List of autonomous areas by country - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

This list of autonomous area
Autonomous area
An autonomous area or autonomous entity is an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or freedom from an external authority. Typically it is either geographically distinct from the rest of the country or populated by a national minority. Countries that include autonomous areas are often...

s arranged by country gives an overview of autonomous areas of the world. An autonomous area is defined as an area of a country

Country

A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...

that has a degree of autonomy

Autonomy

Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...

, or has freedom from an external authority. It is typical for it to be geographically distant from the country, or to be populated by a national minority. Countries that include autonomous areas are often federacies

Federacy

A federacy is a form of government where one or several substate units enjoy considerably more independence than the majority of the substate units. To some extent, such an arrangement can be considered as similar to asymmetric federalism.-Description:...

. The autonomous areas differ from federal units and independent states in the sense that they, in relation to the majority of other sub-national territories in the same country, enjoys a special status including some legislative powers, within the state (for a detailed list of federated units, see Federated state#List of federal units by federation).

This list includes areas that are internationally recognized

Diplomatic recognition

Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...

, as well as some that are generally unrecognized. The definition of an autonomous area varies from country to country, so the native term as defined by the respective country's government is listed, and the English translation of the term is included.

Created by international treaty

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the treaty and year(s) indicated, if available)	References
	特別行政區 (Chinese, an official language of both Hong Kong and Macau) Special administrative region (English, another official language of Hong Kong) Região administrativa especial (Portuguese, another official language of Macau)	Hong Kong (1997) Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration The Sino-British Joint Declaration, formally known as the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong, was signed by the Prime Ministers, Zhao Ziyang and Margaret... Macau (1999) Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration of 1987 Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau The Joint Declaration on the Question of Macau, or Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration, was an important treaty between Portugal and the People's Republic of China over the status of Macau. The full name of the treaty is Joint Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the...
West Bank West Bank The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan... and Gaza Strip Gaza Strip thumb\|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of... (status to be determined)	interim administrative authority	Palestinian National Authority (1994) Oslo Accords Oslo Accords The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict... (1993)

Note:

Svalbard, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

: Although it doesn't fit the definition of autonomous area (not possessing partial internal sovereignty), Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...

has the sovereignty of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

limited by the Spitsbergen Treaty of 1920 and therefore is considered as having special status (as it is considered fully integrated with Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, and not a dependency
Dependent territory
A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, and remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area....

, it is a sui generis case).

