This is a list of third-level administrative divisions by area (including surface water) in square kilometres. Third-level administrative divisions are those under second level (counties, districts, cities, etc.) and they are townships, towns, municipalities, villages, etc., but the names vary by sovereign state.
Rank | third level Subdivision flag | Name | Capital | Second level subdivision | Subdivision | Sovereign state | Area (km2) | Population | Sovereign state similar in area (km2) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government [1] | Matagami | Nord-du-Québec | Quebec | Canada | 283,123.42 | 2,638 | ||
2 | none | Ruoqiang County | Ruoqiang Town | Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture | Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region | China | 199,222 | 35,580 | Kyrgyzstan (199,951) |
3 | none | Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area | Fort Yukon | Unorganized Borough | Alaska | USA | 147,805 | 5,588 | Bangladesh (148,460) |
4 | none | Qiemo County | Qiemo Town | Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture | Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region | China | 138,680 | 65,572 | Tajikistan (143,100) |
5 | none | Gêrzê County | none | Ngari Prefecture | Tibet Autonomous Region | China | 135,025 | 22,177 | Greece (131,957) |
6 | none | Town and Commune of Reggane | Tinoulef | Reggane District | Adrar Province, Algeria | Algeria | 124,298 | 20,402 | North Korea (120,540) |
7 | none | County level city of Golmud | none | Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture | Qinghai Province | China | 123,460 | 215,213 | North Korea (120,540) |
8 | none | Town and Commune of Bordj Badji Mokhtar | Bordj Badji Mokhtar | Bordj Badji Mokhtar District | Adrar Province, Algeria | Algeria | 120,026 | 16,437 | North Korea (120,540) |
9 | none | Shuanghu County | Cuozheluomazhen | Prefecture level city of Nagqu | Tibet Autonomous Region | China | 116,637 | 13,470 | Eritrea (117,600) |
10 | none | Ejin Banner | Dalaihob Town | Alxa League | Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region | China | 114,606 | 32,410 | Benin (114,763) |
Administrative division, administrative unit, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, independent sovereign state (country) is divided. Such a unit usually has an administrative authority with the power to take administrative or policy decisions for its area.
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes in some modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French comté denoting a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count (earl) or a viscount. Literal equivalents in other languages, derived from the equivalent of "count", are now seldom used officially, including comté, contea, contado, comtat, condado, Grafschaft, graafschap, and zhupa in Slavic languages; terms equivalent to 'commune' or 'community' are now often instead used.
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 prefecture is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international church structures, as well as in antiquity a Roman district.
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
The administrative divisions of China have consisted of several levels since ancient times, due to China's large population and geographical area. The constitution of China provides for three levels of government. However in practice, there are five levels of local government; the provincial, prefecture, county, township, and village.
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.
A prefecture-level city or prefectural city is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China (PRC), ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure.
A sub-provincial division in China is a prefecture-level city governed by a province promoted by half a level. Thus, it is half a level under the provincial level but half a level above the prefecture-level.
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or NUTS is a geocode standard for referencing the administrative divisions of countries for statistical purposes. The standard, adopted in 2003, is developed and regulated by the European Union, and thus only covers the EU member states in detail. The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics is instrumental in the European Union's Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund delivery mechanisms and for locating the area where goods and services subject to European public procurement legislation are to be delivered.
The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China.
The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government of their own. They exist on four levels: the top-level (first-level) divisions are Canada's provinces and territories; these are divided into second-level census divisions, which in turn are divided into third-level census subdivisions and fourth-level dissemination areas.
The administrative divisions of North Korea are organized into three hierarchical levels. These divisions were created in 2002. Many of the units have equivalents in the system of South Korea. At the highest level are nine provinces and four special municipalities. The second-level divisions are cities, counties, and districts. These are further subdivided into third-level entities: towns, dongs (neighborhoods), ris (villages), and workers’ districts.
An incorporated town is a town that is a municipal corporation.
An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
A tehsil is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of Indian subcontinent. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administrative centre, with possible additional towns, and usually a number of villages. The terms in India have replaced earlier terms, such as pargana (pergunnah) and thana.
Districts are administrative subdivisions of the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s special municipalities of the second level and provincial cities of the third level formerly under its provinces. There are two types of district in the administrative scheme.