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.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/municipality?show=0&t=1310881057 |title=Municipality |dictionary=Merriam-Webster}}</ref> A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district.

The English word is derived from French {{Lang|fr|municipalité}}, which in turn derives from the Latin {{Lang|la|municipalis}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yourdictionary.com/municipality|title=municipality definition |publisher=Yourdictionary.com}}</ref> based on the word for social contract ({{Lang|la|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: * only one populated place such as a city, town, or village * several such places (e.g., early jurisdictions in the U.S. state of New Jersey (1798–1899) as townships governing several villages, municipalities of Mexico, municipalities of Colombia) * only parts of such places, sometimes boroughs of a city, such as the 34 municipalities of Santiago, Chile.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mapasdechile.com/santiago/map.htm |title=Santiago de Chile – Comunas |publisher=Mapas de Chile, Castor y Polux Ltda |access-date=24 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920165521/http://mapasdechile.com/santiago/map.htm |archive-date=20 September 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Political powers == [[File:Ponce City Hall.JPG|thumb|right|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.]] 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andersen |first=Uwe |title=Gemeinden/Kommunale Selbstverwaltung {{!}} bpb |url=https://www.bpb.de/nachschlagen/lexika/handwoerterbuch-politisches-system/202028/gemeinden-kommunale-selbstverwaltung |access-date=2020-06-16 |website=bpb.de |language=de}}</ref>

== Terms in various countries == [[File:5 Boroughs Labels New York City Map.svg|thumb|upright=1.1|New York City's composite five boroughs are all counties containing historical municipalities. {{legend|#4DAF4A|1. Manhattan}} {{legend|#FFFF33|2. Brooklyn}} {{legend|#FF7F00|3. Queens}} {{legend|#E41A1C|4. The Bronx}} {{legend|#984EA3|5. Staten Island}} In 1898, all of the municipalities within the five boroughs were merged into one municipality, and the five counties became boroughs of the new New York City municipality. The five boroughs still have statuses as counties, through.|alt=A map with five insular regions of different colors.]]

[[File:Suomen kaupungit 2020.svg|thumb|upright|City or town municipalities (red-colored) with other non-town municipalities in Finland (2020)]]

[[File:Fylkesinndeling2024 original.webp|thumb|upright|In Norway, both the first-level administrative divisions and the second-level administrative divisions are municipalities. Norway has 15 first-level municipalities (which are shown in this image). They're called ''fylkeskommuner'' (county municipalities) and share borders with the country's counties. They're further divided into 357 second-level municipalities called ''primærkommuner'' (primary municipalities) or just ''kommuner'' (municipalities).]]

=== Municipality === Terms cognate with "municipality", mostly referring to territory or political structure,{{clarify|date=July 2019}} are Spanish ''{{lang|es|municipio}}'' (Spain) and ''{{lang|es|municipalidad}}'' (Chile), Catalan ''{{Wikt-lang|ca|municipi}}'', Portuguese {{Lang|pt|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constituição da república federativa do brasil de 1988 |url=http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/constituicao/constituicao.htm |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=www.planalto.gov.br}}</ref>

=== 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:

* in Romance languages, such as in French ''{{Wikt-lang|fr|commune}}'' (France, French-speaking Belgium and Switzerland, French-speaking Africa, e.g. Benin), in Italian ''{{Wikt-lang|it|comune}}'' (Italy, Italian-speaking Switzerland, e.g. Ticino), in Portuguese ''{{Wikt-lang|pt|comuna}}'' (Angola), in Romanian ''{{Wikt-lang|ro|comună}}'' (Romania), and in Spanish ''{{Wikt-lang|es|comuna}}'' (Chile); * in Nordic languages such as in Danish and Norwegian ''{{lang|da|{{lang|no|kommune}}}}'' (Denmark, Norway), in Faroese ''{{Wikt-lang|fo|kommuna}}'' (Faroe Islands), and in Swedish ''{{Wikt-lang|sv|kommun}}'' (Sweden, Finland); * in West Germanic languages such as in Dutch ''{{Wikt-lang|nl|gemeente}}'' (Netherlands, Dutch-speaking areas of Belgium), Luxembourgish ''{{Wikt-lang|lb|Gemeng}}'' (Luxembourg) and German ''{{Wikt-lang|de|Gemeinde}}'' (Austria, Germany); * in Finnish ''{{lang|fi|kunta}}'' (Finland); * in Ukrainian ''{{lang|uk|hromada}}'' (Ukraine); and * in Polish ''{{lang|pl|gmina}}'' (Poland). 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 {{Lang|el|Δήμος|italic=no}} ({{Lang|el-latn|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 ''{{lang|es|ayuntamiento}}'', referring to a municipality's administration building, is extended via synecdoche to denote the municipality itself.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ASALE |first=RAE- |last2=RAE |title=ayuntamiento {{!}} Diccionario de la lengua española |url=https://dle.rae.es/ayuntamiento |access-date=2023-01-23 |website=«Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario |language=es}}</ref> In Moldova and Romania, both ''municipalities'' (''municipiu''; urban administrative units) and ''communes'' ({{Lang|ro|comună}}; rural units) exist, and a commune may be part of a municipality.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

