Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically localised and has limited powers. While in some countries, "government" is normally reserved purely for a national administration (government), the term local government is always used specifically in contrast to national government – as well as, in many cases, the activities of sub-national, first-level administrative divisions. Local governments generally act only within powers specifically delegated to them by law and/or directives of a higher level of government. In federal states, local government generally comprises a third or fourth tier of government, whereas in unitary states, local government usually occupies the second or third tier of government.
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions of municipalities, school district, or political district.
The Regions of Ghana constitute the first level of subnational government administration within the Republic of Ghana. As of 2020, there are currently sixteen regions, which are further divided for administrative purposes into 260 local metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
As of 1 July 2020, Uganda is divided into 135 districts plus the capital city of Kampala, which are grouped into four administrative regions.
Bangladesh is divided into 8 divisions (bibhag) and 64 districts, although these have only a limited role in public policy. For the purposes of local government, the country is divided into upazilas (sub-districts), "municipalities" or town councils (pourashova), city corporations and union councils . The diagram below outlines the five tiers of government in Bangladesh.
The regions of Somaliland is divided into six administrative regions, Awdal, Sahil, Maroodi-Jeeh, Togdheer, Sanaag and Sool. These are in turn subdivided into twenty-two districts. Regions of Somaliland are the primary geographical divisions through which Somaliland is administered. A distinction is made between districts of grades A, B, C and D, with the classification being based on population, area, economy and production.
Indonesia is divided into provinces. Provinces are made up of regencies (kabupaten) and cities (kota). Provinces, regencies, and cities have their own local governments and parliamentary bodies.
The administrative divisions of Albania comprise 12 counties, 61 municipalities, and 373 administrative units. Since its 1912 Declaration of Independence, Albania has reorganized its administrative divisions 21 times. Its internal boundaries have been enlarged or subdivided into prefectures, counties, districts, subprefectures, municipalities, communes, neighborhoods or wards, villages, and localities. The most recent changes were made in 2014 and enacted in 2015.
The Philippines is divided into four levels of administrative divisions with the lower three being defined in the Local Government Code of 1991 as local government units (LGUs). They are, from the highest to the lowest:
- Regions, mostly used to organize national services. Of the 17 regions, only one – the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao – has an elected government to which the central government has devolved competencies.
- Provinces, independent cities, and one independent municipality (Pateros).
- Component cities and municipalities within a province.
- Barangays within a city or municipality.
The Gambia is divided into five administrative Regions and one City. The divisions of the Gambia are created by the Independent Electoral Commission in accordance to Article 192 of the National Constitution.
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is the municipal corporation that governs most of Delhi, India. The MCD is among the largest municipal bodies in the world providing civic services to a population of about 20 million citizens in the capital city. MCD is one of three municipalities in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the others being New Delhi Municipal Council, and Delhi Cantonment Board. The annual budget of the corporation is above ₹16,000 crore. The municipal corporation covers an area of 1,397.3 km² (539.5 mi²). It is the only municipality of Delhi which is elected by people.
The City of Darwin is a local government area of the Northern Territory, Australia. It includes the central business district of the capital, Darwin City, and represents two-thirds of its metropolitan population. The City covers an area of 111 square kilometres (43 sq mi) and, in June 2018, had a population of 84,613 people.
The government of Baghdad is divided into a hierarchy of governments that both aid governance and provide bottom-up representation. The city constitutes a new “capital territory” whose structure differs from other parts of the country.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is a combined authority for Greater Manchester, England. It was established on 1 April 2011 and consists of 11 members; 10 indirectly elected members, each a directly elected councillor from one of the ten metropolitan boroughs that comprise Greater Manchester, together with the directly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester. The authority derives most of its powers from the Local Government Act 2000 and Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, and replaced a range of single-purpose joint boards and quangos to provide a formal administrative authority for Greater Manchester for the first time since the abolition of Greater Manchester County Council in 1986.
Local bodies in Tamil Nadu constitute the three tier administration set-up in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a system of local government which forms the last level from the Centre. Chennai Corporation in the then Madras Presidency, established in 1688, is the oldest such local body not only in India but also in any commonwealth nations outside United Kingdom.
There are 8 divisions and 64 districts in Bangladesh, each district further subdivided into upazila. The area within each subdistrict, except for those in metropolitan areas, is divided into several unions, with each union consisting of multiple villages. Direct elections are held for each union, electing a chairperson and a number of members. In 1997, a parliamentary act was passed to reserve three seats in every union for female candidates. Following elections in the 2014–16 period, 25.2% of councillors were women, up from 23.4% in the 2011–13 period.
The administrative division of Somaliland are organized into three hierarchical levels. consists of 6 regions and 22 districts. Districts in turn contain villages. In addition, the capital Hargeisa has its own law that is different from the law that defines administrative divisions. The administrative-territorial division of the country is established by the Law of Somaliland No. 23/2002, which was finally approved in 2007.
Metro Manila, the capital region of the Philippines, is a large metropolitan area that has several levels of subdivisions. Administratively, the region is divided into seventeen primary local government units with their own separate elected mayors and councils who are coordinated by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, a national government agency headed by a chairperson directly appointed by the Philippine president. The cities and municipality that form the region's local government units are further divided into several barangays or villages which are headed by an elected barangay captain and barangay council.
Local government in Nepal is the third level of government division in Nepal, which is administered by the provincial governments which in turn is beneath the federal government. Article 56 of the Constitution of Nepal 2015 defines local government as rural municipalities, municipalities and district assemblies.
The Government of Somaliland (JSL) is the central government of Somaliland. The Government of Somaliland consists of legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each of which functions independently from the others. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Somaliland, adopted in 2001. It is a unitary state. The seat of the government is located in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.
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