Provinces () are the most numerous type of province-level divisions, the first-level subdivisions of the People's Republic of China (PRC). There are currently 22 provinces administered by the PRC, and one further area that it claims but does not administer, which is Taiwan Province.
The local governments of Chinese provinces consist of a Provincial People's Government headed by a governor that acts as the executive, a Provincial People's Congress with legislative powers, and a parallel provincial branch of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that elects a party secretary and a provincial standing committee.
Government
Provinces are the most common form of province-level governments. The legislative bodies of the provinces are the Provincial People's Congresses. The executive branch is the Provincial People's Government, led by a governor. The People's Government is answerable to both the State Council and the Provincial People's Congress. The provincial branch of the CCP has a Provincial Party Congress every five years, and elects a Standing Committee to exercise its authority when not in session. The Provincial Party Secretary is the de facto most important position in the province.
History
The first provinces were created by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, and have remained one of the most stable forms of Chinese government since then. They were created to help the Imperial court manage local county governments, which were too numerous and far-flung to be managed directly. The number of provinces grew steadily during subsequent dynasties, reaching 28 by the time of the Republic of China. During the Warlord Era, provinces became largely or completely autonomous and exercised significant national influence. Province-level units proliferated and under the early People's Republic there were over 50.
Political boundaries are, in part, established to counterbalance the influence of economic factors. For instance, the Yangtze Delta is divided among the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui. This division ensures that economic strength is distributed, preventing any single region from potentially overpowering the state.
List of provinces
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%;"
|-
! align="center" |GB/T 2260-2007
! align="center" |ISO
! align="left" |Province
! align="center" |Chinese<br />Hanyu Pinyin
! align="center" |Capital
! align="center" |Largest city
! align="right" |Population<br>(2020)
! align="right" |Density<br>(per km<sup>2</sup>)
! align="right" |Area<br>(km<sup>2</sup>)
! align="center" class="alphabetical" | Abbreviation
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HE
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HE
| Hebei
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Héběi Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Shijiazhuang
| style="text-align:right;" | 74,610,235
| style="text-align:right;" | 393.08
| style="text-align:right;" | 189,809
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Jì</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | SX
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-SX
| Shanxi
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Shānxī Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Taiyuan
| style="text-align:right;" | 34,915,616
| style="text-align:right;" | 222.80
| style="text-align:right;" | 156,713
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Jìn</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | LN
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-LN
| Liaoning
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Liáoníng Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Shenyang
| style="text-align:right;" | 42,591,407
| style="text-align:right;" | 289.59
| style="text-align:right;" | 147,076
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Liáo</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | JL
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-JL
| Jilin
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Jílín Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Changchun
| style="text-align:right;" | 24,073,453
| style="text-align:right;" | 126.51
| style="text-align:right;" | 190,282
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Jí</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HL
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HL
| Heilongjiang
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Hēilóngjiāng Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Harbin
| style="text-align:right;" | 31,850,088
| style="text-align:right;" | 67.37
| style="text-align:right;" | 472,766
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Hēi</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | JS
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-JS
| Jiangsu
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Jiāngsū Shěng</small>
| style="text-align:center;"|Nanjing
| style="text-align:center;"|Suzhou
| style="text-align:right;" | 84,748,016
| style="text-align:right;" | 847.91
| style="text-align:right;" | 99,949
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Sū</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | ZJ
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-ZJ
| Zhejiang
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Zhèjiāng Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Hangzhou
| style="text-align:right;" | 64,567,588
| style="text-align:right;" | 615.67
| style="text-align:right;" | 104,873
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Zhè</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | AH
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-AH
| Anhui
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Ānhuī Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | Hefei
| style="text-align:right;" | 61,027,171
| style="text-align:right;" | 436.29
| style="text-align:right;" | 139,879
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Wǎn</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | FJ
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-FJ
| Fujian
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Fújiàn Shěng</small>
| style="text-align:center;"|Fuzhou
|style="text-align:center;"|Quanzhou
| style="text-align:right;" | 41,540,086
| style="text-align:right;" | 335.66
| style="text-align:right;" | 123,756
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Mǐn</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | JX
