A district is a type of
administrative division
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
that, in some countries, is managed by the
local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
s or
counties, several
municipalities
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 go ...
, subdivisions of municipalities,
school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
, or
political district
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polit ...
.
By country/region
Afghanistan
In
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, a district (
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
ps, ولسوالۍ ) is a subdivision of a province. There are almost 400 districts in the country.
Australia
Electoral districts are used in state elections. Districts were also used in several states as
cadastral units for land titles. Some were used as
squatting
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...
districts.
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
had several different types of districts used in the 21st century.
Austria
In
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, the word is used with different meanings in three different contexts:
* Some of the tasks of the administrative branch of the national and regional governments are fulfilled by the 95
district administrative offices (). The area a district administrative office is responsible for is often, although informally, called a district (). A number of
statutory cities, currently 15, are not served by any district administrative office. Their respective municipal bureaucracies handle the tasks normally performed by the district administrative office.
* The cities of
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
and
Graz
Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
are divided into municipal districts (), assisting the respective municipal governments. In Vienna, the constituents of each district elect a district council (); the district council in turn elects a district chairperson (). Although the city vests its districts with a limited amount of budgetary autonomy, district councils and chairpersons have little real responsibility. In particular, they do not legislate. Most of the
districts of Vienna
The districts of Vienna (German: ''Wiener Gemeindebezirke'') are the 23 named city sections of Vienna, Austria, which are numbered for easy reference. They were created from 1850 onwards, when the city area was enlarged by the inclusion of surround ...
were independent municipalities at some point; district councils and chairpersons symbolize the town councils and mayors they used to have.
* From the point of view of the
judiciary of Austria, the country is subdivided into 115 judicial districts (), each corresponding to one of the country's 115 lowest-level trial courts.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
is administratively divided into the following subdivisions:
*59 districts (; sing.– ),
*11 cities (; sing.– ),
*1 autonomous republic (), which itself contains:
**7 districts
**1 city
The rayons are further divided into municipalities ().
Additionally, Azerbaijan is subdivided into 9 (economic) regions (; sing.– ). This is not an administrative division. Each region contains a number of districts. The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic forms a separate, 10th economic region.
1. Absheron
2. Ganja-Qazakh
3. Shaki-Zaqatala
4. Lankaran
5. Quba-Khachmaz
6. Aran
7. Upper Karabakh
8. Kalbajar-Lachin
9. Daglig-Shirvan
10. Nakhchivan
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
i districts are local administrative units. In all, there are 64 districts in Bangladesh. Originally, there were 21 greater districts with several subdivisions in each district. In 1984, the government made all these subdivisions into districts. Each district has several sub-districts called
Upazila
An ''upazila'' ( bn, উপজেলা, upôzela, lit=sub-district pronounced: ), formerly called ''thana'', is an administrative region in Bangladesh, functioning as a sub-unit of a district. It can be seen as an analogous to a county or a ...
in Bengali with a total 493 Upzillas.
Belgium
In
Belgian municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, on the initiative of the local council, sub-municipal administrative entities with elected councils may be created. As such, only
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, , having over 460,000 inhabitants, became subdivided into
nine districts ( nl, districten).
The Belgian
arrondissement
An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands.
Europe
France
The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements' ...
s (also in French as well as in
Dutch), an administrative level between province (or the capital region) and municipality, or the lowest judicial level, are in English, sometimes called districts as well.
Bhutan
Bhutanese districts () are local administrative units consisting of village blocks called . Some have subdistricts called .
Bosnia and Herzegovina
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, a district is a self-governing administrative unit.
Brčko District
Brčko District
Brčko District ( bs, Brčko Distrikt; hr, Brčko Distrikt; sr, Брчко Дистрикт, ), officially the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( bs, Brčko Distrikt Bosne i Hercegovine; hr, Brčko Distrikt Bosne i Hercegovine; ), i ...
in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina is formally part of both the
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Feder ...
and the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Republika Srpska. The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists ...
. The Assembly of the
Brčko District
Brčko District ( bs, Brčko Distrikt; hr, Brčko Distrikt; sr, Брчко Дистрикт, ), officially the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( bs, Brčko Distrikt Bosne i Hercegovine; hr, Brčko Distrikt Bosne i Hercegovine; ), i ...
has 29 seats.
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian
municipalities
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 go ...
are subdivided into districts. Small municipalities usually have only one urban district, which contains the city itself, consisting of the seat of the local government, where the municipality's and (City Hall and City Council, respectively, the Executive and
Legislative
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...
local bodies) are located. The rural districts and groups of urban districts (mainly in large cities) may also present a sub local Executive body, named .
