Counties Of The People's Republic Of China
County is the standard English translation of Xiàn or formally County level divisions. In the People's Republic of China (PRC, commonly known as China or Mainland China), counties are found in the third level of the administrative hierarchy in Provinces and Autonomous regions, and the 2nd level in municipalities and Hainan province, a level that is known as "county level" and also contains autonomous counties, county-level cities, banners, autonomous banners, and City districts. There are 1,464 counties in mainland China out of a total of 2,862 county-level divisions.
Xian have existed since the Warring States Period, and were established nationwide during the Qin Dynasty. The term xian is usually translated as "districts" or "prefectures" when put in the context of Chinese history. This article, however, will try to keep the terminology consistent with the modern translation, and use the term "county" throughout. Note that this is not conventional practice in Sinology literature.
Read more about Counties Of The People's Republic Of China: History, Autonomous Counties, Government
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