Administrative divisions of the Republic of China

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Administrative divisions
of the Republic of China
In effect
Provinces
(streamlined)
Municipalities
Counties
Provincial cities
County-controlled cities
Districts
Urban townships
Rural townships
Urban villages
Rural villages
Neighborhoods
Suspended
Regions
(also known as "Areas")
Special administrative
regions (SARs)
Leagues
Special banners
Bureaus
Management bureaus
Banners
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Administrative levels
and divisions of the
People's Republic of China




The Republic of China currently administers two historical provinces of China (one completely and a small part of another one) and centrally administers two direct-controlled municipalities:

Contents

[edit] Special considerations

[edit] Streamlined provinces

The two provinces have been effectively streamlined in administration, leaving the two centrally administered municipalities, five provincial municipalities, and eighteen counties as the principal divisions of the Republic of China.

[edit] Joint service centres

The central government operates three regional Joint Service Centres (區域聯合服務中心) outside Taipei as outposts of the government ministries in the Executive Yuan. These regions, laid out the Comprehensive National Spatial Development Plan for Taiwan (臺灣地區國土綜合開發計劃), can be considered a de facto level of government, perhaps equivalent to de jure provinces or similar to the English regions. There is one regional service centre for each of the Southern Taiwan Region (with the centre in Kaohsiung), the Central Taiwan Region (Taichung), and the Eastern Taiwan Region (Hualien). The Northern Taiwan Region is served by Taipei, the central government's administrative headquarters and de facto capital.

[edit] Quasi-municipality status for Taipei County

On 1 October 2007, per legislation newly coming into force, Taipei County was upgraded to become a quasi-municipality on the same level as Kaohsiung City and Taipei City[1]. It is allowed the organizational and budgetary framework of a de jure municipality, but is still formally styled as a county. The Taichung County and City are lobbying the central government for a similar status.

[edit] Mainland China and Mongolia

Additionally, the ROC has not officially renounced its claims over mainland China and Mongolia. This results in a division of the mainland into 35 provinces, different from that of the current PRC system.

[edit] Structural hierarchy

The number at the end are the amount of entities as of 2004, in areas under the ROC control:

  • Municipality (2)
    • District (區; qū; cyu) (23)
      • Village (里; lǐ; li) (912)
        • Neighborhood (鄰; lín; lin) (17,988)
  • Province (2)
    • Provincial municipality (5)
      • District (26)
        • Village (831)
          • Neighborhood (17,091)
    • County (18)
      • County-administered city (32)
        • Village (里; lǐ; li)
          • Neighborhood
      • Township: 226 rural townships (鄉; xiāng; siang) and 61 urban townships (鎮; zhèn; jhen)
        • Village (村; cūn; cun)
          • Neighborhood
Accuracy dispute
 This section appears to contradict itself about the total. Please help fix this problem.

The number of neighborhood, the lowest administrative level, is 146,112 under 7,809 villages in the ROC. And, to tell distinct neighborhood is from ordinal number, not from distinctive name. In total, there are 336 secondary entities (rural and urban townships, districts (of both types of municipalities), and county-administered cities).

In the ROC administrative scheme, a number of cities and counties have the same name, however, which are independent adminstrations. Tainan City and Tainan County, for example, which are completely different administrations. Generally, the biggest administrative area of structural hierarchy is direct-controlled municipality, then provincial city, and the last county-controlled city. In mainland China, the situation as is in reverse.

[edit] Romanization

Main article: Romanization of Chinese in Taiwan

The romanization used for ROC placenames is Wade-Giles, however consistently ignoring the punctuations (apostrophes and hyphens), except "Keelung" and "Quemoy", which are the more popular versions of romanization. "Chiayi" and "Yilan" are slightly modified forms of the Wade-Giles version, "Chia-i" and "I-lan", respectively. After Tongyong Pinyin was adopted by the current administration in 2002, most municipalities, provinces, and county-level entities retained Wade-Giles, with the aforementioned exceptions. Taipei is the only municipality that uses Hanyu Pinyin as standard and most street signs in Taipei have been replaced with Hanyu Pinyin, except for the place name "Taipei," which has retained the Wade-Giles spelling.

[edit] Municipalities

Romanization Chinese Tongyong Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin Wade-Giles POJ
Taipei City 臺北市, 台北市 Táiběi Táiběi T'ai2-pei3 Tâi-pak-chhī
Kaohsiung City 高雄市 Gaosyóng Gāoxióng Kao1-hsiung2 Ko-hiông-chhī

[edit] Counties

In Taiwan Province:

