County councilA county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. AustraliaIn the Australian state of New South Wales, county councils are special purpose local governments, to which a group of local government areas delegate the provision of certain services.
Local governmentLocal government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. A municipal council or local council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough council, rural council, village council, board of aldermen, or board of selectmen.
CountyA county is a type of officially recognized geographical division within a state, both federal and sovereign, or province. Counties are defined in diverse ways, but they are typically current or former official administrative divisions within systems of local government, and in this sense counties are similar to shires, and typically larger than municipalities.CouncilA council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or national level are not considered councils. At such levels, there may be no separate executive branch, and the council may effectively represent the entire government. A board of directors might also be denoted as a council.
ScotlandScotland (Scots: Scotland; Scottish Gaelic: Alba) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and adjacent islands, principally in the archipelagos of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. In 2022, the country's population was about 5.4 million. Its capital city is Edinburgh, whilst Glasgow is the largest and the most populous of the cities in the country.
United KingdomCountry in northwestern EuropeThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a population of over 69 million in 2024.
AlbertaProvince of CanadaProvince in CanadaAlberta is a province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, the Northwest Territories to its north, and the U.S. state of Montana to its south. Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only two landlocked provinces.
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It comprises two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga.
Combined authorities and combined county authoritiesDevolved public authorities in EnglandA combined authority (CA) and a county combined authority (CCA) are two types of strategic authority introduced in England outside Greater London. As of 5 June 2026, there are 13 CAs and six CCAs, predominantly in areas where they are considered likely to improve transport, economic development, and regeneration. Together with the Greater London Authority, these are known as strategic authorities since 2026.TownType of human settlementLeft to right, from top:Ipswich in England, Porvoo in Finland, Lemgo in Germany, Davos in Switzerland, Skalica in Slovakia, Ubud in Bali (Indonesia), Fátima in Portugal, Viljandi in Estonia.A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
CityLarge permanent human settlementFrom top, left to right: Lagos, one of the world's fastest-growing megacities; Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo; painting of Boulevard Montmartre in Paris by Camille Pissarro; the Rocinhafavela in Rio de Janeiro; 6th Avenue in Manhattan; spice market in Delhi; Hong Kong; and the São Paulo MetroA city is a human settlement of a substantial size.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.