Autonomous prefectures ( zh, c=自治州, p=zìzhìzhōu) are one type of autonomous administrative division in China, existing at the prefectural level, with either

ethnic minorities The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...

forming over 50% of the population or being, most commonly, the historic home of significant minorities. The official name of an autonomous prefecture includes the most significant minority in that region, sometimes two, rarely three. For example, a prefecture with a large number of

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (Kazakh language, Kazakh: , , , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common Culture of Kazakhstan, culture, Kazakh language, language and History of Kazakhstan, history ...

(''Kazak'' in official naming system) may be called a ''Kazak Autonomous Prefecture''. Like all other prefectural level divisions, autonomous prefectures are divided into county level divisions. There is one exception: Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture contains two prefectures of its own. Under the

Constitution of the People's Republic of China The Constitution of the People's Republic of China is the supreme law of the People's Republic of China (PRC). In September 1949, the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference adopted the Common Progr ...

, autonomous prefectures cannot be abolished.

Autonomous administrative divisions

The PRC's autonomous administrative divisions may be found in the first (or top) to third levels of its national

administrative division Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...

s thus:

List of autonomous prefectures

Ethnic composition of autonomous prefectures

:Note: * - denotes as the second titular ethnic group

Former autonomous prefectures of China

* Hainan Li and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (1952–1988) in

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

, abolished because of the establishment of Hainan Province. * Hedong Hui Autonomous Prefecture (1954–1955) in

Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...

, later changed name as Wuzhong Hui Autonomous Prefecture (1955–1958), abolished because of the establishment of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. * Xihaigu Hui Autonomous Prefecture (1953–1955) in

, later changed name as Guyuan Hui Autonomous Prefecture (1955–1958), abolished because of the establishment of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. * Guixi Zhuang Autonomous Prefecture (sub-provincial level, 1953–1955) in Guangxi Province, abolished because of the establishment of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. * Bayinhot Mongol Autonomous Prefecture (1954–1956) in

, included today's Dengkou County and Alxa League. The autonomy abolished after it merged into Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Administrative prefecture level units with a population of 30% or more of ethnic minorities

:Excluding prefecture level units of autonomous regions in 2000. * Hebei:

Chengde Chengde, formerly known as Jehol and Rehe, is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, situated about northeast of Beijing. It is best known as the site of the Mountain Resort, a vast imperial garden and palace formerly used by the Qing e ...

(Han - 55.32%, Manchu - 39.87%) * Liaoning:

Benxi Benxi ( zh, s=本溪, ) is a prefecture-level city located in the east of Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, southeast of the provincial capital of Shenyang. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,326,018 (1,709,538 in 2010), of ...

(Han - 66.84%, Manchu - 30.22%),

Dandong Dandong ( zh, s=丹东 , t=丹東 , p=Dāndōng; lit. "Red East"), formerly known as Andong, is a coastal prefecture-level city in southeastern Liaoning province, in the northeastern region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest ...

(Han - 64.11%, Manchu - 32.99%) * Hunan:

Zhangjiajie Zhangjiajie (; Tujia language, Tujia: /tsán tɕá kǎi/) is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Hunan, Hunan Province, China. It comprises the district of Yongding District, Zhangjiajie, Yongding, Wulingyuan District, Wulingyua ...

(Tujia - 68.40%, Han - 22.81%),

Huaihua Huaihua () is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Hunan province, China. It is known as the "Western Gate" of Hunan and is the largest prefecture-level city in the province.It covers and is bordered by Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous P ...

(Han - 61.33%, Dong - 17.42%, Miao - 15.63%) * Guizhou: Anshun (Han - 61.6%, Buyei - 16.92%, Miao - 14.27%), Tongren (Tujia - 37.81%, Han - 31.76%, Miao - 14.87%, Dong - 11.41%) * Yunnan: Yuxi (Han - 68,18%, Yi - 19,32%), Pu'er (Han - 40,92%, Hani - 16,98%, Yi - 16.58%, Lahu - 11.47%),

Lijiang Lijiang ( zh, s= ), formerly romanized as Likiang, is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Yunnan Province, China. It has an area of and had a population of 1,253,878 at the 2020 census whom 288,787 lived in the built-up area (metro) ...

(Han - 42.71%, Nakhi 20.51%, Yi - 18.68%, Lisu - 9.62%), Lincang (Han - 61.22%, Dai - 15.77%, Lahu and Va - 9.76%) * Qinghai:

Haidong Haidong ( zh, s=海东市, p=Hǎidōng shì) is a prefecture-level city of Qinghai province in Western China. Its name literally means "east of the (Qinghai) Lake." On 8 February 2013 Haidong was upgraded from a prefecture ( zh, labels=no , s=� ...

(Han - 56.33%, Hui - 20.38%, Tibetan - 9.2%, Tu - 8.06%)

External links

Regional Autonomy for Ethnic Minorities in China
{{Terms for types of country subdivisions