List of autonomous areas by country

Countries with at least one autonomous area

This list of autonomous areas arranged by country gives an overview of autonomous areas of the world. An autonomous area is defined as an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or has freedom from an external authority. It is typical for it to be geographically distant from the country, or to be populated by a national minority. Countries that include autonomous areas are often federacies.^[1] The autonomous areas differ from federal units and independent states in the sense that they, in relation to the majority of other sub-national territories in the same country, enjoys a special status including some legislative powers, within the state (for a detailed list of federated units, see Federated state#List of federal units by federation).^[2]

This list includes areas that are internationally recognized, as well as some that are generally unrecognized.^AB The definition of an autonomous area varies from country to country, so the native term as defined by the respective country's government is listed, and the English translation of the term is included.

Autonomous areas

Created by international treaty

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the treaty and year(s) indicated, if available)	References
China (PRC)	tèbié xíngzhèngqū Special administrative region	Hong Kong (1997)  · Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984[3] Macau (1999)  · Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration of 1987[4]	[5]
Finland	itsehallinnollinen maakunta autonomous province	Åland (1920)  · Treaty of Paris of 1856[6][7]	[8]

Note:

• Svalbard, Norway: Altought it doesn't fit the definition of autonomous area (not possesing partial internal soveriegnty), Svalbard has the sovereigny of Norway limited by the Spitsbergen Treaty of 1920^[9] and therefore is considered as having special status.

Created by internal judge

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year(s) indicated, if available)	References
Antigua and Barbuda	autonomous island	Barbuda
Australia	self-governant territory	Norfolk Island (1979)
Azerbaijan	muxtar respublika autonomous republic	Nakhchivan (1990)	[10]
Chile	territorios especiales special territories	Easter Island (2007)  · Juan Fernández Islands (2007)	[11]
China (PRC)	zìzhìqū autonomous region	Guangxi · Inner Mongolia · Ningxia · Xinjiang · Tibet	[5]
	zìzhìzhōu autonomous prefecture	Linxia Hui · Gannan · Qiandongnan · Qiannan · Qianxinan · Enshi · Xiangxi · Yanbian · Haibei · Hainan · Huangnan · Golog · Gyêgu · Haixi · Ngawa · Garzê · Liangshan · Kizilsu · Bortala · Changji · Bayin'gholin · Ili · Dehong · Nujiang · Dêqên · Dali · Chuxiong · Honghe · Wenshan · Xishuangbanna	[5]
	zìzhìxiàn autonomous county	over 110 (full list)	[5]
	zìzhìqí autonomous banner	Oroqin · Evenki · Morin	[5]
Denmark	Rigsfællesskabet autonomous region	Faroe Islands (1948) · Greenland (1979)	[8]
Fiji	autonomous region (dependency)	Rotuma	[12]
France	sui generis collectivité territoriale territorial collectivity sui generis	Corsica
Georgia	avtonomiuri respublika autonomous republic	Abkhazia (1991) ·  Adjara	[13]
	provisional administrative entity	South Ossetia (2007)	[14]
Greece	Aftonomi Monastiki Politia autonomous region	Mount Athos (1095)	[15]
Indonesia	daerah istimewa special region	Yogyakarta (1945)
	daerah otonomi khusus special autonomous region	Aceh (1999) · Papua (2000) · West Papua (2008)
Iraq	Herema Kurdistan (Kurdish) autonomous region	Kurdistan Region (1970)	[16]
Italy	regione autonoma autonomous region	Aosta Valley (1948) ·  Friuli-Venezia Giulia ·  Sardinia ·  Sicily ·  Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol	[8]
Mauritius	English-speaking country autonomous province	Rodrigues (1968)	[17]
Moldova	unitate teritorială autonomă autonomous territorial unit	Găgăuzia (1995)  · Transnistria	[8]
Netherlands	autonoom land autonomous country	Aruba (1986) · Netherlands Antilles (1954)
New Zealand	state in free-association	Cook Islands (1975) · Niue (1974)
	self-administering territory	Tokelau (1948)
Nicaragua	regione autónoma autonomous region	Atlántico Norte · Atlántico Sur (1986)	[18]
Pakistan	Islami-Jamhouriyat-e-Kashmir autonomous state by region	Azad Kashmir	[19]
	Autonomous Administrative Region	Gilgit-Baltistan Autonomous Region	[20]
Panama	comarca autonomous territory	Emberá · Kuna de Madugandí · Kuna de Wargandí · Kuna Yala · Ngöbe-Buglé	[21]
Papua New Guinea	English-speaking country autonomous region	Bougainville (2000)	[22]
Philippines	autonomiyang rehiyon autonomous region	Muslim Mindanao (1989)	[23]
Portugal	região autónoma autonomous region	Azores · Madeira (1976)	[8]
Russia	respublika republic	Adygea ·  Altai Republic ·  Bashkortostan ·  Buryatia ·  Chechnya ·  Chuvashia ·  Dagestan ·  Ingushetia ·  Kabardino-Balkaria ·  Kalmykia ·  Karachay-Cherkessia ·  Karelia ·  Khakassia ·  Komi ·  Mari El ·  Mordovia ·  North Ossetia-Alania ·  Sakha Republic ·  Tatarstan ·  Tuva ·  Udmurtia	[8]
	avtonomnaya oblast autonomous province	Jewish Autonomous Oblast	[8]
	avtonomny okrug autonomous subject-level district	Chukotka · Khanty-Mansi · Nenets · Yamalo-Nenets	[8]
Saint Kitts and Nevis	island	Nevis	[24]
São Tomé & Príncipe	concelho province	Príncipe	[25]
Serbia	Autonomna Pokrajina autonomous province	Kosovo and MetohijaB · Vojvodina (1945)	[26]
South Korea	teukbyeol jachido autonomous province	Jeju-do (2006)	[27]
Sudan	English-speaking country autonomous region	Southern Sudan (2005)  · Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (2007)	[28]
Tajikistan	viloyat mukhtor autonomous province	Gorno-Badakhshan (1925)	[29]
Tanzania	Serikali Mapinduzi revolutionary government	Zanzibar (1964)	[30]
Trinidad and Tobago	autonomous island	Tobago
Ukraine	avtonomna respublika autonomous republic	Crimea (1992)	[8]
United Kingdom	constituent countries with devolution	Northern Ireland (1998) ·  Scotland (1999) ·  Wales (1999)	[8]
	English regions with devolution	London (2000)	[8]
	crown dependency	Guernsey  ·  Isle of Man ·  Jersey	[8]
Uzbekistan	Respublika Autonomous Republic	Karakalpakstan

