Province (China)

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Province (China)

A province, in the context of China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, is a translation of sheng , which is an administrative division. Together with municipalities

Direct-controlled municipality

Direct-controlled municipality is the highest level classificiation for cities used by China governments, with status equal to that of the provinces of Chinas....
, autonomous regions

Autonomous regions of China

An autonomous region is a first-level administrative subdivision of People's Republic of China. Like Province , an autonomous region has its own local government, but an autonomous region theoretically has more legislative rights....
, and the special administrative regions, provinces make up the first level (known as the province level) of administrative division in China

China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
. Provinces are also the first level division of the Republic of China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
, commonly called "Taiwan", though this role has been diminished.

The People's Republic of China (PRC)

People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
currently controls 22 provinces.

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Encyclopedia

Direct-controlled municipality

Direct-controlled municipality is the highest level classificiation for cities used by China governments, with status equal to that of the provinces of Chinas....
, autonomous regions

Autonomous regions of China

China

Republic of China

People's Republic of China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
controls Taiwan, as well as some offshore islands including Kinmen

Kinmen

Kinmen , located at , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China government: Greater Kinmen , Lesser Kinmen , and some islets....
and Matsu

Matsu

Matsu may refer to:* Matsu Islands, islands of the Republic of China* Matsu , a sea goddess in Chinese folk religion* Matsu, a book by Osamu Dazai...
, very near to Fujian

Fujian

is one of the Province of China on the southeast coast of People's Republic of China. Fujian borders Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south....
province.

In the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and the ruling party of the People's Republic of China and the world's largest political party....
provincial committee, headed by a secretary. The committee secretary is first-in-charge of the province, rather than the governor of the provincial government.

Facts about the provinces

Until the Republic of China
Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
administration, Hebei
Hebei

For the people of Hebei, see Hebei people is a North China province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province , a Han Dynasty province that included southern Hebei....
was known as "Zhili", or "directly-ruled".
Guangxi
Guangxi

This article is about a region of China. For the sociological concept, see Guanxi.Guangxi is a Zhuang people autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China....
was made an autonomous region under the PRC government in 1958. Before then, it was a province like any other.
The largest province by area is Qinghai
Qinghai

is a provinces of China of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. It borders Gansu on the northeast, the Xinjiang on the northwest, Sichuan on the southeast, and Tibet Autonomous Region on the southwest....
, which also has the smallest population of just over 5.3 million, although Xinjiang and Tibetan "autonomous regions", effectively provinces, are larger.
Eight of the provinces of the People's Republic of China have a sea coast. The remaining 14 are land-locked.
Guangdong
Guangdong

Guangdong is a political divisions of China on the southern coast of People's Republic of China. The province is also known by an alternative English language name, the Canton Province....
, Shandong
Shandong

For the people of Shandong, see Shandong people is a coastal political divisions of China of eastern People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is 'Lu', after the state of Lu that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
and Liaoning
Liaoning

is a Northeast China political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is Liao ."Li?o" is an ancient name for this region, which was adopted by the Liao Dynasty which ruled this area between 907 and 1125....
all have a major peninsula
Peninsula

A peninsula is a piece of Landform that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paeninsula : paene, almost + insula, island....
.
Guangdong is the only province bordering the only two Special Administrative Region
Special administrative region

A special administrative region, or SAR may be:People's Republic of China* Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, self-governing subnational entity in Hong Kong and Macau ...
s of China.
Separated from Guangdong and established in 1988, Hainan
Hainan

Hainan is the smallest Provinces of China of the People's Republic of China. Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, all but three percent of its land mass is on Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name....
is the youngest province of China.
The Municipality of Chongqing
Chongqing

Chongqing is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China's four provinces of China-level municipality of China, and the only one in the less densely populated western region of China....
was carved out of Sichuan
Sichuan

is a Province in western China proper with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, ?? , is an abbreviation of ??? , or "Four circuit #Circuits in East Asia of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from ???? , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Song...
province on June 12, 1997.

