou	福州	Huadong
Gansu	甘肃	Gānsù	甘 gān	Lanzhou	兰州	Xibei	1958 Ningxia split into its own autonomous region
Guangdong	广东	Guǎngdōng	粤 yuè	Guangzhou	广州	Zhongnan	1952 & 1965 Fangchenggang, Qinzhou, Beihai → Guangxi; 1955 reverted 1988 Hainan split into its own province
Guangxi	广西	Guǎngxī	桂 guì	Nanning	南宁	Zhongnan	1958 province → autonomous region
Guizhou	贵州	Guìzhōu	黔 qián	Guiyang	贵阳	Xinan
Hainan	海南	Hǎinán	琼 qióng	Haikou	海口	Zhongnan
Hebei	河北	Héběi	冀 jì	Baoding (49-54; 67-68) Tianjin (54-67) Shijiazhuang (present)	保定天津石家庄	Huabei	1967 Tianjin split into its own municipality
Hejiang	合江	Héjiāng	合 hé	Jiamusi	佳木斯	Dongbei	1949 abolished → Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang	黑龙江	Hēilóngjiāng	黑 hēi	Qiqihar (49-54) Harbin (present)	齐齐哈尔哈尔滨	Dongbei	1952 part of Xing'an split into Inner Mongolia
Henan	河南	Hénán	豫 yù	Kaifeng (49-54) Zhengzhou (present)	开封郑州	Zhongnan
Hubei	湖北	Húběi	鄂 è	Wuhan	武汉	Zhongnan
Hunan	湖南	Húnán	湘 xiāng	Changsha	长沙	Zhongnan
Jiangsu	江苏	Jiāngsū	苏 sū	Nanjing	南京	Huadong	1949 abolished → Subei, Subnan; 1952 reverted
Jiangxi	江西	Jiāngxī	赣 gàn	Nanchang	南昌	Huadong
Jilin	吉林	Jílín	吉 jí	Jilin (49-54) Changchun (present)	吉林长春	Dongbei	1952 north part split into Inner Mongolia
Liaobei	辽北	Liáoběi	洮 táo	Liaoyuan	辽源	Dongbei	1949 abolished → Jilin, Liaoning
Liaodong	辽东	Liáodōng	关 guān	Dandong	丹东	Dongbei	1954 abolished → Liaoning
Liaoning	辽宁	Liáoníng	辽 liáo	Shenyang	沈阳	Dongbei	1949 abolished → Liaodong, Liaoxi; 1954 reverted 1952 north part split into Inner Mongolia
Liaoxi	辽西	Liáoxī	辽 liáo	Jinzhou	锦州	Dongbei	1954 abolished → Liaoning
Nenjiang	嫩江	Nènjiāng	嫩 nèn	Qiqihar	齐齐哈尔	Dongbei	1949 abolished → Heilongjiang
Ningxia	宁夏	Níngxià	宁 níng	Yinchuan	银川	Xibei	1954 province → Gansu
Mudanjiang	牡丹江	Mǔdānjiāng	丹 dān	Mudanjiang	牡丹江	Dongbei	1949 abolished → Heilongjiang
Pingyuan	平原	Píngyuán	平 píng	Xinxiang	新乡	Zhongnan	1952 abolished → Henan, Shandong
Qinghai	青海	Qīnghǎi	青 qīng	Xining	西宁	Xibei
Rehe	热河	Rèhé	热 rè	Chengde	承德	Dongbei	1955 abolished → Inner Mongolia, & Liaoning
Sichuan	四川	Sìchuān	川 chuān	Chengdu	成都	Xinan	1949 abolished → Chuanbei, Chuandong, Chuannan, Chuanxi; 1952 reverted 1997 Chongqing split into its own municipality
Shaanxi	陕西	Shǎnxī	陕 shǎn	Xi'an	西安安	Xibei
Shandong	山东	Shāndōng	鲁 lǔ	Jinan	济南	Huadong
Shanxi	山西	Shānxī	晋 jìn	Taiyuan	太原	Huabei
Songjiang	松江	Sōngjiāng	松 sōng	Harbin	哈尔滨	Dongbei	1954 abolished → Heilongjiang
Suiyuan	绥远	Suíyuǎn	绥 suí	Hohhot	呼和浩特	Huabei	1954 abolished → Inner Mongolia
Taiwan	台湾	Táiwān	台 tái	Taibei	台北	Huadong	claimed since 1949 the founding of the PRC
Xikang	西康	Xīkāng	康 kāng	Kangding (49-50) Ya'an (50-55)	康定雅安	Xinan	1955 abolished → Sichuan & Qamdo
Xing'an	兴安	Xīkāng	兴 xīng	Hulunbuir	呼伦贝尔	Dongbei	1949 abolished → Heilongjiang
Xinjiang	新疆	Xīnjiāng	疆 jiāng	Ürümqi	乌鲁木齐	Xibei	1955 province → autonomous region
Yunnan	云南	Yúnnán	滇 diān	Kunming	昆明	Xinan
Zhejiang	浙江	Zhèjiāng	浙 zhè	Hangzhou	杭州	Huadong
Autonomous Regions
Guangxi	广西	Guǎngxī	桂 guì	Nanning	南宁	Zhongnan	1958 province → autonomous region
