How provinces are there in China?
Guangdong
Guangdong (; formerly romanised as Kwangtung or Canton Province) is a province in South China, on the South China Sea coast. Guangdong surpassed Henan and Shandong to become the most populous province in China in January 2005, registering 79.1 million permanent residents and 31 million migrants who lived in the province for at least six months of the year; the total population was 104,303,132 in the 2010 census, accounting for 7.79 percent of Mainland China's population. This also makes it the most populous first-level administrative subdivision of any country outside of South Asia, as its population is surpassed only by those of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the Indian states of Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. The provincial capital Guangzhou and economic hub Shenzhen are among the most populous and important cities in China. The population increase since the census has been modest, the province registering 108,500,000 people in 2015.
List of Chinese administrative divisions by ethnic group
The list below outlines the distribution of the nationalities of China among provinces and province-level entities of the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) according to the census of 2000. The provinces and province-level entities are listed by region. The classification of ethnic groups follows the official classification of the PRC.
District (China)
A county-controlled district sometimes translated as county-governed district; county district or sub-county; () is a sub-county in the People's Republic of China. A branch of a county government, a district public office () is the administrative office in a district, it is not a local government. A county-controlled district was once an important subdivision of a county all over China from 1950s to 1990s. It was common for there to be about 5 to 10 districts in a county, then about 3 to 5 towns and townships in a district. After the 1990s, county-controlled districts began to be phased out, and their role were taken over by larger towns or townships created by merging smaller ones.
Beijing
Beijing's 16 county-level divisions (districts) are further subdivided into 273 lower third-level administrative units at the township level: 119 towns, 24 townships, 5 ethnic townships and 125 subdistricts.
Towns within Beijing Municipality but outside the urban area include (but are not limited to):Several place names in Beijing end with "mén" (), meaning "gate", as they were the locations of gates in the former Beijing city wall. Other place names end in "cūn" (), meaning "village", as they were originally villages outside the city wall.
List of township-level divisions of Liaoning
This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Liaoning, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. There are a total of 1,502 such divisions in Liaoning, divided into 526 subdistricts, 585 towns, 4 ethnic towns, 313 townships, and 74 ethnic townships. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level divisions then the county-level divisions.
Prefectures of China
The term prefecture was developed from the former Circuit, which was a level between the provincial and the county level during the Qing dynasty. In 1928, the government of the Republic of China abolished the circuit level and the province administrated county directly, but soon, this reform was found unfeasible because some provinces had hundreds of counties. Consequently, in 1932, provinces were again subdivided into several prefectures, and regional administrative offices were set up.
Administrative divisions of China
The Constitution of China provides for four levels: the provincial (province, autonomous region, municipality, and special administrative region), the prefectural (prefecture-level city[officially "city with district-level divisions" () and "city without district-level divisions" ()], autonomous prefecture, prefecture [additional division] and league [the alternative name of “prefecture” which is used in Inner Mongolia]), county (district, county, county-level city [officially “city without district-level divisions”], autonomous county, banner [the alternative name of “county” which is used in Inner Mongolia], autonomous banner [the alternative name of “autonomous county” which is used in Inner Mongolia], special district [additional division], forestry area [additional division]) and township. It’s must be noted that, the fifth level which is commonly known as “village level” is actually not an administrative level. The Constitution of China designs the fifth level as “basic level autonomy”. , China administers 33 provincial-level regions, 334 prefecture-level divisions, 2,862 county-level divisions, 41,034 township-level administrations, and 704,382 basic level autonomies.
Provinces of China
The generic name China in itself is disputed. Not all member States of The United Nations Recognize People's Republic of China. Some of them still refuse to recognise PRC, but in stead, do recognise Republic of China (ROC, I.e, Taiwan)
China
The People's Republic of China is divided into 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, each with a designated minority group; four municipalities; and two special administrative regions (SARs) which enjoy a degree of political autonomy. These 31 provincial-level divisions can be collectively referred to as "mainland China", a term which usually excludes two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau. Geographically, all 31 provincial divisions can be grouped into six regions, including North China, Northeast China, East China, South Central China, Southwest China and Northwest China.
Chinese city tier system
It is important to note that a "city" in China may refer to an administrative unit at different levels. In short, while there are 334 prefectural-level units in China, there are 2,851 units at the county level, and 39,864 units at the township level. This list includes only units at the prefectural level, the second highest administrative division in China. A "prefectural-level" administrative unit can be a city, a prefecture, an autonomous prefecture, and a league. The four direct municipalities, Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Tianjin are also considered cities even though they are officially provincial-level administrative units. It is for these reasons that "Yicai Global"'s published list includes 338 "cities": namely all of the 334 prefectural-level units plus the 4 direct municipalities.
An unofficial list published by the "South China Morning Post" ranks 613 Chinese cities on four tiers. This list uses a variety of parameters as the basis of classification: population size, GDP, and administrative hierarchy. According to the "South China Morning Post", the Tier 1 Chinese cities consist of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing.
List of township-level divisions of Anhui
This is a township-level divisions of the province of Anhui, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. There are a total of 1,507 such divisions in Anhui, divided into 225 subdistricts, 898 towns, 377 townships, and 7 ethnic townships. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level cities then the county-level divisions.
Provinces of China
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.
