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User:Centralismo/sandbox/Autonomous administrative division

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An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, entity, unit, region, subdivision, or territory) is a subnational administrative division or internal territory of a sovereign state that has a degree of autonomyself-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. 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

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Division State Notes
 United Kingdom Three of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, namely Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each has 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.
 Kingdom of Denmark The two autonomous countries[1] (Danish: land, 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).
(no official flag) Tobago  Trinidad and Tobago The Tobago House of Assembly is an autonomous legislature that is responsible for the island of Tobago.[2]
Jeju  South Korea
 Vojvodina  Serbia
 Åland  Finland
 Azores  Portugal
Bangsamoro  Philippines
 Bougainville  Papua New Guinea
 Hong Kong
 Macau
 People's Republic of China

 Puntland
 Jubaland
Hirshabelle State
 Galmudug
 Somaliland
South West State of Somalia

 Somalia Somaliland is a self-declared state, It is internationally considered an autonomous region independent in northwestern Somalia.
 Madeira  Portugal
Atlántico Norte  Nicaragua
Atlántico Sur
 Rodrigues  Mauritius
Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria  Syria
Zanzibar  Tanzania
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Nakhchivan  Azerbaijan
Adjara  Georgia
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 Autonomous Republic; its independence is recognized by Russia and three other U.N. member states.
Autonomous Republic of Badakhshan  Tajikistan
Crimea Claimed by: Ukraine

Controlled by: Russia

Karakalpakstan  Uzbekistan
Gagauzia  Moldova
 Transnistria / 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 Autonomous Province, its independence is recognized by 3 other non-UN member states.
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
 Chile In 2007, the Chamber of Deputies of Chile passed a law designating both as "special territories", granting them more autonomy.[3] 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 (1992)  Iraq
 Nevis (1967)  Saint Kitts and Nevis
Autonomous Region of Príncipe (1995)  São Tomé and Príncipe
 Kosovo Claimed by:  Serbia

Controlled by:  Kosovo

Serbia also claims Kosovo as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.
 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  Germany Despite being integral parts of their respective countries, these two enclaves of Switzerland predominantly use Swiss franc as currency and are in customs union with it.
Campione d'Italia  Italy Despite being integral parts of their respective countries, these two enclaves of Switzerland predominantly use Swiss franc as currency and are in customs union with it.

Other territories considered autonomous

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Crown dependencies

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Division State Notes
 Guernsey  United Kingdom
 Isle of Man  United Kingdom
 Jersey  United Kingdom
 Gibraltar  United Kingdom

British Overseas Territories

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Division State Notes
 Anguilla  United Kingdom
 Bermuda  United Kingdom
 British Indian Ocean Territory  United Kingdom
 British Virgin Islands  United Kingdom
 Cayman Islands  United Kingdom
 Falkland Islands  United Kingdom
 Gibraltar  United Kingdom
 Montserrat  United Kingdom
 Pitcairn  United Kingdom
 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha  United Kingdom
 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands  United Kingdom
 Turks and Caicos Islands  United Kingdom

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. 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

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Division State Notes
 Aruba  Netherlands
 Curaçao  Netherlands
 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

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Division State Notes
 Alsace (2021)  France single territorial collectivity
 Corsica (2018)  France single territorial collectivity
 French Guiana  France
 Guadeloupe  France
 Martinique  France
 Mayotte  France
 Réunion  France
 Clipperton Island  France
 French Polynesia  France
 Saint-Barthélemy  France
 Saint-Martin  France
 Saint-Pierre and Miquelon  France
 Wallis and Futuna  France
 New Caledonia  France
 French Southern and Antarctic Lands  France

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. 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

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Division State Notes
 Cook Islands  New Zealand
 Niue  New Zealand
 Tokelau  New Zealand
 Chatham Islands  New Zealand

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.[4]

Ethnic autonomous territories

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Ethiopian special woredas

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In Ethiopia, "special woredas" are a subgroup of woredas (districts) that are organized around the traditional homelands of an ethnic minority, 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

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Division State Notes
File:Bandera Nis'ga Nation.png Nisga'a Nation  Canada
 Nunatsiavut  Canada
 Tłı̨chǫ  Canada
 Hopi Reservation  United States
 Cherokee Nation  United States
 Choctaw Nation  United States
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation  United States
 Navajo Nation  United States
Emberá-Wounaan  Panama
Kuna de Madugandí  Panama
Kuna de Wargandí  Panama
Kuna Yala  Panama
Ngöbe-Buglé  Panama
Naso Tjër Di Comarca  Panama

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

List of historical autonomous administrative divisions

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b * Benedikter, Thomas (2006-06-19). "The working autonomies in Europe". Society for Threatened Peoples. Archived from the original on 2008-03-09. Retrieved 2019-08-30. Denmark has established very specific territorial autonomies with its two island territories
    • Ackrén, Maria (November 2017). "Greenland". Autonomy Arrangements in the World. Archived from the original on 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2019-08-30. Faroese and Greenlandic are seen as official regional languages in the self-governing territories belonging to Denmark.
    • "Greenland". International Cooperation and Development. European Commission. 2013-06-03. Retrieved 2019-08-27. Greenland [...] is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark
    • "Facts about the Faroe Islands". Nordic cooperation. Archived from the original on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2015. The Faroe Islands [...] is one of three autonomous territories in the Nordic Region
  2. ^ Tobago Division Of Tourism - About Tobago, Governance Archived 2007-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Easter Islands now a "special territory" with more autonomy".
  4. ^ "Chatham Islands Council Act 1995 No 41 (as at 01 July 2013), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation". www.legislation.govt.nz.

Works cited

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Category:Autonomy Category:Decentralization