Autonomous region
An autonomous region or autonomous district is a subnational region with special powers of self-rule. Typically an autonomous region contains a national minority which is different from the national majority.
Some countries have several levels of autonomous regions. For example, Russia among its subdivisions has (autonomous) republics, autonomous region (autonomous oblast) and autonomous districts (okrugs).
Nations with autonomous regions include China, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine, and Italy.
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Spain
In the case of Spain, after the drafting of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the first areas to become autonomous communities were highly nationalistic, ethnically distinct ones such as the Basque Country and Catalonia. It was not intended that all Spanish regions should become autonomous communities; however, this is what ended up happening, in what was dubbed café para todos ("coffee for everyone"). However, the more ethnically distinct autonomous communities have more powers than ones that are less so.
Portugal
In Portugal, the two island regions of Azores and Madeira became autonomous regions in 1976 with self-rule by a regional government and a regional legislative assembly. They gain their autonomy because of the great distance from the capital of the country, it is not due to ethnic distinction like in Spain.
China
In the People's Republic of China, there are 5 province-level autonomous regions, as well as 30 autonomous prefectures (such as Yanbian Korean) and 116 autonomous counties.
There are three county level autonomous banners in China, all in Inner Mongolia:
- Oroqen Autonomous Banner (鄂倫春自治旗)
- Evenki Autonomous Banner (鄂溫克族自治旗)
- Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner (莫力達瓦達斡爾族自治旗)
Russia
In Russia, there are three administrative levels of autonomous regions:
References
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Autonomous_region" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_region, used under the GNU Free Documentation License
