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{{Short description|Designation for an administrative territorial entity}}{{About|subnational administrative divisions which enjoy some degree of autonomy under the national government|external territories which enjoy a greater degree of autonomy from their parent state and function as de facto independent political entities|Dependent territory}}An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, zone, entity, unit, region, subdivision, province, or territory) is a subnational administrative division or internal territory of a sovereign state that has a degree of autonomy—self-governance—under the national government. Autonomous areas are distinct from the constituent units of a federation (e.g. a state, or province) in that they possess unique powers for their given circumstances. Typically, it is either geographically distinct from the rest of the state or populated by a national minority, which may exercise home rule. Decentralization of self-governing powers and functions to such divisions is a way for a national government to try to increase democratic participation or administrative efficiency or to defuse internal conflicts. States that include autonomous areas may be federacies, federations, or confederations. Autonomous areas can be divided into territorial autonomies, subregional territorial autonomies, and local autonomies.

List of major autonomous areas

{{mergeto|List of autonomous areas by country|date=March 2024}}{{See also|List of autonomous areas by country}}{| width=“100%” class=“wikitable sortable“!width=“160px“| Division!width=“200px“|State!|Notes

Azad Kashmir}} Azad Kashmir	Pakistan}}Claimed by: {{Flag|India}}	Pakistan. It was established after a 1947 Poonch rebellion>rebellion against the Maharajah of Kashmir, and the subsequent Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948	.AZAD KASHMIR | MEANING, HISTORY, POPULATION, & GOVERNMENT | BRITANNICA	Kashmir region, which is Kashmir conflict>disputed between India, Pakistan and China.

{{flagicon image|Flag placeholder.svg}} Northern Ireland {{flag|Scotland}} {{flag|Wales}} }}	United Kingdom}}	countries of the United Kingdom, namely Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each have an elected, Devolution>devolved legislature which has the ability to legislate in devolved matters. The Parliament of the United Kingdom which retains sovereignty (the United Kingdom is a unitary state), can dissolve the devolved legislatures at any time, and legislates in matters that are not devolved, as well as having the capacity to legislate in areas that are devolved (by constitutional convention, without the agreement of the devolved legislature). Formerly, both Scotland and England were fully sovereign states.

{{flag|Faroe Islands{edih} {{flag|Greenland}} }}	Denmark}}		LAST=BENEDIKTER	DATE=2006-06-19	SOCIETY FOR THREATENED PEOPLES>QUOTE=DENMARK HAS ESTABLISHED VERY SPECIFIC TERRITORIAL AUTONOMIES WITH ITS TWO ISLAND TERRITORIES	ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20080309063149/HTTP://WWW.GFBV.IT/3DOSSIER/EU-MIN/AUTONOMY.HTML	URL-STATUS=DEAD, WEB,www.world-autonomies.info/tas/Greenland/Pages/default.aspx, Greenland, Ackrén, Maria, November 2017, Autonomy Arrangements in the World, Faroese and Greenlandic are seen as official regional languages in the self-governing territories belonging to Denmark., 2019-08-30,www.world-autonomies.info/tas/Greenland/Pages/default.aspx," title="web.archive.org/web/20190830110832www.world-autonomies.info/tas/Greenland/Pages/default.aspx,">web.archive.org/web/20190830110832www.world-autonomies.info/tas/Greenland/Pages/default.aspx, 2019-08-30, dead, WEB,ec.europa.eu/europeaid/countries/greenland_en, Greenland, 2013-06-03, International Cooperation and Development, European Commission, en, 2019-08-27, Greenland [...] is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, WEB,www.norden.org/en/fakta-om-norden-1/the-nordic-countries-the-faroe-islands-greenland-and-aaland/facts-about-the-faroe-islands, Facts about the Faroe Islands, Nordic cooperation,www.norden.org/en/fakta-om-norden-1/the-nordic-countries-the-faroe-islands-greenland-and-aaland/facts-about-the-faroe-islands," title="web.archive.org/web/20180423094907www.norden.org/en/fakta-om-norden-1/the-nordic-countries-the-faroe-islands-greenland-and-aaland/facts-about-the-faroe-islands,">web.archive.org/web/20180423094907www.norden.org/en/fakta-om-norden-1/the-nordic-countries-the-faroe-islands-greenland-and-aaland/facts-about-the-faroe-islands, 23 April 2018, dead, 1 July 2015, The Faroe Islands [...] is one of three autonomous territories in the Nordic Region, dmy-all, (, , ) of the realm of the Kingdom, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, each have an elected devolved legislature which has the ability to legislate in devolved matters. The Kingdom Parliament ‘Folketinget’ retains sovereignty (The Kingdom of Denmark is a unitary state) and legislates in matters that are not devolved, as well as having the capacity to legislate in areas that are devolved (this does not normally occur without the agreement of the devolved legislature).