Map and list

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

align=center style="background:#BFD7FF"| **Map of provinces divisions in the People's Republic of China**

align=center style="background:#BFD7FF"| **Province of the People's Republic of China**
Map #	Name	Pinyin Pinyin Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most commonly used Romanization system for Standard Mandarin. Hanyu is the Chinese Language, and pinyin means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or "spelled sound"....	Postal map	Abb.¹	Area²	Capital	Region	ISO ISO 3166-2:CN ISO 3166-2:CN is an International Organization for Standardization standard which defines geocodes: it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the People's Republic of China....	Admin. Division
1	Heilongjiang Heilongjiang is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Northeast China part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Chinese dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur river....	Heilóngjiang	Heilungkiang		454,000	Harbin Harbin is a sub-provincial city and the Capital of the Heilongjiang in Northeast China. It lies on the southern bank of the Songhua River. Harbin is ranked as the tenth largest city in China, serving as a key political, economic, scientific, cultural and communications center of Northeastern China....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	CN-23	List List of administrative divisions of Heilongjiang Heilongjiang, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 13 prefecture-level divisions...
2	Jilin Jilin , is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Northeast China part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west....	Jílín	Kirin		187,400	Changchun Changchun Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin Provinces of China, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the centre of the Songliao Plain....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	CN-22	List List of administrative divisions of Jilin Jilin, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 9 prefecture-level divisions...
3	Liaoning Liaoning is a Northeast China political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is Liao ."Li?o" is an ancient name for this region, which was adopted by the Liao Dynasty which ruled this area between 907 and 1125....	Liáoníng	Fengtien		145,900	Shenyang Shenyang Shenyang , or Mukden , is a sub-provincial city and capital city of Liaoning Provinces of China in Northeast China.Along with its nearby cities, Shenyang is an important industrial center in China, and the transportation and commercial centre of China's northeastern region....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	CN-21	List List of administrative divisions of Liaoning Liaoning, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of political divisions of China:...
4	Qinghai Qinghai is a provinces of China of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake. It borders Gansu on the northeast, the Xinjiang on the northwest, Sichuan on the southeast, and Tibet Autonomous Region on the southwest....	Qinghai	Tsinghai		721,200	Xining Xining Xining in Chinese or Silung in Tibetan is the Capital of Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China....	Northwest	CN-63	List List of administrative divisions of Qinghai Qinghai, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 8 prefecture-level divisions...
5	Gansu Gansu or , is a political divisions of China located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It lies between Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and the Loess Plateau, and borders Mongolia to the north and Xinjiang to the west....	Gansù	Kansu	or long	454,300	Lanzhou Lanzhou Lanzhou is a prefecture-level city and capital of Gansu Province of China in northwestern China....	Northwest	CN-62	List List of administrative divisions of Gansu Gansu, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 14 prefecture-level divisions...
6	Shaanxi Shaanxi is a north-central political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China, and includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River as well as the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of the province....	Shanxi	Shensi	or qín	205,600	Xi'an Xi'an Xi'an , is the Capital of the Shaanxi Provinces of China in the People's Republic of China and a sub-provincial city. As one of the oldest cities in Chinese history, Xi'an is one of the Historical capitals of China because it has been the capital of some of the most important Dynasties in Chinese history in Chinese history, including the Zh...	Northwest	CN-61	List List of administrative divisions of Shaanxi Shaanxi, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 10 prefecture-level divisions...
7	Shanxi Shanxi is a political divisions of China in the North China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-character abbreviation is Jin , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....	Shanxi	Shansi		156,300	Taiyuan Taiyuan Taiyuan is a prefecture-level city and the capital of Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. In 2004, the city had a population of 3.4 million....	North North China Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain.It is defined by the People's Republic of China to include the Municipality of China of Beijing and Tianjin, the Provinces of China of Hebei and Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia....	CN-14	List List of administrative divisions of Shanxi Shanxi, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of prefecture-level divisions, which are divided into county-level divisions, which are then divided into township-level divisions....
