Municipality

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The Ponce City Hall, in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, is the seat of the government for both the city and the surrounding barrios making up the municipality. Ponce City Hall.JPG
The Ponce City Hall, in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, is the seat of the government for both the city and the surrounding barrios making up the municipality.
Map of all city municipalities in Slovenia Map of all City Municipalities in Slovenia.svg
Map of all city municipalities in Slovenia

A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.

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The term municipality may also mean the governing body of a given municipality. [1] A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district.

The English word is derived from French municipalité, which in turn derives from the Latin municipalis, [2] based on the word for social contract ( municipium ), referring originally to the Latin communities that supplied Rome with troops in exchange for their own incorporation into the Roman state (granting Roman citizenship to the inhabitants) while permitting the communities to retain their own local governments (a limited autonomy).

A municipality can be any political jurisdiction, from a sovereign state such as the Principality of Monaco, to a small village such as West Hampton Dunes, New York.

The territory over which a municipality has jurisdiction may encompass:

Political powers

Powers of municipalities range from virtual autonomy to complete subordination to the state. Municipalities may have the right to tax individuals and corporations with income tax, property tax, and corporate income tax, but may also receive substantial funding from the state. In some European countries, such as Germany, municipalities have the constitutional right to supply public services through municipally-owned public utility companies. [4]

Terms in various countries

New York City as well as its composite five boroughs are all municipalities.
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1. Manhattan
2. Brooklyn
3. Queens
4. The Bronx
5. Staten Island 5 Boroughs Labels New York City Map.svg
New York City as well as its composite five boroughs are all municipalities.
  1. Manhattan
  2. Brooklyn
  3. Queens
  4. The Bronx
  5. Staten Island
A city or town municipalities (red-colored) with other non-town municipalities in Finland (2020) Suomen kaupungit 2020.svg
A city or town municipalities (red-colored) with other non-town municipalities in Finland (2020)

Municipality

Terms cognate with "municipality", mostly referring to territory or political structure,[ clarification needed ] are Spanish municipio (Spain) and municipalidad (Chile), Catalan municipi , Portuguese município.

Commune

In many countries, terms cognate with "commune" are used, referring to the community living in the area and the common interest. These include terms:

The same terms "Gemeente" (Dutch) or "Gemeinde" (German) may be used for church congregations or parishes, for example, in the German and Dutch Protestant churches.

Other terms

In Greece, the word Δήμος (demos) is used, also meaning 'community'; the word is known in English from the compound democracy (rule of the people).

In some countries, the Spanish term ayuntamiento , referring to a municipality's administration building, is extended via synecdoche to denote the municipality itself. [6] In Moldova and Romania, both municipalities ( municipiu ; urban administrative units) and communes ( comună ; rural units) exist, and a commune may be part of a municipality.[ citation needed ]

In many countries, comparable entities may exist with various names.

English-speaking

Chinese-speaking

Municipalities by country

CountryTermExampleSubdivision ofQuantityNotesFurther reading
Brazil município Blumenau,

Cuiabá, Maceió, Porto Alegre

a state ( estado ), which is part of a region ( região )5,570A municipality usually is divided in the urban part, the city (cidade), and the rural part. List of municipalities of Brazil
Ireland bardas, contae or comhairle Baile Átha Cliath a province (cúige) or a county (contae)31A municipality usually has authority of the whole county. In some cases however, authority is reduced to a subdivision of the county for highly populated regions, especially in Dublin (Baile Átha Cliath) Local governments in the Republic of Ireland
Italy comune Montefiascone a province ( provincia ) which is part of a region ( regione ).7,982Solely used for subdivisions of larger comuni, especially in Rome; municipio indicates the city hall; in some case, they are joined in mountain communities (comunità montane) [16] List of municipalities of Italy
India municipality, or nagar palika, or nagar parishad Darjeeling Municipality, English Bazar Municipality It is an administrative unit that governs a specific urban area, such as a town or city. Municipalities are established under state legislation and operate under the framework of the relevant state municipal acts. Municipalities have their own elected bodies, which typically include a mayor or chairperson and councilors representing different wards or constituencies within the urban area. Municipal governance in India
Philippines bayan , munisipyo or munisipalidad Janiuay a province (lalawigan or probinsya, except for Pateros)1,488 [17] A municipality is the official name for a town and is divided into barangays. Municipalities with a larger population and income may become a city through a city charter. [18] Municipalities of the Philippines
Portugal município Lisbon,