Created by internal statutes

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year(s) indicated, if available)
Antigua and Barbuda	autonomous island	Barbuda Barbuda Barbuda is an island in the Eastern Caribbean, and forms part of the state of Antigua and Barbuda. It has a population of about 1,500, most of whom live in the town of Codrington.-Location:...
Azerbaijan	muxtar respublika autonomous republic Autonomous republic An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Many of these republics were established during the Soviet...	Nakhchivan (1924)
Chile	territorios especiales special territories	Easter Island Easter Island Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people... (2007) Juan Fernández Islands Juan Fernández Islands The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely inhabited island group reliant on tourism and fishing in the South Pacific Ocean, situated about off the coast of Chile, and is composed of three main volcanic islands; Robinson Crusoe Island, Alejandro Selkirk Island and Santa Clara Island, the first... (2007)
	自治区(zìzhìqū) Autonomous areas of China In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union's titular nations, a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as autonomous within the People's Republic of China . These areas are recognized in the PRC's constitution and are nominally given a number of rights not... autonomous region Region Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...	Guangxi Guangxi Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in... (1949) Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation... (1947) Ningxia Ningxia Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary... (1958) Xinjiang Xinjiang Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2... (1955) Tibet Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965.... (1965)
	自治州(zìzhìzhōu) Autonomous areas of China In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union's titular nations, a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as autonomous within the People's Republic of China . These areas are recognized in the PRC's constitution and are nominally given a number of rights not... autonomous prefecture	Linxia Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture is in Western China's Gansu Province, south of the capital, Lanzhou. It is an autonomous prefecture for the Muslim Hui people, a large Chinese ethnic group. It also includes two autonomous counties for other Muslim groups, namely Dongxiang, Salar, and... Gannan Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southern Gansu Province, China. It includes Xiahe and the Labrang Monastery, Luqu, Maqu, and other mostly Tibetan towns and villages... Qiandongnan Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Guizhou province in the People's Republic of China. The seat of the prefecture is Kaili... Qiannan Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Guizhou province in the People's Republic of China. The capital of the prefecture is Duyun... Qianxinan Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Qianxi'nan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Guizhou province in the People's Republic of China.-Subdivisions:The prefecture is subdivided into 8 county-level divisions: 1 county-level city and 7 counties... Enshi Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture -Demographics:The total area is 24,000 square kilometers, and the population is 3,800,000. 52.6% of the population belong to the Tujia and Miao nations, who -while officially minority nations- are thus a majority here... Xiangxi Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China. It is located in western Hunan province. Zhangjiajie and Sangzhi used to be parts of this autonomous prefecture. It consists of 1 city, Jishou, and 7 counties:Baojing, Fenghuang, Guzhang,... Yanbian Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture Yanbian is a Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province, in Northeastern China, above the border with North Korea. Yanbian is bordered to the north by Heilongjiang, on the west by Baishan City and Jilin City, on the south by North Hamgyong Province of North Korea, and on the east by Primorsky... Haibei Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of northeastern Qinghai province in Western China. The prefecture has an area of and its seat is Haiyan County... Hainan Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of northeastern Qinghai Province in Western China. The prefecture has an area of and its seat is located in Gonghe County... Huangnan Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Qinghai province in China. The prefecture has area of 17,921 km² and its capital is Tongren county.- Demographics :... Golog Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Qinghai province in China. The prefecture has an area of 76,312 km² and its capital is Maqên County.-Geography:... Gyêgu Haixi Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in northern Qinghai province of Western China. It has an area of and its capital is Delingha... Ngawa Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture The Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in Sichuan, whose capital is Barkam town . It has an area of 83,201 km².... Garzê Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in Sichuan whose capital is Kangding . It is sometimes spelled as "Kardze" by non-government sources.... Liangshan Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture Liangshan , officially the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, is an autonomous prefecture in Sichuan, south central China whose capital is Xichang. Liangshan has an area of 60,423 km² and over 4.5 million inhabitants... Kizilsu Bortala Börtala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture , short for Bortala , is a Mongol autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 27,000 square kilometers. Bole is its capital... Changji Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture ) is an autonomous prefecture of Xinjiang in the People's Republic of China. It is located in the northeastern part of Xinjiang... Bayin'gholin Bayin'gholin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture , short for Bayingol is an autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest autonomous prefecture of China with an area of 462,700 km²... Ili Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture , in northernmost Xinjiang, is the only Kazakh autonomous prefecture of the People's Republic of China.