Autonomous administrative division

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 other 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

Division	State	Notes
Azad Kashmir Azad Kashmir	Controlled by: Pakistan Claimed by: India	Azad Kashmir is a self-governing polity which has not been formally annexed by Pakistan. It was established after a rebellion against the Maharajah of Kashmir, and the subsequent First Kashmir War. It is located within the historic Kashmir region, which is disputed between India, Pakistan and China.
Northern Ireland Scotland Wales	United Kingdom	Three of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, namely Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each have an elected, 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.
Faroe Islands Greenland	Denmark	The two autonomous territories (Danish: rigsdel, Faroese: land, Greenlandic: nuna) 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).
Tobago	Trinidad and Tobago	The Tobago House of Assembly is a devolved legislature that is responsible for the island of Tobago.
Vojvodina	Serbia
Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija	Controlled by: Kosovo Claimed by: Serbia	In 2008, Kosovo 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.
Åland	Finland
Azores Madeira	Portugal	Although Portugal is a unitary state, its two autonomous regions have elected, devolved legislatures (Regional Legislative Assemblies of the Azores and Madeira) and local government (Governments of the Azores and Madeira) which have the ability to legislate in devolved matters.
Bangsamoro	Philippines
Bougainville	Papua New Guinea
Hong Kong SAR Macao SAR Guangxi Zhuang AR Inner Mongolia AR Ningxia Hui AR Tibet AR Xinjiang Uygur AR	People's Republic of China	The special administrative regions have the highest degree of autonomy from the central government in Beijing. Autonomous regions contain a large minority ethnic group.
North Caribbean Coast South Caribbean Coast	Nicaragua
Rodrigues	Mauritius
Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Suwayda Supreme legal committee	Syria
Zanzibar	Tanzania
Nakhchivan	Azerbaijan
Adjara	Georgia
Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia	Claimed by: Georgia Controlled by: Abkhazia	In 1999, the Republic of Abkhazia declared its independence from Georgia after the 1992–1993 war. 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 recognized by Russia and three other U.N. member states.
Gorno-Badakhshan	Tajikistan
Republic of Crimea / Autonomous Republic of Crimea	De jure: Ukraine Controlled by: Russia	The 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia is not recognized by most countries, including Ukraine.
Karakalpakstan	Uzbekistan
Gagauzia	Moldova
Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester	Claimed by: Moldova Controlled by: Transnistria	In 1990, the 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.
Easter Island Juan Fernández Islands	Chile	In 2007, the Chamber of Deputies of Chile passed a law designating both as "special territories", granting them more autonomy. Additionally, the Juan Fernandez Islands archipelago is a commune, while Easter Island is both a commune and a province.
Barbuda (1976)	Antigua and Barbuda
Rotuma	Fiji
Kurdistan Region Kurdistan Region (2005)	Iraq	Semi-autonomous federal region of Iraq; the constitution of Iraq gives a degree of autonomy to administrative divisions, such as regions and provinces, in matters that are not within the exclusive remit of the federal government of Iraq. Regional law may take priority (in case of dispute) if the law falls within the remit of "shared authorities" and does not contradict with the provisions of the constitution of Iraq. The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq has the authority to repeal and amend regional law.
Nevis (1967)	Saint Kitts and Nevis
Autonomous Region of Príncipe (1995)	São Tomé and Príncipe
Svalbard	Norway	Although it does not fit the definition of autonomous area (not possessing partial internal sovereignty), Svalbard has the sovereignty of Norway limited by the 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	Germany	Heligoland, Germany: Although it is part of a German state, Schleswig-Holstein, it has been excluded of some European Union normatives, such as customs union and the Value Added Tax Area.
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.
Campione d'Italia	Italy
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol	South Tyrol has a considerable level of self-government, consisting of a large range of exclusive legislative and executive powers and a fiscal regime that allows it to retain 90% of revenue, while remaining a net contributor to the national budget.
Aosta Valley
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Sardinia
Sicily
Zapatista Territories	Mexico	a de facto autonomous region controlled or partially controlled by neo-Zapatista support bases in the Mexican state of Chiapas since the Zapatista uprising in 1994 and during the wider Chiapas conflict.
Adygea Altai Republic Bashkortostan Buryatia Chechnya Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Chuvashia Dagestan Ingushetia Jewish Autonomous Oblast Kabardino-Balkaria Kalmykia Karachay-Cherkessia Karelia Khakassia Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Komi Mari El Mordovia North Ossetia-Alania Nenets Autonomous Okrug Sakha Republic Tatarstan Tuva Udmurtia Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug	Russia
Donetsk People's Republic	Controlled by: Russia Claimed by: Ukraine	Sovereignty disputed by Ukraine as Donetsk Oblast
Luhansk People's Republic	Controlled by: Russia Claimed by: Ukraine	Sovereignty disputed by Ukraine as Luhansk Oblast