Sintra, Vila Nova de Gaia

18 districts and 2 autonomous regions (Azores and Madeira)308Usually a municipality is named after its largest or historically most important town or city. Municipalities are typically much larger than the city or town after which they are named. List of municipalities of Portugal
Puerto Rico municipio Arecibo none78municipality consists of an urban area (termed a city or town) plus all of its surrounding barrios comprising the municipality. It has a popularly elected administration and a municipal mayor. The seat of the municipal government is located in such urban area and serves the entire municipal jurisdiction. [19] [20] Municipalities of Puerto Rico
Sweden kommun Stockholm Municipality

Gothenburg Municipality

Malmö Municipality

Ale Municipality

a region (region), the 21 self-governing areas consisting of one or more municipalities)

a county (län), subdivision of the national state into 21 areas administered by County administrative boards.

Regions and counties often follow the same geographical borders.
290According to the Instrument of Government, Swedish democracy is realised through a parliamentary form of government and through local selfgovernment. Municipalities are independent of the regions and counties in which they are located. [21] [22]

Before 1971, municipalities were incorporated as either cities ( stad ), market towns ( köping ) or rural municipalities ( landskommun ). The city-label is still used for marketing purposes, but lacks legal status and cannot be used in formal governing documents.

For resident and land registration purposes, Sweden is also divided in 2 523 districts (distrikt), based on the historic Church of Sweden parishes of 1999. The districts lack authority, governing body and agency. [23]
Municipalities of Sweden

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borough</span> Administrative division in some English-speaking countries

A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.

A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes in some 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local government</span> Lowest tier of administration within a sovereign state

Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state.

In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as the means by which a mayor is elected or otherwise mandated. Depending on the system chosen, a mayor may be the chief executive officer of the municipal government, may simply chair a multi-member governing body with little or no independent power, or may play a solely ceremonial role. A mayor's duties and responsibilities may be to appoint and oversee municipal managers and employees, provide basic governmental services to constituents, and execute the laws and ordinances passed by a municipal governing body. Options for selection of a mayor include direct election by the public, or selection by an elected governing council or board.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District</span> Administrative division in some countries, managed by a local 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unincorporated area</span> Region of land not governed by own local government

An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. There are many unincorporated communities and areas in the United States and Canada. Most other countries have very few or no unincorporated areas.

Barrio is a Spanish word that means "quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city, usually delimited by functional, social, architectural or morphological features. In Spain, several Latin American countries and the Philippines, the term may also be used to officially denote a division of a municipality. Barrio is an arabism.

Ayuntamiento is the general term for the town council, or cabildo, of a municipality or, sometimes, as is often the case in Spain and Latin America, for the municipality itself. Ayuntamiento is mainly used in Spain; in Latin America alcaldía is also for municipal governing bodies, especially the executive ones, where the legislative body and the executive body are two separate entities. In Catalan-speaking parts of Spain, municipalities generally use the Catalan cognate, ajuntament, while Galician ones use the word concello, Astur-Leonese conceyu and Basque udaletxea. Since ayuntamiento is a metonym for the building in which the council meets, it also translates to "city/town hall" in English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local government in the United States</span> Governmental jurisdictions below the level of the state

Most U.S. states and territories have at least two tiers of local government: counties and municipalities. Louisiana uses the term parish and Alaska uses the term borough for what the U.S. Census Bureau terms county equivalents in those states. Civil townships or towns are used as subdivisions of a county in 20 states, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipalities of Mexico</span> Municipio: mexican administrative country subdivisions

Municipalities are the second-level administrative divisions of Mexico, where the first-level administrative division is the state. They should not be confused with cities or towns that may share the same name as they are distinct entities and do not share geographical boundaries. As of January 2021, there are 2,454 municipalities in Mexico, excluding the 16 boroughs of Mexico City. If all 16 boroughs of Mexico City are counted, the total of municipalities will be 2,470.

