View source for County

{{Short description|Geographical and administrative region in some countries}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Country}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}

A '''county''' is a type of officially recognized geographical division within a modern [[country]], [[federated state|federal state]], or province. Counties are defined in diverse ways, but they are typically current or former official [[administrative division]]s within systems of [[local government]], and in this sense counties are similar to [[shires]], and typically larger than [[Municipality|municipalities]]. Various non-English terms can be translated as "county" or "shire" in other languages, and in English new terms with less historical connection have been invented such as "council area" and "[[local government]] district". On the other hand, in older English-speaking countries the word can still refer to traditional historical regions such as some of those which exist in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The term is also sometimes used for districts with specific non-governmental purposes such as courts, or land registration. 

Historically the concept of a geographical administrative "county" is European (from {{langx|fr|comté}}, {{langx|la|comitatus}}), and represented the territorial limits of the jurisdiction of a medieval [[count]], or a [[viscount]] ({{langx|fr|vîcomte}}, {{langx|la|vicecomes}}) supposedly standing in the place of a count. However, there were no such counts in medieval England, and when the French-speaking Normans [[Norman Conquest|took control of England after 1066]] they transplanted the French and medieval Latin terms to describe the pre-existing [[Anglo Saxon]] shires, but they did not establish any system placing the administration of shires under the control of high-level nobles. Instead, although there were exceptions, the officers responsible for administrative functions, such as tax collection, or the mustering of soldiers, were [[sheriffs]], theoretically assigned by the central government, and controlled directly by the monarch.  

The [[Counties of England]] have evolved in several different directions, so that there is now more than one definition. The 39 [[Historic counties of England|"traditional", "ancient" or "historic" counties of England]] have on the one hand evolved into 83 metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties, which are modern administrative districts covering the whole country except [[London]], [[Berkshire]], and the [[Isles of Scilly]]. The historic counties are also the basis for the 48 [[ceremonial counties of England]], which still each have [[lord lieutenant|lords-lieutenants]] and [[High Sheriff|high sheriffs]], who theoretically represent the monarchy in different parts of the country. In cases such as [[Yorkshire]] and [[Sussex]], some historical counties remain as geographical regions without any administrative function. The [[postal counties of the United Kingdom]], based upon older county definitions, were used by the [[Royal Mail]] until 1996. Scotland replaced its 34 [[Counties of Scotland|historic counties or shires]] with 32 modern "[[Subdivisions of Scotland#Council areas|council areas]]", some of which correspond to the old counties, or use the old names. In Wales the modern "[[Principal areas of Wales|principal areas]]" correspond to some extent to the old county boundaries, and they can also still be referred to as "counties" and "county boroughs". The 32 modern [[Irish counties]] were first defined after the Norman invasion, but several of these were broadly continuations with earlier divisions clan lordships (Tír Eoghain became county Tyrone, Tír Chonaill became county Donegal, west Breifne became county Leitrim and Fír Manach became modern county Fermanagh). 

Notable examples of more recently-founded English-speaking administrations which have taken up the term "county" as a level of local government include the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], where counties sometimes evolved from historic districts governed by courts or magistrates, before the countries became independent of the [[United Kingdom]]. In [[New Zealand]] there were counties historically, but these have been replaced by cities or districts. In [[Local government in Australia|Australian local government]], the term "shire" is among the several which are typically used in local government, depending upon the state, but the term "county", which was used by the colonial administration, is mainly relevant for land registration districts (for example in [[Lands administrative divisions of Queensland|Queensland lands administration]]). It is also used for the [[County Court of Victoria]], which is a court covering an entire Australian state.

==Africa==
===Kenya===
{{main|Counties of Kenya}}

Counties are the current second-level political division in Kenya. Each county has an assembly where members of the county assembly (MCAs) sit. This assembly is headed by a governor. Each county is also represented in the [[Senate of Kenya]] by a senator. Additionally, a women's representative is elected from each county to the [[Parliament of Kenya]] to represent women's interests. Counties replaced [[provinces of Kenya|provinces]] as the second-level division after the promulgation of the 2010 [[Constitution of Kenya]].

===Liberia===
{{Main|Counties of Liberia}}

[[Liberia]] has 15 counties, each of which elects two senators to the [[Senate of Liberia]].

== Asia ==
===China===
{{Main|Counties of China}}
The English word ''county'' is used to translate the Chinese term {{lang|zh-Latn|xiàn}} ({{wikt-lang|zh-Hans|县}} or {{wikt-lang|zh-Hant|縣}}). In [[Mainland China]], governed by the People's Republic of China (PRC), [[counties of China|counties]] and [[county-level division]]s are the third level of regional/local government, coming under the [[provinces of Chinal|provincial level]] and the [[prefectures of China|prefectural level]], and above the [[townships of China|township level]] and [[villages of China|village level]].

