List of autonomous areas by country
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates

This list of autonomous areas arranged by country gives an overview of autonomous areas of the world. An autonomous area is defined as an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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, enjoy a special status including some legislative powers, within the state (for a detailed list of federated units, see federated state).<ref>Olausson, Pär M. (2007) Autonomy and Islands: A Global Study of the Factors that Determine Island Autonomy, Turku: Åbo Akademi University Press, pp. 21–25</ref>
This list includes areas that are internationally recognized, as well as some that are generally unrecognized.Template:Efn-uaTemplate:Efn-ua 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.
Autonomous areas
Created by international agreements
| Country | Native term Translation or equivalent |
Instances (areas became autonomous in the treaty and year(s) indicated, if available) | References | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flag | lang}} (Chinese, an official language of both Hong Kong and Macau) Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap |
Template:Flag (1997) Template:Efn-ua<ref name ="HKSAR">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
<ref name="china" /> |
| Template:Flag | itsehallinnollinen maakunta (Finnish) självstyrande landskap (Swedish) autonomous province |
Template:Flag (1922) Template:Efn-ua<ref>Template:In lang Edouard Gourdon, Histoire du Congrès de Paris, Paris, 1857, full text at google Print</ref><ref>Later confirmated by the Act on the Autonomy of Åland of 1920 (which was later replaced by new legislations by the same name in 1951 and 1991) and the League of Nations in 1922 following the Åland crisis.</ref> | <ref name="gfbv">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |
| Template:Flag | UK constituent country with devolution | Template:Flagicon image Northern Ireland (1999) Template:Efn-ua | <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |
| Template:Flag | autonome Provinz (German) provincia autonoma (Italian) autonomous province |
Template:Flag (1946, 1972) Template:Efn-ua | <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |
| Template:Flag / Template:Flag | "سلطة الحكم الذاتي الفلسطينية المؤقتة" (Arabic) "Palestinian Interim Self-Government Authority" הסמכות המינהלית הפלסטינית (Hebrew) interim administrative authority |
Template:Flag (1994) Template:Efn-ua Template:· Gaza Strip and West Bank Template:Efn-ua | <ref name=worldbank>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref><ref>1995 Oslo Interim Agreement. Text of the Accord</ref> |
Notes:
- Template:Flagicon 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<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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).
- Template:Flagicon image Heligoland, Germany: Although it is part of a German state, Schleswig-Holstein, it has been excluded from some European Union normatives, such as customs union and the Value Added Tax Area.<ref>Article 6 of Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 (as amended) on the common system of value added tax (OJ L 347, 11 December 2006, p. 1) Eur-lex.europa.eu.</ref>
- Template:Flagicon image Büsingen am Hochrhein, Germany and Template:Flagicon image Campione d'Italia, Italy: Despite being integral parts of their respective countries, these two enclaves of Switzerland predominantly use Swiss franc as currency<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and are in customs union with it.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Created by internal statutes
Dependent, overseas and associated territories with autonomy
All first level divisions are autonomous
| Country | Native term Translation or equivalent |
Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available) | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flag | departamento (autonomous) department |
Template:Flagicon image Beni (2006) Template:· Template:Flagicon image Pando (2006) Template:· Template:Flagicon image Santa Cruz (2006) Template:· Template:Flagicon image Tarija (2006) Template:· Template:Flagicon image La Paz (2009) Template:· Template:Flagicon image Cochabamba (2009) Template:· Template:Flagicon image Chuquisaca (2009)Template:· Template:Flagicon image Oruro (2009)Template:· Template:Flagicon image Potosi (2009) | <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Template:Flag | île autonome autonomous island |
Template:Flag (2002) Template:· Template:Flagicon image Grande Comore (2002) Template:· Template:Flag (2002) | <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Template:Flag | Jurisdiction | Template:Flag Template:· Template:Flag (1565) | <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Template:Flag | lang}} (in Spanish)<ref>Spanish (aka Castilian) is official in</ref> {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (in Basque)<ref>Basque is official in the Spanish autonomous communities of Basque Country and Navarre.</ref> Template:Nowrap Template:Nowrap {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (in Galician)<ref>Galician is official in the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia.</ref> {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (in Asturian)<ref>Asturian is recognised and protected by law in the Spanish autonomous community of Asturias.</ref> {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (in Aragonese)<ref>Aragonese is recognised and protected by law in the Spanish autonomous community of Aragon.</ref> autonomous community (nationalities and regions of Spain) |
Template:Flag (1981) Template:· Template:Flag (1982) Template:· Template:Flag (1981) Template:· Template:Flag (1983) Template:· Template:Flag (1979) Template:· Template:Flag (1982) Template:· Template:Flag (1981) Template:· Template:Flag (1982) Template:· Template:Flag (1983) Template:· Template:Flag (1979) Template:· Template:Flag (1983) Template:· Template:Flag (1981) Template:· Template:Flagcountry (1982) Template:· Template:Flag (1983) Template:· Template:Flag (1982) Template:· Template:Flag (1982) Template:· Template:Flag (1982) | <ref name="gfbv" /> | |
| lang}} autonomous city |
Template:Flag (1995) Template:· Template:Flag (1995) | <ref name="gfbv" /> |
Sub-first level autonomous areas
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. 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) | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flag | ciudad autónoma autonomous city |
Template:Flagicon Buenos Aires (1994) | <ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> | |
| Template:Flag | autonomous city | Template:Flagicon Yerevan | ||
| Template:Flag | autonomous city | Template:Flagicon Minsk | ||
| Template:Flag | krong autonomous municipality |
Phnom Penh Template:Efn-ua | <ref name="Provinces of Cambodia">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Template:Flag | commune autonome autonomous commune |
Bangui | <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Template:Flag | sector autónomo autonomous sector |
Template:Flagicon image Bissau region | <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Template:Flag | autonomous city | Template:Flagicon Budapest | ||
| Template:Flag | autonomous city | Template:Flagicon image Mexico City (2016) | <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| Template:Flag | autonomous municipality | Template:Flagicon image Bucharest | ||
| Template:Flag | autonomous city | Template:Flagicon Belgrade | ||
| Template:Flag | shahar autonomous city |
Template:Flagicon image Tashkent (1918) | <ref name="uzbek">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Independent cities called "autonomous"
| Country | Native term Translation or equivalent |
Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available) | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flag | lang}} village community |
Template:Flagicon image Atarashiki (1948) | |
| Template:Flag | lang}} special autonomous city |
Template:Flagicon image Sejong | |
| Template:Flag | krong autonomous municipality |
Phnom PenhTemplate:· SihanoukvilleTemplate:· PailinTemplate:· Kep | <ref name="Provinces of Cambodia"/> |
Self-declared entities called "autonomous"
| Country | Native term Translation or equivalent |
Instances (areas became autonomous in the year indicated, if available) | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Flag | Municipios Autónomos Autonomous Municipalities |
Rebel Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities (2020–2023) | |
| Template:Flag | Rêveberiya Xweser Autonomous Administration |
Template:FlagiconAutonomous Administration of North and East Syria (2012) | |
| Template:Flag | Federación de Juntas Vecinales Federation of Neighborhood Councils |
Fejuve (1979) |
See also
- Autocephaly
- Autonomous administrative division
- Dependent territory (includes list)
- Federated state
- List of administrative divisions by country
- List of leaders of dependent territories
- List of national capitals serving as administrative divisions
- List of sovereign states