Municipio (Spanish: [muniˈθipjo/muniˈsipjo]) and município (Portuguese: [muniˈsipiu]) are administrative divisions 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;[1] however, in Spanish, the term municipio may not mean a single city or town, but rather a jurisdiction housing several towns and cities, such as a township, county, borough or civil parish.[2] 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, such as a county, township, and so forth. However, in Brazil, a Municipio is an independent city & a public corporation with status of Federated Entity.[3]
Overview
edit| Country | Term | Detailed article | Administered by | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | Município is used | Municipalities of Angola | ||
| Argentina | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Argentina | According to laws of the provinces | |
| Bolivia | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Bolivia | Below the provinces | |
| Brazil | Município is used | Municipalities of Brazil | Município with elected (Prefeito) (mayor) and Vereador (plural: Vereadores) (councilors).They are part of the federation De facto et De jure | |
| Chile | Comuna is used | Communes of Chile | Municipalidad with elected alcalde (mayor) and councilors | |
| Colombia | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Colombia | Below departments | |
| Costa Rica | Municipalidad is used | Municipalities of Costa Rica | Coterminous with the Cantones | |
| Cuba | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Cuba | ||
| Dominican Republic | Municipio is used | Municipalities of the Dominican Republic | ayuntamiento (elected municipal council) and síndico (mayor) | |
| Ecuador | Cantón is used | Cantons of Ecuador | Municipio or Municipalidad with elected alcalde (mayor) and concejales (councilors) | Below provinces. Further subdivided into urban and rural parishes. |
| El Salvador | Municipio is used | Municipalities of El Salvador | Alcalde | Below departments |
| Guatemala | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Guatemala | Municipalidad | Below departments |
| Honduras | Municipalidad is used | Municipalities of Honduras | Alcalde | Below departments |
| Italy | Comune is used; in some parts of Italy the municipio is the building housing the administration of the comune; elsewhere it is simply called comune. A municipalità may be a subdivision of comune[citation needed][a] | Municipalities of Italy | Consiglio comunale, headed by a sindaco | |
| Mexico | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Mexico | Ayuntamiento, headed by a municipal president | Below states |
| Mozambique | Município is used | Municipalities of Mozambique | ||
| Nicaragua | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Nicaragua | Alcalde | Below departments |
| Paraguay | Municipalidad is used | Municipalities of Paraguay | ||
| Peru | Municipalidad is used | Municipalities of Peru | ||
| Philippines | Municipalidad and Município (Spanish), Munisipalidad or Munisipyo (Tagalog and Cebuano) | Municipalities of the Philippines | alkalde (informal expression for mayor) and councilors (konsehal, a Spanish loanword alcalde and consejal in local languages) | Below provinces |
| Portugal | Município is used (also called concelho) | Municipalities of Portugal | Câmara Municipal (executive) and Assembleia Municipal (legislative) | |
| Puerto Rico | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Puerto Rico | Alcalde and municipal legislature | |
| Spain | Municipio is used[b] | Municipalities of Spain | Ayuntamiento (municipal corporation) or Concejo abierto, headed by an alcalde | |
| Uruguay | Municipio is used[4] | Municipalities of Uruguay | Alcaldía (municipal council), headed by an alcalde | |
| Venezuela | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Venezuela | Consejo Municipal (municipal council) with separately elected alcalde and independent comptroller | Below state |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Municipalità refers only to administration, whereas comune refers to both administration and territory; it is also an administrative sub-division of a large city, such as Rome.
- ^ In Catalan municipi (IPA: [muniˈsipi]), Galician municipio (IPA: [muniˈθipjʊ]) or bisbarra (IPA: [bizˈβarɐ]) and Basque udalerria (IPA: [udaleria]).
References
edit- ^ "Municipality". Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
- ^ "municipio". Word Reference. Word Reference. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
English: township - borough - county - township line
- ^ "Município". Word Reference. Word Reference. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
- ^ "Creación de municipios en Uruguay a partir de 2010". data.com.uy. 2009. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.