An autonomous administrative division (also referred to as an autonomous area, zone, entity, unit, region, subdivision, province, or territory) is a subnational administrative division or internal territory of a sovereign state that has a degree of autonomy — self-governance — under the national government. Autonomous areas are distinct from other 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, which may exercise home rule. 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
| Division | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Azad Kashmir | Controlled by:  PakistanClaimed by:  India | Azad Kashmir is a self-governing polity which has not been formally annexed by Pakistan. It was established after a rebellion against the Maharajah of Kashmir, and the subsequent First Kashmir War. It is located within the historic Kashmir region, which is disputed between India, Pakistan and China. |
 United Kingdom | Three of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, namely Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each have 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. | |
 Denmark | The two autonomous territories (Danish: rigsdel, 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). | |
| Tobago |  Trinidad and Tobago | The Tobago House of Assembly is a devolved legislature that is responsible for the island of Tobago. |
 Vojvodina |  Serbia | |
| Kosovo / Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija | Claimed by: Serbia Controlled by:  Kosovo | In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared itself as an independent state. Its international recognition is split between those who recognize it as an independent state and those who view it as an autonomous province of Serbia under United Nations administration. |
 Åland |  Finland | |
|  Portugal | Although Portugal is an unitary state, its two autonomous regions have elected, devolved legislatures (Regional Legislative Assemblies of the Azores and Madeira) and local government (Governments of the Azores and Madeira) which have the ability to legislate in devolved matters. |
 Bangsamoro |  Philippines | |
 Bougainville |  Papua New Guinea | |
|  People's Republic of China | The special administrative regions have the highest degree of autonomy from the central government in Beijing. Autonomous regions contain a large minority ethnic group. |
 Puntland Jubaland Hirshabelle Galmudug Somaliland Koofur Orsi |  Somalia | Somaliland is a self-declared independent state, although it is internationally considered an autonomous region in northwestern Somalia. |
 North Caribbean Coast |  Nicaragua | |
 South Caribbean Coast | ||
 Rodrigues |  Mauritius | |
 Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria |  Syria | |
 Zanzibar |  Tanzania | |
 Nakhchivan | Azerbaijan | |
 Adjara |  Georgia | |
Abkhazia /  Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia | De jure: 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 claimed Autonomous Republic; its independence is recognized by Russia and three other U.N. member states. |
| Gorno-Badakhshan |  Tajikistan | |
 Republic of Crimea / Autonomous Republic of Crimea | De jure:  UkraineControlled by:  Russia | The 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia is not recognized by most countries, including Ukraine. |
 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 claimed Autonomous Territorial Unit, 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. 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 (2005) |  Iraq | Semi-autonomous federal region of Iraq; the constitution of Iraq gives a degree of autonomy to administrative divisions, such as regions and provinces, in matters that are not within the exclusive remit of the federal government of Iraq. Regional law may take priority (in case of dispute) if the law falls within the remit of "shared authorities" and does not contradict with the provisions of the constitution of Iraq. The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq has the authority to repeal and amend regional law. |
 Nevis (1967) |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | |
 Autonomous Region of Príncipe (1995) |  São Tomé and Príncipe | |
 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 | Despite being integral parts of their respective countries, these two enclaves of Switzerland predominantly use the Swiss franc as currency and are in customs union with Switzerland. | |
 Campione d'Italia |  Italy |
Other territories considered autonomous
British Crown Dependencies
| Division | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Guernsey | 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. |
 Isle of Man | ||
 Jersey |
British Overseas Territories
| Division | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Anguilla | United Kingdom | |
 Bermuda | ||
 British Virgin Islands | ||
 Cayman Islands | ||
 Falkland Islands | ||
 Gibraltar | ||
 Montserrat | ||
 Pitcairn | ||
| Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | ||
 Turks and Caicos Islands |
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
| Division | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Aruba |  Kingdom of the Netherlands | |
 Curaçao | ||
 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
| Division | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Alsace (2021)[citation needed] |  France | single territorial collectivity |
 Corsica (2018)[citation needed] | single territorial collectivity | |
 French Guiana | overseas region and department and single territorial collectivity | |
 Guadeloupe | overseas region and department | |
 Martinique | overseas region and department and single territorial collectivity | |
 Mayotte | overseas region and department | |
 Réunion | overseas region and department | |
 French Polynesia | overseas collectivity | |
 Saint-Barthélemy | overseas collectivity | |
 Saint-Martin | overseas collectivity | |
 Saint-Pierre and Miquelon | overseas collectivity | |
 Wallis and Futuna | overseas collectivity | |
 New Caledonia | sui generis collectivity |
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.[citation needed]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
| Division | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Cook Islands |  New Zealand | |
 Niue | ||
 Tokelau |
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; its 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.