8	Hebei Hebei For the people of Hebei, see Hebei people is a North China province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province , a Han Dynasty province that included southern Hebei....	Hébei	Hopeh		187,700	Shijiazhuang Shijiazhuang Shijiazhuang is a prefecture-level city and the Capital of Hebei Province of China, China. It is about 320 km south of Beijing.Shijiazhuang is a newly industrialized city....	North North China Northern China or North China is a geographical region of China. The heartland of North China is the North China Plain.It is defined by the People's Republic of China to include the Municipality of China of Beijing and Tianjin, the Provinces of China of Hebei and Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia....	CN-13	List List of administrative divisions of Hebei The political divisions of China of Hebei, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, consists of prefecture-level divisions subdivided into county-level divisions then subdivided into township-level divisions....
9	Sichuan Sichuan is a Province in western China proper with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, ?? , is an abbreviation of ??? , or "Four circuit #Circuits in East Asia of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from ???? , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Song...	Sìchuan	Szechuan	or shu	485,000	Chengdu Chengdu Chengdu , located in southwest People's Republic of China, is the capital of Sichuan provinces of China and a sub-provincial city. Chengdu is also one of the most important economic centers and transportation and communication hubs in Southwestern China....	Southwest Southwest China Southwest China is a region of People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality of Chongqing; provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou; and the Tibet Autonomous Region....	CN-51	List List of administrative divisions of Sichuan Sichuan, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 21 prefecture-level divisions...
10	Hubei Hubei is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....	Húbei	Hupeh		185,900	Wuhan Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. It lies at the east of Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and Han River ....	South Central South Central China South Central China is a region of People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, and the Guangxi, but exclude 2 Special administrative regions: Hong Kong and Macau....	CN-42	List List of administrative divisions of Hubei The political divisions of China of Hubei, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, consists of prefecture-level divisions subdivided into county-level divisions then subdivided into township-level divisions....
11	Henan Henan Henan , is a Province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is ? , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty province that included parts of Henan....	Hénán	Honan		167,000	Zhengzhou Zhengzhou Zhengzhou , formerly called Zhengxian is a prefecture-level city, and the capital of Henan Province , People's Republic of China....	South Central South Central China South Central China is a region of People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, and the Guangxi, but exclude 2 Special administrative regions: Hong Kong and Macau....	CN-41	List List of administrative divisions of Henan The political divisions of China of Henan, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, consists of prefecture-level divisions subdivided into county-level divisions then subdivided into township-level divisions....
12	Shandong Shandong For the people of Shandong, see Shandong people is a coastal political divisions of China of eastern People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is 'Lu', after the state of Lu that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....	Shandong	Shantung		153,800	Jinan Jinan Jinan is a sub-provincial city and the capital of Shandong Provinces of China, People's Republic of China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilization and has evolved into an important administrative, economic, and transportation hub....	East East China East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include the Provinces of China of Anhui, parts of...	CN-37	List List of administrative divisions of Shandong Shandong, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 17 prefecture-level divisions...
13	Anhui Anhui Anhui is a province of China of the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny section in the north....	Anhui	Anhwei		139,700	Hefei Hefei Hefei is a prefecture-level city and the capital of Anhui province of China, People's Republic of China. Located in central Anhui, it borders Huainan to the north, Chuzhou to the northeast, Chaohu to the southeast and Lu'an to the west....	East East China East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include the Provinces of China of Anhui, parts of...	CN-34	List List of administrative divisions of Anhui Anhui, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of political divisions of China:* 17 prefecture-level divisions...
14	Jiangsu Jiangsu is a Province of China of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou....	Jiangsu	Kiangsu		102,600	Nanjing Nanjing is the capital city of China's Jiangsu province of China, and a city with a prominent place in Chinese history and Chinese culture. Nanjing served as the capital of China during several historical periods and is listed as one of the Historical capitals of China....	East East China East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include the Provinces of China of Anhui, parts of...	CN-32	List List of administrative divisions of Jiangsu Jiangsu, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of political divisions of China:...
15	Yunnan Yunnan is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately 394,000 square kilometers ....	Yúnnán	Yunnan	or yún	394,000	Kunming Kunming Kunming is a prefecture-level city and capital of Yunnan province, in southwestern China. Because of its year-round temperate climate, Kunming is often called the "Spring City" or "City of Eternal Spring" ....	Southwest Southwest China Southwest China is a region of People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality of Chongqing; provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou; and the Tibet Autonomous Region....	CN-53	List List of administrative divisions of Yunnan Yunnan, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 16 prefecture-level divisions...