Other territories considered autonomous

Dutch constituent countries

Division	State	Notes
Aruba	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

Division	State	Notes
Alsace (2021)[citation needed]	France	single territorial collectivity
Corsica (2018)[citation needed]	single territorial collectivity
French Guiana	overseas region and department and single territorial collectivity
Guadeloupe	overseas region and department
Martinique	overseas region and department and single territorial collectivity
Mayotte	overseas region and department
Réunion	overseas region and department
French Polynesia	overseas collectivity
Saint-Barthélemy	overseas collectivity
Saint-Martin	overseas collectivity
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon	overseas collectivity
Wallis and Futuna	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] 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

Division	State	Notes
Cook Islands	New Zealand	The Cook Islands is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand that maintains some international relationships in its own name.
Niue	Niue is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand that maintains some international relationships in its own name.
Tokelau	Tokelau is an autonomous dependency of New Zealand.

New Zealand maintains nominal sovereignty over three Pacific Island nations, the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. The Chatham Islands—despite having the designation of Territory—is an integral part of the country, situated within the New Zealand archipelago; its 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.

United States unincorporated territories

Division	State	Notes
American Samoa	United States	All five insular areas are organized as unincorporated U.S. territories. Like U.S. states, they are subject to the sovereign jurisdiction of the U.S. federal government. Each territory has a local government headed by a democratically elected governor and legislature with powers within the territorial geographic boundaries.
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands

Ethnic autonomous territories

Areas designated for indigenous peoples

Division	State	Notes
Nisga'a	Canada	Created by the Nisga'a Final Agreement in 2000. The Nisga'a Territory runs semi-autonomously from the rest of Canada. Located in Northwestern British Columbia, within kilometres of the Alaska Panhandle.
Nunatsiavut
Tłı̨chǫ
Haida Nation
Toquaht
Ucluelet
Tsawwassen
Tla'amin Nation
Huu-ay-aht
Kyuquot/Cheklesahht
Uchucklesaht
Hopi Reservation	United States
Cherokee Nation
Sac and Fox Nation
Choctaw Nation
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Navajo Nation
Haudenosaunee
Colorado River Indian Tribes
Emberá-Wounaan	Panama
Kuna de Madugandí
Kuna de Wargandí
Guna Yala
Ngöbe-Buglé
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.
the five comarcas indígenas ("indigenous regions") of Panama.

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.

Proposed autonomous administrative divisions

Formal proposals

The following autonomous regions have been proposed but not implemented following unsuccessful referendums or other political reasons:

Cordillera Autonomous Region within the Philippines (1990, 1998)
Special Autonomous Region of East Timor within Indonesia (1999)
Corsica within France (2003)
North East England within the United Kingdom (2004)
Darfur Region within Sudan (2016)

The following autonomous regions were initially rejected in a referendum but were subsequently approved in a subsequent referendum:

Scotland within the United Kingdom (Rejected 1979, Approved 1997)
Wales within the United Kingdom (Rejected 1979, Approved 1997)

The following autonomous regions have been proposed as part of peace agreements:

Kosovo within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1999)
Western Sahara Authority within Morocco (2003)
Sahara Autonomous Region within Morocco (2007)

Campaigns

Cornwall within the United Kingdom
Yorkshire within the United Kingdom
England within the United Kingdom
Hungarian Autonomous Region within Serbia
Corsica within France
Occitania within France
Savoie within France
Veneto within Italy
Silesia within Poland
Székely Land within Romania

Historical autonomous administrative divisions

Kunság within the Kingdom of Hungary (1279–1876)
Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire (1809–1917)
Autonomous Region of Catalonia within the Spanish Republic (1932–1939)
Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship (1920–1939)
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines (1989–2019)
Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus in Albania (1914)
Southern Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1921–1922)
ASSRs of the Soviet Union (1922–1990)
Carpathian Ruthenia and Slovakia within Czechoslovakia (1938–1939)
Croatia within Yugoslavia (1938–1939)
Eritrea within the Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea (1952–1962)
Bantustans in South West Africa (1968–1990) and South Africa (1956–1994)
Magyar Autonomous Region of Socialist Republic of Romania (1952–1968)
Singapore within Malaysia (1963–1965)
Southern Sudan Autonomous Region (1972–1983) and Southern Sudan Autonomous Region (2005–2011) within Sudan

Notes

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
[permanent dead link], report by Minority Rights Group International
P.M. Olausson, Autonomy and Islands, A Global Study of the Factors that determine Island Autonomy. Åbo: Åbo Akademi University Press, 2007.
Thomas Benedikter (ed.), , 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)
Benedikter, Thomas (2010). . Bozen: EURAC – via Academia.edu.