Municipality

A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly referring to a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.

Municipalities are not necessarily the same as townships. A municipality is a general-purpose district, as opposed to a special-purpose district.

In most countries, a municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision to have its own democratically elected representative leadership.

In some countries, municipalities are referred to as "communes" (for example, French commune, Italian comune or Norwegian kommune). The term derives from the medieval commune. Note that the word has absolutely no implication of communism; rather, the word "communism" derives from the word "commune" because of its striving towards a commune-like society.

The largest municipalities can be found in Canada and Greenland. Most likely the largest municipality is Avernasuaq in Greenland, which is larger than the whole United Kingdom.

Contemporary
Amt · Arrondissement · Bailiwick · Bakhsh · Baladiyah · Banner · Autonomous banner · Barangay · Bairro · Barrio · Bezirk / Regierungsbezirk · Block · Borough · County borough · Metropolitan borough · Capital · Federal capital · Canton · Census division · Census geographic unit · Census metropolitan area · Census subdivision · Circle · Circuit · City · Autonomous city · Independent city · Co-Principality · Colony · Comarca · Commonwealth · Commune · Comune · Community · Autonomous community · Residential community · Condominium · Constituency · County · Administrative county · Autonomous county · Metropolitan county · Council · Croft · Department · Dependent territory · Federal dependency · District · Autonomous district · Capital district · City district · Federal district · Metropolitan district · Municipal district · Division · Daïra · Duchy · Eldership · Frazione · Freguesia · Governorate · Hamlet · Insular area · Judeţ · Local administrative unit · Local government area · Liwa · Località · Municipality · District municipality · Regional municipality · Regional county municipality · Rural municipality · Neighbourhood · Oblast · Okrug · Ostān · Parish · Civil parish · Periphery · Prefecture · Autonomous prefecture · Principality · Protectorate · Province · Autonomous province · Quarter · Regency · Region · Autonomous region · Capital region · Special administrative region · Republic · Autonomous republic · Ranchería · Reservation · Indian reserve · Shabiyah · Shahr · Shahrestān · Shire · State · Subdistrict · Subprefecture · Suzerainty · Territory · Autonomous territorial unit · Capital territory · National territory · Town · Townland · Township · Civil township · Urban (urbanized) area · Village · Vingtaine · Voivodeship · Wilayah · Ward

Historical
Agency · Barony · Burgh · Cantref · City-State · Commote · Free Imperial City · Hundred · Imperial Circle · Imperial province · March · Presidency · Residency · Riding · Rural district · Sanitary district (rural · urban) · Urban district · Viscounty · Viscountcy