There are 1,464 so-named "counties" out of 2,862 county-level divisions in the PRC, and the number of counties has remained more or less constant since the [[Han dynasty]] (206 BC – AD 220). It remains one of the oldest titles of local-level government in China and significantly predates the establishment of provinces in the [[Yuan dynasty]] (1279–1368). The county government was particularly important in [[imperial China]] because this was the lowest level at which the imperial government is functionally involved, while below it the local people are managed predominantly by the [[landed gentry in China|gentries]]. The head of a county government during imperial China was the [[county magistrate|magistrate]], who was often a newly ascended ''[[jinshi]]''.

In older context, ''district'' was an older English translation of {{lang|zh-Latn|xiàn}} before the establishment of the [[Republic of China (1912–49)|Republic of China]] (ROC). The English nomenclature ''county'' was adopted following the establishment of the ROC. 

During most of the imperial era, there were no concepts like municipalities in China. All cities existed within counties, [[jun (country subdivision)|commanderies]], prefectures, etc., and had no governments of their own.{{Efn|There were exceptions in the [[Jin dynasty (1115–1234)|Jīn]] and [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] dynasties, when cities were separated from counties and independently administered by institutions like {{lang|zh-Hant|録事司}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|lù shi sī}}) and {{lang|zh|司候司}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|sī hòu sī}}).}} Large cities (must be imperial capitals or seats of prefectures) could be divided and administered by two or three counties. Such counties are called 倚郭縣 ({{lang|zh-Latn|yǐguō xiàn}}, 'county leaning on the city walls') or {{lang|zh-Hant|附郭縣}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|fùguō xiàn}}, 'county attached to the city walls'). The [[yamen]] or governmental houses of these counties exist in the same city. In other words, they share one county town. In this sense, a {{lang|zh-Latn|yǐguō xiàn}} or {{lang|zh-Latn|fùguō xiàn}} is similar to a district of a city.

For example, the city of [[Guangzhou]] (seat of the eponymous prefecture, also known as ''Canton'' in the Western world) was historically divided by [[Nanhai District#History|Nanhai County]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|南海縣}}) and [[Panyu District#History|Panyu County]] ({{lang|zh-Hant|番禺縣}}). When the first modern city government in China was established in Guangzhou, the urban area was separated from these two counties, with the rural areas left in the remaining parts of them. However, the county governments remained in the city for years, before moving into the respective counties. Similar processes happened in many Chinese cities.

Nowadays, most counties in mainland China, i.e. with "Xian" in their titles, are administered by [[prefecture-level cities]] and have mainly agricultural economies and rural populations.

===Indonesia===
{{Main|Regency (Indonesia)}}
Regency (''kabupaten'') in Indonesia is an administrative unit under a province that is equivalent to a city. A regency is headed by a regent who is directly elected by the people, and is responsible for public services such as education, health, and infrastructure. The structure of a regency includes several districts (''kecamatan'') which are further divided into villages or ward. Regency in Indonesia is similar to the concept of "county" in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, but with differences in cultural context and government system. Indonesia has more than 400 regencies spread across all provinces.

===Iran===
{{Main|Counties of Iran}}
[[File:Iran Counties.svg|thumb|Counties of Iran]]

The [[Provinces of Iran|ostans]] (provinces) of [[Iran]] are further subdivided into counties called {{lang|fa-Latn|shahrestān}} ({{langx|fa|شهرستان}}). County consists of a city centre, a few {{lang|fa-Latn|[[Bakhsh (administrative division)|bakhsh]]}} ({{langx|fa|بخش}}), and many villages around them. There are usually a few cities ({{langx|fa|شهر}}, {{lang|fa-Latn|shahar}}) and rural agglomerations ({{langx|fa|دهستان}}, {{lang|fa-Latn|dehestān}}) 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.

Each {{lang|fa-Latn|shahrestān}} has a government office known as {{lang|fa-Latn|farmândâri}} ({{lang|fa|فرمانداری}}), which coordinates different events and government offices. The {{lang|fa-Latn|farmândâr}} {{lang|fa|فرماندار }}, or the head of {{lang|fa-Latn|farmândâri}}, is the governor of the {{lang|fa-Latn|shahrestān}}.

[[Fars province]] has the highest number of {{lang|fa-Latn|shahrestāns}}, with 36, while [[Qom province|Qom]] uniquely has one, being [[wiktionary:coextensive|coextensive]] with its [[Qom County|namesake county]]. Iran had 324 {{lang|fa-Latn|shahrestāns}} in 2005 and 443 in 2021.

===Korea===
{{main|Administrative divisions of North Korea|Administrative divisions of South Korea}}

County is the common English translation for the [[Korean character|character]] {{lang|ko|군}} ({{lang|ko-Latn|gun}} or {{lang|ko-Latn|kun}}) that denotes the current second level political division in [[South Korea]]. In [[North Korea]], the county is one type of municipal-level division.

===Taiwan===
{{Main|Counties of Taiwan}}
There are currently 13 counties in the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]]. In addition, [[provincial city (Taiwan)|provincial cities]] have the same level of authority as counties. Above county, there are [[special municipality (Taiwan)|special municipalities]] (in effect) and province (suspended due to economical and political reasons). 