Fujian
The People's Republic of China controls most of the province and divides it into nine prefecture-level divisions: all prefecture-level cities (including a sub-provincial city):
Reform of the administrative divisions of China
Hainan and Chongqing, already mentioned above as apparent experiments in province shrinking, can also be seen as experiments in the abolishment of prefectures. Hainan has two prefecture-level cities, but those control only districts (i.e. their own urbanized area); all the counties of Hainan are under the direct charge of the province, with no prefecture-level intermediary. Chongqing, which is province-sized (despite its status as a municipality), has no intermediate prefecture-level subdivisions of any sort.
List of villages in China
This is a list of villages in China. A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town, with a population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. In China, an administrative village () is type a fifth-level administrative division, underneath a township, county, city, and province. There are more than six hundred thousand administrative villages in China. Some villages are not administrative villages but natural villages, which are not administrative divisions. The below list is divided by province, and ideally lists the name of the village followed by the three higher-administrative divisions (e.g. township, county, and city) to which it belongs administratively.In addition to villages, a "gaqa" (, ᠭᠠᠴᠠᠭ᠎ᠠ) is another type of fifth-level administrative division, found only in Inner Mongolia; the name is derived from the Mongolian language.
Most counties in Hainan are not subordinate to a prefecture-level subdivision (see List of administrative divisions of Hainan), and so some entries below list only the town and county-level divisions to which the village belongs.
List of township-level divisions of Shandong
This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Shandong, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. There are a total of 1,858 such divisions in Shandong, divided into 500 subdistricts, 1,091 towns, 1 ethnic town, and 266 townships. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level cities then the county-level divisions.
Provinces of China
A special administrative region (SAR) () is a highly autonomous and self-governing sub national subject of the People's Republic of China that is directly under the Central People's Government. Each SAR has a 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 county-level divisions of China
County-level divisions are the third level of administration of the People's Republic of China and include counties, autonomous counties, banners, autonomous banners, county-level cities and districts. Most county-level divisions are administered as part of prefecture-level divisions, but some are administered directly by province-level divisions. 
The following lists show all county-level divisions in each province-level division.
History of the administrative divisions of China (1949–present)
In 1954, a massive campaign to cut the number of provincial-level divisions was initiated. Of the 14 municipalities existing in 1953, 11 were annexed by nearby provinces, with only Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin remaining. The province of Liaoning was formed out of the merger of Liaodong and Liaoxi, while Songjiang, Suiyuan and Ningxia disappeared into Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and Gansu, respectively.
Galeote Pereira
Pereira's manuscript starts in the style of a geographical overview. Like most later geographical works on China, he starts with listing China's provinces ("shires", in Willis' translation), stating that there are 13 of them, giving names of 11 of them and a brief information about some, and concluding that for "Confu", Yunnan and Sichuan, "how many towns [those] three shires have, we are ignorant as yet, as also of the proper names of the twelfth and thirteenth shires, and the towns therein". This shows that Pereira (or his early Jesuit editors) were not in possession of the information that the Lisbon historian João de Barros had when writing the Third of his "Décadas da Ásia" (published 1563, but written much earlier), which correctly lists all fifteen provinces of the Ming China.
Administrative divisions of China
Since the 17th century, provincial boundaries in China have remained largely static. Major changes since then have been the reorganization of provinces in the northeast after the establishment of the People's Republic of China and the formation of autonomous regions, based on Soviet ethnic policies. The provinces serve an important cultural role in China, as people tend to identify with their native province.
District
In the Republic of China, district () is the 3rd level of the administrative division. It is a division of special municipality and provincial city of Taiwan Province. Currently, there are 157 districts in total from 5 special municipalities and 3 provincial cities.
A district ("amphoe") is a subdivision of a "province" ("changwat") in Thailand. Some provinces also contain minor districts ("กิ่งอำเภอ")(), which are smaller than the average district.
In Turkey, a district () is an administrative subdivision of a province (). See also Districts of Turkey.
Administrative divisions of China
The People's Republic of China (PRC) administers 34 provincial-level divisions () or first-level divisions (, including 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two specialadministrative regions:
Kham
Under the modern administrative division of China, Kham includes a total of 50 contemporary counties of the People's Republic of China which have been incorporated into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan (16 counties), Yunnan (three counties), and Qinghai (six counties) as well as the eastern portion of the Tibet Autonomous Region (25 counties).
Qin Shi Huang
In an attempt to avoid a recurrence of the political chaos of the Warring States period, Qin Shi Huang and his prime minister Li Si completely abolished feudalism. The empire was then divided into 36 commanderies (郡, "Jùn"), later more than 40 commanderies. The whole of China was thus divided into administrative units: first commanderies, then counties (縣, "Xiàn"), townships (鄉, "Xiāng") and hundred-family units (里, "Li", which roughly corresponds to the modern-day subdistricts and communities). This system was different from the previous dynasties, which had loose alliances and federations. People could no longer be identified by their native region or former feudal state, as when a person from Chu was called "Chu person" (楚人, "Chu rén"). Appointments were subsequently based on merit instead of hereditary rights.