Flag placeholder.svg}} Tobago	Trinidad and Tobago}}	Tobago House of Assembly is a devolved legislature that is responsible for the island of Tobago.Tobago Division Of Tourism - About Tobago, Governance {{webarchive>url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710212503www.visittobago.gov.tt/load_page.asp?id=41 |date=2007-07-10 }}

{{flagicon image|Flag of Gangwon State.svg}} Gangwon {{flagicon image|Flag of Jeonbuk State.svg}} Jeonbuk {{flagicon image|Flag of Jeju.svg}} Jeju }}	Republic of Korea}}|

Vojvodina|size=x12px}}	Serbia}}|

| Kosovo / Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija

Serbia}}Controlled by: {{flag|Kosovo}}	Kosovo list of states with limited recognition>unilaterally declared itself as an independent state. Its international recognition is split between those who recognize it as an independent state and those who view it as an autonomous province of Serbia under United Nations administration.

{{flag|Ã…land}}}}	Finland}}|

{{flag|Azores{edih} {{flag|Madeira}} }}	Portugal}}|

Flag of Bangsamoro.svg}} Bangsamoro	Philippines}}|

Bougainville}}	Papua New Guinea}}|

{{flag|Hong Kong{edih} {{flag|Macau}} {{flagicon image|Flag placeholder.svg}} Guangxi {{flagicon image|Flag placeholder.svg}} Inner Mongolia {{flagicon image|Flag placeholder.svg}} Ningxia {{flagicon image|Flag placeholder.svg}} Tibet {{flagicon image|Flag placeholder.svg}} Xinjiang }}	People’s Republic of China}}|

{{flag|Puntland}}{{flag|Jubaland}}{{flagicon image|Hirshabeelle.png}} Hirshabelle{{flag|Galmudug}}{{flag|Somaliland}}{{flagicon image|Flag of Southwestern Somalia.svg}} Koofur Orsi| }}	Somalia}}	Somaliland is a list of states with limited recognition>self-declared independent state, although it is internationally considered an autonomous region in northwestern Somalia.

Flag of Region Autonoma del Atlantico Norte.svg}} Atlántico Norte	{{flag|Nicaragua}} |

Flag of Region Autonoma Atlantico Sur.svg}} Atlántico Sur|

Rodrigues}}	Mauritius}}|

De facto SA-NES Flag.svg}} Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria	Syria}}|

Flag of Zanzibar.svg}} Zanzibar	Tanzania}}|

Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic}} Nakhchivan	Azerbaijan}}|

Flag of Adjara.svg}} Adjara	Georgia}}|

Abkhazia / (File:Flag of Abkhazia (GE).svg>20px) Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia	Georgia}}Controlled by: {{flag|Abkhazia}}	Abkhazia>Republic of Abkhazia declared its independence from Georgia after the War in Abkhazia (1992–93)	. Georgia and most of the U.N. member states have not recognized Abkhazia’s independence and still has an administrative apparatus for the claimed Autonomous Republic; its independence is International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia>recognized by Russia and three other U.N. member states.

| Gorno-Badakhshan

Tajikistan}}|

Flag of Crimea.svg}} Republic of Crimea /{{flagicon image|Flag of Crimea.svg}} Autonomous Republic of Crimea	Ukraine}}Controlled by: {{flag|Russia}}	Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation>2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia is not recognized by most countries, including Ukraine.

Flag of Karakalpakstan.svg}} Karakalpakstan	Uzbekistan}}|

Flag of Gagauzia.svg}} Gagauzia	Moldova}}|

Transnistria / Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester>Left Bank of the Dniester	Moldova}}Controlled by: {{flag|Transnistria}}	Transnistria>Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR, commonly known as Transnistria) declared its independence from the Soviet Union. While Moldova has not formally recognized Transnistria’s independence and still has an administrative apparatus for the claimed Autonomous Territorial Unit, its independence is recognized by 3 other non-UN member states.

{{flag|Republika Srpska{edih} {{flagicon image|Flag placeholder.svg}} Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina }}	Bosnia and Herzegovina}}|

{{flag|Easter Island{edih} {{flagicon image|Bandera Juan Fernández.svg}} Juan Fernández Islands }}	Chile}}	Chamber of Deputies of Chile passed a law designating both as “special territories”, granting them more autonomy.HTTPS://EN.MERCOPRESS.COM/2007/06/07/EASTER-ISLANDS-NOW-A-SPECIAL-TERRITORY-WITH-MORE-AUTONOMY#:~:TEXT=THE%20CHAMBER%20OF%20DEPUTIES%20OF,ARCHIPELAGO%20AS%20%E2%80%9CSPECIAL%20TERRITORIES.%E2%80%9D	Communes of Chile>commune, while Easter Island is both a commune and a province.