16	Guizhou Guizhou is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Southwest China of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang....	Gùizhou	Kweichow	or gùi	176,000	Guiyang Guiyang Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou Province, the People's Republic of China.Guiyang is located in central Guizhou province, situated on the east of the Yungui Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wujiang River....	Southwest Southwest China Southwest China is a region of People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality of Chongqing; provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou; and the Tibet Autonomous Region....	CN-52	List List of administrative divisions of Guizhou Guizhou, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 9 prefecture-level divisions...
17	Hunan Hunan is a province of China of People's Republic of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting . Hunan is sometimes called wikt:? for short, after the Xiang River which runs through the province....	Húnán	Hunan		210,000	Changsha Changsha Changsha is the capital city of Hunan, a province of south-central China, located on the lower reaches of Xiang river, a branch of the Yangtze River....	South Central South Central China South Central China is a region of People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, and the Guangxi, but exclude 2 Special administrative regions: Hong Kong and Macau....	CN-43	List List of administrative divisions of Hunan The political divisions of China of Hunan, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, consists of prefecture-level divisions subdivided into county-level divisions then subdivided into township-level divisions....
18	Jiangxi Jiangxi is a southern province of China of the People's Republic of China, spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south....	Jiangxi	Kiangsi		167,000	Nanchang Nanchang Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. Nanchang is famous for its scenic lakes, mountains, rich history and cultural sites.In June 2006, Nanchang is appraised as World Top Ten Dynamic Cities by US News Weekly....	East East China East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include the Provinces of China of Anhui, parts of...	CN-36	List List of administrative divisions of Jiangxi Jiangxi, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of political divisions of China:...
19	Zhejiang Zhejiang Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of China of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital....	Zhèjiang	Chekiang		102,000	Hangzhou Hangzhou is a sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People's Republic of China, and the capital of Zhejiang Provinces of China....	East East China East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include the Provinces of China of Anhui, parts of...	CN-33	List List of administrative divisions of Zhejiang Zhejiang, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following three levels of political divisions of China:...
20	Hainan Hainan Hainan is the smallest Provinces of China of the People's Republic of China. Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, all but three percent of its land mass is on Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name....	Hainán	Hainan		34,000	Haikou Haikou Haikou , situated at the north of Hainan island, is the Capital of Hainan Province of the People's Republic of China and has an estimated population of 830,192 , therefore by far the largest city on the island....	South Central South Central China South Central China is a region of People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, and the Guangxi, but exclude 2 Special administrative regions: Hong Kong and Macau....	CN-46	List List of administrative divisions of Hainan Hainan Province 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....
21	Guangdong Guangdong Guangdong is a political divisions of China on the southern coast of People's Republic of China. The province is also known by an alternative English language name, the Canton Province....	Guangdong	Kwangtung		180,000	Guangzhou Guangzhou 'Guangzhou' is the Capital and a sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province of China in the northern and southern China part of the People's Republic of China....	South Central South Central China South Central China is a region of People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, and the Guangxi, but exclude 2 Special administrative regions: Hong Kong and Macau....	CN-44	List List of administrative divisions of Guangdong Guangdong, a province of China of the People's Republic of China, is made up of the following political divisions of China:* 21 prefecture-level divisions...
22	Fujian Fujian is one of the Province of China on the southeast coast of People's Republic of China. Fujian borders Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south....	Fújiàn	Fukien		121,300	Fuzhou Fuzhou is the capital and the largest prefecture-level city of Fujian Provinces of China, People's Republic of China. It is also referred to as Rongcheng which means "city of banyan trees" and Mindong ...	East East China East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include the Provinces of China of Anhui, parts of...	CN-35	List List of administrative divisions of Fujian Fujian is a province of China of China, with the vast majority administered by the People's Republic of China , and the offshore islands of Quemoy and Matsu Islands administered by the Republic of China on Taiwan....
23	Taiwan †	Táiwan	Taiwan		35,581	Taipei Taipei Taipei has been the de facto capital of the Republic of China, commonly known as Taiwan, since the Chinese Civil War in 1949, and the capital of Taiwan since Japanese rule that began in 1895....	East East China East China is a geographical and a loosely-defined cultural region that covers the eastern coastal area of China.Although an intangible and loosely defined concept, for administrative and governmental purposes, the region is defined by the government of the People's Republic of China to include the Provinces of China of Anhui, parts of...	CN-71	List