Sixteen Prefectures
The historian Frederick W. Mote writes that there were actually 19 prefectures but does not specify them. Chinese historians do not consider Yíngzhou (营州; modern Qian'an, Hebei) and Pingzhou (平州; modern Lulong, Hebei) to be part of the Sixteen Prefectures because they had already been occupied by the Khitans during the Later Tang, prior to Shi Jingtang’s cession. Yizhou (易州; modern Yi County, Hebei), which fell to the Khitans after the cession, is also excluded from the count of 16. The Liao created two new prefectures, Jingzhou (景州, modern Zunhua, Hebei) from Jizhou and Luanzhou (滦州; Luan County, Hebei) from Pingzhou, which have not been included in the original sixteen.
List of prefectures in China
All provincial-level divisions of China are divided into prefectural-level divisions (second-level): prefectural-level cities, prefectures, autonomous prefectures and leagues. There are 333 prefecture level divisions in China as of 2012.
Provinces of China
Note that every province (except Hong Kong and Macau, the two special administrative regions) has a Communist Party of China provincial committee (), headed by a secretary (). The committee secretary is effectively in charge of the province, rather than the nominal governor of the provincial government.
List of township-level divisions of Beijing
This is a list of township-level divisions of the municipality of Beijing, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. However, as Beijing is a province-level municipality, the prefecture-level divisions are absent and so county-level divisions are at the second level, and township-level divisions are at the third level of administration. There are a total of 331 such divisions in Beijing, divided into 150 subdistricts, 143 towns (30 of which are areas) and 38 townships (24 of which are areas). This list is organised by the county-level divisions of the municipality.
Provinces of China
The People's Republic of China (PRC) claims the island of Taiwan and its surrounding islets, including Penghu, as "Taiwan Province", though Taiwan has not been under control of a government that ruled from mainland China since 1949, when the Republic of China lost the mainland to the Communist Party of China, which established the PRC. (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").
Taiwan, China
The term "Taiwan, (Province of) China" is also potentially ambiguous because both the ROC and the PRC each has administratively a "Taiwan Province", Taiwan Province, Republic of China and "Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China", and neither of these provinces covers the Matsu Islands, Wuchiu, Kinmen, all of which have been retained by the Republic of China. Geographically speaking, they both refer to the same place. The existence of the extra term "Taiwan Province, PRC" is merely because of PRC's insistence that Taiwan is part of China. Without more specific indication, it is unclear to which "Taiwan Province" is being referred. However, since China (PRC) does not control Taiwan and its "Taiwan Province" exists only on paper, as a practical matter, "Taiwan Province" refers only to the Taiwan Province under Republic of China's administration.
Government of China
The governors of China's provinces and autonomous regions and mayors of its centrally controlled municipalities are appointed by the central government in Beijing after receiving the nominal consent of the National People's Congress (NPC). The Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions (SARS) have some local autonomy since they have separate governments, legal systems, and basic constitutional laws, but they come under Beijing's control in matters of foreign policy and national security, and their chief executives are handpicked by the central government. Below the provincial level in 2004 there were 50 rural prefectures, 283 prefecture-level cities, 374 county-level cities, 852 county-level districts under the jurisdiction of nearby cities, and 1,636 counties. There also were 662 cities (including those incorporated into the four centrally controlled municipalities), 808 urban districts, and 43,258 township-level regions.
List of Chinese administrative divisions by GDP
The tables below list China's provinces and territories by their estimated GDP in main fiscal years since 1978. Their respective ranks and shares of China's total GDP are also shown.
History of the administrative divisions of China before 1912
Chen dynasty also set up a series of new immigrant prefectures along the Yangtze River, such as the Southern Xuzhou and Northern Jiangzhou, etc. The administrative division began to mess up. Northern and Southern dynasties were eventually reunified by Sui dynasty in 589. At that time, there were hundreds of prefectures all over China. Emperor Wen of Sui thus launched a major reform on the administrative division system which changed the Zhou-Jun-Xian (Prefecture, Sub-Prefecture, County) system into Zhou-Xian system, and the traditional nine provinces would be restored.
By the time unity was finally reestablished by the Sui dynasty, the provinces had been divided and redivided so many times by different governments that they were almost the same size as commanderies, rendering the two-tier system superfluous. As such, the Sui merged the two together. In English, this merged level is translated as "prefectures". In Chinese, the name changed between "zhou" and "jun" several times before being finally settled on "zhou". Based on the apocryphal Nine Province system, the Sui restored nine "zhou".
List of current and former capitals of subdivisions of China
The list includes current and former provinces, as well as other first-level units that have been used over the course of China's recent history, such as autonomous regions, military command zones during the Qing dynasty, and so forth. Unless otherwise specified, a given administrative unit can be assumed to be a province with its present name. Historical names of provinces and entities that are not provinces will be specified as they arise.
Geography of China
The government is divided into three primary groups of state power: the National People's Congress (NPC), the President, and the State Council. Members of the State Council include the Premier, four vice premiers, five state councilors and 29 heads of State Council commissions. Under the Chinese constitution, the National Peoples congress holds the most power and meets annually for 2 weeks to discuss and review legislative policies.
Expressways of Jiangsu
The Chinese eastern coastal province of Jiangsu has an expansive network of national and provincial-level expressways. At the end of 2010, the province had of expressways, including of national expressways and of provincial expressways, and by 2020, the province expects to have of national and provincial-level expressways.
