Political divisions of China

Due to China's large population and area, the political divisions of China have always consisted of several levels since ancient times. The constitution of the People's Republic of China provides for three de jure levels of government. Currently, however, there are five practical (de facto) levels of local government in mainland China: the province, prefecture, county, township, and village. The Republic of China on Taiwan uses a slightly different system, with streamlined provinces and no prefectures. (see Political divisions of the Republic of China for more details)

Related Topics:
Political division - China - People's Republic of China - De jure - De facto - Mainland China - Republic of China - Taiwan - Political divisions of the Republic of China

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The provinces serve an important cultural role in China. People tend to be identified in terms of their native provinces, and each province has a stereotype that corresponds to their inhabitants. Most of the provinces of China have boundaries which were established in the late Ming Dynasty. Major changes since then have been the reorganization of provinces in the Northeast after the Communist takeover of mainland China in 1949 and the establishment of autonomous regions which are based on Soviet nationality theory.

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