thumb|445px|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, subregional territorial autonomies and local autonomies.
For a list of autonomous areas, see
List of autonomous areas by country and
List of territorial autonomies.
Contemporary
Many autonomous areas lie within two of the world's largest countries,
People's Republic of China and
Russia.
Iraq
Iraqi Kurdistan is the only region which has gained official recognition internationally as an autonomous federal entity.
Southern Sudan
Under the terms of the deal with
Republic of Sudan, the Southern Sudan has been given a large degree of autonomy, and the chance to vote for full independence in 2011 after six years of home rule.
China
China (PRC) has five types of autonomous areas.
Autonomous banner
Found only as
divisions of Inner Mongolia. In effect, these are autonomous counties (see below).
Autonomous county
The most numerous type of autonomous area in China, found both within and outside the larger autonomous prefectures and regions.
Autonomous prefecture
China has 30 prefectures that are autonomous, mostly in the periphery of the country.
Autonomous region
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. Regardless of the names, these regions are in fact less autonomous than the special administrative regions of China.
Special administrative region
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 autonomies:
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 2008, Russia has four autonomous okrugs.
Autonomous oblast
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 areas to be found in the world are:
Autonomous city
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
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:
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 five municipalities, or caracoles in Chiapas, in the southeast of Mexico.
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
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).
Special woreda
In
Ethiopia, "special woredas" are a subgroup of
woredas or districts that are organized around the traditional homelands of an
ethnic minority, and are under outside the usual hierarchy of a
Region or
kilil. These woredas have many similarities to autonomous areas in other countries.
Historical
Other
Other areas that are autonomous in nature but not in name are areas designated for
indigenous peoples, such as
those of the Americas:
If elected, the Action démocratique du Québec party promises to make
Quebec an autonomous region within
Canada.