Ethnic autonomous territories
Ethiopian special woredas
In Ethiopia, "special woredas" are a subgroup of woredas (districts) that are organized around the traditional homelands of specific ethnic minorities, 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
| Division | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Nisga'a |  Canada | Created by the Nisga'a Final Agreement in 2000. The Nisga'a Territory runs semi-autonomously from the rest of Canada. Located in Northwestern British Columbia, within kilometres of the Alaska Panhandle. |
 Nunatsiavut | ||
 Tłı̨chǫ | ||
| Haida Nation | ||
| Toquaht | ||
| Ucluelet | ||
| Tsawwassen | ||
| Tla'amin Nation | ||
| Huu-ay-aht | ||
| Kyuquot/Cheklesahht | ||
| Uchucklesaht | ||
 Hopi Reservation |  United States | |
 Cherokee Nation | ||
 Sac and Fox Nation | ||
 Choctaw Nation | ||
 Pine Ridge Indian Reservation | ||
 Navajo Nation | ||
 Haudenosaunee | ||
 Colorado River Indian Tribes | ||
| Emberá-Wounaan |  Panama | |
| Kuna de Madugandí | ||
| Kuna de Wargandí | ||
 Kuna Yala | ||
 Ngöbe-Buglé | ||
 Naso Tjër Di Comarca |
Other areas that are autonomous in nature but not in name are areas designated for indigenous peoples, such as those of the Americas:
- Aboriginal (First Nation or Native American or Indian) Indian reserve and Indian reservation, in, respectively, Canada and the United States.[discuss]
- the five comarcas indígenas ("indigenous regions") of Panama.
List of historical autonomous administrative divisions
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (September 2016) |
- Autonomous Region of Catalonia within the Spanish Republic (1932–1939)
- Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship
- Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines (1989–2019)
- Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus in Albania (1914).
- ASSRs of the Soviet Union (1922–1990)
- Bantustans in South West Africa (1968–1990) and South Africa (1956–1994)
- Carpathian Ruthenia and Slovakia within Czechoslovakia (1938–1939).
- Grand Duchy of Finland existed as an autonomous state under the rule of the Russian Empire (1809–1917).
- Magyar Autonomous Region of Socialist Republic of Romania (1952–1968)
- Southern Ireland (1921–22) within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
- Southern Sudan Autonomous Region (1972–1983) and Southern Sudan Autonomous Region (2005–2011)
See also
- Devolution
- List of autonomous areas by country
- Autonomous administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China
- Autonomous administrative divisions of India
- Autonomous administrative divisions of Russia
- Autonomous administrative divisions of Spain
- List of autonomous regions leaders
- Personal union
- Region (administrative)
- Regional state
- Imperial immediacy
- Dependent territory
- Vassal state
- Protectorate
- Countries of the United Kingdom
Notes
- In a verdict issued in February 2024, the Supreme Court of Iraq simultaneously revoked as well as amended Kurdistan Region’s legislation, setting a legal precedent for the latter.
References
- "Azad Kashmir | Meaning, History, Population, & Government | Britannica".
- * 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
- Ackrén, Maria (November 2017). "Greenland". Autonomy Arrangements in the World. Archived from the original on 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
- Tobago Division Of Tourism - About Tobago, Governance Archived 2007-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
- "Easter Islands now a "special territory" with more autonomy".
- "Constitution of Iraq (Article 115)". Constitute.
- "Constitution of Iraq (Article 93)". Constitute.
- "The Federal Court issues a verdict revoking and amending some of the articles of the Kurdistan Parliament Election Law" (in Arabic). Federal Supreme Court of Iraq.
- "Chatham Islands Council Act 1995 No 41 (as at 01 July 2013), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation". www.legislation.govt.nz.
Works cited
- M. Weller and S. Wolff (eds), Autonomy, Self-governance and Conflict Resolution: Innovative Approaches to Institutional Design in Divided Societies. Abingdon, Routledge, 2005
- From Conflict to Autonomy in Nicaragua: Lessons Learnt[permanent dead link], report by Minority Rights Group International
- P.M. Olausson, Autonomy and Islands, A Global Study of the Factors that determine Island Autonomy. Åbo: Åbo Akademi University Press, 2007.