Brunei
A district is known locally as and it is the first-level administrative division of Brunei. There are four districts in the country, namely
Brunei-Muara
Brunei-Muara District ( ms, Daerah Brunei dan Muara; Jawi: برونائی-موارا ضلع) or simply Brunei-Muara is one of the four districts of Brunei. It has the smallest area among the four districts, with , yet is the most populous, wi ...
,
Tutong,
Belait and
Temburong
Temburong District ( ms, Daerah Temburong; Jawi: دائيره تمبوروڠ) or simply Temburong () is the easternmost district in Brunei. It is an exclave — the land is separated from the rest of the country by Malaysia and Brunei Bay, and ...
. Each district is administered by a (District Office), which is headed by a (District Officer). All district offices are government departments under the Ministry of Home Affairs ().
Canada
Alberta
In
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
, the
municipal districts
A municipal district is an administrative entity comprising a clearly-defined territory and its population. It can refer to a city, a town, a village, a small grouping of them, or a rural area.
Brazil
In Brazil, municipal districts are, in genera ...
and
improvement districts are types of
rural municipalities. They are recognized as
census subdivisions
The census geographic units of Canada are the Census division, census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct Census in Canada, the country's quinquennial census. These areas exi ...
by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...
, which form parts of
census divisions
Census divisions, in Canada and the United States of America, United States, are areas delineated for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government in and of themselves. The census divisions of Canada are second-lev ...
.
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
In the province of British Columbia, there are several kinds of administrative districts by that name. The usual usage is a reference to ''
district municipalities'', which are a class of municipality in the same hierarchy as city, town, or village. Most are styled, e.g., "
District of Mission" or
"District of Wells", though some are styled, e.g.,
"Corporation of Delta" or "
Township of Langley
The Township of Langley is a district municipality immediately east of the City of Surrey in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It extends south from the Fraser River to the Canada–United States border, and west of the City of Abbotsford. ...
".
Within the area of municipal powers, ''
regional districts'' – which are somewhat analogous to counties in other jurisdictions, a number of municipalities, and unincorporated areas – are always referred to as "regional districts" to distinguish them from district municipalities and other kinds of district.
Other kinds of districts in British Columbia are:
* Electoral districts (some early ridings, as electoral districts are commonly known, included "district" in their title, e.g.
New Westminster District
New Westminster District was a Canadian federal electoral district created when the province of British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871. Like other ridings established in that year, a byelection was called to fill the seat until the genera ...
)
* Forest districts, which are a set of administrative regions of the
British Columbia Ministry of Forests
The Executive Council of British Columbia (the Cabinet) is the Cabinet (government), Cabinet of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia. Almost always composed of members of the Legislative Assembly of Brit ...
* Land districts, which are the underlying cadastral survey system for the province and are the primary locational reference used in government databases and references. The primary use of "district" in combinations such as the Lillooet District or New Westminster District was a reference to the land district, though sometimes to mining divisions.
*
School districts, also often referred to simply as "districts", when in context.
* Other types of regional subdivision, according to the ministry or agency, are generally styled "region" or "area". These include as Ministry of Environment regions,
health regions, and regional management planning areas such as the
Muskwa-Kechika Management Planning Area
The Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (M-K or M-KMA) is a provincially run tract of land in the far north of British Columbia. It has an advisory board that advises the government on land-use decisions. Established by provincial government legislati ...
.
Mi'kma'ki
Situated across the
Atlantic provinces and
the Maritimes
The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of Ca ...
, the traditional country of the
Mi'kmaw Nation organizes itself into historically 7 or 8 districts. These districts are
Epekwitk
Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...
&
Piktuk, Eske'kewa'ki, Kespe'kewa'ki, Kespukwitk, Sikniktewa'ki, their central fire or capital district
Unama'ki
Cape Breton Island (french: link=no, île du Cap-Breton, formerly '; gd, Ceap Breatainn or '; mic, Unamaꞌki) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18. ...
, and
Ktaqamkuk. Although Canada and the provinces hardly recognize the legitimacy of
Mi'kma'ki, the nation remains and still retains functions as a
Wabanaki country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
New Brunswick has numerous
local service districts, 7
school districts, 10
federal electoral districts and 55
provincial electoral districts.
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
In western and northern Canada, the federal government created
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
as subdivisions of the
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
1870–1905, partly on the model of the districts created in the
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British North America, British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham ...
