municipality

A municipality is a local administrative unit that has corporate status and powers to govern a defined area under the authority of a higher level of government. The term comes from Latin municipium and in many countries refers to a city, town, borough, or other local entity that exercises self-government within the framework of national or regional law.

Governance typically rests on an elected body such as a council, with an executive head like a mayor or president. The municipality is responsible for delivering local services and regulating matters within its borders, including urban planning and zoning, roads and infrastructure, water and sewage, waste collection, local policing or safety services, housing, culture, and social programs. In some systems education is administered at a higher level, with municipalities handling only local matters.

The legal status and powers of municipalities vary widely. They may be chartered cities with autonomous powers or ordinary subdivisions under counties or provinces. The naming and classifications differ by country: municipalities may be called cities, towns, boroughs, communes, or villages. In many places, a municipality is the basic unit of local government, while in others it is part of a larger metropolitan or regional structure.

Examples of regional patterns: in the United States, municipalities operate under state law and may have home-rule powers; in France, the commune is the basic unit; in Germany, Gemeinden; in the United Kingdom, local authorities and civil parishes perform similar roles.