- Thomas Benedikter (ed.), Solving Ethnic Conflict through Self-Government - A Short Guide to Autonomy in Europe and South Asia, EURAC Bozen 2009,
- Thomas Benedikter, 100 Years of Modern Territorial Autonomy - Autonomy around the World, Berlin/Zürich, LIT 2021, ISBN 978-3-643-91401-9 (pb)
- Benedikter, Thomas (2010). "The World's Modern Autonomy Systems". Bozen: EURAC – via Academia.edu.
An autonomous administrative division also referred to as an autonomous area zone entity unit region subdivision province or territory is a subnational administrative division or internal territory of a sovereign state that has a degree of autonomy self governance under the national government Autonomous areas are distinct from other 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 which may exercise home rule 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 areasDivision State NotesAzad Kashmir Controlled by Pakistan Claimed by India Azad Kashmir is a self governing polity which has not been formally annexed by Pakistan It was established after a rebellion against the Maharajah of Kashmir and the subsequent First Kashmir War It is located within the historic Kashmir region which is disputed between India Pakistan and China Northern Ireland Scotland Wales United Kingdom Three of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom namely Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland each have 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 Faroe Islands Greenland Denmark The two autonomous territories Danish rigsdel 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 Tobago Trinidad and Tobago The Tobago House of Assembly is a devolved legislature that is responsible for the island of Tobago Vojvodina SerbiaKosovo Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija Claimed by Serbia Controlled by Kosovo In 2008 Kosovo unilaterally declared itself as an independent state Its international recognition is split between those who recognize it as an independent state and those who view it as an autonomous province of Serbia under United Nations administration Aland Finland Azores Madeira Portugal Although Portugal is an unitary state its two autonomous regions have elected devolved legislatures Regional Legislative Assemblies of the Azores and Madeira and local government Governments of the Azores and Madeira which have the ability to legislate in devolved matters Bangsamoro Philippines Bougainville Papua New Guinea Hong Kong SAR Macao SAR Guangxi Zhuang AR Inner Mongolia AR Ningxia Hui AR Tibet AR Xinjiang Uygur AR People s Republic of China The special administrative regions have the highest degree of autonomy from the central government in Beijing Autonomous regions contain a large minority ethnic group Puntland Jubaland Hirshabelle Galmudug Somaliland Koofur Orsi Somalia Somaliland is a self declared independent state although it is internationally considered an autonomous region in northwestern Somalia North Caribbean Coast NicaraguaSouth Caribbean Coast Rodrigues MauritiusAutonomous Administration of North and East Syria SyriaZanzibar TanzaniaNakhchivan AzerbaijanAdjara GeorgiaAbkhazia Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia De jure 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 claimed Autonomous Republic its independence is recognized by Russia and three other U N member states Gorno Badakhshan TajikistanRepublic of Crimea Autonomous Republic of Crimea De jure Ukraine Controlled by Russia The 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia is not recognized by most countries including Ukraine Karakalpakstan UzbekistanGagauzia MoldovaTransnistria 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 claimed Autonomous Territorial Unit its independence is recognized by 3 other non UN member states Republika Srpska Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina Easter Island Juan Fernandez Islands Chile In 2007 the Chamber of Deputies of Chile passed a law designating both as special territories granting them more autonomy 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 FijiKurdistan Region 2005 Iraq Semi autonomous federal region of Iraq the constitution of Iraq gives a degree of autonomy to administrative divisions such as regions and provinces in matters that are not within the exclusive remit of the federal government of Iraq Regional law may take priority in case of dispute if the law falls within the remit of shared authorities and does not contradict with the provisions of the constitution of Iraq The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq has the authority to repeal and amend regional law Nevis 1967 Saint Kitts and NevisAutonomous Region of Principe 1995 Sao Tome and Principe 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 Busingen am Hochrhein Despite being integral parts of their respective countries these two enclaves of Switzerland predominantly use the Swiss franc as currency and are in customs union with Switzerland Campione d Italia ItalyOther territories considered autonomousBritish Crown Dependencies Division State Notes Guernsey 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 Isle of Man Jersey British Overseas Territories Division State Notes Anguilla United Kingdom Bermuda British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Falkland Islands Gibraltar Montserrat Pitcairn Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Turks