Prefecture-level divisions of China

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Prefecture-level division 地级行政区 Dì Jí Xíngzhèngqū
Category	Second level administrative division of a unitary state
Location	China
Number	339 prefecture-level divisions including 6 in Taiwan Province[a]
Populations	444 (Sansha) – 14,047,625 (Chengdu)
Areas	13 km2 (5.0 sq mi) (Sansha) – 472,472 km2 (182,422 sq mi) (Bayingolin)
Government	Various, provincial government, central government
Subdivisions	Counties

China is officially divided into 339 prefecture-level divisions, which rank below

• 299 Prefecture-level cities (293 in Mainland China and 6 in the claimed Taiwan Province)^[a]
• 30 Autonomous prefectures
• 7
  Prefectures
• 3 Leagues

Of these, leagues and prefectures are in the process of being abolished and transformed into one of the other two types of prefecture-level divisions.

History

Modern prefectures emerged out of successive attempts by

By far the most common type of prefecture-level division, prefecture-level cities are cities with the right to administer surrounding counties. This arrangement is known as "cities governing counties." Although there have been at least a few prefecture-level cities since the beginning of the PRC, they were relatively uncommon until the 1980s. Since then, hundreds of prefectures have been converted into prefecture-level cities.[5] They are each headed by a People's Government, whose officials are appointed by the province but subject to approval by the local People's Congress.^[6] As with other levels of Chinese government, the People's Congress can adopt local regulations and elects a standing committee to exercise its powers when not in session.^[7]

Prefectures

Until the 1980s, the most common prefecture-level division was the

Leagues are similar to autonomous prefectures but are unique to Inner Mongolia. Their numbers have been declining in recent years as most are converted to prefecture-level cities. Only three leagues remain.^[8][6]

List of prefecture-level divisions

Notes:

• Municipalities (Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, & Tianjin) are not included, but their internal divisions are similar to prefectures.
• Sub-provincial cities are included, but other types of sub-provincial divisions are not.
• The six prefectures of Taiwan Province are not listed.
• * Indicates capital of province.
• Bold: indicates sub-provincial city or above.

See also

• Administrative divisions of China
• Prefecture-level city
• Leagues in China
• Prefectures in China
• Autonomous prefecture

Notes

Sources

Citations

Bibliography

• Government Affairs Division (31 December 2020). National administrative division information query platform (Map) (in Chinese). Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
• Guo, Rongxing (2017). How the Chinese Economy Works (4th Revised ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
• Sun, Caihong (2020). "The Relationship between Central and Local Authorities in China". In Fang, Ning (ed.). China's Political System. Translated by Fu, Yili. Singapore: Springer Nature & Chinese Social Sciences Press. pp. 91–124.
• Goodman, David S.G. (2015). Handbook of the Politics of China. Northampton, Massachusetts: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
• Zhang, Li; LeGates, Richard; Zhao, Min (2016). Understanding China's Urbanization: The Great Demographic, Spatial, Economic, and Social Transformation. Northampton, Massachusetts: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
• Saich, Tony (2015). Governance and Politics of China (Fourth ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Chung, Jae Ho; Lam, Chiu (2010). China's Local Administration: Traditions and Changes in the Sub-National Hierarchy. New York: Routledge.
• Fitzgerald, John (2002). Rethinking China's Provinces. New York: Routledge.