Notes:

¹: Abbreviation for each Province level region

²: in km²

†: Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
. The Republic of China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
currently controls this area, which consists of Taiwan island and the Pescadores

Pescadores

The Penghu islands are an archipelago off the western coast of Taiwan in the Taiwan Strait consisting of 90 small islands and islets covering an area of 141 square kilometers....
. The ROC also controls one county of Fujian

Fujian

is one of the Province of China on the southeast coast of People's Republic of China. Fujian borders Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south....
(or Fukien) province: Jinmen (Kinmen); and part of a second county: Lienchiang.

History

The provinces of China were first set up during the Yuan Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was both the continuation of the Mongol Empire and the Mongol founded historical state in Mongolia and China, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368....
. There were initially 10 provinces. By the time the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, followed the Ming Dynasty in History of China, and was the last ruling Chinese Dynasties of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 ....
was established, there were 18, all of which were in China proper

China proper

China proper refers to the historical lands of China where the Han Chinese are the majority ethnic group, in contrast with other regions that form parts of the former Imperial era of Chinese historys and the current People's Republic of China....
. These were:

Anhui
Anhui

Anhui is a province of China of the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny section in the north....
Fujian
Fujian

is one of the Province of China on the southeast coast of People's Republic of China. Fujian borders Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south....
Gansu
Gansu

or , is a political divisions of China located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It lies between Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and the Loess Plateau, and borders Mongolia to the north and Xinjiang to the west....
Guangdong
Guangdong

Guangdong is a political divisions of China on the southern coast of People's Republic of China. The province is also known by an alternative English language name, the Canton Province....
Guangxi
Guangxi

This article is about a region of China. For the sociological concept, see Guanxi.Guangxi is a Zhuang people autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China....
Guizhou
Guizhou

is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Southwest China of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang....
Henan
Henan

Henan , is a Province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is ? , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty province that included parts of Henan....
Hubei
Hubei

is a central province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is ? , an ancient name associated with the eastern part of the province since the Qin Dynasty....
Hunan
Hunan

is a province of China of People's Republic of China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting . Hunan is sometimes called wikt:? for short, after the Xiang River which runs through the province....

Jiangsu

is a Province of China of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou....

Jiangxi

is a southern province of China of the People's Republic of China, spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south....

Shaanxi

is a north-central political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China, and includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River as well as the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of the province....

Shandong

For the people of Shandong, see Shandong people is a coastal political divisions of China of eastern People's Republic of China. Its abbreviation is 'Lu', after the state of Lu that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....

Shanxi

is a political divisions of China in the North China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-character abbreviation is Jin , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....

Sichuan

is a Province in western China proper with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, ?? , is an abbreviation of ??? , or "Four circuit #Circuits in East Asia of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from ???? , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Song...

Yunnan

is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately 394,000 square kilometers ....

Zhejiang

Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of China of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital....

Zhili

For every province, there was a xunfu, a political overseer on behalf of the emperor, and a tidu, a military governor. In addition, there was a zongdu
Zongdu

Zongdu, usually translated as Governor-General or Viceroy, governed one or more province of China of Qing-dynasty China. One of the most important was the Viceroy of Zhili, since it emcompassed the imperial capital....
, a general military inspector or governor general, for every two to three provinces.

Outer regions of China (those beyond China proper

China proper

Manchuria

Manchuria is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria either falls entirely within People's Republic of China, or is divided between China and Russia....
(consisting of Fengtian (now Liaoning

Liaoning

is a Northeast China political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is Liao ."Li?o" is an ancient name for this region, which was adopted by the Liao Dynasty which ruled this area between 907 and 1125....
), Jilin

Jilin

, is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Northeast China part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west....
, Heilongjiang

Heilongjiang

is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Northeast China part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Chinese dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur river....
), Xinjiang

Xinjiang

Xinjiang is an autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China. It is a large, sparsely populated area, spanning over 1.6 million sq....
, and Mongolia

Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia and Central Asia. It borders Russia to the north and People's Republic of China to the south, east and west....
were overseen by military leaders or general

General

A General officer is an Officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general....
s and vice-dutong, and civilian leaders were heads of the leagues, a subdivision of Mongolia

Mongolia

Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia and Central Asia. It borders Russia to the north and People's Republic of China to the south, east and west....
. Tibet

Tibet

Tibet is a Tibetan Plateau in Asia, north of the Himalayas, and the home to the indigenous Tibetan people and its related ethnic groups. With an average elevation of 4,900 metres , it is the highest region on Earth and has in recent decades increasingly been referred to as the "Roof of the World"....
was administratively overseen by the amban
Amban

Amban is a Manchu language word meaning "high official," which corresponds to a number of different Qing#Bureaucracy in the Qing dynasty imperial government....
s.

