Autonomous prefectures of the People's Republic of China

Autonomous Districts (Chinese自治州, Pinyin zìzhìzhōu ) are administrative units in the People's Republic of China below the provincial level. Currently, there are 30 autonomous prefectures in China (as of 31 December 2012). This number is stable for many years.

After the five autonomous regions ( provincial level ) autonomous districts are the second-highest administrative unit China's regional ethnic autonomy. It is a legal requirement that the district director must be a citizen of the nationality, exercises its autonomy. Autonomous districts are composed at the county level from independent cities, counties and autonomous counties.

Management systems of the district level

In the Administration in China, there are below the provincial level, the district level (地 级). At this level, a distinction prefecture-level cities (地 级 市), counties (地区), frets (盟) and autonomous districts.

Autonomous prefectures and prefecture-level cities are administrative divisions of the first degree, ie they have - such as the parent provinces and sub- circuits - over both chambers of parliament ( People's Congress and Consultative Conference ), as well as a People's Government (人民政府), which is elected by the People's Congress of the city or of the autonomous municipality. Administrative districts and unions, however, are administrative divisions of the second degree, namely " Province of Central authorities ", ie they do not have people's congresses, no Consultative and especially not people's governments. Instead, they have an administrative office (行政公署) as a government. The Office of Administration is used by the parent province or territory government. To take autonomous prefectures and prefecture-level cities have a slightly higher rank than administrative districts and frets. This manifests itself, for example, is that in Xinjiang two administrative districts ( Tacheng and Altay ) an autonomous district ( Ili ) are assumed. In this special case, the government of the autonomous municipality uses the administrative offices of the two government districts.

List of Autonomous Municipalities of China

See: Autonomous administrative units of China