-Geography and coordinates:The following figures excludes both Tacheng Prefecture and Altay Prefecture.... Dehong Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture The Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture is located in Yunnan province, China.- Geography :... Nujiang Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Yunnan Province, southwestern China.-Name:It is named after the Nujiang river and the Lisu ethnic group.-Administration:... Dêqên Dêqên Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in Yunnan. It has an area of 23,870 km² and has its capital at Shangri-La County.- Subdivisions :Diqing is divided into three counties, among which one is an autonomous county.-Air:... Dali Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Yunnan Province, China. Dali has an area of 29,460 km² and its capital is Xiaguan.-Subdivisions:... Chuxiong Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture located in Yunnan, China. Chuxiong has an area of 29,256 km². The capital of the prefecture is Chuxiong City.- Subdivisions :There is one county-level city and 9 counties.- Demographics :... Honghe Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture of Yunnan Province, China. Its name is derived from the Honghe river and the two major ethnic minority groups who live there: the Yi and the Hani. Honghe has an area of 32,929 km²... Wenshan Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in Yunnan Province, China.-Subdivisions:-Ethnic groups:Wenshan is highly diverse... Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Xishuangbanna is an autonomous prefecture in Yunnan Province, China. The capital city is Jinghong, the largest settlement in the area and one that straddles the Mekong River, called the Lancang River in Chinese.-Name:...
	自治县(zìzhìxiàn) Autonomous areas of China In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union's titular nations, a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as autonomous within the People's Republic of China . These areas are recognized in the PRC's constitution and are nominally given a number of rights not... autonomous county County A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...	over 110 (full list Autonomous counties of China Autonomous counties and autonomous banners are one kind of Autonomous areas of China.There are 117 autonomous counties and 3 autonomous banners. The latter are found in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the former are found everywhere else. The two are essentially identical except in... )
	自治旗(zìzhìqí) Autonomous areas of China In a similar fashion to the former Soviet Union's titular nations, a number of areas associated with one or more ethnic minorities are designated as autonomous within the People's Republic of China . These areas are recognized in the PRC's constitution and are nominally given a number of rights not... autonomous banner	Oroqin Oroqin Autonomous Banner Oroqin Autonomous Banner is an autonomous banner that lies directly south of the urban district of Hailar in the prefecture-level city of Hulunbuir. It has an area of 60,378 km ². According to the 2000 census, there are 292,097 inhabitants with a population density of 4.84 inhabitants per km²... Evenki Morin Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner Morin Dawa Daur Autonomous Banner is one of three autonomous banners in Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China, created for the Daur people. It lies on the Nen River, borders Heilongjiang province to the east, south, and southwest, and is under the administration of Hulunbuir City.-References:*...
Fiji	autonomous region	Rotuma Rotuma Rotuma is a Fijian dependency, consisting of Rotuma Island and nearby islets. The island group is home to a small but unique indigenous ethnic group which constitutes a recognizable minority within the population of Fiji, known as "Rotumans"...
Finland	itsehallinnollinen maakunta autonomous province Province A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...	Åland Islands (1920)
Early Modern France	collectivité territoriale territorial collectivity	Corsica (2003)
Georgia (country)	avtonomiuri respublika autonomous republic Autonomous republic An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Many of these republics were established during the Soviet...	Abkhazia Abkhazia Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny... (1991) Adjara (1991)
Georgia (country)	provisional administrative entity	South Ossetia (2007)
Greece	Aftonomi Monastiki Politia autonomous region	Mount Athos Mount Athos Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in Macedonia, Greece. A World Heritage Site, it is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries and forms a self-governed monastic state within the sovereignty of the Hellenic Republic. Spiritually, Mount Athos comes under the direct jurisdiction of the... (1913)
Indonesia	daerah Daerah Daerah or Daïra \|circle]]; plural dawaïr) is an Arabic language subdivision term.- Arab countries :* subdivisions of Algeria: below wilayah , see Daïra of Algeria... istimewa special region	Yogyakarta (1950) Aceh Aceh Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin... (2005)
Indonesia	daerah otonomi khusus special autonomous region	Papua Papua (Indonesian province) Papua comprises most of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands. Its capital is Jayapura. It's the largest and easternmost province of Indonesia. The province originally covered the entire western half of New Guinea... (2000) West Papua (2008)