and Caicos Islands 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 Division State Notes Aruba Kingdom of the Netherlands Curacao Sint Maarten Netherlands Aruba Curacao 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 Division State NotesAlsace 2021 citation needed France single territorial collectivity Corsica 2018 citation needed single territorial collectivityFrench Guiana overseas region and department and single territorial collectivityGuadeloupe overseas region and departmentMartinique overseas region and department and single territorial collectivity Mayotte overseas region and departmentReunion overseas region and department French Polynesia overseas collectivity Saint Barthelemy overseas collectivitySaint Martin overseas collectivity Saint Pierre and Miquelon overseas collectivity Wallis and Futuna overseas collectivity New Caledonia sui generis collectivity 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 citation needed 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 Reunion 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 Division State Notes Cook Islands New Zealand Niue Tokelau 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 its 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 Ethnic autonomous territoriesEthiopian special woredas In Ethiopia special woredas are a subgroup of woredas districts that are organized around the traditional homelands of specific ethnic minorities 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 Division State NotesNisga a Canada Created by the Nisga a Final Agreement in 2000 The Nisga a Territory runs semi autonomously from the rest of Canada Located in Northwestern British Columbia within kilometres of the Alaska Panhandle Nunatsiavut Tli chǫHaida NationToquahtUclueletTsawwassenTla amin NationHuu ay ahtKyuquot CheklesahhtUchucklesaht Hopi Reservation United States Cherokee NationSac and Fox Nation Choctaw NationPine Ridge Indian Reservation Navajo Nation HaudenosauneeColorado River Indian TribesEmbera Wounaan PanamaKuna de MadugandiKuna de WargandiKuna YalaNgobe BugleNaso Tjer Di Comarca Other areas that are autonomous in nature but not in name are areas designated for indigenous peoples such as those of the Americas Aboriginal First Nation or Native American or Indian Indian reserve and Indian reservation in respectively Canada and the United States discuss the five comarcas indigenas indigenous regions of Panama List of historical autonomous administrative divisionsThis list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items September 2016 Autonomous Region of Catalonia within the Spanish Republic 1932 1939 Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines 1989 2019 Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus in Albania 1914 ASSRs of the Soviet Union 1922 1990 Bantustans in South West Africa 1968 1990 and South Africa 1956 1994 Carpathian Ruthenia and Slovakia within Czechoslovakia 1938 1939 Grand Duchy of Finland existed as an autonomous state under the rule of the Russian Empire 1809 1917 Magyar Autonomous Region of Socialist Republic of Romania 1952 1968 Southern Ireland 1921 22 within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Southern Sudan Autonomous Region 1972 1983 and Southern Sudan Autonomous Region 2005 2011 See alsoDevolution List of autonomous areas by country Autonomous administrative divisions of the People s Republic of China Autonomous administrative divisions of India Autonomous administrative divisions of Russia Autonomous administrative divisions of Spain List of autonomous regions leaders Personal union Region administrative Regional state Imperial immediacy Dependent territory Vassal state Protectorate Countries of the United KingdomNotesIn a verdict issued in February 2024 the Supreme Court of Iraq simultaneously revoked as well as amended Kurdistan Region s legislation setting a legal precedent for the latter References Azad Kashmir Meaning History Population amp Government Britannica 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 Ackren 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 Tobago Division Of Tourism About Tobago Governance Archived 2007 07 10 at the Wayback Machine Easter Islands now a special territory with more autonomy Constitution of Iraq Article 115 Constitute Constitution of Iraq Article 93 Constitute The Federal Court issues a verdict revoking and amending some of the articles of the Kurdistan Parliament Election Law in Arabic Federal Supreme Court of Iraq Chatham Islands Council Act 1995 No 41 as at 01 July 2013 Public Act Contents New Zealand Legislation www legislation govt nz Works cited M Weller and S Wolff eds Autonomy Self governance and Conflict Resolution Innovative Approaches to Institutional Design in Divided Societies Abingdon Routledge 2005 From Conflict to Autonomy in Nicaragua Lessons Learnt permanent dead link report by Minority Rights Group International P M Olausson Autonomy and Islands A Global Study of the Factors that determine Island Autonomy Abo Abo Akademi University Press 2007 Thomas Benedikter ed Solving Ethnic Conflict through Self Government A Short Guide to Autonomy in Europe and South Asia EURAC Bozen 2009 Thomas Benedikter 100 Years of Modern Territorial Autonomy Autonomy around the World Berlin Zurich LIT 2021 ISBN 978 3 643 91401 9 pb Benedikter Thomas 2010 The World s Modern Autonomy Systems Bozen EURAC via Academia edu