Romanization Chinese Tongyong Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin Wade-Giles POJ Capital
Changhua County 彰化縣 Jhanghuà Zhānghuà Chang1-hua4 Chiong-hòa-koān Changhua City
Chiayi County 嘉義縣 Jiayì Jiāyì Chia1-i4 Ka-gī-koān Taibao City
Hsinchu County 新竹縣 Sinjhú Xīnzhú Hsin1-chu2 Jhubei City
Hualien County 花蓮縣 Hualián Huālián Hua1-lien2 Hoa-liân-koān Hualien City
Kaohsiung County 高雄縣 Gaosyóng Gāoxióng Kao1-hsiung2 Fongshan City
Miaoli County 苗栗縣 Miáolì Miáolì Miao2-li4 Miaoli City
Nantou County 南投縣 Nántóu Nántóu Nan2-t'ou2 Nantou City
Penghu County (Pescadores) 澎湖縣 Pénghú Pénghú P'eng2-hu2 Magong City
Pingtung County 屏東縣 Píngdong Píngdōng P'ing2-tung1 Pingtung City
Taichung County 台中縣 Táijhong Táizhōng T'ai2-chung1 Fongyuan City
Tainan County 台南縣 Táinán Táinán T'ai2-nan2 Sinying City
Taipei County 台北縣 Táiběi Táiběi T'ai2-pei3 Banciao City
Taitung County 台東縣 Táidong Táidōng T'ai2-tung1 Taitung City
Taoyuan County 桃園縣 Táoyuán Táoyuán T'ao2-yüan2 Taoyuan City
Yilan County 宜蘭縣 Yílán Yílán I2-lan2 Gî-lân-koān Yilan City
Yunlin County 雲林縣 Yúnlín Yúnlín Yün2-lin2 Douliou City

In Fujian Province (Wade-Giles: Fuchien):

Romanization Chinese Tongyong Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin Wade-Giles Capital
Lienchiang County (Matsu) 連江縣 Liánjiang Liánjiāng Lien2-chiang1 Nangan Township
Kinmen County (Quemoy) 金門縣 Jinmén Jīnmén Chin1-men2 Jincheng Township

[edit] Provincial municipalities

In Taiwan Province:

Romanization Chinese Tongyong Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin Wade-Giles
Chiayi City 嘉義市 Jiayì Jiāyì Chia1-i4
Hsinchu City 新竹市 Sinjhú Xīnzhú Hsin1-chu2
Keelung City 基隆市 Jilóng Jīlóng Chi1-lung2
Taichung City 台中市 Táijhong Táizhōng T'ai2-chung1
Tainan City 台南市 Táinán Táinán T'ai2-nan2


[edit] Claims over mainland China and Mongolia

See also: History of the political divisions of China
Maps of the official borders of the Republic of China include mainland China and Mongolia
Maps of the official borders of the Republic of China include mainland China and Mongolia
Map comparing political divisions as drawn by the Republic of China and People's Republic of China.
Map comparing political divisions as drawn by the Republic of China and People's Republic of China.

After its loss of mainland China to the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil War and its retreat to Taiwan in 1949, the Kuomintang continued to regard the Republic of China as the sole legitimate government of China and hoped to recover the mainland one day. Although in 1991 President Lee Teng-hui stated that the ROC does not challenge the right of the Communist Party of China to rule in the mainland, the ROC has never formally (by means of the National Assembly) renounced sovereignty over mainland China (including Xinjiang and Tibet) and Greater Mongolia. Most observers feel that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party would much prefer to officially renounce such sovereignty. This ambiguous situation results in large part because a formal renouncement of sovereignty over mainland China could be taken as a declaration of Taiwan independence, which would be unpopular among some circles on Taiwan and could likely bring about military action by the People's Republic of China.

Accordingly, the official first-order divisions of Republic of China remain the historical divisions of China immediately prior to the loss of mainland China by the KMT with Taipei and Kaohsiung elevated as central municipalities. These are: 35 provinces, 2 areas, 1 special administrative region, 14 centrally-administered (provincial-level) municipalities, 14 leagues, and 4 special banners. For second-order divisions, under provinces and special administrative regions, there are counties, province-controlled cities (56), bureaus (34) and management bureaus (7). Under provincial-level municipalities there are districts, and under leagues there are banners (127).

Maps of China and the world published in Taiwan sometimes show provincial and national boundaries as they were in 1949, not matching the current administrative structure as decided by the Communist Party of China post-1949 and including outer Mongolia, northern Burma, and Tannu Uriankhai (part of which is present-day Tuva) as part of China (territories over which the PRC has renounced sovereignty). Recent moves by the DPP administration have been changing maps in school textbooks and official maps issued by the government to reflect the current divisions instituted by the PRC.

The current jurisdiction of the ROC is referred to as the "Free Area of the Republic of China" in the Constitution. In most ordinary legislation, the term "Taiwan Area" is used in place of the "Free Area", while Mainland China is referred to as the "Mainland Area". According to the Act Governing Relations Between Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, originally promulgated in 1992 and last amended in 2004, the "Taiwan Area" refers to "Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and any other area under the effective control of the Government" and the "Mainland Area" refers to "the territory of the Republic of China outside the Taiwan Area."