Barbuda Council Flag.svg}} Barbuda (1976)	Antigua and Barbuda}}|

Rotuma}}	Fiji}}|

Kurdistan}} Kurdistan Region (2005)	Iraq}}|

Nevis}} (1967)	Saint Kitts and Nevis}}|

Flag of Príncipe Autonomous Region.svg}} Autonomous Region of Príncipe (1995)	São Tomé and Príncipe}}|

Svalbard}}	Norway}}	Svalbard Treaty>Spitsbergen Treaty of 1920 and therefore is considered as having special status (as it is considered fully integrated with Norway, and not a dependency, it is a sui generis case).

Heligoland}}	{{flag|Germany}}	Schleswig-Holstein, it has been excluded of some European Union normatives, such as customs union and the European Union value added tax>Value Added Tax Area.

DEU Büsingen am Hochrhein COA.svg}} Büsingen am Hochrhein	Despite being integral parts of their respective countries, these two enclaves of Switzerland predominantly use the Swiss franc as currency and are in customs union with Switzerland.

Flag of Campione d’Italia.svg}} Campione d’Italia	Italy}}

Other territories considered autonomous

British Crown Dependencies {| width“100%” class“wikitable”

!width=“160px“| Division!class=“unsortable” width=“200px“|State!class=“unsortable“|Notes

Guernsey}}	{{flag|United Kingdom}}|

Isle of Man}}|

Jersey}}|

Guernsey, the Isle of Man, and Jersey are self-governing Crown Dependencies which are not part of the United Kingdom; however, the UK is responsible for their defence and international affairs.

British Overseas Territories {| width“100%” class“wikitable”

!width=“160px“| Division!class=“unsortable” width=“200px“|State!class=“unsortable“|Notes

Anguilla}}	{{flag|United Kingdom}}|

Bermuda}}|

British Virgin Islands}}|

Cayman Islands}}|

Falkland Islands}}|

Gibraltar}}|

Montserrat}}|

Pitcairn}}|

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha}}|

Turks and Caicos Islands}}|

Gibraltar is a self-governing overseas territory of the UK. Most of the other 13 British Overseas Territories also have autonomy in internal affairs through local legislatures.

Dutch constituent countries {| width“100%” class“wikitable”

!width=“160px“| Division!class=“unsortable” width=“200px“|State!class=“unsortable“|Notes

Aruba}}	{{flag|Kingdom of the Netherlands}}|

Curaçao}}|

Sint Maarten}}|

Netherlands}}|

Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten are autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, each with their own parliament. In addition they enjoy autonomy in taxation matters as well as having their own currencies.

French overseas collectivities, New Caledonia, and Corsica {| width“100%” class“wikitable”

!width=“160px“| Division!class=“unsortable” width=“200px“|State!class=“unsortable“|Notes

Flag of Alsace.svg}} European Collectivity of Alsace	(2021){{citation needed>date=November 2023}}	{{flag|France}}| single territorial collectivity

Corsica}} (2018){{citation needed|date=November 2023}}| single territorial collectivity

Flag of French Guiana (Local).svg}} French Guiana| overseas region and department and single territorial collectivity

Flag of Guadeloupe (Local).svg}} Guadeloupe| overseas region and department

Flag-of-Martinique.svg}} Martinique| overseas region and department and single territorial collectivity

Mayotte|local}}| overseas region and department

}} Réunion| overseas region and department

French Polynesia}}| overseas collectivity

Saint-Barthélemy|local}}| overseas collectivity

Local flag of the Collectivity of Saint Martin.svg}} Saint-Martin| overseas collectivity

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon|local}}| overseas collectivity

Wallis and Futuna|local}}| overseas collectivity

New Caledonia}}| sui generis collectivity

The French Constitution recognises three autonomous jurisdictions. Corsica, a region of France, enjoys a greater degree of autonomy on matters such as tax and education compared to mainland regions.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}} New Caledonia, a sui generis collectivity, and French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity, are highly autonomous territories with their own government, legislature, currency, and constitution. They do not, however, have legislative powers for policy areas relating to law and order, defense, border control or university education. Other smaller overseas collectivities have a lesser degree of autonomy through local legislatures. The five overseas regions, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion, are generally governed the same as mainland regions; however, they enjoy some additional powers, including certain legislative powers for devolved areas.