Inner Mongolia	內蒙古	Nèi Měnggǔ	蒙 měng	Ulaanhot (47-50) Hohhot (present)	乌兰浩特呼和浩特	Huabei	1947 created; 1969 truncated → Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Gansu, Ningxia; 1979 reverted
Ningxia	宁夏	Níngxià	宁 níng	Yinchuan	银川	Xibei	1958 special region → autonomous region
Tibet	西藏	Xīzàng	藏 zàng	Lhasa	拉萨	Xinan	1965 region → autonomous region
Xinjiang	新疆	Xīnjiāng	疆 jiāng	Ürümqi	乌鲁木齐	Xibei	1955 province → autonomous region
Municipalities
Anshan	鞍山	Ānshān	鞍 ān	Tiedong District	铁东区	Dongbei	1954 abolished → Liaoning
Beijing	北京	Běijīng	京 jīng	Dongcheng District	东城区	Huabei
Benxi	本溪	Běnxī	本 běn	Pingshan District	平山区	Dongbei	1954 abolished → Liaoning
Changchun	长春	Chángchūn	春 chūn	Nanguan District	南关区	Dongbei	1953 created; 1954 abolished → Jilin
Chongqing	重庆	Chóngqìng	渝 yú	Yuzhong District	渝中区	Xinan	1954 abolished → Sichuan; 1997 reverted
Dalian → Lüda	大连→旅大	Dàlián	连 lián	Xigang District	西岗区	Dongbei	1949 abolished → Luda, 1950 reverted, 1954 abolished → Liaoning
Fushun	抚顺	Fǔshùn	抚 fǔ	Shuncheng District	顺城区	Dongbei	1954 abolished → Liaoning
Harbin	哈尔滨	Hāěrbīn	哈 hā	Nangang District	南岗区	Dongbei	1953 created, 1954 abolished → Heilongjiang
Guangzhou	广州	Guǎngzhōu	穗 suì	Yuexiu District	越秀区	Zhongnan	1954 abolished → Guangdong
Nanjing	南京	Nánjīng	宁 níng	Xuanwu District	宣武区	Huadong	1952 abolished → Jiangsu
Shanghai	上海	Shànghǎi	沪 hù	Huangpu District	黄浦区	Huadong
Shenyang	沈阳	Shěnyáng	沈 shěn	Shenhe District	沈河区	Dongbei	1954 abolished → Liaoning
Tianjin	天津	Tiānjīn	津 jīn	Heping District	和平区	Huabei	1954 abolished → Hebei, 1967 reverted
Hankou → Wuhan	汉口→武汉	Wǔhàn	汉 hàn	Jiang'an District	江岸区	Zhongnan	1949 abolished → Hubei
Xi'an	西安	Xī'ān	镐 hào	Weiyang District	未央区	Xibei	1954 abolished → Shaanxi
Special Administrative Regions
Hainan	海南	Hǎinán	琼 qióng	Haikou	海口	Zhongnan	1949 abolished → Guangdong
Hong Kong	香港	Xiānggǎng	港 gǎng	Hong Kong	香港	Zhongnan	1997 created (Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong)
Macau	澳门	Àomén	澳 ào	Macau	澳门	Zhongnan	1999 created (Transfer of sovereignty over Macau)
Administrative Territories
Chuanbei	川北	Chuānběi	充 chōng	Nanchong	南充	Xinan	1950 created; 1952 abolished → Sichuan
Chuandong	川东	Chuāndōng	渝 yú	Chongqing	重庆	Xinan	1950 created; 1952 abolished → Sichuan
Chuannan	川南	Chuānnán	泸 lú	Luzhou	泸州	Xinan	1950 created; 1952 abolished → Sichuan
Chuanxi	川西	Chuānxī	蓉 róng	Chengdu	成都	Xinan	1950 created; 1952 abolished → Sichuan
Subei	苏北	Sūběi	扬 yáng	Yangzhou	扬州	Huadong	1949 created; 1952 abolished → Jiangsu
Sunan	苏南	Sūnán	锡 xī	Wuxi	无锡	Huadong	1949 created; 1952 abolished → Jiangsu
Wanbei	皖北	Wǎnběi	合 hé	Hefei	合肥	Huadong	1949 created; 1952 abolished → Anhui
Wannan	皖南	Wǎnnán	芜 wú	Wuhu	芜湖	Huadong	1949 created; 1952 abolished → Anhui
Lüda	旅大	Lǚdà	旅 Lǚ	Dalian	大连	Dongbei	1949 created; 1950 abolished → Dalian
Regions
Tibet	西藏	Xīzàng	藏 zàng	Lhasa	拉萨	Xinan	1965 region → autonomous region
Territories
Qamdo	昌都	Chāngdū	昌 chāng	Qamdo	昌都	Xinan	1965 merge into Tibet