Iraq	Herema Kurdistan (Kurdish) autonomous region	Kurdistan Region (1970)
Italy	regione autonoma autonomous region	Aosta Valley (1948) (1963) Kingdom of Sardinia (1948) Sicily (1946) Trentino-South Tyrol (1948)
Mauritius	English-speaking country autonomous province	Rodrigues (island) (1968)
Moldova	unitate teritorială autonomă autonomous territorial unit	Gagauzia (1995) Transnistria Transnistria Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine... (2005)
Nicaragua	región autónoma autonomous region	(1986) Atlántico Sur Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur , sometimes shortened to RAAS, is one of two autonomous regions in Nicaragua. It covers an area of 27,407 km² and has a population of 382,100... (1986)
Pakistan	Islami-Jamhouriyat-e-Kashmir autonomous state	Azad Kashmir (1948)
Pakistan	self-governing region	Gilgit-Baltistan (1970)
Panama	comarca autonomous territory	Emberá-Wounaan (1983) Kuna de Madugandí Kuna de Madugandí Kuna de Madugandi is a comarca in Panamá. It was created in 1996 from the east part of the province of Panamá, in the district of Chepo. The primary ethnicity is Kuna.The comarca is not divided into districts. Its capital is Akua Yala.... (1996) Kuna de Wargandí Kuna de Wargandí Kuna de Wargandí is a comarca indígena in Panamá. It was created in 2000 from the province of Darién, from the district of Pinogana. It has an area of 299 square miles . It is inhabited by the Kuna people.... (2000) Kuna Yala Kuna Yala Guna Yala is an autonomous territory or comarca in Panama, inhabited by the Kuna indigenous people.The name means "Guna-land" or "Guna mountain" in the Kuna language... (1938) Ngöbe-Buglé Ngöbe-Buglé Ngöbe-Buglé is a comarca in Panama. It was formed in 1997 with lands from the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, and Veraguas. The capital is Chichica... (1997)
Papua New Guinea	English-speaking country autonomous region	Bougainville Province (2000)
Philippines	autonomiyang rehiyon autonomous region	Muslim Mindanao Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is the region, located in the Mindanao island group of the Philippines, that is composed of predominantly Muslim provinces, namely: Basilan , Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. It is the only region that has its own government... (1989)
Portugal	região autónoma Autonomous regions of Portugal The two Autonomous Regions of Portugal are the Azores and Madeira... autonomous region	Azores (1976) Madeira (1976)
Russia	respublika Republics of Russia The Russian Federation is divided into 83 federal subjects , 21 of which are republics. The republics represent areas of non-Russian ethnicity. The indigenous ethnic group of a republic that gives it its name is referred to as the "titular nationality"... republic Republic A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...	Adygea Bashkortostan Buryatia Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Chuvashia Dagestan Ingushetia Kabardino-Balkaria Kalmykia Karachay-Cherkessia Republic of Karelia Khakassia Mari El Mordovia North Ossetia-Alania Sakha Republic Tatarstan Tuva Udmurtia
	avtonomnaya oblast Oblast Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"... autonomous province	Jewish Autonomous Oblast (1934)
	avtonomny okrug autonomous subject-level district District Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
Saint Kitts and Nevis	autonomous island	Nevis (1967)
São Tomé and Príncipe	concelho Provinces of São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe is divided into 2 provinces:São Tomé – The province is made up of the equatorial Atlantic island of São Tomé and is home to an overwhelming majority of the nations citizens with an estimated population in 2004 of 133,600 out of the total 139,000.Príncipe – This province covers... province	Príncipe Príncipe Príncipe is the northern and smaller of the two major islands of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa. It has an area of 136 km² and a population of approximately 5,000. The island is a heavily eroded volcano over three million years old, surrounded by other...
Serbia	Autonomna Pokrajina autonomous province	Kosovo and Metohija Vojvodina (1945)
South Korea	teukbyeol jachido autonomous province	Jeju-do Jeju-do Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946... (2006)
Tajikistan	viloyat Wilayah A wilāyah or vilâyet , or vilayat in Urdu and Turkish, is an administrative division, usually translated as "province", rarely as "governorate". The word comes from the Arabic "w-l-y", "to govern": a wāli — "governor" — governs a wilayah, "that which is governed"... mukhtor autonomous province	Gorno-Badakhshan Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province is an autonomous, mountainous province in the east of Tajikistan. Located in the Pamir Mountains, it makes up 45% of the land area of the country but only 3% of the population.... (1925)
Tanzania	Serikali Mapinduzi revolutionary government	Zanzibar (1964)
Trinidad and Tobago	autonomous island	Tobago Tobago Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
Ukraine	avtonomna respublika autonomous republic	Crimea (1992)
United Kingdom	constituent countries with devolution Devolution in the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, devolution refers to the statutory granting of powers from the Parliament of the United Kingdom to the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly and to their associated executive bodies the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government...	Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west... (1998) Kingdom of Scotland (1999) Wales (1999)
Uzbekistan	Respublika Autonomous Republic Autonomous republic An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Many of these republics were established during the Soviet...	Karakalpakstan