Expressways in Jiangsu province (and the rest of China) are designated with a letter prefix, which represents whether it is a provincial or national-level expressway, followed by a two-to-four character alphanumeric designation. The letter prefix G, which stands for Guodao (), literally meaning "national road", is used for national expressways, and the letter prefix S, which stands for Shengdao (), literally meaning "provincial road", is used for provincial expressways. National expressways are numbered according to the National Trunk Highway System numbering rules. In Jiangsu, the provincial-level expressways are assigned numbers as follows:
There are 36 provincial expressways currently completed, under construction, or in the planning stages as part of the provincial expressway plan. These include 13 north-south expressways, 9 east-west expressways, and 14 branch lines, given numbers greater than 70. In addition, there are 14 national-level expressways that are entirely in or will pass through the province. In 2013, some of the provincial-level expressways have also been upgraded as national expressways and given national-level expressway numbers.
China proper
The Manchu Qing referred to the Han Chinese inhabited 18 provinces as "nèidì shíbā shěng" (), which meant the "interior region eighteen provinces", or abbreviated it as "nèidì" (內地), "interior region" and also as "jùnxiàn" (), while they referred to the non-Han areas of China such as the Northeast, Outer Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet as "wàifān" () which means "outer feudatories" or "outer vassals", or as "fānbù" (, "feudatory region"). These waifan were fully subjected to and governed by the Qing government and were considered part of the China (Zhongguo), unlike wàiguó (, "outer/foreign countries") like Korea, Vietnam, and the Ryukyus, who paid tribute to the Qing but were not part of China.
Chongqing
Chongqing is the largest of the four direct-controlled municipalities of the People's Republic of China. The municipality is divided into 38 subdivisions (3 were abolished in 1997, and Wansheng and Shuangqiao districts were abolished in October 2011), consisting of 26 districts, 8 counties, and 4 autonomous counties. The boundaries of Chongqing municipality reach much farther into the city's hinterland than the boundaries of the other three provincial level municipalities (Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin), and much of its administrative area, which spans over , is rural. At the end of year 2017, the total population is 30.75 million.
List of village-level divisions of Shandong
This is a list of village-level divisions of the province of Shandong, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, county-level divisions, and township-level divisions, village-level divisions constitute the formal fifth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. There are a total of 1,858 such divisions in Shandong, divided into 500 subdistricts, 1,091 towns, 1 ethnic town, and 266 townships. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level cities then the county-level divisions then townshi-evel divisions.
List of postal codes in China
China Post uses a six-digit all-numerical system with four tiers: the first tier, composed of the first two digits, show the province, province-equivalent municipality, or autonomous region; the second tier, composed of the third digit, shows the postal zone within the province, municipality or autonomous region; the fourth digit serves as the third tier, which shows the postal office within prefectures or prefecture-level cities; the last two digits are the fourth tier, which indicates the specific mailing area for delivery.
Names of China
The name "Jiuzhou" (; ) means "nine provinces". Widely used in pre-modern Chinese text, the word originated during the middle of Warring States period of China (c. 400–221 BCE). During that time, the Yellow River river region was divided into nine geographical regions; thus this name was coined. Some people also attribute this word to the mythical hero and king, Yu the Great, who, in the legend, divided China into nine provinces during his reign. (Consult Zhou for more information.)
Jun (country subdivision)
During the following five centuries, during the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties period, the number of administrative districts were increased and a three-tier system—composed of provinces, jun, and counties—was established. To limit the power of any one local lord, China was divided into more than 200 provinces, 600 jun, and 1,000 counties. Each province consisted of two or three jun and each jun had two or three counties under its jurisdiction.
Hainan
Hainan Province uses a slightly different administrative system than the other provinces of China. Most other provinces are divided entirely into prefecture-level divisions, each of which is then divided entirely into county-level divisions. County-level divisions generally do not come directly under the province. In Hainan, nearly all county-level divisions (the eight districts excepted) come directly under the province. This method of division is due to Hainan's relatively sparse population of around 8 million people. At the end of year 2017, the total population is 9.26 million.
List of township-level divisions of Fujian
This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Fujian, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. There are a total of 1,103 such divisions in Fujian, divided into 173 subdistricts, 600 towns, 311 townships, and 19 ethnic townships, including 7 divisions which are governed by the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level then the county-level divisions.
Governor (China)
In China, the Governor () is the head of government of a province. There are currently 23 provincial governors in China.
Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China
As of 2018 PRC official map service Tianditu treats all six special municipalities as prefecture-level cities, all three provincial cities as county-level cities directly administered by the province, and all 14 county-administered cities as subdistricts under each individual county's jurisdiction.
Urbanization in China
In 1987 China had a total of twenty-nine provincial-level administrative units directly under the central government in Beijing. In addition to the twenty-one provinces ("sheng"), there were five autonomous regions ("zizhiqu") for minority nationalities, and three special municipalities ("shi")--the three largest cities, Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin. (The establishment of Hainan Island as a provincial-level unit separate from Guangdong Province was scheduled in 1988.) A 1979 change in provincial-level administrative boundaries in the northeast region restored Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to its original size (it had been reduced by a third in 1969) at the expense of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces. Urban areas were further subdivided into lower-level administrative units beginning with municipalities and extending down to the neighborhood level.
