A province, in the context of China, is a translation of sheng (), which is an administrative division. Together with municipalities, autonomous regions, and the special administrative regions, provinces make up the first level (known as the province level) of administrative division in China.^[1] Provinces are also the first level division of the Republic of China, commonly called "Taiwan", though this role has been diminished.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) currently controls 22 provinces. The PRC also claims, but does not control, Taiwan as a 23rd province. The Republic of China (ROC) controls Taiwan, as well as some offshore islands including Kinmen and Matsu, very near to Fujian province.

In the People's Republic of China, every province has a Communist Party of China 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 administration, Hebei was known as "Zhili", or "directly-ruled".
• Guangxi 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, 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, Shandong and Liaoning all have a major peninsula.
• Guangdong is the only province bordering the only two Special Administrative Regions of China.
• Separated from Guangdong and established in 1988, Hainan is the youngest province of China.
• The Municipality of Chongqing was carved out of Sichuan 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.

Map of provinces divisions in the People's Republic of China

Notes:

¹: Abbreviation for each Province level region

²: in km²

?: Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China has considered Taiwan Province to be its 23rd province even though it has never controlled any part of Taiwan. The Republic of China currently controls this area, which consists of Taiwan island and the Pescadores. The ROC also controls one county of Fuchien (or Fukien) province: Kinmen; and part of a second county: Lienchiang.

History

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

The provinces of China were first set up during the Yuan Dynasty. There were initially 10 provinces. By the time the Qing Dynasty was established, there were 18, all of which were in China proper. These were:

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 (??), a general military inspector or governor general, for every two to three provinces.

Outer regions of China (those beyond China proper) were not divided into provinces. Manchuria (consisting of Fengtian (now Liaoning), Jilin, Heilongjiang), Xinjiang, and Mongolia were overseen by military leaders or generals (??) and vice-dutong (???), and civilian leaders were heads of the leagues (??), a subdivision of Mongolia. Tibet was administratively overseen by the ambans (????).

In 1878, Xinjiang became a province, in 1909, Fengtian, Jilin, and Heilongjiang were made provinces as well. Taiwan was made a province in 1887, but it was ceded 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.

The Republic of China, established in 1912, set up 4 more provinces in Inner Mongolia and 2 provinces in historic Tibet, bringing the total to 28. 4 provinces were however lost with the establishment of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Manchuria. After the defeat of Japan in World War II, 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) and some islands of a second province (Fujian), it continues to formally claim all 35 provinces.

List of defunct provinces

Name	Chinese (T)	Chinese (S)	Pinyin	Postal map	Area¹	Capital	Region	Present Annexation
Andong			?nd?ng	Antung	62,279	Tonghua	Northeast	Liaoning, Jilin
Chahar			Cháh?r	Chahar	278,957	Zhangjiakou	Northeast	Inner Mongolia, Hebei
Hejiang			Héji?ng	Hokiang	135,406	Jiamusi	Northeast	Heilongjiang
Liaobei			Liáob?i	Liaopeh	121,624	Liaoyuan	Northeast	Liaoning, Jilin, Inner Mongolia
Nenjiang			Nènji?ng	Nunkiang	67,034	Qiqihar	Northeast	Heilongjiang
Rehe			Rèhé	Jehol	179,982	Chengde	Northeast	Hebei, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia
Songjiang			S?ngji?ng	Sungkiang	84,559	Mudanjiang	Northeast	Heilongjiang
Suiyuan			Suíyu?n	Suiyuan	329,397	Guisui (Hohhot)	Northeast	Inner Mongolia
Xikang			X?k?n	Sikang	451,521	Kangding	Southwest	Tibet, Sichuan
Xing'an			X?ng'?n	Hsingan	278,437	Hailar	Northeast	Inner Mongolia

Notes:

¹: in km²

The People's Republic of China abolished many of the provinces in the 1950s and converted a number of them into autonomous regions. Hainan was set up as a separate province in 1988, bringing the total number of provinces under its control to 22.

References

External links

• Interactive China map with province and city guides

See also

• Zhou (country subdivision)
• Chinese federalism
• Taiwan Province
• Tiao-kuai
• List of China administrative divisions by population
• List of China provinces by compass

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