By country/region
Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, a district ( Persian 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 asAustria
In Austria, 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 andBangladesh
Bangladeshi 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 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, onlyBhutan
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 in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina is formally part of both the Republika Srpska and theBrazil
Brazilian municipalities 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 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, namelyCanada
Alberta
In Alberta, the
Ontario
In Ontario, 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, mostlyChile
Mainland China
In mainland China, the district () is a subdivision of any of various city administrative units, including municipalities, 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" 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 is an (plural ). After a reform in 2002, the districts lost administrative power to regions () and selected towns () and became statistical zones.France
Germany
* In Germany, a district () is an administrative unit between the ( German federal states) and the local / municipal levels (Hong Kong
Hong Kong is divided into eighteen districts, each with aHungary
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 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. They generally form the tier of local government immediately below that of India's subnational states and territories. Where warranted, districts may further be grouped into administrative divisions, which form an intermediate level between the district and theDistrict 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.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 is subdivided into thirty one provinces ( Persian: ), each governed from a local center, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital ( Persian: ) of that province. The provinces of Iran further subdivided into Counties of Iran, 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 Governorates of Iraq, Iraqi governorates, 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 Towns of Japan, towns and Villages of Japan, villages but not Municipality of Japan, cities. See districts of Japan 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, a district () is a subdivision of a Provinces of Kenya, Province 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 and six Special cities of South Korea, Metropolitan Cities are treated as a city in their own right.Macau
Malawi
Malawi 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 divisions after the Outer islands of Mauritius, Outer islands of the country. Mauritius is divided into nine districts which consist of List of places in Mauritius, 2 cities, 4 towns and 130 villages, the capital is Port Louis. The island of Rodrigues used to be the tenth district of Mauritius but it gained autonomous status in 2002.Malaysia
A district is known as in Malay language, Malay. 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. 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.=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), anInformal 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
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 authoritiesNorthern 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
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 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 km2) while the smallest is Cồn Cỏ with an area of only 2.3 km2.See also
* Municipality * Utility cooperativeReferences
{{Terms for types of administrative territorial entities Types of administrative division