List of Catholic dioceses in China
The Catholic Church recognizes the Republic of China as the sole government for all of China; nevertheless, it does not recognize all of its territorial claims. The term “China” has to be understood as including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan in its 1949 provincial boundaries and Mainland China as effectively controlled by the People's Republic of China. Due to the non-recognition of the People's Republic of China, however, the authority of the Taipei-based Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference is effectively limited to the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. The dioceses of Hong Kong (suffragan of Kanton) and Macao (exempt) do not belong to that conference. The dioceses of Mainland China take part in the Beijing-based Chinese Bishops Conference, which is not recognized by the Holy See.
Politics of China
The PRC is officially a multi-ethnic state providing ethnic autonomy in the form of autonomous administrative entities in accordance with Section 6 of Chapter 3 (Articles 111-122) of the Constitution of China, and with more detail under the Law of the People's Republic of China on Ethnical Regional Autonomy System. By law, ethnic minorities receive advantages in areas such as population control, school admissions, government employment, and military recruitment. The PRC recognises 56 nationalities in China and simultaneously categorises them as one hegemonic Chinese nation. However, separatist sentiment has occasionally flared in Tibet and Xinjiang. As such, independence groups and foreign human rights groups are critical of the PRC's policies in ethnic areas, and have bemoaned the presence of Han Chinese (the main ethnic group of China) in Xinjiang and Tibet.
Telephone numbers in China
The provincial capital of Nanjing uses code 25. All telephone numbers are 8-digit in Jiangsu.While most areas in Shandong use the prefix 5, some areas also use the prefix 6.Kinmen, Matsu, and Wuchiu are currently under the control of the Republic of China; and are under the international calling code of 886.
Reform of the administrative divisions of China
Proponents point to the size of current provinces, such as Henan, Shandong, and Sichuan, all of which have populations of close to 100 million people. It is said that such enormous size puts a staggering burden on provincial governments, resulting in inefficiency and poor responsiveness to grassroots needs and desires, as well as inability to concentrate on specific areas of development. In addition, some proponents of province shrinking believe that the current size of larger provinces has given them too much bargaining power with the central government, and is a negative influence on the territorial integrity of China.
List of ports in China
China has 34 major ports and more than 2000 minor ports. The former are mostly sea ports (except for ports such as Shanghai, Nanjing and Nantong along the Changjiang River and Guangzhou in the Pearl river delta) opening up to the Yellow sea (Bo Hai), Taiwan straits, Pearl river and South China Sea while the latter comprise ports that lie along the major and minor rivers of China. Most of China's major cities are also ports or are facilitated by a port nearby.
List of township-level divisions of Hebei
This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Hebei, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. There are a total of 2,186 such divisions in Hebei, divided into 1 district public office (Nanshan District, Zhuolu County) 241 subdistricts, 939 towns, 954 townships, and 51 ethnic townships, the last type mainly designated for the Hui, Manchu, and/or Mongol ethnic groups. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level cities then the county-level divisions.
Emperor Wu of Liang
In 539, based on Zhu's recommendation, Emperor Wu carried out a reorganization of the provincial divisions, placing the provinces into five classes based on their sizes and populations. After the reorganization, there were 108 provinces in total (20 of the first class, 10 of the second class, eight of the third class, 23 of the fourth class, and 21 of the fifth class), with the smaller provinces often consisting of single villages in southern and southwestern border regions.
Revolutionary committee (China)
With the decision of the central leadership to support the concept of revolutionary committees, from February 1967 onwards mass organisations were encouraged to ally with cadres and the army to establish this new type of government. However, by the end of April 1967, only six of China's twenty-seven provinces (Beijing, Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Shanxi, Guizhou and Shandong) had established revolutionary committees with official approval, due to the continued resistance by old CCP organisations and the lack of agreement amongst mass organisations and the PLA over which party cadres were appropriate choices for the committees. By the end of 1967, only two more revolutionary committees (in Inner Mongolia and in the city of Tianjin) had been formed, despite a call from Mao in September for the forging of these alliances.
Sichuan
The twenty Prefecture of Sichuan are subdivided into 183 county-level divisions (53 districts, 17 county-level cities, 109 counties, and 4 autonomous counties). At the end of year 2017, the total population is 83.02 million.
List of Chinese administrative divisions by population
This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of China in order of their total resident populations. It includes all provinces, autonomous regions, direct-controlled municipalities and special administrative regions.
List of cities in China by population and built-up area
According to the administrative divisions of China, there are three levels of cities, namely municipalities (), prefecture-level cities (), and county-level cities (). The Special Administrative Regions (S.A.R.s) of Hong Kong and Macau are not included in this administrative classification.
Administrative divisions of China
The district public offices is an ongoing reform to remove an extra level of administration from between the county and township levels. There have also been calls to abolish the prefecture level, and some provinces have transferred some of the power prefectures currently hold to the counties they govern. There are also calls to reduce the size of the provinces. The ultimate goal is to reduce the different administration levels from five to three (Provincial level, County level, Village level), reducing the amount of corruption as well as the number of government workers, in order to lower the budget.
Bing Province
Bingzhou, or Bing Province, was a location in ancient China. According to legend, when Yu the Great (c. 2200 BC-2100 BC) tamed the flood, he divided the land of China into the Nine Provinces. Historical texts such as the "Rites of Zhou", and "Treatise on Geography" section (volume 28) of the "Book of Han", recorded that Bingzhou was one of the Nine Provinces. Bingzhou covered roughly the areas around present-day Baoding, Hebei, and Taiyuan and Datong in Shanxi.
