How many provinces does the People's Republic of China (PRC) have?

The People's Republic of China (PRC) has 22 provinces. This includes well-known provinces such as Guangdong, Sichuan, and Shandong. In addition to the provinces, China also administers several other types of administrative regions, including municipalities directly under the central government (like Beijing and Shanghai) and autonomous regions (like Xinjiang and Tibet). These distinct administrative divisions play significant roles in China's governance structure, and while they can be counted separately to potentially raise the number of administrative areas, the actual count of provinces remains at 22. This is a key fact in understanding China's political organization and geography.