Municipio and município are country subdivisions in several Hispanophone and Lusophone nations, respectively. They are often translated as "municipality". In the English language, a municipality often is defined as relating to a single city or town; however, in Spanish, the term "municipio" may not mean a single city or town, but rather a jurisdiction housing several towns and cities, like a township, county, borough or civil parish. The Italian term "municipalità" refers either to a single city or a group of cities and towns in a township, and "municipio" is used for city subdivisions, but Portuguese usage of the term is almost entirely restricted to a cluster of cities or towns like in a county, township and so forth. However, in Brazil, a Municipio is an independent city & a public corporation with status of Federated Entity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Communes of Chile</span> Smallest administrative subdivision in Chile

A commune is the smallest administrative subdivision in Chile. It may contain cities, towns, villages, hamlets as well as rural areas. In highly populated areas, such as Santiago, Valparaíso and Concepción, a conurbation may be broken into several communes. In sparsely populated areas, conversely, a commune may cover a substantial rural area together with several settled areas which could range from hamlets to towns or cities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Village (United States)</span> Administrative division at the local government level in the United States

In the United States, the meaning of village varies by geographic area and legal jurisdiction. In many areas, "village" is a term, sometimes informal, for a type of administrative division at the local government level. Since the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government from legislating on local government, the states are free to have political subdivisions called "villages" or not to and to define the word in many ways. Typically, a village is a type of municipality, although it can also be a special district or an unincorporated area. It may or may not be recognized for governmental purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipalities of Spain</span> Local administrative division in Spain

The municipality is one of the two fundamental territorial divisions in Spain, the other being the provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipalities of El Salvador</span> Administrative entity in El Salvador

The municipalities or municipios of El Salvador correspond to the second level administrative division in the Republic of El Salvador which divide its departments. El Salvador contains 262 municipalities.

In Mexico, some municipalities and Mexico City are divided into boroughs for administrative purposes. Boroughs are known as delegaciones, or in the case of Mexico City. Boroughs can either be second-level semi-autonomous administrative divisions or third-level non-autonomous administrative divisions. The limits, nature and competencies of boroughs are usually described in the constitutions of the states they are part of, or in the laws enacted by the municipality itself, and may differ from municipality to municipality.

A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman provincia, which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term province has since been adopted by many countries. In some countries with no actual provinces, "the provinces" is a metaphorical term meaning "outside the capital city".

Municipal or local governance refers to the third tier of governance in India, at the level of the municipality or urban local body.

References

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  2. "municipality definition". Yourdictionary.com.
  3. "Santiago de Chile – Comunas". Mapas de Chile, Castor y Polux Ltda. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  4. Andersen, Uwe. "Gemeinden/Kommunale Selbstverwaltung | bpb". bpb.de (in German). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  5. "Constituição da república federativa do brasil de 1988". www.planalto.gov.br. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  6. ASALE, RAE-; RAE. "ayuntamiento | Diccionario de la lengua española". «Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  7. "Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC)". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 28 September 2005.
  8. "Municipal Government". The Canadian Encyclopedia > Government > Government, General > Municipal Government. Historica Foundation of Canada. 2009. Archived from the original on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  9. 1 2 "Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status, and Names – From January 2, 2010 to January 1, 2011" (PDF). Statistics Canada. April 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  10. 1 2 "List of Ontario Municipalities". Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. 4 July 2011. Archived from the original on 28 February 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  11. "Municipal Government Act" (PDF). Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly. 7 January 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  12. "Municipality"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 19 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 7.
  13. "Legal Dictionary: Municipal Law". FindLaw .
  14. "2009 Nevada Code". Justia.
  15. "Kansas Statues". Lesterama. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014.
  16. The law provides for the possibility of overlapping of the office of President of the mountain community with that of mayor of one of the municipalities of the community: Buonomo, Giampiero (2001). "Compatibile il sindaco-dirigente della locale Comunità montana". Diritto&Giustizia Edizione Online. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  17. "National Summary –number of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangays, by Region – As of 30 June 2021". Philippine Statistics Authority . 30 June 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  18. "Republic Act 7160 – Local Government Act of 1991". Official Gazette (Philippines) . 11 October 1991. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  19. Ayuda: Divulgación de Resultados de la Comisión Estatal de Elecciones – Municipio. Archived 21 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine Comision Estatal de Elecciones. Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
  20. Autonomous Municipalities Law. (in Spanish) Archived 5 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  21. "The Constitution". www.riksdagen.se. Sveriges Riksdag. 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  22. "The Instrument of Government (1974:152)" (PDF). www.riksdagen.se. Sveriges Riksdag. 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2023. All public power in Sweden proceeds from the people. Swedish democracy is founded on the free formation of opinion and on universal and equal suffrage. It is realised through a representative and parliamentary form of government and through local selfgovernment. Public power is exercised under the law.
  23. SFS 2015:493 Archived 30 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine , Svensk författningssamling: Förordning om distrikt.