The eighteen provinces received their present boundaries and divisions in the reign of Kienlung; and the little advance which has been made abroad in the geography of China is shown by the fact, that although these divisions were established a hundred years ago, the old demarkations, existing at the time of the survey in 1710, are still found in many modern European geographies and maps. The following table shows their present divisions and government. The three columns under the head of _Departments_ contain the _fu_, _chihlí ting_, and _chihlí chau_, all of which are properly prefectures; the three columns under the head of _Districts_ contain the _ting_, _chau_, and _hien_. ~TOPOGRAPHICAL DIVISIONS OF CHINA PROPER.~ --------------------+--------+-----------------+-----------------+ |AREA IN | DEPARTMENTS. | DISTRICTS. | PROVINCES. |ENGLISH +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ |SQ. MLS.| Fu. |Ting.|Chau.|Ting.|Chau.|Hien.| --------------------+--------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ NORTHERN PROVINCES. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Chihlí | 58,949 | 11 | .. | 6 | 3 | 17 | 124 | | | | | | | | | Shantung | 65,104 | 10 | .. | 2 | .. | 9 | 96 | Shansí | 55,268 | 9 | .. | 10 | 3 | 6 | 85 | Honan | 65,104 | 9 | .. | 4 | .. | 6 | 97 | | | | | | | | | EASTERN PROVINCES. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Kiangsu } | 92,961 | { 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 62 | Nganhwui } | | { 8 | .. | 5 | .. | 4 | 50 | Kiangsí | 72,176 | 13 | .. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Chehkiang | 39,150 | 11 | .. | .. | 1 | 1 | 76 | Fuhkien | 53,480 | 10 | .. | 2 | 3 | .. | 62 | | | | | | | | | CENTRAL PROVINCES. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Hupeh } |144,770 | {10 | .. | 1 | .. | 7 | 60 | Hunan } | | { 9 | 3 | 4 | .. | 3 | 64 | | | | | | | | | SOUTHERN PROVINCES. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Kwangtung | 79,456 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 79 | | | | | | | | | Kwangsí | 78,250 | 11 | ..