Provinces of China
The rulers of China first set up provinces—initially 11 in number—during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) with 2 addition regions: Central region ruled by the Zhongshu Sheng () and the Tibetan region ruled by the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs ().
List of township-level divisions of Guizhou
This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Guizhou, People's Republic of China. After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level then the county-level divisions. The six prefecture-level divisions of Guizhou are subdivided into 107 county-level divisions (15 districts, 7 county-level cities, 54 counties, 11 autonomous counties and 1 special district ). Those are in turn divided into 1785 township-level divisions (691 towns 镇, 506 townships 乡, 252 ethnic townships and 94 subdistrcts).
China
China has over 160 cities with a population of over one million, including the seven megacities (cities with a population of over 10 million) of Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shenzhen, and Wuhan. By 2025, it is estimated that the country will be home to 221 cities with over a million inhabitants. The figures in the table below are from the 2010 census, and are only estimates of the urban populations within administrative city limits; a different ranking exists when considering the total municipal populations (which includes suburban and rural populations). The large "floating populations" of migrant workers make conducting censuses in urban areas difficult; the figures below include only long-term residents.
Since 1986, compulsory education in China comprises primary and junior secondary school, which together last for nine years. In 2010, about 82.5 percent of students continued their education at a three-year senior secondary school. The Gaokao, China's national university entrance exam, is a prerequisite for entrance into most higher education institutions. In 2010, 27 percent of secondary school graduates are enrolled in higher education. This number increased significantly over the last years, reaching a tertiary school enrollment of 48.4 percent in 2016. Vocational education is available to students at the secondary and tertiary level.
Autonomous prefecture
Autonomous prefectures () are one type of autonomous administrative divisions of China, existing at the prefectural level, with either ethnic minorities forming over 50% of the population or being the historic home of significant minorities. All autonomous prefectures are mostly dominated, in population, by the Han Chinese. The official name of an autonomous prefecture includes the most dominant minority in that region, sometimes two, rarely three. For example, a Kazakh ("Kazak" in official naming system) prefecture may be called "Kazak Zizhizhou". Like all other prefectural level divisions, autonomous prefectures are divided into county level divisions. There is one exception: Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture contains two prefectures of its own. Under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, autonomous prefectures cannot be abolished.
List of administrative divisions of Beijing
Beijing is one of the four direct-controlled municipalities of the People's Republic of China, and is divided into 16 districts.
All of these administrative divisions are explained in greater detail at Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China. This chart lists only county-level divisions of Beijing.
China proper
However, Han Chinese areas in the present day do not correspond well to the Eighteen Provinces of the Qing Dynasty. Much of southwestern China, such as areas in the provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou, was part of successive Han Chinese dynasties, including the Ming Dynasty and the Eighteen Provinces of the Qing Dynasty. However, these areas were and continue to be populated by various non-Han Chinese minority groups, such as the Zhuang, the Miao people, and the Bouyei. Conversely, today Han Chinese form the majority in most of Manchuria, much of Inner Mongolia, many areas in Xinjiang and scattered parts of Tibet, not least due to the expansion of Han Chinese settlement encouraged by the late Qing dynasty, the Republic of China, and the People's Republic of China.
Prefecture-level city
Most provinces are composed entirely or nearly entirely of prefectural level cities. Of the 22 provinces and 5 autonomous regions of the PRC, only 9 provinces (Yunnan, Guizhou, Qinghai, Heilongjiang, Sichuan, Gansu, Jilin, Hubei, Hunan) and 3 autonomous regions (Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia) have at least one or more second level or prefectural level divisions that are not prefectural level cities.
History of the administrative divisions of China before 1912
The Han dynasty initially added a top level of "kingdoms" or "principalities" (王国, "wángguó"), each headed by a local king or a prince of the imperial family. From the establishment of the dynasty, however, the tendency was slowly absorb this quasi-federal structure into the imperial bureaucracy. After the Rebellion of the Seven States, the system was standardized, replacing the kingdoms and principalities with thirteen provinces (州, "zhōu").
Prefectures of China
The constitution does not explicitly endorse the existence of prefecture-level cities; but it does mention that "comparatively large cities" () are divided into counties and districts. However, there are only 49 prefectural level cities that have been designated as "comparatively large". As a result, the vast majority of prefecture-level cities do not have the constitutional basis for governing districts and counties.
China proper
The Eighteen Provinces of the Qing Dynasty still exist, but their boundaries have changed. Beijing and Tianjin were eventually split from Hebei (renamed from Zhili), Shanghai from Jiangsu, Chongqing from Sichuan, Ningxia autonomous region from Gansu, and Hainan from Guangdong. Guangxi is now an autonomous region. The provinces that the late Qing dynasty set up have also been kept: Xinjiang became an autonomous region under the People's Republic of China, while the three provinces of Manchuria now have somewhat different borders, with Fengtian renamed as Liaoning.
History of the Ming dynasty
Outside of metropolitan areas, Ming China was divided into thirteen provinces for administrative purposes. These provinces were divided along traditional and to a degree also natural lines. These include Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Huguang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou. These provinces were vast areas, each being at least as large as England. The longest Ming reign was that of the Wanli Emperor, who ruled for forty eight years. (1572–1620). The shortest was his son's reign, the Taichang Emperor, who ruled for only one month (in 1620).