. The first district created was the
District of Keewatin
The District of Keewatin was a territory of Canada and later an administrative district of the Northwest Territories. It was created in 1876 by the ''Keewatin Act'', and originally it covered a large area west of Hudson Bay. In 1905, it became a ...
in 1876 followed by four more districts in 1882. Gradually, these districts became separate territories (such as
Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
), separate provinces (such as
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
and
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
) or were absorbed into other provinces.
Ontario
In
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, a district is a statutory subdivision of the province, but, unlike a county, a district is not incorporated. Most districts are composed of unincorporated lands, mostly
Crown land
Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. ...
. Originally present-day
Southern Ontario (then part of the
Province of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen p ...
and after 1791,
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...
) was divided into districts in 178
Districts continued to operation until 1849 when they were replaced by counties by the
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British North America, British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham ...
.
The current Ontario districts such as
Algoma District, Ontario, Algoma and
Nipissing were first created by the Province of Canada in 1858 prior to
Confederation
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
for the delivery of judicial and provincial government services to sparsely populated areas from the
district seat
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
(e.g.
Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie is a cross-border region of Canada and the United States located on St. Marys River, which drains Lake Superior into Lake Huron. Founded as a single settlement in 1668, Sault Ste. Marie was divided in 1817 by the establishment of ...
). Some districts may have
District Social Service Administration Boards
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
, which are designed to provide certain social services. The boundaries of a federal
census division
Census divisions, in Canada and the United States of America, United States, are areas delineated for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government in and of themselves. The census divisions of Canada are second-lev ...
may correspond to those of a district.
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
In Quebec, districts are municipal electoral subdivisions of
boroughs
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
, which are subdivisions of cities. They function in a similar manner to what is elsewhere known as a
ward.
Chile
Mainland China
In
mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
, the
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
() is a subdivision of any of various city administrative units, including
municipalities
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 go ...
,
sub-provincial cities, and
prefecture-level cities. Districts have
county level status.
Modern districts are a recent innovation. In the context of
pre-modern China, the English translation "district" is typically associated with (), another Chinese administrative division. The is translated as "
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
" in the context of modern China.
Colombia
In Colombia, a district is one of ten special administrative units:
Czech Republic
A "district" in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
is an (plural ). After a reform in 2002, the districts lost administrative power to regions () and selected towns () and became statistical zones.
France
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
districts were the first subdivision of the from the 4 March 1790 to the (17 February 1800). Then, in the 20th century, districts were a type of intercommunity, they've been replaced by and after 1999.
Germany
* In
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, a district () is an administrative unit between the (
German federal states) and the local / municipal levels (
Gemeinden
Gemeinde (; plural: Gemeinden) is a German word translating to "community", "town", "parish", or "municipality".
Gemeinde may refer to:
* An administrative division encompassing a single village, town, or city:
** Gemeinde (Austria)
** Gemeinde (G ...
). As of 2011, most of the 402 German districts are , rural districts. 107 larger cities (usually with more than 100,000 inhabitants) that do not belong to a district are considered as urban districts ( or ).
** A local subdistrict is called a , and is mostly a smaller rural area (with similar concepts in Austria and Switzerland). A is usually associated with and named after a central town or village. Areas in such subdistricts and their usage are documented in central registries (German: ) and have been historically used for taxation.
* In some states, there is additional level of administration between the and the called (''government district'').
* District () was also an administrative subdivision of the
German Democratic Republic
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
from 1952. ''See
Administrative division of the German Democratic Republic
The administrative divisions of the German Democratic Republic (commonly referred to as East Germany) were constituted in two different forms during the country's history. The GDR first retained the traditional German division into federated stat ...
''
* City district ( or ) is the primary subdivision category of many .
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
is divided into eighteen districts, each with a
district council.
Hungary
175 districts were established on January 1, 2013. The existing
19 counties are subdivided into 6–18 districts per county. The capital city of
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
does not belong to any counties and is already divided to 23 districts.
India
India's districts are local administrative units inherited from the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. They generally form the tier of local government immediately below that of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
's
subnational states and territories. Where warranted, districts may further be grouped into administrative divisions, which form an intermediate level between the district and the
subnational state
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
(or
union territory).
A district is headed by a
Deputy Commissioner/ Collector, who is responsible for the overall administration and the maintenance of law and order. The district collector may belong to IAS (
Indian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...
). Other key responsibilities include the collection of
revenue
In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of goods and services related to the primary operations of the business.
Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some companies receive reven ...
, and criminal prosecution in the
district and sessional courts. Usually, the Deputy Commissioner/District Collector is granted magisterial powers under section 20 of Criminal Procedure Code, and designated as the
District Magistrate
A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal reven ...
. The official designations are "Collector and District Magistrate" or "Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate".
Districts are most frequently further sub-divided into smaller administrative units, called either or or , depending on the region. These units have specific local responsibilities, including in particular coordinating revenue collection.
An intermediate level (the sub-division) between district and tehsil/taluka may be formed by grouping these units under the oversight of
Assistant Commissioners or sub-collectors. Each district includes one or two cities (or large towns), a few smaller towns and dozens of villages. Most of the Indian districts have the same name as their main town or city.
As of April 2016, the
National Informatics Centre
The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is an Indian government department under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The NIC provides infrastructure, IT Consultancy, IT Services including but not limited to architecti ...
of the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
, lists a total of 664 districts in India, more than the number of parliamentary constituencies (545).
This number went up to a total of 723 districts in 2019.
District revenue administration in A.P.
# District headed by collector
# A district is composed of four or five revenue divisions administered by R.D.O./sub collector,
# Revenue Divisions divided into taluks/mandals headed by tahsildars,
# Mandals composed of a ten or more villages administered by village revenue officers and village servants.
In Uttar Pradesh Districts and tahsils are defined in U.P. Land Revenue Act, 1901.
Panchayati Raj
The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical menti ...
Tiers of administration
# Grama panchayath: sarpanch
# Village clusters: M.P.T.C.
# Mandal/Taluk: M.P.P./Z.P.T.C.
# District: Z.P. Chairperson.
Indonesia
In
Papua and
West Papua, two of the 34 provinces of Indonesia, a is a subdivision of a regency or a city. Formerly it was called a . In translations of most official documents, itself is translated into English as "district", but some other documents (especially from older era) translated it to "subdistrict", which is equivalent to a in recent translations. This translation ambiguity has caused confusions among foreigners. or do not have legal autonomy to govern themselves, because they are only administrative extensions of a regency or a city.
Iran
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
is subdivided into thirty one
provinces (
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
: ), each governed from a local center, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital (
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
: ) of that province. The provinces of Iran further subdivided into
counties called ( fa, شهرستان ), an area inside an , and consists of a city center, few ( fa, بخش) and many villages around them. There are usually a few cities ( fa, شهر ) and rural agglomerations ( fa, دهستان ) in each county. Rural agglomerations are a collection of a number of villages. One of the cities of the county is appointed as the capital of the county. The word comes from the Persian words and , which mean ''city'' (or ''town'') and ''province'', respectively. The nearest equivalent of in English would be sub-province or county. Each has a governmental office known as which coordinates different events and governmental offices. The , or the head of , is the governor of the which is the highest governmental authority in the division.
Iraq
In Iraq, they use the word for districts. There are over a hundred districts, each district being within one of 18
Iraqi governorates
Iraq consists of 19 governorates ( ar, محافظة, Muhafazah, muḥāfażah; ckb, پارێزگا , parêzgeh), also known as "provinces". Per the Iraqi constitution, governorates can form an autonomous region. Four governorates, Erbil, Sula ...
, sometimes known as provinces. The district generally (but not always) bears the name of a city within that district, usually the capital of that district.
Japan
A is a local administrative unit comprising
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
s and
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
s but not
cities. See
districts of Japan
In Japan, a is composed of one or more rural municipalities (Towns of Japan, towns or Villages of Japan, villages) within a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture. Districts have no governing function, and are only used for geographic or statistical ...
for a more complete description. In 1923, its administrative role was abolished although it is still in use for addressing purposes. "District" is also a translation of , defined by Japan's planning law.
Kenya
In
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
, a district () is a subdivision of a
Province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
and is headed by a
District Officer (DO).
South Korea
A district () is a subdivision of larger cities in South Korea. Smaller cities have no districts, whereas districts in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
and six
Metropolitan Cities are treated as a city in their own right.
Macau
Malawi
Malawi
Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...
is divided into 28 districts within three regions. Each district is headed by a District Commissioner.
Mauritius
The districts of the
Republic of Mauritius are the second-order
administrative division
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
s after the
Outer islands of the country. Mauritius is divided into nine districts which consist of
2 cities, 4 towns and 130 villages, the capital is
Port Louis
Port Louis (french: Port-Louis; mfe, label= Mauritian Creole, Polwi or , ) is the capital city of Mauritius. It is mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's ec ...
