User:David Kernow/Autonomous area

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.

Contemporary
Many autonomous areas lie within the world's two largest countries, China (PRC) and Russia.

China
China (PRC) has four types of autonomous area:

Autonomous banner
Found only as divisions of Inner Mongolia, these are in effect autonomous counties.

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

Autonomous region
The five largest autonomous areas in China, including Inner Mongolia and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Special administrative region
Although not autonomous in name, 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
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.

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.

Other countries
The other types of autonomous area 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 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:
 * 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 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, 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.

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.

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

Historical

 * Grand Duchy of Finland

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.