List of township-level divisions of Shanxi
This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Shanxi, People's Republic of China. After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. There are a total of 1,391 such divisions in Shanxi, divided into 195 subdistricts, 568 towns and 628 townships. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level cities then the county-level divisions.
West Triangle Economic Zone
Chongqing is the principal city in Southwest China being one of China's National Central Cities and the only such city in the interior west of China. As such, in 1997, Chongqing was separated from Sichuan province and made into a province-level municipality, the fourth in China after Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai. The mayor of Chongqing is Huang Qifan, and the CPC Committee Secretary is Sun Zhengcai. Chongqing Municipality contains 19 districts, 19 counties, and 1259 towns, townships, and subdistricts.
Anhui
Most provincial government departments and the Governor office are located at No.1 Zhongshan Road,moved from old downtown of Hefei since 2016.Provincial government is responsible to manage 16 prefecture-level cities, 105 counties, 1845 townships and different departments in Anhui. The National People's Congress (NPC) is just located near provincial government.The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (C.P.P.C.C.) is located at No.317,Suzhou Road.The Provincial Higher People's Court is located No.472.Changjiang Rd.
China proper
There are some minor differences between the extent of Ming China and the extent of the eighteen provinces of Qing China: for example, some parts of Manchuria were a Ming possession belonging to the Ming province of Liaodong (now Liaoning); however, the Qing conquered it before the rest of China and did not put the region back into the provinces of China proper. On the other hand, Taiwan was a new acquisition of the Qing Dynasty, and it was put into Fujian, one of the provinces of China proper. Eastern Kham in Greater Tibet was added to Sichuan, while much of what now constitutes northern Burma was added to Yunnan.
List of administrative divisions of Hainan
Hainan uses a slightly different administrative system from the other provinces of China. Most other provinces are divided entirely into prefecture-level divisions, each of which is then divided entirely into county-level divisions, which generally do not come directly under the province. In Hainan, nearly all county-level divisions (the eight districts excepted) come directly under the province. This method of division is due to Hainan's relatively sparse population.However,it's planned that the counties and cities in Hainan（excluding Sansha）would be merged into five city-level cities,just as those on the mainland area of China administratived by PRC.
Zhou (country subdivision)
The Han dynasty was the first to formalize the "zhou" into actual administrative divisions by establishing 13 "zhou" all across China. Because these "zhou" were the largest divisions of the China at the time, they are usually translated as "provinces". After the Han Dynasty, however, the number of "zhou" began to increase. By the time of the Sui dynasty, there were over a hundred "zhou" all across China.
Prefectures of China
Development zones (开发区 pinyin: kāifāqū) were temporary prefectural level divisions. Chongqing was a development zone before it became a municipality, and two development zones were set up within Chongqing immediately after it became a municipality. These divisions were temporary and no longer exist.The constitution of the People's Republic of China does not endorse any prefectural level division, except for autonomous prefectures. Prefectures and leagues are not at all mentioned; provinces are explicitly stated to be divided directly into counties.
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is divided into thirteen prefecture-level divisions: four prefecture-level cities, six prefectures, and five autonomous prefectures (including the sub-provincial autonomous prefecture of Ili, which in turn has two of the seven prefectures within its jurisdiction) for Mongol, Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Hui minorities. At the end of the year 2017, the total population of Xinjiang is 24.45 million.
Telephone numbers in China
These are area codes for the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, and the provinces in Northeast China (Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang). Additionally, numbers starting 400 are shared-pay (callers are charged local rate anywhere in the country) numbers .
Provinces of China
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.
Provinces of China
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.
List of Chinese administrative divisions by highest point
This is a list of the first-level administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China (PRC), including all provinces, autonomous regions, special administrative regions and municipalities, in order of their highest points. Taiwan is included for comparison purposes, but is administered by the Republic of China, and not the People's Republic of China.
Townships of China
Townships (), formally township-level divisions (), are the basic level (fourth-level administrative units) of political divisions in China. They are similar to municipalities and communes in other countries and in turn may contain village committees and villages. In 1995 there were 29,502 townships and 17,532 towns (a total of 47,034 township-level divisions) in China.
Ministries of the People's Republic of China
There are currently 26 cabinet-level Departments Constituting the State Council () of the People's Republic of China: 21 ministries, 3 commissions, the central bank, and the National Audit Office.
Renminbi
In June 2009 the Chinese officials announced a pilot scheme where business and trade transactions were allowed between limited businesses in Guangdong province and Shanghai, and only counterparties in Hong Kong, Macau, and select ASEAN nations. Proving a success, the program was further extended to 20 Chinese provinces and counterparties internationally in July 2010, and in September 2011 it was announced that the remaining 11 Chinese provinces would be included.
List of township-level divisions of Jiangsu
This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Jiangsu, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. There are a total of 1,312 such divisions in Jiangsu, divided into 330 subdistricts, 876 towns, 105 townships, and 1 ethnic townships. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level then the county-level divisions.
Administrative divisions of China
Due to China's large population and area, the administrative divisions of China have consisted of several levels since ancient times. The constitution of China provides for three de jure levels of government. Currently, however, there are five practical (de facto) levels of local government: the provincial (province, autonomous region, municipality, and special administrative region), prefecture, county, township, and village.
