Italy is divided into 20 Regions (15 ordinary statute regions and 5 special statute regions"


Regioni Autonom(e)

and 5 with special status of autonomy

The Regions of Italy were granted a degree of regional autonomy in the 1948 constitution, which states that the constitution's role is: to recognize, protect and promote local autonomy, to ensure that services at the State level are as decentralized as possible, and to adapt the principles and laws establishing autonomy and decentralization.

However, five regions (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-South Tyrol, and Aosta Valley) have been granted a special status of autonomy to establish their own regional legislation on some specific local matters; based on cultural grounds, geographical location and on the presence of important ethnic minorities. The other 15 ordinary regions have been effectively established only in the early 1970s.

There are 20 Italian Regions:
5 with special autonomy for ethnic, historical and peripheral reasons
Valle d'Aosta
Trentino-Alto Adige
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Sardegna
Sicilia
and 15 with ordinary autonomy
Piemonte
Lombardia
Veneto
Liguria
Emilia-Romagna
Toscana
Umbria
Marche
Lazio
Abruzzo
Molise
Campania
Puglia
Basilicata
Calabria




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Note added at 1 day28 mins (2006-03-07 12:10:48 GMT)
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http://www.upf.pf/recherche/IRIDIP/RJP/RJP_HS04/SageAngelo_R...
The constitutional reform of 28 March 2003207, and the organic law of
27 February 2004208, made it possible for French Polynesia to have its third law on its***status of autonomy*** in 20 years. This continues the modernisation of the law relating to France beyond the seas209, which began at the end of the 1990s in the Pacific with the grant to New Caledonia of a novel form of status within the Republic210.




http://www.abanet.org/ceeli/countries/moldova/july2003.html
Constitutional Amendement on Status of Autonomy and Rights of Gagauzia Passed by Parliament
Chisinau. July 2003 (CEELI-Chisinau). Under the last amendments to the constitution passed by the Moldovan parliament on July 25, the ***status of autonomy*** and rights of Gagauzia, the southern part of Moldova populated mainly by ethnic Gagauz, are consecrated and provided for by the Moldovan constitution.