.
The island of
Rodrigues
Rodrigues (french: Île Rodrigues, link=yes ; Creole: ) is a autonomous outer island of the Republic of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, about east of Mauritius. It is part of the Mascarene Islands, which include Mauritius and Réunion. Rodr ...
used to be the tenth district of Mauritius but it gained autonomous status in 2002.
Malaysia
A district is known as in
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
. A district governed directly by the federal government is known as a Federal Territory (Malaysia), Federal Territory, and they are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan Territory, Labuan.
In Peninsular Malaysia, a district is a division of a States of Malaysia, state. A is a subdivision of a district. The , is however, of less importance with respect to the administration of local government.
In East Malaysia, a district is a subdivision within a Divisions of Malaysia, division of a state. For example, Tuaran is a district within the West Coast Division of Sabah. A district is usually named after the main town or its administrative capital, for example, Sandakan town is the capital of the district of Sandakan, as well the capital of Sandakan Division. (Note: Sandakan district is a sub-division of Sandakan Division.)
In Malaysia, each district will have a District Office, headed by a district officer, and is administered by a local government either being a District Council, Municipal Council, or a City Council. In some highly urbanized districts, there may be further subdivisions. For example, the district of Petaling in Selangor is administered by 3 local governments: Shah Alam City Council, Petaling Jaya City Council, and Subang Jaya Municipal Council. Another example is the district of Johor Bahru District, Johor Bahru in Johor, which has 3 subdivisions: Johor Bahru City Council, Iskandar Puteri City Council, and Pasir Gudang Municipal Council. Conversely, there may be one local government administering more than one district, for example, Seberang Perai Municipal Council administers the districts of Central Seberang Perai, North Seberang Perai, and South Seberang Perai; as well as Kuala Terengganu City Council, which administers the districts of Kuala Terengganu District, Kuala Terengganu and Kuala Nerus District, Kuala Nerus.
An administrative district border and an Parliamentary constituencies and state assemblies of Malaysia, electoral district border (constituency) transcend each other and do not correspond with each other in most instances.
Malta
Malta holds 13 Electoral Divisions for the unicameral (single-assembly) parliament. Each consists of a number of Local councils of Malta, localities (although there is no requirement that electoral boundaries follow the boundaries of localities).
Nauru
The districts of Nauru are the only subdivisions of the whole state.
Nepal
Nepal is divided into 77 districts. Each district acts as an independent administrative unit. A district consists of two types of units like Rural Municipality, Rural Municipalities and Municipalities. Official documents like citizenship cards and passports are issued by the Chief of District Office (CDO). Constituencies for elections are also constructed according to the population distribution within the district.
New Zealand
A district in New Zealand is a territorial authority (second-tier local government unit) that has not gained the distinction of being proclaimed a city. Districts tend to be less urbanized, tend to cover more than one population center and a larger amount of rural area, and tend to have a smaller population than cities. While cities and districts are generally considered to be two different types of territorial authority, the area covered by a city is often known as its district—for example the term ''district plan'' is used equally in districts and cities. The Chatham Islands, Chatham Islands Territory is neither a district nor a city.
A district is not always a simple division of a List of regions in New Zealand, region: several districts lie within two regions, and the Taupo District lies in four.
Northern Cyprus
Norway
Pakistan
Districts of Pakistan are local administrative units inherited from the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. They form third-level Administrative Division in Pakistan after Provinces and Divisions. Districts were generally grouped into administrative divisions, which in turn formed Provinces and territories of Pakistan, provinces. Pakistan has 160 districts (including ten in Azad Jammu and Kashmir). They are known as in Urdu. They comprise villages, towns, and cities. A district is headed by a district (mayor), who is an elected official (in local body elections) and the local controller of the district level officers of all the departments under provincial government, while
Deputy Commissioner is the executive head of the District usually Grade-18 officer from Pakistan Administrative Service. Deputy Commissioner is entrusted with overall responsibility of law & order, implementation of government schemes and is also authorized to hear revenue cases pertaining to the district. The district mayor () heads an elected district council composed of councilors, who represent various district-level constituencies. The councils have a constitutional requirement to be composed of a minimum of 33% women or more than that.
Peru
Philippines
The usage of the term 'district' () in the Philippines has similarities to that in the United States.
Legislative
A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government.
Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...
