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Content created: 1993-12-26
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Simple Maps of China

It is a pet peeve of mine that most textbooks use geographical terms that are not found on the maps they provide. This file contains very simple outline maps of China and Taiwan with the names of Chinese provinces and of Taiwan counties.

If you would like to print out a reference copy of either map, click on it to get a page with the map alone.

Chinese Provinces, Discontinued Names, Taiwan Counties Taiwan Detail


Chinese Provinces

This map covers most of China. The abbreviations used are official and represent province, "autonomous region," and municipality names. In a very small number of cases, these do not represent full Pinyin spellings, which are therefore given separately (and with tones)."Obsolete Postal" spellings are those used for roughly a century before Pinyin was fully universalized. They continue to be used by a few, largely elderly authors and in Taiwan.

It may seem an inconvenience to have the map itself labeled with the abbreviations rather than the full names, but it allows the map to do double-service as a learning device. After you have become initially familiar with these names, you can use the map to test yourself on their locations, which turns out to be a very effective way to connect the arbitrary names with specific areas.

Click on the map to toggle major rivers on and off. Click here for a larger copy of the map.

map
Abbr.Official
Spelling
ChineseOld Postal
AH Anhui Ānhuī 安徽 Anhui
BJ Beijing Běijīng 北京 Peking, Pekin, Peiping
FJ Fujian Fújiàn 福建 Fukien
GD Guangdong Guǎngdōng 广东 Kuangtung
GS Gansu Gānsù 甘肃 Kansu
GX Guangxi Guǎngxī 广西 Kwangsi
GZ Guizhou Guìzhōu 贵州 Kweichow
HA Hainan Hǎinán 海南 Hainan
HB Hubei Húběi 湖北 Hupei, Hupeh
HEB Hebei Héběi 河北 Hopei, Hopeh
HEN Henan Hénán 河南 Honan

Abbr.OfficialPinyinOld Postal
HL Heilongjiang Hēilóngjiāng 黑龙江 Heilungkiang
HN Hunan Húnán 湖南 Hunan
JL Jilin Jílín 吉林 Chilin, Kirin
JS Jiangsu Jiāngsū 江苏 Kiangsu
JX Jiangxi Jiāngxī 江西 Kiangsi
LN Liaoning Liáoníng 辽宁 Liaoning
NM Nei Mengol Nèi Mènggǔ 内蒙古 Inner Mongolia
NX Ningxia Níngxià 宁夏 Ninghsia
QH Qinghai Qīnghǎi 青海 Kokonor
Abbr.OfficialPinyinOld Postal
SC Sichuan Sìchuān 四川 Szechwan
SD Shandong Shāndōng
山东
Shantung
SN Shaanxi Shǎnxī 陕西 Shensi
SX Shanxi Shānxī 山西 Shansi
TW Taiwan Táiwān 台湾 Taiwan
XJ Xinjiang Xīnjiāng 新疆 Sinkiang
XZ Xizang Xīzàng 西藏 Tibet
YN Yunnan Yúnnán 云南 Yunnan
ZJ Zhejiang Zhèjiāng 浙江 Chekiang

 

Special municipalities that were too small to fit on this map include:

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Discontinued Province Names

The following province names are no longer in use. The territories that they covered have now been assimilated into other units. Most of these changes occurred after 1949, however, and are not recognized by the government in Taiwan, where most maps and other sources continue to use the earlier boundaries and names. This table may be of help if you read a source that refers to a province that cannot be found in the list above.

During the Communist period (period 23), JL was enlarged to include parts of adjacent provinces; LN was enlarged to include parts of adjacent provinces; HAI was created in 1987 from part of GD.

 

Chinese Obsolete Postal Spelling Location
Āndōng
安東
Antung Split between LN and JL
Cháhā'ěr
察哈爾
Chahar Assimilated into NM
Héjiāng
合江
Hokiang Assimilated into HL
Liáoběi
遼北
Liaopei, Liaopeh Split between NM and JL
Měnggǔ
蒙古
Mongolia "Outer Mongolia" (Wài Měnggǔ 外蒙古蒙) refers to the region that gained independence in 1921 as the Mongolian People's Republic. "Inner Mongolia" (Nèi Měnggǔ 內蒙古) is NM. Chinese governments until 1949 claimed that all of Mongolia was part of China. (This is still the official position of the ROC, period 22.)
Nènjiāng
嫩江
Nunkiang Assimilated into HL
Rèhé
熱河
Jehol Partly assimilated into NM
Sōngjiāng
松江
Sungkiang Split between JL and HL
Suīyuǎn
綏遠
Suiyuan Assimilated into NM
Xīng'ān
興安
Shing'an Assimilated into NM
Xīkāng
西康
Hsikang Split between XZ and SC
Zhílì
直隸
Chihli "To be under immediate jurisdiction," the Qīng (period 21) name of HE.

Taiwan Counties & Municipalities

For more detail on Taiwan, click here.

This map covers Táiwān 臺灣 (台湾), including the Pescadores islands in the Taiwan Strait (constituting Pénghú County). The abbreviations used are not official; they are my own invention. As with the previous map, they allow this one to serve as an exercise in addition to being a reference. They represent the following county and municipality names:

Map of Taiwan
Counties (Xiàn)
Abbr.PinyinOfficial Postal
GX Gāoxióng 高雄 Kaohisung
HL Huālián 花蓮 Hualien
IL Yílán 宜蘭 Ilan
JY Jiāyì 嘉義 Chiayi
ML Miáolì 苗栗 Miaoli
NT Nántóu 南投 Nantou
PD Píngdōng 屏東 Pingtung
PH Pénghú 澎湖 Penghu
TB Táiběi 臺北 Taipei
TD Táidōng 臺東 Taitung
TN Táinán 臺南 Tainan
TY Táoyuán 桃園 Taoyuan
TZ Táizhōng 臺中 Taichung
XZ Xīnzhú 新竹 Hsinchu
YL Yúnlín 雲林 Yunlin
ZH Zhānghuà 彰化 Changhua


 

Municipalities (Shì)
Abbr.PinyinOfficial Postal
GXS Gāoxióng shì 高雄市 Kaohsiung City
JLS Jīlóng shì 基隆市 Keelong City
TBS Táiběi shì 臺北市 Taipei City
TNS Táinán shì 臺南市 Tainan City
TZS Táizhōng shì 臺中市 Taichung City

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