Municipality
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.
The term municipality may also mean the governing body of a given municipality. 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, based on the word for social contract, referring originally to the Latin communities that supplied Rome with troops in exchange for their own incorporation into the Roman state while permitting the communities to retain their own local governments.
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:
- only one populated place such as a city, town, or village
- several such places
- only parts of such places, sometimes boroughs of a city, such as the 34 municipalities of Santiago, Chile.
Political powers
Terms in various countries
Municipality
Terms cognate with "municipality", mostly referring to territory or political structure, are Spanish municipio and municipalidad, Catalan , Portuguese município.- In Brazil, a município is the local government, recognized by the Brazilian Federal Constitution and established through state constitutions. It is the smallest territorial division holding executive and legislative powers. Since the Constitution of 1988, all municípios are members of the federation. Colloquially, the local population uses the terms municipality and city interchangeably, although the constitution defines "city" as the seat of the municipality.
Commune
- in Romance languages, such as in French ', in Italian ', in Portuguese ', in Romanian ', and in Spanish ' ;
- in Nordic languages such as in Danish and Norwegian ', in Faroese ', and in Swedish ' ;
- in West Germanic languages such as in Dutch ', Luxembourgish ' and German ;
- in Finnish wikt:kunta ;
- in Ukrainian hromada ; and
- in Polish gmina.
Other terms
In Greece, the word Δήμος is used, also meaning 'community'; the word is known in English from the compound democracy.In some countries, the Spanish term ayuntamiento, referring to a municipality's administration building, is extended via synecdoche to denote the municipality itself. In Moldova and Romania, both municipalities and communes exist, and a commune may be part of a municipality.
In many countries, comparable entities may exist with various names.
English-speaking
- In Australia, the term local government area is used in place of the generic municipality. Here, the "LGA Structure covers only incorporated areas of Australia. Incorporated areas are legally designated parts of states and territories over which incorporated local governing bodies have responsibility."
- In Canada, municipalities are local governments established through provincial and territorial legislation, usually within general municipal statutes. Types of municipalities within Canada include cities, district municipalities, municipal districts, municipalities, parishes, rural municipalities, towns, townships, villages, and villes among others. The province of Ontario has different tiers of municipalities, including lower, upper, and single tiers. Types of upper tier municipalities in Ontario include counties and regional municipalities. Nova Scotia also has regional municipalities, which include cities, counties, districts, or towns as municipal units.
- In India, a municipality is an urban local body that administers a city of population 100,000 or more. However, there are exceptions to that, as previously municipalities were constituted in urban centers with population over 20,000, so all the urban bodies which were previously classified as municipality were reclassified as municipality even if their population was under 100,000. it interacts directly with the state government, though it is administratively part of the district it is located in. Generally, smaller district cities and bigger towns have a municipality. Municipalities are also a form of local self-government entrusted with some duties and responsibilities, as enshrined in the Constitutional Act,1992.
- In the United Kingdom, the term was used until the Local Government Act 1972 came into effect in 1974 in England and Wales, and until 1975 in Scotland and 1976 in Northern Ireland, "both for a city or town which is organized for self-government under a municipal corporation, and also for the governing body itself. Such a corporation in Great Britain consists of a head as a mayor or provost, and of superior members, as aldermen and councillors". Since local government reorganisation, the unit in England, Northern Ireland and Wales is known as a district, and in Scotland as a council area. A district may be awarded borough or city status, or can retain its district title.
- In Jersey, a municipality refers to the honorary officials elected to run each of the 12 parishes into which it is subdivided. This is the highest level of regional government in this jurisdiction.
- In Trinidad and Tobago, "municipality" is usually understood as a city, town, or other local government unit, formed by municipal charter from the state as a municipal corporation. A town may be awarded borough status and, later on, may be upgraded to city status. Chaguanas, San Fernando, Port of Spain, Arima and Point Fortin are the 5 current municipalities in Trinidad and Tobago.
- In the United States, "municipality" is usually understood as a city, town, village, or other local government unit, formed by municipal charter from the state as a municipal corporation. In a state law context, some U.S. state codes define "municipality" more widely, from the state itself to any political subdivisions given jurisdiction over an area that may include multiple populated places and unpopulated places.
Chinese-speaking
- In the People's Republic of China, a direct-administered municipality is a municipality with equal status to a province: Beijing Municipality, Chongqing Municipality, Shanghai Municipality, and Tianjin Municipality.
- In the Republic of China, a special municipality is a municipality with equal status to a province: Kaohsiung, New Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei, and Taoyuan.
Municipalities by country
| Country | Term | Example | Subdivision of | Quantity | Notes | Further reading |
| Brazil | Municipio | Blumenau, Cuiabá, Maceió, Porto Alegre | a state, which is part of a region | 5,570 | A municipality usually is divided in the urban part, the city, and the rural part. | List of municipalities of Brazil |
| Croatia | Općina | Fužine, Bosiljevo, Klana, Kršan | Županija | 428 | A municipality usually has center village of same name. Exception: Vinodolska općina - center village: Bribir. | Municipalities of Croatia |
| Denmark | Aarhus, Frederiksberg | Region | 98 | Municipalities of Denmark | ||
| Finland | Kunta | Kerava | Region | 338 | Municipalities of Finland | |
| Greece | Deme / Δήμος | Athens, Thessaloniki | 332 | A municipality usually is divided in Municipal Units and them into Communities. | List of municipalities of Greece | |
| Ireland | bardas, contae or comhairle | Baile Átha Cliath | a province or a county | 31 | A 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 | Local governments in the Republic of Ireland |
| Italy | Comune | Venezia | a comune which is part of a province which is part of a region. | 7.896 | Municipio is used for subdivisions of larger comuni; in some cases, municipalities are united to form mountain communities | List of municipalities of Italy |
| India | municipality | a state or union territory | 1937 | 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 | |
| Netherlands | municipality | a province or special municipality which doesn't fall under any province but directly under the central government. | 345 | It is the lowest administrative unit of the country that governs a specific area, such as a town or city. Municipalities fall under the Dutch Municipalities Act. It is governed by a directly elected municipal council, a municipal executive and a mayor. | Municipal council | |
| Philippines | bayan, munisipyo or munisipalidad | Janiuay | a province | 1,488 | 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. | Municipalities of the Philippines |
| Portugal | município | Lisbon, Sintra, Vila Nova de Gaia | 18 districts and 2 autonomous regions | 308 | Usually 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 | none | 78 | municipality consists of an urban area 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. | Municipalities of Puerto Rico |
| Sweden | kommun | Stockholm Municipality, Gothenburg Municipality, Malmö Municipality, Ale Municipality | a region a county, subdivision of the national state into 21 areas administered by County administrative boards. Regions and counties often follow the same geographical borders. | 290 | According 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. Before 1971, municipalities were incorporated as either cities, market towns or rural municipalities. 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, based on the historic Church of Sweden parishes of 1999. The districts lack authority, governing body and agency. | Municipalities of Sweden |