The People's Republic of China abolished many of the provinces in the 1950s and converted a number of them into autonomous regions. Hainan became a separate province in 1988, bringing the total number of provinces under PRC control to 22.

Economies

The provinces in south coastal area of China—such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and (mainly) Guangdong—tend to be more industrialized, with regions in the hinterland less developed.

References

^ Administrative divisions of China
^ Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国行政区划; Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Xíngzhèng Qūhuà), 15 June 2005, retrieved 5 June 2010
^ Chapter II : Relationship between the Central Authorities and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Article 12, retrieved 5 June 2010
^ Chapter II Relationship between the Central Authorities and the Macao Special Administrative Region, Article 12, retrieved 5 June 2010
^ GB/T 2260 codes for the provinces of China
^ ISO 3166-2 codes for the provinces of China)

External links

Interactive Dbresearch.com: WebMap — with economic indicators for all Chinese Provinces.

Provincial level divisions of the People's Republic of China

Provinces¹	Anhui Fujian Gansu Guangdong Guizhou Hainan Hebei Heilongjiang Henan Hubei Hunan Jiangsu Jiangxi Jilin Liaoning Qinghai Shaanxi Shandong Shanxi Sichuan Yunnan Zhejiang

Autonomous regions	Guangxi Inner Mongolia Ningxia Tibet Xinjiang

Municipalities	Beijing Chongqing Shanghai Tianjin

Special administrative regions	Hong Kong Macau

Note: 1. Taiwan is claimed as a province, but is administered by the Republic of China (see Political status of Taiwan).

China topics

History

China timeline Republic of China (1912–49) People's Republic of China 1949–76 1976–89 1989–2002 Since 2002 Years in the People's Republic of China

Geography Natural environment

Overviews	Extreme points Geology Natural disasters

Regions	East Northeast North South Central Central South Western Northwest Southwest

Terrain	Bays Canyons Caves Deserts Grasslands Hills Islands Mountains ranges passes Peninsulas Northeast / North / Central Plains Valleys Volcanoes

Water	Canals Lakes Rivers Waterfalls Wetlands Water resources

Seas	Bohai Yellow East China South China

Reserves	Protected areas National parks Nature reserves UNESCO Biosphere Reserves

Wildlife	Fauna Flora

Government Politics Economy

Government and politics	Civil service Constitution Elections Environmental policy Foreign relations Military (People's Liberation Army) National People's Congress National security Political parties and movements Communist Party Democratic Parties Anti-democratisation Pro-democratisation President Vice President State Council Premier Vice Premier

Administrative divisions	Baseline islands Border crossings Cities Province-level subdivisions

Law	Judicial system Human rights LGBT Law enforcement Nationality law Penal system

Economy	Agriculture Banking Central bank Economic history Energy Renewable energy Finance system Foreign aid received Foreign aid program Historical GDP International rankings Poverty Reform Renminbi (currency) Science and technology history Special Economic Zones (SEZs) Standard of living Telecommunications Tourism Transport airports ports and harbors

People Society Culture

People	Demographics Emigration Ethnic groups Internal migration Statistics Urbanization

Society	Anthem Chinese Dream Corruption Crime Emblem Education universities Flag "Generation Y" Harmonious Socialist Society HIV/AIDS Intellectualism Languages Poverty Public health food safety incidents Public holidays Rural life Sexuality Socialism with Chinese characteristics Social issues Social relations Social structure Social welfare Suicide Terrorism Time zones Urban life Water supply and sanitation Women Xiaokang (middle-class) Primary stage of socialism

Culture	Archaeology Archives Art Cinema Cuisine Dance Gardens Libraries Literature Martial arts Media newspapers radio television Music Parks Philosophy Religion Smoking Sports Tea culture Tourism Variety arts World Heritage Sites

Index

Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Asian countries

Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan¹ Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Burma Cambodia China Cyprus Egypt¹ Gaza Strip Georgia¹ Hong Kong India Indonesia¹ Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan¹ North Korea South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Macau Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Northern Cyprus Oman Pakistan Palestinian Authority Philippines Qatar Russia¹ Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste (East Timor)¹ Turkey¹ Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen¹

¹ Country spanning more than one continent (transcontinental country).

Table of administrative divisions by country

Provinces of China