View source for Provinces of China

{{Short description|none}}
{{About|provinces in the People's Republic of China|all province-level divisions of China|Province-level divisions of China|the Republic of China|Administrative divisions of Taiwan}}

{{Infobox subdivision type
| name = Provinces<br />{{langn|zh|省}}<br />{{tlitn|zh|Shěng}}
| map = China provinces highlighted.svg
| mapsize = 350px
| category = [[Unitary state]]
| territory = {{PRC}}
| start_date = 
| current_number = 22, plus 1 claimed
| number_date = 
| population_range = 
| area_range = 
| government = [[Unitary state|Unitary]] one-party [[socialist republic]]
| subdivision = [[Sub-provincial city]], [[Prefecture-level divisions]]
}}

{{Infobox Chinese
| order = st
| collapse = yes
| title = Provinces
| t = 省
| s = 省
| p = Shěng
| tib = ཞིང་ཆེན།
| wylie = zhing chen
| zwpy = Xingqên
| zha = Swngj
| mong = {{MongolUnicode|ᠮᠤᠵᠢ}}
| monr = muǰi
| mon = муж
| hangul = 성
| rr = seong
| mr = sŏng
| uig = ئۆلكە
| uly = ölke
| uyy = ɵlkə
| sgs = ölkä
| usy = өлкә
| lang1 = Kazakh
| lang1_content = {{lang|kk-Arab|ولكە}}<Br>{{lang|kk|өлке}}<br>{{Transliteration|kk|ölke}}
| lang2 = Kyrgyz
| lang2_content = {{lang|ky-Arab|ۅلكۅ}}<Br>{{lang|ky|өлкө}}<br>{{Transliteration|ky|ölkö}}
| mnc = ᡤᠣᠯᠣ
| mnc_v = golo
}}

{{Administrative levels and divisions of China sidebar}}

'''Provinces''' ({{lang-zh|c=省|p=Shěng}}) are the most numerous type of [[province-level divisions of China|province-level divisions]] in the [[China|People's Republic of China]] (PRC). There are currently 22 provinces administered by the PRC and one province that is claimed, but not administered, which is [[Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China|Taiwan]], currently administered by the [[Taiwan|Republic of China]] (ROC).

The local governments of Chinese provinces consists of a Provincial People's Government headed by a [[Governor (China)|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 [[Chinese Communist Party Committee Secretary|party secretary]] and a [[Chinese Communist Party Provincial Standing Committee|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 (China)|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 [[Chinese Communist Party Provincial Standing Committee|Standing Committee]] to exercise its authority when not in session. The Provincial Party Secretary is the ''de facto'' most important position in the province.{{sfn|Goodman|2015|p=96}}{{sfn|Saich|2015|pp=157-158}}{{sfn|Chung|Lam|2010|loc=Chapter 2}}

== History ==
{{Main|History of the administrative divisions of China}}

The first provinces were created in the [[Yuan dynasty]], and have remained one of the most stable forms of Chinese government since then.{{sfn|Guo|2017|p=23}} They were created to help the Imperial court manage local county governments, which were too numerous and far-flung to be managed directly.{{sfn|Fitzgerald|2002|p=16}} The number of provinces grew steadily during subsequent dynasties, reaching 28 by the time of the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]].{{sfn|Goodman|2015|pp=150,154}} 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.{{sfn|Goodman|2015|pp=153–154}}
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.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fairbank |first1=John |title=China: A New History |last2=Goldman |first2=Merle |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2006 |isbn=0674116739 |pages=11}}</ref>