Dependent territories with autonomy

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year(s) indicated, if available)
Australia	self-governant territory	Norfolk Island (1979)
Denmark	Rigsfællesskabet Rigsfællesskabet Rigsfællesskabet is a semi-official Danish term for the relations between continental Denmark and its two self-governing insular regions, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which collectively make up the Kingdom of Denmark.-Legal status:Both the Faroe Islands and Greenland enjoy far-reaching home... autonomous region	Faroe Islands (1948) Greenland (1979)
Early Modern France	sui generis collectivité collectivity sui generis	New Caledonia (1999)
Netherlands	autonoom land autonomous country	Aruba (1986) Curaçao (2010) Sint Maarten (2010)
New Zealand	state in free-association	Cook Islands (1975) Niue (1974)
New Zealand	self-administering territory	Tokelau (1948)
United Kingdom	crown dependency	Guernsey Isle of Man Jersey
United States	commonwealth	Puerto Rico (1952) Northern Mariana Islands (1978)

All territories called "autonomous"

In a number of countries, all territories or regions of a particular type are called "autonomous." Depending on the case, this may or may not reflect a special devolution of powers or freedom from external authority.

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available)
Bolivia	Departamento Department	Beni Beni Department Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José... (2006) Pando Pando Department Pando is a department of Bolivia, with an area of , adjoining the border with Brazil. Pando has a population 66,689 . Its capital is the city of Cobija.... (2006) Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Department Santa Cruz, with an area of 370,621 km², is the largest of the nine constituent departments of Bolivia. In the 2001 census, it reported a population of 2,029,471. The capital is the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The state is one of the wealthiest states in Bolivia with huge reserves of... (2006) Tarija Tarija Department Tarija is a department in Bolivia. It is located in south-eastern Bolivia bordering Argentina to the south and Paraguay to the east. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 391,226 inhabitants. It has an area of 37.623 km²... (2006) La Paz (2009) Cochabamba Cochabamba Department Cochabamba is one of the nine component departments of Bolivia. It is known to be the "granary" of the country because of its variety of agricultural products due to Cochabamba's geographical position. It has an area of 55,631 km². Its population, in the 2007 census, was 1,750,000... (2009) Chuquisaca Chuquisaca Department Chuquisaca is a department of Bolivia located in the center south. It borders on the departments of Cochabamba, Tarija, Potosí, and Santa Cruz. The departmental capital is Sucre, which is also the constitutional capital of Bolivia.-Geography:... (2009) Oruro Oruro Department Oruro is a department in Bolivia, with an area of 53,588 km². Its capital is the city of Oruro. At the time of census 2001 it had a population of 391,870.- Provinces of Oruro :... (2009) Potosi Potosí Department Potosí Department is a department in southwestern Bolivia. It comprises 118,218 km² with 709,013 inhabitants . The capital is the city of Potosí.... (2009)
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Entitet Entity	Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two political entities that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina . The two entities are delineated by the Inter-Entity Boundary Line... (1994) Republika Srpska (1992)
Comoros	Ile Autonome autonomous island	Anjouan (2002) Grande Comore Grande Comore Grande Comore is an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is the largest island in the Comoros nation. Most of its population is of the Comorian ethnic group. Its population as of 2006 is about 316,600. The island's capital is Moroni, which is also the national capital... (2002) Mohéli (2002)
Spain	Comunidad(es) Autónoma(s) Autonomous community/ies Autonomous communities of Spain An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:Catalan/Valencian .Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is... (Nationalities and regions of Spain)	Andalusia (1981) Aragon (1982) Asturias (1981) Balearic Islands (1983) Basque Country (autonomous community) (1979) Canary Islands (1982) Cantabria (1982) Castile-La Mancha (1982) Castile and León (1983) Catalonia (1979) Extremadura (1983) Galicia (Iberian peninsula) (1981) La Rioja (Spain) (1982) Madrid (autonomous community) (1983) Region of Murcia (1982) Navarre (1982) Valencian Community (1982)
Spain	Ciudad(es) Autónoma(s) Autonomous city/ies	Ceuta (1995) Melilla (1995)
Tokelau	English-speaking country autonomous community	Atafu Atafu Atafu, formerly known as the Duke of York Group is a group of 42 coral islets within Tokelau in the south Pacific Ocean, 500 km north of Samoa. Covering 2.5 km², it is the smallest of the three islands that constitute Tokelau, and is composed of an atoll surrounding a central lagoon,... Fakaofo Fakaofo Fakaofo, formerly known as Bowditch Island, is a South Pacific Ocean atoll located at 171° 15' West, 9° 25' South in the Tokelau Group. The actual land area is only about 3 km², consisting of islets on a coral reef surrounding a central lagoon of some 45 km²... Nukunonu Nukunonu Nukunonu is a group of coral islets within Tokelau in the south Pacific Ocean. Covering 5.5 km², it is the largest of the three islands that constitute Tokelau, and is composed of an atoll surrounding a central lagoon, which itself covers some 90 km²...