New Zealand overseas territories {| width“100%” class“wikitable”

!width=“160px“| Division!class=“unsortable” width=“200px“|State!class=“unsortable“|Notes

Cook Islands}}	{{flag|New Zealand}}|

Niue}}|

Tokelau}}|

New Zealand maintains nominal sovereignty over three Pacific Island nations. The Cook Islands and Niue are self-governing countries in free association with New Zealand that maintain some international relationships in their own name. Tokelau remains an autonomous dependency of New Zealand. The Chatham Islands—despite having the designation of Territory—is an integral part of the country, situated within the New Zealand archipelago. The territory’s council is not autonomous and has broadly the same powers as other local councils, although notably it can also charge levies on goods entering or leaving the islands.WEB,www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1995/0041/latest/DLM367666.html, Chatham Islands Council Act 1995 No 41 (as at 01 July 2013), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation, www.legislation.govt.nz,

Ethnic autonomous territories

Ethiopian special woredas

In Ethiopia, “special woredas” are a subgroup of woredas (districts) that are organized around the traditional homelands of specific ethnic minorities, and are outside the usual hierarchy of a kilil, or region. These woredas have many similarities to autonomous areas in other countries.

Areas designated for indigenous peoples{| width“100%” class“wikitable”

!width=“160px“| Division!class=“unsortable” width=“200px“|State!class=“unsortable“|Notes

Nisga’a Flag.jpg}} Nisga’a	{{flag|Canada}}|

Nunatsiavut}}|

Tłı̨chǫ}}|

Flag of Haida.svg}} Haida Nation|

Hopi Reservation}}	{{flag|United States}}|

Cherokee Nation}}|

Choctaw Nation}}|

Pine Ridge Flag.svg}} Pine Ridge Indian Reservation|

Navajo Nation}}|

Comarca Emberá-Wounaan>Emberá-Wounaan	{{flag|Panama}}|

Flag province Kuna de Madungandi (Panama).jpg}} Kuna de Madugandí|

| Kuna de Wargandí|

Bandera de la Comarca Guna Yala.svg}} Kuna Yala|

Bandera de la Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé.svg}} Ngöbe-Buglé|

Naso Tjër Di.gif}} Naso Tjër Di Comarca|

Other areas that are autonomous in nature but not in name are areas designated for indigenous peoples, such as those of the Americas:

• Aboriginal (First Nation or Native American or Indian) Indian reserve and Indian reservation, in, respectively, Canada and the United States.{{discuss}}
• the five comarcas indígenas (“indigenous regions“) of Panama.

List of historical autonomous administrative divisions

{{Expand list|date=September 2016}}

• Autonomous Region of Catalonia within the Spanish Republic (1932–1939)
• Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship
• Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines (1989–2019)
• Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus in Albania (1914).
• Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union (1922–1990)
• Bantustans in South West Africa (1968–1990) and South Africa (1956–1994)
• Carpathian Ruthenia and Slovakia within Czechoslovakia (1938–1939).
• Grand Duchy of Finland existed as an autonomous state under the rule of the Russian Empire (1809-1917).
• Magyar Autonomous Region of Socialist Republic of Romania (1952–1968)
• Southern Ireland (1921–22) within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• Southern Sudan Autonomous Region (1972–1983) and Southern Sudan Autonomous Region (2005–2011)

See also

• Devolution
• List of autonomous areas by country
  • Autonomous administrative divisions of the People’s Republic of China
  • Autonomous administrative divisions of India
  • Autonomous administrative divisions of Russia
  • Autonomous administrative divisions of Spain
• List of autonomous regions leaders
• Personal union
• Region (administrative)
• Regional state
• Imperial immediacy
• Dependent territory
• Vassal state
• Protectorate

References

{{reflist}}

Works cited

• M. Weller and S. Wolff (eds), Autonomy, Self-governance and Conflict Resolution: Innovative Approaches to Institutional Design in Divided Societies. Abingdon, Routledge, 2005
• From Conflict to Autonomy in Nicaragua: Lessons Learnt{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, report by Minority Rights Group International
• P.M. Olausson, Autonomy and Islands, A Global Study of the Factors that determine Island Autonomy. Ã…bo: Ã…bo Akademi University Press, 2007.
• Thomas Benedikter (ed.), Solving Ethnic Conflict through Self-Government - A Short Guide to Autonomy in Europe and South Asia, EURAC Bozen 2009,
• Thomas Benedikter, 100 Years of Modern Territorial Autonomy - Autonomy around the World, Berlin/Zürich, LIT 2021, {{ISBN|978-3-643-91401-9}} (pb)
• WEB, Thomas, Benedikter, The World’s Modern Autonomy Systems, EURAC, Bozen, 2010,www.academia.edu/44170136/The_Worlds_Modern_Autonomy_Systems, Academia.edu,

{{Autonomous types of first-tier administration}}{{Terms for types of country subdivisions}}{{Secession in Countries}}{{Irredentism}}