Other entities called "autonomous"

A number of entities are also officially called "autonomous", though they do not have an exceptional freedom from external authority, and would not fall under the definition of autonomous area. They are listed here for clarity.

Capitals called "autonomous"

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available)	References
Argentina	ciudad autónoma autonomous city	Buenos Aires (1994)	[31]
Cambodia	krong autonomous municipality	Phnom Penh, along with independent cities under the same classification	[32]
Central African Republic	commune autonome autonomous commune	Bangui	[33]
Guinea-Bissau	sector autónomo autonomous sector	Bissau Region	[34]
Indonesia	daerah khusus ibukota special capital region	Jakarta	[35]
Uzbekistan	shahar autonomous city	Tashkent (1918)	[36]

All regions called "autonomous"

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available)	References
Bolivia	Departamento Department	Beni (2006)  · Pando (2006)  · Santa Cruz (2006)  · Tarija (2006)  · La Paz (2009)  · Cochabamba (2009)  · Chuquisaca (2009) · Oruro (2009) · Potosi (2009)	[37]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Entitet Entity	Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1994)  ·  Republika Srpska (1992)	[38]
Comoros	Ile Autonome autonomous island	Anjouan · Grande Comore · Mohéli (2002)	[39]
Spain	Comunidad(es) Autónoma(s) Autonomous community/ies	Andalusia ·  Aragon ·  Asturias ·  Balearic Islands · Basque Country ·  Canary Islands ·  Cantabria ·  Castile-La Mancha ·  Castile and León ·  Catalonia ·  Extremadura ·  Galicia ·  La Rioja ·  Madrid ·  Murcia ·  Navarre ·  Valencian Community	[8]
	Ciudades Autónomas Autonomous cities	Ceuta ·  Melilla (1995)	[8]
Tokelau	English-speaking country autonomous community	Atafu · Fakaofo · Nukunonu	[40]

Sub-regional "autonomous" entities

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available)	References
India	zilla autonomous district	Bodoland · Chakma · Garo Hills · Gorkha Hills · Jaintia Hills · Karbi Anglong · Kargil · Khasi Hills · Lai · Leh · Mara · North Cachar · Tripura Tribal Areas	[41]
Italy	Provincia autonoma autonomous province	Bolzano-Bozen · Trento

Independent cities called "autonomous"

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available)	References
Cambodia	krong autonomous municipality	Phnom Penh · Sihanoukville · Pailin · Kep	[32]

See also

• Autonomous area
• List of sovereign states
• List of dependent territories
• List of autonomous regions leaders
• List of capitals serving as administrative divisions by country
• Table of administrative country subdivisions by country
• Federated state

Notes

• ^ For example: "China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". United Nations. http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=China,%20Hong%20Kong%20Special%20Administrative%20Region. Retrieved 2008-02-25. 
• ^ See International reaction to the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence for states that do and do not recognize the newly formed protectorate of the Republic of Kosovo.

References