Sub-regional autonomous entities

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available)
Australia	regional authority	Torres Strait Islands Torres Strait Islands The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of... (1994)
Belgium	Gemeinschaft community	German-speaking Community German-speaking Community of Belgium The German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three federal communities of Belgium. Covering an area of 854 km² within the province of Liège in Wallonia, it includes nine of the eleven municipalities of the so-called East Cantons... (1973)
Bolivia	Región Autónoma autonomous region	Gran Chaco Province Gran Chaco Province Gran Chaco is a province in the eastern parts of the Bolivian department Tarija. The province voted to become an autonomous region on 6 December 2009.-Location:Gran Chaco province is one of six provinces in the Tarija Department...
	Municipalities with Indigenous Originary Campesino autonomy	Huacaya Municipality Tarabuco Municipality Tarabuco Municipality Tarabuco Municipality is the first municipal section of the Yamparáez Province in the Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia. Its seat is Tarabuco. Its population is overwhelmingly indigenous: of 10,530 people 15 or older in the 2001 Census, 9,834 self-identified with an indigenous people; 9,779 to the... Mojocoya Municipality Charazani Municipality Jesús de Machaca Municipality Jesús de Machaca Municipality Jesús de Machaca Municipality is the sixth municipal section of the Ingavi Province in the La Paz Department in Bolivia. It was created by Law No. 2351 on May 7, 2002, during the presidency of Jorge Quiroga Ramírez... Pampa Aullagas Municipality San Pedro de Totora Municipality Chipaya Municipality Salinas de Garci Mendoza Municipality Chayanta Municipality Charagua Municipality
	Indigenous territories with Indigenous Originary Campesino autonomy	All Native Community Lands (Tierras Comunitarias de Origen)
Myanmar	Self-Administered Zones	Danu Self-Administered Zone Danu Self-Administered Zone Danu Self-Administered Zone , as stipulated by the 2008 Constitution, is a self-administered zone consisting of 2 townships in Shan State: Ywangan and Pindaya Townships. Its official name was announced by decree on 20 August 2010. The zone is to be self-administered by the Danu people.-References:... Kokang Self-Administered Zone Kokang Self-Administered Zone Kokang Self-Administered Zone , as stipulated by the 2008 Constitution, consists of Konkyan and Laukkai in Shan State. Its official name was announced by decree on 20 August 2010.-References:... Naga Self-Administered Zone Naga Self-Administered Zone Naga Self-Administered Zone , as stipulated by the 2008 Constitution, is a self-administered zone consisting of three townships, Leshi, Lahe and Namyun townships, formerly administered as pat of Hkamti District, Sagaing Division. Its official name was announced by decree on 20 August 2010. The zone... Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone Palaung Self-Administered Zone , is an autonomous zone in Burma , consisting of Namhsan Township and Mantong Township in Shan State. It was created as a separately administered unit by the 2008 Constitution. Its official name was announced by decree on 20 August 2010. The zone is to be... Pa-O Self-Administered Zone Pa-O Self-Administered Zone Pa-O Self-Administered Zone , as stipulated by the 2008 Constitution, consists of Hopong, Hsihseng and Pinlaung Townships in Shan State. Its official name was announced by decree on 20 August 2010. The zone is to be self-administered by the Pa-O people.... Wa Self-Administered Division Wa Self-Administered Division Wa Self-Administered Division , as stipulated by the 2008 Constitution, consists of Hopang, Mongmao, Pangwaun , Namphan , Matman and Pangsang townships in Shan State. Its official name was announced by decree on 20 August 2010... (2011)
Canada	autonomous area	Nunatsiavut Nunatsiavut Nunatsiavut is an autonomous area claimed by the Inuit in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The settlement area includes territory in Labrador extending to the Quebec border. In 2002, the Labrador Inuit Association submitted a proposal for limited autonomy to the government of Newfoundland and... (2005)
	interim administration	Ituri Interim Administration Ituri Interim Administration The Ituri Interim Administration is an interim body that administers the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was established in 2003 by the Ituri Pacification Commission and supported by the UN mission in the DRC.-History:... (2003)
India	autonomous district council	Bodoland (2003) Chakma Chakma Autonomous District Council The Chakma Autonomous District Council was formed under the Sixth schedule of the Constitution of India on April 29, 1972. The Council is the replication of the state assembly and exercises executive power over specially allotted departments. The people of CADC are also enjoying special safeguard... (1972) Garo Hills Garo Hills Autonomous District Council Garo Hills Autonomous District Council is seated at Tura and covers East Garo Hills district, West Garo Hills district and South Garo Hills. It is one of the three Autonomous District Councils within Meghalaya state, and one of fourteen autonomous regions of India.- External links :*... (1952) Gorkha Hills (1988) Jaintia Hills (1972) Kargil Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh is an Autonomous Hill Council that administers the Leh District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. -History:... (1995) Khasi Hills Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council covers West Khasi Hills district, East Khasi Hills district and Ri Bhoi district. It is one of the three autonomous district councils within Meghalaya state, and one of fourteen autonomous regions of India.... (1952) Lai Lai Autonomous District Council Lai Autonomous District Council is one of the three Autonomous District Councils in Mizoram state in North-east India. It is an Autonomous District Council for ethnic Lai people earlier known as Pawi, living in South-eastern Mizoram bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh. The L.A.D.C. has its... (1972) Leh Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh is an Autonomous Hill Council that administers the Leh District of Jammu and Kashmir, India. -History:... (1995) Mara Mara Autonomous District Council Mara Autonomous District Council is one of the three Autonomous District Councils within Mizoram state of Union India. Primarily, an autonomous administrative government meant for the Mara people living in the state. It is situated in the southern tip of Mizoram state bordering Myanmar... (1972) Tripura Tribal Areas Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council is an independent council administering the tribal areas of the state of Tripura, India... (1982)
Italy	Provincia autonoma autonomous province	South Tyrol South Tyrol South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants... (1972) Trentino (1972)