List of township-level divisions of Guangdong
This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Guangdong, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. As of the end of 2010, there are a total of 1,581 such divisions in Guangdong, divided into 436 subdistricts, 1,134 towns, 4 townships, and 7 ethnic townships. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level divisions then the county-level divisions.
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is twinned with 42 U.S. states: 
The People's Republic of China (PRC) regards itself as the "successor state" of the Republic of China (ROC), which the PRC claims no longer legitimately exists, following establishment of the PRC in mainland China. The PRC asserts itself to be the sole legitimate government of China, and claims Taiwan as its 23rd province, even though the PRC itself has never had control of Taiwan or other ROC-held territories. The ROC disputes this position, maintaining that it still legitimately exists and that the PRC has not succeeded it to sovereignty.
Prefectures of China
At one point, prefectures were the most common type of prefecture-level division. Today they have been mostly converted into prefecture-level cities, and the trend is still ongoing with only 7 prefectures remaining in China.
Administrative divisions of China
In practice, however, more levels were inserted. The ROC government soon learned that it was not feasible for a province to directly govern tens and sometimes hundreds of counties. Started from Jiangxi province in 1935, Prefectures were later inserted between provinces and counties. They continue be ubiquitously applied by the PRC government to nearly all areas of China until the 1980s. Since then, most of the prefectures were converted into prefecture-level cities. Greater administrative areas were inserted on top of provinces by the PRC government, but they were soon abolished, in 1954. District public offices were inserted between counties and townships; once ubiquitous as well, they are currently being abolished, and very few remain.
List of township-level divisions of Heilongjiang
This is a list of township-level divisions of the province of Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China (PRC). After province, prefecture, and county-level divisions, township-level divisions constitute the formal fourth-level administrative divisions of the PRC. There are a total of 1,369 such divisions in Heilongjiang, divided into 393 subdistricts, 443 towns, 8 ethnic towns, 477 townships, and 48 ethnic townships. This list is divided first into the prefecture-level divisions then the county-level divisions.
County
There are 1,464 counties in the PRC out of 2,862 county-level divisions. The number of counties has remained more or less constant since the Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220). The county remains one of the oldest levels of government in China and significantly predates the establishment of provinces in the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368). The county government was particularly important in imperial China because this was the lowest layer at which the imperial government functioned. The head of a county during imperial times was the magistrate.
China proper
The Ming Dynasty was the last Han Chinese dynasty and second-last imperial dynasty to rule China. It governed fifteen administrative entities, which included thirteen provinces () and two "directly-governed" areas. After the Manchu-founded Qing Dynasty succeeded the Ming Dynasty, the Qing court decided to continue to use the Ming administrative system to rule over former Ming lands, without applying it to other domains within the Qing Dynasty, namely Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet. The 15 administrative units of the Ming Dynasty underwent minor reforms to become the Eighteen Provinces (, or ) of China proper under the Qing Dynasty. It was these eighteen provinces that early Western sources referred to as China proper.
List of companies of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia. With a population of over 1.404 billion, it is the world's most populous country. The state is governed by the Communist Party of China, and its capital is Beijing. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau), and claims sovereignty over Taiwan. The country's major urban areas include Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Hong Kong. China is a great power and a major regional power within Asia, and has been characterized as a potential superpower.
Administrative divisions of Taiwan
The administrative divisions of Taiwan (officially known as the Republic of China) consist of provinces and special municipalities, with each province subdivided into cities and counties. The provinces were "streamlined" and no longer functional. There are currently 6 special municipalities (Kaohsiung, New Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei, and Taoyuan), 3 cities (Chiayi, Hsinchu, and Keelung), and 13 counties.
Administrative divisions of China
Five cities formally on prefectural level have a special status in regard to planning and budget. They are separately listed in the five-year and annual state plans on the same level as provinces and national ministries, making them economically independent of their provincial government. These cities specifically designated in the state plan () are
The Battle of China
The introductory maps shown in the film show "China" as divided into "China Proper" and four outer provinces, namely "Manchuria", "Mongolia", "Sinkiang" (Xinjiang), and "Tibet". The very concept of a "China Proper"—either presently or historically—remains highly debated. The Japanese puppet state in Manchuria is discussed but never treated as actually separate from China. 
The borders of the outer territories follow the claims of the Republic of China, which means "Manchuria" includes some territory now administered by Russia and the film's "Mongolia" is Greater Mongolia, including the Qing and Republican province of Outer Mongolia (now the independent state of Mongolia) and including Tannu Uriankhai, now administered by Russia. Minor borderlands of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India are also claimed, as well as large areas of the Tajik province of Gorno-Badakhshan, the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, and the Burmese state of Kachin.
History of the administrative divisions of China before 1912
Emperor Taizong (r. 626−649) set up 10 "circuits" (道, "dào") in 627 as inspection areas for imperial commissioners monitoring the operation of prefectures, rather than a new primary level of administration. In 639, there were 10 circuits, 43 commanderies (都督府, "dūdū fǔ"), and 358 prefectures (州 and later 府, "fǔ"). In 733, Emperor Xuanzong expanded the number of circuits to 15 by establishing separate circuits for the areas around Chang'an and Luoyang, and by splitting the large Shannan and Jiangnan circuits into 2 and 3 new circuits respectively. He also established a system of permanent inspecting commissioners, though without executive powers.