=National
=
A constituency with a representative in the lower house of Congress of the Philippines, Congress is a congressional district. However, the term congressional district has become synonymous in local parlance with 'representative district,' because, just like in the US, the word 'congress' () has come to refer specifically to the lower house (the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House of Representatives).
A legislative district, which has an average population of about 250,000 to 500,000, may be composed of:
(a.) an entire province,
(b.) within a province, a group of municipalities and cities (sometimes even including independent and highly urbanized cities geographically located in the province),
(c.) a single city,
(d.) a group of geographically adjacent independent cities and independent municipalities (currently the only example is the Legislative district of Pateros-Taguig, Pateros-Taguig, or
(e.) a group of barangays within a city.
Each province is guaranteed at least one representative to the lower house, even though it may not come close to having the same population as other legislative districts. Only voters within each district are allowed to vote in the election for the member of the House of Representatives from that district.
From 1916 to 1935, the Philippines were divided into 12 senatorial districts, of which 11 elected two members each, for a total of 22 out of the 24 members of the upper house of Congress (the Senate of the Philippines, Senate). Since 1935 senators have been elected at large.
=Regional
=
In addition, each congressional district that falls under the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (a total of 8) elects three members each to the country's only subnational ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly, legislative assembly.
=Provincial
=
There are provincial districts for the purpose of electing (Provincial Council) members, which follow the congressional district arrangement, except that independent and highly urbanized cities whose charters prevent them from electing provincial officials are excluded. Also, provinces that comprise a lone congressional district are divided into at least two provincial districts.
=City
=
There are also city councilor districts for the purpose of electing (City Council) members, which follow the congressional district arrangement. In cases where the city does not form two or more congressional districts by itself, it is divided into at least two city council districts.
Administration (government), Administrative
=Current
=
Districts exist as administrative entities only in local government, with limited powers or responsibilities. Certain cities, such as Manila#Barangays and districts, Manila, Iloilo City#Subdivisions, Iloilo and Districts of Davao City, Davao, for administrative purposes, formally divide their jurisdictions into city districts composed of several barangays, but the extent of these district-level administrative powers vary. Several barangays (the lowest level of government) also have the word 'district' in their names – examples are those in Jala-jala and Zamboanga City. However, this is solely for the purpose of nomenclature, and does not imply a higher level of local government.
=Historical
=
During Spanish and early American colonial rule, certain areas of the Philippines were designated as 'districts,' mainly those that had not been formally organized into provinces or incorporated into existing ones.
In the American era, cities and municipalities were divided into city and municipal districts, which served as the lowest level of government before the creation of the .
Special-purpose districts
Special-purpose districts also exist in the Philippines, created for government departments and agencies. Examples are school districts for the Department of Education (Philippines), Department of Education (DepEd), engineering districts for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), an
coast guard districtsfor the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Informal districts
Some cities and municipalities also extend the usage of the word 'district' to refer to certain areas, even without having any formal administrative purposes. Examples are the central business districts in Naga, Camarines Sur, and Makati.
Poland
The second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture (Local administrative unit, LAU-1) in other countries is called a . As of 2008, there are 379 powiat-level entities in Poland: 314 land counties and 65 city counties. For a complete alphabetical listing, see list of counties in Poland.
Portugal
Districts () are administrative divisions of Portugal. They were mainly used as the jurisdiction areas for the civil governors, the government officials that represented locally the Government of Portugal, Central Government. However, in 2011, the role of the civil governor was ''de facto'' extinct (although not ''de jure''), with the decision taken by the Government not to appoint new civil governors and to transfer its functions to other bodies. The district areas are now only used as the regional jurisdiction areas of some public bodies (like the Public Security Police district commands) and some private entities (like the district associations and championships of football).
Russia
In Russia, districts are administrative and municipal divisions of the federal subjects of Russia, federal subjects, as well as administrative divisions of larger cities ("city districts") which are commonly referenced as (russian: links=no, Районы) and (russian: links=no, Округа) respectively.
The term "district" is also used to refer to the type of administrative division of the Sakha Republic— (russian: links=no, улус; sah, улуус). The Sakha Republic is administratively divided into five cities under the Republic's jurisdiction and 33 ''uluses''. The law of the Sakha Republic establishes that the terms and "district" are equivalent.
[Law Z#77-I of 6 July 1995 "On Administrative and Territorial Structure of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic", with amendments]
In historical context (for the Russian Empire), the term "district" is often used to refer to .
Serbia
Serbia is divided into twenty-nine Districts of Serbia, districts () and the city of Belgrade, each of which is further divided into municipalities ()
Slovakia
In Slovakia, a district () is a local administrative unit.