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

=== English-speaking === *In Australia, the term local government area (LGA) 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."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/9f0b5791ed98061fca256f1900128409?OpenDocument |title=Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) |date=28 September 2005 |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics}}</ref> *In Canada, municipalities are local governments established through provincial and territorial legislation, usually within general municipal statutes.<ref name="CDNEncyclo">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Municipal Government |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia > Government > Government, General > Municipal Government |publisher=Historica Foundation of Canada |year=2009 |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/municipal-government |access-date=17 July 2011 |archive-date=13 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213184814/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/municipal-government/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="StatCan">{{cite web |url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/92f0009x/92f0009x2011000-eng.pdf |title=Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status, and Names – From January 2, 2010 to January 1, 2011 |publisher=Statistics Canada |date=April 2011 |access-date=17 July 2011}}</ref> Types of municipalities within Canada include cities, district municipalities, municipal districts, municipalities, parishes, rural municipalities, towns, townships, villages, and villes among others.<ref name="StatCan" /> The province of Ontario has different tiers of municipalities, including lower, upper, and single tiers.<ref name="OntarioMAH">{{cite web |url=http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page1591.aspx |title=List of Ontario Municipalities |publisher=Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing |date=4 July 2011 |access-date=17 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228023807/http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page1591.aspx |archive-date=28 February 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Types of upper tier municipalities in Ontario include counties and regional municipalities.<ref name="OntarioMAH" /> Nova Scotia also has regional municipalities, which include cities, counties, districts, or towns as municipal units.<ref name="NSMGA">{{cite web |title = Municipal Government Act|publisher = Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly|url = http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/municipal%20government.pdf|date = 7 January 2010|access-date = 17 July 2011}}</ref> *In India, a municipality (also known as ''municipal council'') is an urban local body that administers a city of population 100,000 or more (the criteria varies from state to state). 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 (74th Amendment) 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".<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Municipality | volume= 19 | page = 7 |short= 1}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://public.findlaw.com/library/pa-municipal-law.html |title=Legal Dictionary: Municipal Law |work=FindLaw}}</ref> 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<ref>{{cite web |url=http://law.justia.com/codes/nevada/2009/title-3/chapter-43/43-080/ |title=2009 Nevada Code |publisher=Justia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kansas Statues |url=http://kansasstatutes.lesterama.org/Chapter_75/Article_11/75-1117.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024092626/http://kansasstatutes.lesterama.org/Chapter_75/Article_11/75-1117.html |archive-date=Oct 24, 2014 |publisher=Lesterama}}</ref> (see also: Local government in the United States#Municipal governments).

=== Chinese-speaking === *In the People's Republic of China, a direct-administered municipality (直辖市 in pinyin: zhíxiáshì) is a municipality with equal status to a province: Beijing Municipality, Chongqing Municipality, Shanghai Municipality, and Tianjin Municipality (see also: Direct-administered municipalities of China). *In the Republic of China (Taiwan), a special municipality (直轄市 in pinyin: zhíxiáshì) is a municipality with equal status to a province: Kaohsiung, New Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei, and Taoyuan (see also: Special municipality (Taiwan)).

