Municipality

A municipality is a special area that has its own local government to make decisions for the people living there. It can be as small as a tiny village or as large as a whole city. This idea comes from old French and Latin words, and it used to mean places that helped protect Rome but could also govern themselves a little bit.

Municipalities can include just one town or village, or they might cover several small places together. For example, some areas in New Jersey were once governed by one municipality that looked after many villages. Even parts of a big city, like some areas in Santiago, Chile, can be their own municipalities with their own local leaders.

Political powers

Municipalities can have different levels of power, from almost completely independent to fully controlled by the state. They may have the right to collect taxes from people and businesses, such as income tax, property tax, and corporate income tax. They can also get money from the state. In some European countries, like Germany, municipalities can provide public services themselves through companies they own.

Terms in various countries

Municipality

Different places use special words that mean "municipality." In Spain and Chile, they use words like municipio and municipalidad. In Brazil, a município is the local government. It is the smallest area with its own rules and leaders. People often call it a "city," but officially, it is the whole area around the city.

Commune

Many countries use words that mean "commune." This word talks about the people living together and sharing common goals. Examples include:

• French commune in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Africa
• Italian comune in Italy and Switzerland
• Portuguese comuna in Angola
• Romanian comună in Romania
• Spanish comuna in Chile
• Danish and Norwegian kommune in Denmark and Norway
• Swedish kommun in Sweden and Finland
• Dutch gemeente in the Netherlands and Belgium
• German Gemeinde in Austria and Germany
• Finnish kunta in Finland
• Ukrainian hromada in Ukraine
• Polish gmina in Poland

Sometimes, these words are also used for church groups.

Other terms

In Greece, the word Δήμος (demos) means "community." In some countries, the Spanish word ayuntamiento means the building where local leaders meet, but it can also mean the whole area.

English-speaking

Different English-speaking places use their own words:

• In Australia, they use local government area (LGA) instead of municipality.
• In Canada, there are many types of municipalities, like cities, towns, and villages.
• In India, a municipality is a group that helps run cities with more than 100,000 people.
• In the United Kingdom, old rules used the word "municipality," but now they use words like district or council area.
• In Jersey, a municipality is the group of leaders for each area.
• In Trinidad and Tobago, a municipality is a city or town with its own leaders.
• In the United States, a municipality can be a city, town, village, or other local group with its own leaders.

Chinese-speaking

• In China, a direct-administered municipality is very important and has the same level as a province. Examples are Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Tianjin.
• In Taiwan, a special municipality is also very important and has the same level as a province. Examples are Kaohsiung, New Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei, and Taoyuan.

Municipalities by country

In places where Portuguese is spoken, different words are used to talk about the area and the government of a municipality. In Portugal and some places it used to rule, the word concelho is used for the area, and município refers to the government. However, in Brazil, the word município is used for the area, and prefeitura is the name for its government.