Slovenia
South Africa
![Map of South Africa with district borders (2009)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Map_of_South_Africa_with_district_borders_%282009%29.svg)
In South Africa, the district municipality (South Africa), district municipality forms the layer of government below the Provinces of South Africa, provinces. A district municipality is in turn divided into several local municipality (South Africa), local municipalities.
This structure varies in the eight largest urban areas:
# Bloemfontein (seat of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality),
# Cape Town (City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality),
# Durban (seat of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality),
# East London, Eastern Cape, East London / King Williams Town (seat of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality),
# East Rand (seat of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality),
# Johannesburg (City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality),
# Port Elizabeth incl. Uitenhage (seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality) and
# Pretoria (seat of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality),
where a metropolitan municipality (South Africa), metropolitan municipality replaces both a district and a local municipality.
Sri Lanka
For purposes of local government, the country of Sri Lanka is divided into nine Provinces of Sri Lanka, provinces: Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western, Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central, Southern Province, Sri Lanka, Southern, Northern Province, Sri Lanka, Northern, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, Eastern, North Western Province, Sri Lanka, North Western, North Central Province, Sri Lanka, North Central, Uva Province, Uva, and Sabaragamuwa Province, Sabaragamuwa. (The Northern and Eastern Provinces have however, technically been jointly administered since 1988.)
Each of the districts is divided into divisions. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the and . They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the D.R.O.s became 'Assistant Government Agents' and the Divisions were known as 'A.G.A. Divisions'. Currently, the Divisions are administered by a 'Divisional Secretary', and are known as a 'D.S. Divisions'. Rural D.S. Divisions are also administered by a 'Pradeshiya Sabha' (Sinhala for 'Regional Council'), which is elected.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, some Canton of Switzerland, cantons organize themselves into districts, while others dispense with districts and govern themselves at the (constituency or electoral district) level.
Sweden
Some municipalities in the Kingdom of Sweden have divided their territory into smaller areas, which often are assigned an administrative board responsible for certain elements of municipal governance within their district. These areas take a variety of different Swedish names; however, "district" is usually the official English term for them. The term "borough" is sometimes used in unofficial contexts.
Taiwan
In the Government of the Republic of China, Republic of China on Taiwan, the district () is the 3rd level of the administrative division. It is a division of Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality and Provincial city (Taiwan), provincial city of Taiwan Province. Currently, there are 157 districts in total from 5 special municipalities and 3 provincial cities.
Thailand
A district () is a subdivision of a Provinces of Thailand, province () in Thailand. Some provinces also contain minor districts (), which are smaller than the average district.
Turkey
In Turkey, a district ( tr, ilçe) is an administrative subdivision of a province ( tr, il). They are governed by a district governor/official (Kaymakam) appointed by the Ministry of the Interior, and a by the local population elected Mayor. See also Districts of Turkey.
Uganda
Ukraine
In Ukraine, districts (raions) second level of administrative division of Ukraine and are primarily the most common division of Ukrainian regions, as well as administrative divisions of larger cities ("city districts").
United Kingdom
England
Districts are the most recognizable form of local government in large parts of England. For those areas that retain two-tier local government, districts usually form the lower tier of that arrangement, with Counties of England, counties forming the upper tier. Districts tend to have responsibility for a number of areas including:
*Tax collection (council tax and Business rates in England and Wales, non-domestic rates)
*Leisure Services
*Refuse collection
*Housing
*Planning
*Arts & Entertainment
*Environmental Health
Each district raises taxes from residents on behalf of itself, and the upper tier authority through the Council Tax. It also raises income from business through the Non-Domestic Rates system, which is coordinated nationally.
Wales
There is no official use of the word ''district'' in Wales. The country is broken up into 22 unitary authority, unitary authorities. However, ''district'' may be used informally for a whole or unofficial part of a
ward in a city.
Scotland
Districts of Scotland were local government areas between 1975 and 1996.
Between 1930 and 1975, districts were subdivisions of Shires of Scotland, counties, formed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929. See List of local government areas in Scotland 1930–75. Scotland, since 1996, has been divided in 32 unitary council areas, and districts are no longer used.
Scotland has had other kinds of administrative areas which might be described as districts:
* Shires of Scotland, until 1975
* Subdivisions of Scotland, councils or unitary authorities, from 1996, pursuant to the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994
* Committee areas, from 1996, within larger unitary authorities
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is divided into 11 districts for local government purposes. The councils do not carry out the same range of functions as those in the rest of the United Kingdom; for example, they have no responsibility for education, road-building or housing (although they do nominate members to the advisory Northern Ireland Housing Council).