== Municipalities by country == {{Multiple issues |section=yes|1= {{cleanup reorganize|section|discuss=Municipalities by country|date=January 2014}} {{Table to prose|section|discuss=Municipalities by country|date=August 2021}} {{incomplete list|date=June 2025}} }} {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Country ! Term ! Example ! Subdivision of ! Quantity ! Notes ! Further reading |- |Brazil |{{Lang|pt|município}} |Blumenau, Cuiabá, Maceió, Porto Alegre |a state (''estado''), which is part of a region (''região'') |5,570 |A municipality usually is divided in the urban part, the city (''cidade''), and the rural part. |List of municipalities of Brazil |- |Croatia |{{Lang|hr|Općina}} |Fužine, Bosiljevo, Klana, Kršan |Županija (county in English) |428 |A municipality usually has center village of same name. Exception: Vinodolska općina - center village: Bribir. |Municipalities of Croatia |- |Denmark |''{{lang|da|{{lang|no|kommune}}}}'' |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 (''cúige'') or a county (''contae'') |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 (Baile Átha Cliath) |Local governments in the Republic of Ireland |- | Italy | ''Comune'' |Venezia | a ''comune'' which is part of a province (''provincia'') which is part of a region (''regione''). | 7,896 | ''Municipio'' is used for subdivisions of larger ''comuni''; in some cases, municipalities are united to form mountain communities (''comunità montane'')<ref>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: {{cite journal|last1=Buonomo|first1=Giampiero|title=Compatibile il sindaco-dirigente della locale Comunità montana|journal=Diritto&Giustizia Edizione Online|date=2001|url=https://www.questia.com/projects#!/project/89289480|access-date=18 March 2016|archive-date=24 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324160801/https://www.questia.com/projects#!/project/89289480|url-status=dead}}</ref> | List of municipalities of Italy |- |India |municipality (''nagar palika, or nagar parishad in Hindi)'' |Bangaon Municipality * Jalpaiguri Municipality * Darjeeling Municipality * Jagtial Municipality * English Bazar Municipality |a state or union territory |1937<ref>{{Cite web |title=LGD - Local Government Directory, Government of India |url=https://lgdirectory.gov.in/demo/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260302143741/https://lgdirectory.gov.in/demo/ |archive-date=2026-03-02 |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=lgdirectory.gov.in |language=en-US}}</ref> |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 (''gemeente)'' | * Government of Amsterdam * Government of Rotterdam | 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 (Netherlands) |- |- | Philippines | ''bayan'', ''munisipyo'' or ''munisipalidad'' | Janiuay | a province (''lalawigan'' or ''probinsya'', except for Pateros) | 1,488<ref>{{cite web | url=https://psa.gov.ph/classification/psgc/downloads/PSGC-2Q-2021-Publication-Datafile-01092021.xlsx | title=National Summary –number of Provinces, Cities, Municipalities and Barangays, by Region – As of 30 June 2021 | work=Philippine Statistics Authority | date=30 June 2021 | access-date=26 January 2022}}</ref> | 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Republic Act 7160 – Local Government Act of 1991 |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1991/10/10/republic-act-no-7160/ |work=Official Gazette (Philippines) |date=11 October 1991 |access-date=2 October 2020}}</ref> | Municipalities of the Philippines |- |Portugal |''município'' |Lisbon, Sintra, Vila Nova de Gaia |18 districts and 2 autonomous regions (Azores and Madeira) |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 (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.<ref>[http://cee.ceepur.org/Ayuda.aspx#Municipio ''Ayuda: Divulgación de Resultados de la Comisión Estatal de Elecciones – Municipio.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021053330/http://cee.ceepur.org/Ayuda.aspx#Municipio |date=21 October 2011 }} Comision Estatal de Elecciones. Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 2004. Retrieved 6 December 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.surfrider.org/rincon/Ley_Municipios.pdf ''Autonomous Municipalities Law.''] {{in lang|es}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205024802/http://www.surfrider.org/rincon/Ley_Municipios.pdf |date=5 December 2010 }} Retrieved 24 October 2011.</ref> | 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. | 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.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.riksdagen.se/en/how-the-riksdag-works/democracy/the-constitution/|title= The Constitution |author= |date= 2023 |website= www.riksdagen.se |publisher= Sveriges Riksdag |access-date= 25 August 2023 |quote=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.riksdagen.se/globalassets/05.-sa-fungerar-riksdagen/demokrati/the-instrument-of-government.pdf|title= The Instrument of Government (1974:152) |author= |date= 2018 |website= www.riksdagen.se |publisher= Sveriges Riksdag |access-date= 25 August 2023 |quote= 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. }}</ref> 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.<ref name="SFS">[http://rkrattsdb.gov.se/SFSdoc/15/150493.PDF SFS 2015:493] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930041909/http://rkrattsdb.gov.se/SFSdoc/15/150493.PDF |date=30 September 2018 }}, Svensk författningssamling: ''Förordning om distrikt''.</ref> | Municipalities of Sweden |} *In Portuguese language usage, there are two words to distinguish the territory and the administrative organ. When referring to the territory, the word '''''concelho''''' is used, when referring to the organ of State, the word '''''município''''' is used. This differentiation is in use in Portugal and some of its former overseas provinces, but it is no longer in use in Brazil, where '''''município''''' refers to the territorial boundaries and '''''prefeitura''''' is its administrative organ.

== See also == *Council of European Municipalities and Regions *Council–manager government *Creature of statute *Lists of municipalities *Mayor–council government *Municipal corporation * '''''{{portal-inline|Cities}}'''''

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Wiktionary}} * {{Cite EB9 |last=Elton |first=Charles Isaac |authorlink=Charles Isaac Elton |wstitle=Municipality |volume=17 |short=x}}

Category:Municipalities Category:Types of administrative division Category:Types of populated places