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-JX
| Jiangxi
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Jiāngxī Shěng</small>
| style="text-align:center;"|Nanchang
|style="text-align:center;"|Ganzhou
| style="text-align:right;" | 45,188,635
| style="text-align:right;" | 270.69
| style="text-align:right;" | 166,939
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Gàn</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | SD
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-SD
| Shandong
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Shāndōng Shěng</small>
| style="text-align:center;"|Jinan
|style="text-align:center;"| Linyi
| style="text-align:right;" | 101,527,453
| style="text-align:right;" | 643.78
| style="text-align:right;" | 157,704
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Lǔ</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HA
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HA
| Henan
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Hénán Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Zhengzhou
| style="text-align:right;" | 99,365,519
| style="text-align:right;" | 600.52
| style="text-align:right;" | 165,467
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Yù</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HB
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HB
| Hubei
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Húběi Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Wuhan
| style="text-align:right;" | 57,752,557
| style="text-align:right;" | 310.87
| style="text-align:right;" | 185,776
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>È</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HN
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HN
| Hunan
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Húnán Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Changsha
| style="text-align:right;" | 66,444,864
| style="text-align:right;" | 313.65
| style="text-align:right;" | 211,842
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Xiāng</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | GD
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-GD
|Guangdong
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Guǎngdōng Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Guangzhou
| style="text-align:right;" | 126,012,510
| style="text-align:right;" | 700.02
| style="text-align:right;" | 180,013
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Yuè</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HI
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HI
| Hainan
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Hǎinán Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Haikou
| style="text-align:right;" | 10,081,232
| style="text-align:right;" | 294.27
| style="text-align:right;" | 34,259
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Qióng</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | SC
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-SC
| Sichuan
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Sìchuān Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Chengdu
| style="text-align:right;" | 83,674,866
| style="text-align:right;" | 174.93
| style="text-align:right;" | 484,056
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Chuān (Shǔ)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | GZ
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-GZ
| Guizhou
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Guìzhōu Shěng</small>
|style="text-align:center;"| Guiyang
| style="text-align:center;"|Zunyi
| style="text-align:right;" | 38,562,148
| style="text-align:right;" | 218.93
| style="text-align:right;" | 176,140
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Guì (Qián)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | YN
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-YN
| Yunnan
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Yúnnán Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| Kunming
| style="text-align:right;" | 47,209,277
| style="text-align:right;" | 123.20
| style="text-align:right;" | 383,195
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Yún (Diān)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | SN
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-SN
| Shaanxi
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Shǎnxī Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Xi'an
| style="text-align:right;" | 39,528,999
| style="text-align:right;" | 192.24
| style="text-align:right;" | 205,624
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Shǎn (Qín)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | GS
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-GS
| Gansu
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Gānsù Shěng</small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Lanzhou
| style="text-align:right;" | 25,019,831
| style="text-align:right;" | 54.70
| style="text-align:right;" | 457,382
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Gān (Lǒng)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | QH
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-QH
| Qinghai
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Qīnghǎi Shěng </small>
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Xining
| style="text-align:right;" | 5,923,957
| style="text-align:right;" | 8.58
| style="text-align:right;" | 720,000
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Qīng</small>
|- style="background:#FFCCCC;" |-
| style="text-align:center;" | TW
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-TW
| Taiwan
| <span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Táiwān Shěng </small>
| style="text-align:center;"|Taipei
|style="text-align:center;"|New Taipei City
| style="text-align:right;" | 23,162,123
| style="text-align:right;" | 650.97
| style="text-align:right;" | 36,161
| style="text-align:center;" |<span style="font-size:medium;"></span><br><small>Tái</small>
|}
See also
- Federalism in China
- Administrative divisions of China
- List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP
- List of Chinese administrative divisions by population
- List of current Chinese provincial leaders
- Regional discrimination in China
- Tiao-kuai
- Yangtze Delta
- Zhou (administrative division)
- Special administrative regions of China
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links
- Interactive Dbresearch.com: WebMap — with economic indicators for all Chinese Provinces.