Their functions do include waste and recycling services, leisure and community services, Building code, building control and local economic and cultural development. They are not planning authorities, but are consulted on some planning applications. Collection of rates (local tax) is handled by the Rate Collection Agency.
United States
![DC Landsat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/DC_Landsat.jpg)
There are several types of districts in the United States.
Federal District
The Washington, DC, District of Columbia is the only part of the United States, excluding territories of the United States, territories, that is not located within any of the fifty states.
Legislative constituencies
A constituency with a representative in United States Congress, Congress is a congressional District, congressional district. Each state is organized into one or more such districts; the exact number within each state is based on the United States 2000 Census, most recent census. Only voters within each district are allowed to vote in the election for the member of the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives from that district. Overall, there are 435 congressional districts in the United States; each has roughly 630,000 people, with some variance.
A constituency with a representative in a state legislature is a ''legislative district''; the territory over which a federal court has jurisdiction is a United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district.
City councils that are not elected at-large, at large may have constituencies called districts or wards.
Single Purpose Districts
The United States also has many types of special-purpose districts with limited powers of local government. School districts are the most common, but other types of districts include community college districts, hospital districts, utility districts, irrigation districts, port districts, and public transit districts.
Many cities in the late 20th century adopted names for non-governmental districts as a way of increasing the recognition and identity of these distinct areas and neighborhoods. Perhaps most apparently in Los Angeles, various areas and neighborhoods within the city are specified as districts. For instance, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood is a district of Los Angeles, whereas Beverly Hills and West Hollywood are independent incorporated city, incorporated cities, with their own governments and police departments. This can be confusing, as the difference between districts and neighboring cities is usually not readily apparent, for they all make up the Metropolitan Los Angeles, greater Los Angeles area. Typically, districts may or may not be distinguished at the boundary of the district with a "district sign" with the city's insignia; whereas at a city boundary, a city limit sign would usually be placed on the street with the city's name and population, at a minimum, but also often includes its elevation. The important distinction is that areas classified as districts are still part of the parent city and governed by the laws and ordinances of that city.
Various federal, regional, and local agencies such as the National Register of Historic Places recognized Historic district (United States), historic districts.
Municipalities
From the late 18th century until the Act of Consolidation, 1854, Philadelphia Act of Consolidation in 1854, districts were politically independent municipalities made up of densely populated neighborhoods adjacent to but outside the legal boundaries of the Philadelphia, City of Philadelphia. Northern Liberties, Southwark, Philadelphia, Southwark, and Spring Garden, Philadelphia, Spring Garden were among the ten largest municipalities by population in the United States.
Municipal utility district
A municipal utility district is a special-purpose district or other jurisdiction that provides services (such as electricity, natural gas, sewage treatment, waste collection/Waste management, management, wholesale telecommunications, water) to district residents. Local residents may vote to establish a municipal utility district, which is represented by a board of directors elected by constituents.
As governmental bodies, they are usually nonprofit.
In the US, public utility districts (PUD) have similar functions to Municipal utility districts, but are created by a local government body such as a city or county, and have no authority to levy taxes. They provide Public utility, public utilities to the residents of that district.
PUDs are created by a
local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
body, such as a city, County (United States), county, or Metropolitan area, metropolitan service area (two or more communities joining together for public utility purposes). Normally the districts are Non-profit organizations, non-profit.
PUDs are often governed by a Government agency, commission, which may be appointed or Election, elected.
Vietnam
The term ''district'' in Vietnam refers to the second level administrative unit, below provinces () and municipalities (). This second level unit is called a (counties) in rural areas, while in urban areas districts are either (subdivisions of municipalities), (provincial cities) or (towns). Vietnam had 707 "districts" including 77 provincial cities, 52 towns, 49 urban subdivisions, and 529 rural districts/counties (including 12 island districts/counties).
[:vi:Huyện (Việt Nam)]
Vietnamese districts vary significantly in both population and area. Excluding the island districts, the most populous is Biên Hoà (provincial city) with 1,099,943 people; the least populous is the town of Mường Lay (12,125). Similarly, the largest district is Tương Dương (2,812.07 km
2) while the smallest is Cồn Cỏ with an area of only 2.3 km
2.
See also
* Municipality
* Utility cooperative
References
{{Terms for types of administrative territorial entities
Types of administrative division