Other entities called "autonomous"

A number of entities are also officially called "autonomous", though they do not have an exceptional freedom from external authority, and would not fall under the definition of autonomous area

Autonomous area

An autonomous area or autonomous entity is an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or freedom from an external authority. Typically it is either geographically distinct from the rest of the country or populated by a national minority. Countries that include autonomous areas are often...

. They are listed here for clarity.

Capitals called "autonomous"

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available)
Argentina	ciudad autónoma autonomous city Autonomous city Autonomous city is a type of administrative division.-Argentina:The 1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution granted Buenos Aires city, formerly a federal district of Argentina, the status of autonomous, and changed its formal name to Autonomous City of Buenos Aires .Another large city that is...	Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent... (1994)
Cambodia	krong autonomous municipality Municipality A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...	Phnom Penh Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,... , along with independent cities under the same classification
Central African Republic	commune autonome autonomous commune	Bangui Bangui -Law and government:Bangui is an autonomous commune of the Central African Republic. With an area of 67 km², it is by far the smallest high-level administrative division of the CAR in area but the highest in population...
Guinea-Bissau	sector autónomo autonomous sector	Bissau Region
Indonesia	daerah Daerah Daerah or Daïra \|circle]]; plural dawaïr) is an Arabic language subdivision term.- Arab countries :* subdivisions of Algeria: below wilayah , see Daïra of Algeria... khusus ibukota special capital region	Jakarta Jakarta Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
Uzbekistan	shahar autonomous city Autonomous city Autonomous city is a type of administrative division.-Argentina:The 1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution granted Buenos Aires city, formerly a federal district of Argentina, the status of autonomous, and changed its formal name to Autonomous City of Buenos Aires .Another large city that is...	Tashkent Tashkent Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:... (1918)

Independent cities called "autonomous"

Country	Native term Translation or equivalent	Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available)	References
Cambodia	krong autonomous municipality Municipality A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...	Phnom Penh Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,... Sihanoukville Sihanoukville Sihanoukville , also known as Kampong Saom, is a province in southern Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. This port city is a growing Cambodian urban center, located southwest of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. The province is named after King Father Norodom Sihanouk and grew up around the... Pailin Pailin Pailin is a province at the northern edge of the Cardamom Mountains, in the west of Cambodia near the border of Thailand. This province is surrounded by Battambang Province, and was officially carved out of Battambang to become a separate administrative division after the surrender of the Ieng... Kep Kep, Cambodia Kep is a coastal city and former beach resort in Cambodia's Kep Province, 173 kilometres southwest of Phnom Penh.The city was founded in 1908 during French colonial rule and was originally named Kep-sur-mer. Many of the French-style villas are overgrown and run-down, but Kep is slowly being...