Autonomous counties (Chinese: 自治县) and autonomous banners (Chinese: 自治旗) are county-level autonomous administrative divisions of China. Autonomous counties tend to have a large number of ethnic minority citizens compared to ordinary counties (if not an outright majority), or are the historic home of a significant minority population.
There are 117 autonomous counties and three autonomous banners. The latter are found in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the former are found everywhere else.
Chongqing is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the Central People's Government, along with Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin. It is the only direct-administered municipality located deep inland. The municipality covers a large geographical area roughly the size of Austria, which includes several disjunct urban areas in addition to Chongqing proper. Due to its classification, the municipality of Chongqing is the largest city proper in the world by population, though it is not the most populous urban area.
The municipality of Chongqing is the only Chinese city with a resident population of over 30 million; however, this number includes its large rural population. In 2020, Chongqing surpassed Shanghai as China's largest municipality by urban population; as of 2023, it had an urban population of 22.87 million. The municipality contains 26 districts, 8 counties, and 4 autonomous counties. The city served as the wartime capital for the Republic of China (ROC) during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945). On 14 March 1997, the current municipality was separated from the surrounding province of Sichuan, with the goal of furthering development in the central and western parts of the country.
Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County (officially spelled Taxkorgan) is an autonomous county of Kashgar Prefecture, in western Xinjiang, China. The county seat is Tashkurgan. The county is the only Tajik (Pamiri) autonomous county in China.
Counties (县) are found in the third level of the administrative hierarchy in provinces and autonomous regions and the second level in municipalities and Hainan, a level that is known as "county level" and also contains autonomous counties, county-level cities, banners, autonomous banners and city districts. There are 1,355 counties in mainland China out of a total of 2,851 county-level divisions.
The term xian is sometimes translated as "district" or "prefecture" when put in the context of Chinese history.
Guanling Buyei and Miao Autonomous County (simplified Chinese: 关岭布依族苗族自治县; traditional Chinese: 關嶺布依族苗族自治縣; Bouyei: Gvanylingj Buxqyaix Buxyeeuz Ziqziqxianq) is an autonomous county in Anshun City, in the southwest of Guizhou Province, China.
Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County (Chinese: 青龙满族自治县, Manchu: ᠨᡳᠣᠸᠠᠩᡤᡳᠶᠠᠨ ᠮᡠᡩᡠᡵᡳ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡠᡴᠰᡠᡵᠠ ᡯᡳᡷᠶ ᡥᡳᠶᠠᠨ) is a Manchu autonomous county in northeastern Hebei province, China, bordering Liaoning Province to the north and east and located in the eastern part of the Yan Mountains. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Qinhuangdao, and, as of 2004, had a population of 520,000 residing in an area of 3,309 km (1,278 sq mi). Bordering county-level divisions are: Lingyuan and Jianchang County (Liaoning) to the north, Liaoning's Suizhong County and Qinhuangdao city proper to the east, Qian'an and Lulong County to the south, and Kuancheng Manchu Autonomous County and Qianxi County to the west.
During the 1976 Tangshan earthquake 180,000 buildings in Qinglong collapsed, but no fatalities occurred.
Fengning Manchu Autonomous County (Chinese: 丰宁满族自治县; Manchu: ᡶᡝᠩ ᠨᡳᠩ ᠮᠠᠨᠵᡠ ᡠᡴᠰᡠᡵᠠ ᠪᡝᠶᡝ ᡰᡥᡳ ᠰᡳᠶᠠᠨ) is a Manchu autonomous county of northern Hebei province, bordering Beijing to the southwest and Inner Mongolia to the north, and lying under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Chengde.
It is the second-largest county of Hebei in terms of area, after the neighbouring Weichang Manchu and Mongol Autonomous County.
Weichang Manchu and Mongol Autonomous County (Chinese: 围场满族蒙古族自治县) is a Manchu and Mongol autonomous county located in far northeastern Hebei province, China. It lies under the administration of Chengde City, and is the northernmost county of the province, bordering Inner Mongolia to the north. In terms of area, it is the largest county of Hebei, occupying an area of 9,058 km (3,497 sq mi), though, as it is located in mountainous terrain, it is rather sparsely populated, as of 2020, housing 423,676 people.
The area has been historically home to Manchu soldiers, and the local dialect of Mandarin is similar to that of Beijing, though there is some Northeastern influence.