== List of provinces ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%;"
|-
! align="center" |GB/T 2260-2007<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~chgis/work/design/chinastdb_1210.doc |title=GB/T 2260 codes for the provinces of China |access-date=2011-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040305025950/http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~chgis/work/design/chinastdb_1210.doc |archive-date=2004-03-05 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! align="center" |[[ISO 3166-2:CN|ISO]]<ref>[[ISO 3166-2:CN]] ([[ISO 3166-2]] codes for the provinces of China)</ref>
! 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{{efn|Abbreviation in the parentheses is informal}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HE
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HE
| [[Hebei]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=河北省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|冀}}</span><br><small>Jì</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | SX
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-SX
| [[Shanxi]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=山西省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|晋}}</span><br><small>Jìn</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | LN
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-LN
| [[Liaoning]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=辽宁省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|辽}}</span><br><small>Liáo</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | JL
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-JL
| [[Jilin]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=吉林省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|吉}}</span><br><small>Jí</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HL
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HL
| [[Heilongjiang]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=黑龙江省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|黑}}</span><br><small>Hēi</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | JS
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-JS
| [[Jiangsu]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=江苏省}}}}</span><br><small>Jiāngsū Shěng</small>
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Nanjing]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[Suzhou, Jiangsu|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;">{{lang|zh|苏}}</span><br><small>Sū</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | ZJ
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-ZJ
| [[Zhejiang]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=浙江省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|浙}}</span><br><small>Zhè</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | AH
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-AH
| [[Anhui]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=安徽省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|皖}}</span><br><small>Wǎn</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | FJ
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-FJ
| [[Fujian]]{{efn|Most of Fujian is administered by the People's Republic of China, but the Republic of China governs [[Kinmen County]] and [[Matsu Islands|Lienchiang County]] (the Matsu Islands) as part of its own [[Fujian Province, Republic of China|Fujian Province]].}}
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=福建省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|闽}}</span><br><small>Mǐn</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | JX
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-JX
| [[Jiangxi]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=江西省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|赣}}</span><br><small>Gàn</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | SD
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-SD
| [[Shandong]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=山东省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|鲁}}</span><br><small>Lǔ</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HA
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HA
| [[Henan]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=河南省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|豫}}</span><br><small>Yù</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HB
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HB
| [[Hubei]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=湖北省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|鄂}}</span><br><small>È</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HN
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HN
| [[Hunan]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=湖南省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|湘}}</span><br><small>Xiāng</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | GD
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-GD
|[[Guangdong]]{{efn|Most of Guangdong is administered by the People's Republic of China, but the Republic of China governs [[Pratas Island]] as part of the special municipality of [[Kaohsiung City]].}}
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=广东省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|粤}}</span><br><small>Yuè</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | HI
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-HI
| [[Hainan]]{{efn|Most of Hainan is administered by the People's Republic of China, while the Republic of China governs [[Taiping Island]] as part of the special municipality of Kaohsiung City.}}
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=海南省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|琼}}</span><br><small>Qióng</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | SC
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-SC
| [[Sichuan]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=四川省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|川(蜀)}}</span><br><small>Chuān (Shǔ)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | GZ
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-GZ
| [[Guizhou]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=贵州省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|贵(黔)}}</span><br><small>Guì (Qián)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | YN
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-YN
| [[Yunnan]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=云南省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|云(滇)}}</span><br><small>Yún (Diān)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | SN
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-SN
| [[Shaanxi]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=陕西省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|陕(秦)}}</span><br><small>Shǎn (Qín)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | GS
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-GS
| [[Gansu]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=甘肃省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|甘(陇)}}</span><br><small>Gān (Lǒng)</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | QH
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-QH
| [[Qinghai]]
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang-zh|labels=no|s=青海省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|青}}</span><br><small>Qīng</small>
|- style="background:#FFCCCC;" |-
| style="text-align:center;" | TW
| style="text-align:center;" | CN-TW{{efn|Has separate [[ISO 3166-2]] code: <code>TW</code>}}
| [[Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China|''Taiwan'']]{{efn|The People's Republic of China considers Taiwan to be its 23rd province, but Taiwan is currently ruled by the [[Republic of China]]. For more information, see the [[political status of Taiwan]].}}
| <span style="font-size:medium;">{{lang|zh|{{lang|zh-hans|台湾省}}}}</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;">{{lang|zh|台(臺)}}</span><br><small>Tái</small>
|}
{{Notelist}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|China}}
* [[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 region (People's Republic of China)]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography == 
* {{cite book |last1=Goodman |first1=David S.G. |title=Handbook of the Politics of China |date=2015 |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing Limited |location=Northampton, Massachusetts}}
* {{cite book |last1=Saich |first1=Tony |title=Governance and Politics of China |date=2015 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |location=New York |edition=Fourth}}
* {{cite book |last1=Chung |first1=Jae Ho |last2=Lam |first2=Chiu |title=China's Local Administration: Traditions and Changes in the Sub-National Hierarchy |date=2010 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York}}
* {{cite book |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=John |title=Rethinking China's Provinces |date=2002 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York}}
*{{Cite book |last=Guo |first=Rongxing |title=How the Chinese Economy Works |date=2017 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |edition=4th Revised}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Provinces of the People's Republic of China}}
{{Wikivoyage|List of Chinese provinces and regions}}
* [http://www.dbresearch.com/chinasprovinces Interactive Dbresearch.com: WebMap] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406153605/http://dbresearch.com/chinasprovinces/ |date=2016-04-06 }} — ''with economic indicators for all Chinese Provinces''.

{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Asian countries}}
{{China topics |state = autocollapse }}
{{Province-level divisions of China}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Provinces of China| ]]
[[Category:Province-level divisions of China| ]]
[[Category:Lists of administrative divisions of China|*]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions of China]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|Provinces, China]]