In 1878, Xinjiang

Xinjiang

Xinjiang is an autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China. It is a large, sparsely populated area, spanning over 1.6 million sq....
became a province, in 1909, Fengtian

Liaoning

Jilin

Heilongjiang

Taiwan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
in 1895. As a result, there were 22 provinces in China (Outer China and China proper

China proper

Qing Dynasty

Republic of China

The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
, established in 1912, set up 4 more provinces in Inner Mongolia

Inner Mongolia

Inner Mongolia is the Mongols autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the country's north.Inner Mongolia borders, from east to west, the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu, while to the north it borders Mongolia and Russia....
and 2 provinces in historic Tibet, bringing the total to 28. 4 provinces were however lost with the establishment of the Japanese puppet state

Puppet state

The term puppet state describes a nominal sovereignty controlled effectively by a foreign power.. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette....
of Manchukuo

Manchukuo

Manchukuo was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia. The region was the Qing Dynasty's historical homeland, created by former Qing Dynasty officials with help from Imperial Japan in 1932....
in Manchuria

Manchuria

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, Manchuria was reincorporated as 10 provinces, and control of Taiwan was assumed by the Republic of China. As a result, the Republic of China had 35 provinces. Although the Republic of China now only controls one province (Taiwan

Taiwan Province

Taiwan Province is one of the two Administrative divisions of the Republic of China referred to as province of China and governed by the Republic of China....
) and some islands of a second province (Fujian

Fujian

is one of the Province of China on the southeast coast of People's Republic of China. Fujian borders Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south....
), it continues to formally claim all 35 provinces.