Province-level divisions of China as claimed by the Republic of China
Name Chinese (T) pinyin Abbreviation Capital
Provinces
Andong 安東 Āndōng Tonghua
Anhui 安徽 Ānhuī 皖 wǎn Hefei
Chahar 察哈爾 Cháhā'ěr 察 chá Zhangjiakou
Fujian 福建 Fújiàn 閩 mǐn Fuzhou
Gansu 甘肅 Gānsù 甘 gān or 隴 lǒng Lanzhou
Guangdong 廣東 Guǎngdōng 粵 yuè Guangzhou
Guangxi 廣西 Guǎngxī 桂 guì Guilin
Guizhou 貴州 Guìzhōu 黔 qián or 貴 guì Guiyang
Hebei 河北 Héběi 冀 jì Qingyuan (Baoding)
Heilongjiang 黑龍江 Hēilóngjiāng 黑 hēi Bei'an
Hejiang 合江 Héjiāng Jiamusi
Henan 河南 Hénán 豫 yù Kaifeng
Hubei 湖北 Húběi 鄂 è Wuchang
Hunan 湖南 Húnán 湘 xiāng Changsha
Jiangsu 江蘇 Jiāngsū 蘇 sū Zhenjiang
Jiangxi 江西 Jiāngxī 贛 gàn Nanchang
Jilin 吉林 Jílín 吉 jí Jilin
Liaobei 遼北 Liáoběi Liaoyuan
Liaoning 遼寧 Liáoníng 遼 liáo Shenyang
Ningxia 寧夏 Níngxià 寧 níng Yinchuan
Nenjiang 嫩江 Nènjiāng Qiqihar
Qinghai 青海 Qīnghǎi 青 qīng Xining
Rehe 熱河 Rèhé 熱 rè Chengde
Shaanxi 陝西 Shǎnxī 陝 shǎn or 秦 qín Xi'an
Shandong 山東 Shāndōng 魯 lǔ Jinan
Shanxi 山西 Shānxī 晉 jìn Taiyuan
Sichuan 四川 Sìchuān 川 chuān or 蜀 shǔ Chengdu
Songjiang 松江 Sōngjiāng Mudanjiang
Suiyuan 綏遠 Suíyuǎn 綏 suí Guisui (Hohhot)
Taiwan 臺灣 Táiwān 臺 tái Jhongsing Village¹
Xikang 西康 Xīkāng 康 kāng Kangding
Xing'an 興安 Xīng'ān Hailar (Hulunbuir)
Xinjiang 新疆 Xīnjiāng 疆 jiāng Dihua (Urumqi)
Yunnan 雲南 Yúnnán 滇 diān or 雲 yún Kunming
Zhejiang 浙江 Zhèjiāng 浙 zhè Hangzhou
Special administrative region
Hainan 海南 Hǎinán 瓊 qióng Haikou
Regions (地方 Dìfāng)
Outer Mongolia 蒙古 Měnggǔ 蒙 měng Kulun (Ulaanbaatar)
Tibet 西藏 Xīzàng 藏 zàng Lhasa
Municipalities
Beiping (Beijing) 北平 Běipíng 平 píng
Chongqing 重慶 Chóngqìng 渝 yú
Dalian 大連 Dàlián
Guangzhou 廣州 Guǎngzhōu 穗 suì
Hankou 漢口 Hànkǒu 漢 hàn
Harbin 哈爾濱 Hā'ěrbīn
Kaohsiung City² 高雄 Gāoxióng 高 gāo
Nanjing 南京 Nánjīng 京 jīng
Qingdao 青島 Qīngdǎo
Shanghai 上海 Shànghǎi 滬 hù
Shenyang 瀋陽 Shěnyáng 瀋 shěn
Taipei City ² 台北 Táiběi 北 běi
Tianjin 天津 Tiānjīn 津 jīn
Xi'an 西安 Xī'ān
  1. The capital of Taiwan Province was moved to Jhongsing Village from Taipei in the 1960s.
  2. Taipei and Kaohsiung were elevated in 1967 and 1979, respectively, after the ROC government had moved to Taiwan in 1949.

[edit] Criticism of political divisions

Historically the most controversial part of the political division system of the ROC has been the existence of Taiwan Province, as its existence was part of a larger controversy over the political status of Taiwan. In the mid-1990s, the provincial government was essentially stripped of almost all of its authority, but it remains a streamlined entity.

There has been some criticism of the current administrative scheme as being inefficient and inconducive to regional planning. In particular, most of the administrative cities are much smaller than the actual metropolitan areas, and there are no formal means for coordinating policy between an administrative city and its surrounding areas.

However, the likelihood of consolidation remains low. Many of the cities have a political geography which may be very different from their surrounding counties, making the prospect of consolidation highly politically charged. For example, while the Kuomintang argues that combining Taipei City, Taipei County, and Keelung City into a metropolitan Taipei region would allow for better regional planning, the Democratic Progressive Party argues that this is merely an excuse to eliminate the government of Taipei County, which it has at times controlled, by swamping it with votes from Taipei City and Keelung City, which tend to vote Kuomintang.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://web.ner.gov.tw/culturenews/culture/culture-detail.asp?id=84927

[edit] See also

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[edit] External links

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