Updated 2012-01-15 00:20:16
China is a country on the continent Asia, her capital is Beijing. Here is the hierarchy of the China administrative divisions: China is subdivided into provinces, that are at their turn subdivided into region cities, that are at their turn subdivided into counties, cities counties, that are at their turn subdivided into townships, that are at their turn subdivided into villages.
There are 28 Regions in France of which 22 situate in the Metropolitan France. This administrative level corresponds to the Province in China, or States in USA. The Department in France, in reallity, corresponds in China approximatively to the size of a region city like Ningbo City in the Zhejiang Province with several Chinese counties, or counties in USA. The other 5 regions are oversea territories: Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, Mayotte.
In China, each of 8 Regions groups several Provinces. It's a geographical notion rather than a real administration level.
As shown in the table or on the map of regions of France, contrary to that gives the image of France to the outside world, there is no AOP or AOC wines around the country: there are only 11 regions have the honor to cultivate this precious beverage. Burgundy holds the gold medal in the number of quality wines. If Aquitaine is the champion of great wines, the Loire Valley, the Rhone-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon offers many specialties of high quality.