List of defunct provinces

Name	Pinyin Pinyin Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most commonly used Romanization system for Standard Mandarin. Hanyu is the Chinese Language, and pinyin means "phonetics", or more literally, "spelling sound" or "spelled sound"....	Postal map	Area (km²)	Capital	Region	Present Annexation
Andong Andong (province) Andong, also known as Antung , was a former province in Northeast China, located in what was once part of Liaoning and Jilin provinces. It was bordered on the southeast by the Yalu River, which separated it from Korea....	Andong	Antung	62,279	Tonghua Tonghua Tonghua is a prefecture-level city in the People's Republic of China province Jilin.Tonghua is an industrial city in the south of Jilin Province in the People's Republic of China....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	Liaoning Liaoning is a Northeast China political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is Liao ."Li?o" is an ancient name for this region, which was adopted by the Liao Dynasty which ruled this area between 907 and 1125.... , Jilin Jilin , is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Northeast China part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west....
Chahar Chahar (province) Chahar , also known as Chaha'er, Chakhar, or Qahar, was a provinces of China of China in existence from 1912 to 1936, mostly covering the territory of what is now Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region....	Cháhar	Chahar	278,957	Zhangjiakou Zhangjiakou Zhangjiakou is a prefecture-level city in Hebei Province of North China. It has a population of 4.3 million, and covers 36,947 square kilometers....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia is the Mongols autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the country's north.Inner Mongolia borders, from east to west, the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu, while to the north it borders Mongolia and Russia.... , Hebei Hebei For the people of Hebei, see Hebei people is a North China province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province , a Han Dynasty province that included southern Hebei....
Hejiang Hejiang Hejiang, also known as Hokiang, was a province in Northeast China, which was established in 1945. It was c.52,300 sq mi in size and the provincial capital was Jiamusi....	Héjiang	Hokiang	135,406	Jiamusi Jiamusi Jiamusi is a prefecture-level city in the province of Heilongjiang, in the People's Republic of China, located on the riverside of the middle and lower reaches of the Songhua River....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	Heilongjiang Heilongjiang is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Northeast China part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Chinese dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur river....
Liaobei Liaobei Liaobei also known as Liaopeh was a province in Manchuria, in what is now the People's Republic of China. It mostly covers the territory of what is now Inner Mongolia....	Liáobei	Liaopeh	121,624	Liaoyuan Liaoyuan Liaoyuan is a prefecture-level city located in Jilin province, People's Republic of China. Liaoyuan city lies some 120 km south-west of Changchun, the capital of Jilin province, and has an population of 1,267,033 and 462,233 ....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	Liaoning Liaoning is a Northeast China political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is Liao ."Li?o" is an ancient name for this region, which was adopted by the Liao Dynasty which ruled this area between 907 and 1125.... , Jilin Jilin , is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Northeast China part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west.... , Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia is the Mongols autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the country's north.Inner Mongolia borders, from east to west, the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu, while to the north it borders Mongolia and Russia....
Nenjiang Nenjiang (province) Nenjiang, also known as Nunkiang, was a province Northeast China, which was established in 1945. It was c.26,000 sq mi/67,340 km? large and the provincial capital was Qiqihar....	Nènjiang	Nunkiang	67,034	Qiqihar Qiqihar Qiqihar is a major city in the Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. It has 895,000 inhabitants. These are mainly Han Chinese and the resident minorities are, among others, Manchu, Daur, and Mongolians....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	Heilongjiang Heilongjiang is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Northeast China part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Chinese dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur river....
Rehe Rehe Rehe , also known as Jehol, is a defunct China provinces of China ....	Rèhé	Jehol	179,982	Chengde Chengde Chengde is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, People's Republic of China, situated northeast of Beijing. It is best known as the site of the Chengde Mountain Resort, a vast imperial garden formerly used by the emperors of the Qing Dynasty....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	Hebei Hebei For the people of Hebei, see Hebei people is a North China province of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province , a Han Dynasty province that included southern Hebei.... , Liaoning Liaoning is a Northeast China political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China. Its one-Chinese character abbreviation is Liao ."Li?o" is an ancient name for this region, which was adopted by the Liao Dynasty which ruled this area between 907 and 1125.... , Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia is the Mongols autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the country's north.Inner Mongolia borders, from east to west, the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu, while to the north it borders Mongolia and Russia....
Songjiang	Songjiang	Sungkiang	84,559	Mudanjiang Mudanjiang Mudanjiang is prefecture-level city in Heilongjiang province of the People's Republic of China. Mudanjiang is the seat of Mudanjiang prefecture....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	Heilongjiang Heilongjiang is a political divisions of China of the People's Republic of China located in the Northeast China part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Chinese dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur river....
Suiyuan Suiyuan Su?yuan was a historical province of China. Suiyuan's Capital was Guisui . The abbreviation was ? . The area Suiyuan covered is approximated today by the prefecture-level cities of Hohhot, Baotou, Wuhai, Ordos City, Bayan Nur, and parts of Ulaan Chab, all part of Inner Mongolia....	Suíyuan	Suiyuan	329,397	Guisui (Hohhot) Hohhot Hohhot , sometimes spelled Huhehot or Huhhot, is a city in North-central China and the Capital of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, serving as the region's administrative, economic, and cultural centre....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia is the Mongols autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the country's north.Inner Mongolia borders, from east to west, the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu, while to the north it borders Mongolia and Russia....
Xikang Xikang Xikang or Sikang , is a defunct province of the Republic of China , comprising most of the Kham region of traditional Tibet, where Khampas, a subgroup of the Tibetan ethnicity, live....	Xikang	Sikang	451,521	Kangding	Southwest Southwest China Southwest China is a region of People's Republic of China defined by governmental bureaus that includes the municipality of Chongqing; provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou; and the Tibet Autonomous Region....	Tibet Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region , also called Xizang Autonomous Region , is a Province -level Autonomous regions of China of the People's Republic of China .... , Sichuan Sichuan is a Province in western China proper with its capital in Chengdu. The current name of the province, ?? , is an abbreviation of ??? , or "Four circuit #Circuits in East Asia of rivers", which is itself abbreviated from ???? , or "Four circuits of rivers and gorges", named after the division of the existing circuit into four during the Song...
Xing'an Xing'an Hsingan or Xing'an sheng ; Simplified Chinese: refers to a former province, which once occupied western Heilongjiang and part of northwest Liaoning provinces of China....	Xing'an	Hsingan	278,437	Hailar Hailar, Inner Mongolia Hailar District is an urban District which serves as the seat of the prefecture-level city Hulunbuir in northeastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China....	Northeast Northeast China Northeast China is a geographical region of China. It is separated from Russia largely by the Amur, Argun, and Ussuri rivers, from North Korea by the Yalu River and Tumen River, and from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region by the Greater Khingan Range....	Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia is the Mongols autonomous region of China of the People's Republic of China, located in the country's north.Inner Mongolia borders, from east to west, the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu, while to the north it borders Mongolia and Russia....

The People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

Autonomous regions of China

Hainan

Hainan is the smallest Provinces of China of the People's Republic of China. Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, all but three percent of its land mass is on Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name....
was set up as a separate province in 1988, bringing the total number of provinces under its control to 22.

Province (China)

Facts about the provinces

Map and list

History

List of defunct provinces

External links

See also