==Europe==
===Denmark===
{{Main|Counties of Denmark}}

[[Denmark]] was divided into counties ({{langx|da|amter}}) from 1662 to 2006. On 1 January 2007 the counties were replaced by five [[regions of Denmark|Regions]]. At the same time, the number of municipalities was slashed to 98.

The counties were first introduced in 1662, replacing the 49 fiefs ({{lang|da|len}}) in [[Denmark–Norway]] with the same number of counties. This number does not include the subdivisions of the [[Duchy of Schleswig]], which was only under partial Danish control. The number of counties in Denmark (excluding Norway) had dropped to around 20 by 1793. Following the reunification of [[South Jutland County|South Jutland]] with Denmark in 1920, four counties replaced the [[Prussia]]n {{lang|de|[[Districts of Prussia|Kreise]]}}. [[Aabenraa County|Aabenraa]] and [[Sønderborg County]] merged in 1932 and [[Skanderborg County|Skanderborg]] and [[Aarhus County|Aarhus]] were separated in 1942. From 1942 to 1970, the number stayed at 22.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.byhistorie.dk/kommuner/artikel.aspx?artikel=amter.xml|title=Amternes administration 1660–1970 (in Danish)|publisher=Dansk Center for Byhistorie|access-date=1 January 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104054929/http://www.byhistorie.dk/kommuner/artikel.aspx?artikel=amter.xml|archive-date=4 January 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> The number was further decreased by the 1970 Danish municipal reform, leaving 14 counties plus two cities unconnected to the county structure; [[Copenhagen]] and [[Frederiksberg]].

In 2003, [[Bornholm County]] merged with the local five municipalities, forming the [[Bornholm|Bornholm Regional Municipality]]. The remaining 13 counties were abolished on 1 January 2007 where they were replaced by five new regions. In the same reform, the number of municipalities was slashed from 270 to 98 and all municipalities now belong to a region.

===France===
{{main|Departments of France}}
{{see also||List of arrondissements of France}}
[[File:France départementale.svg|thumb|upright=0.5|Departments of France]]

A {{lang|fr|comté}} was a territory ruled by a [[count]] ({{lang|fr|comte}}) in medieval France. In modern France, the rough equivalent of a county as used in many English-speaking countries is a [[departments of France|department]] ({{lang|fr|département}}). Ninety-six departments are in [[metropolitan France]], and five are [[overseas department and region|overseas departments]], which are also classified as overseas regions. Departments are further subdivided into 334 [[arrondissements of France|arrondissements]], but these have no autonomy; they are the basis of local organisation of police, fire departments and, sometimes, administration of elections.

===Germany===
{{Main|Districts of Germany|List of districts of Germany}}
[[File:Landkreise, Kreise und kreisfreie Städte in Deutschland 2016-11-01.svg|thumb|upright=0.5|German districts, and district-free cities (yellow) as of 2016]]

Each administrative district consists of an elected council and an executive, and whose duties are comparable to those of a county executive in the United States, supervising local government administration. Historically, counties in the [[Holy Roman Empire]] were called {{lang|de|[[Grafschaft]]en}}.
The majority of German districts are "rural districts"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/styleguide_english_dgt_country_compendium_en.pdf|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/styleguide_english_dgt_country_compendium_en.pdf|archive-date=2022-10-09|url-status=live|title=Country Compendium, A companion to the English Style Guide|date=February 2017|publisher=European Commission Directorate-General for Translation (EC DGT)|pages=50–51}}</ref> (German: {{lang|de|Landkreise}}), of which there are 294 {{as of|2017|lc=y}}. Cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants (and smaller towns in some states) do not usually belong to a district, but take on district responsibilities themselves, similar to the concept of [[Independent city|independent cities]] and there are 107 of them, bringing the total number of districts to 401.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/ZahlenFakten/LaenderRegionen/Regionales/Gemeindeverzeichnis/Administrativ/Aktuell/04Kreise.xls?__blob=publicationFile|title=Kreisfreie Städte und Landkreise nach Fläche und Bevölkerung auf Grundlage des ZENSUS 2011 und Bevölkerungsdichte – Gebietsstand: 31.12.2015|format=XLS|date=July 2017|publisher=[[Statistisches Bundesamt]] Deutschland|language=de|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref>

===Hungary===
{{Main|Counties of Hungary|Administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Hungary}}

The administrative unit of [[Hungary]] is called {{lang|hu|[[Counties of Hungary|vármegye]]}} (between 1950 and 2022 they were called {{lang|hu|[[megye]]}}, historically also {{lang|la|[[Counties of the Kingdom of Hungary|comitatus]]}} in [[Latin]]), which can be translated with the word ''county''. The two names are used interchangeably ('megye' used in common parlance, and when referring to the counties of other states), just like before 1950, when the word 'megye' even appeared in legal texts. The 19 counties constitute the highest level of the administrative subdivisions of the country together with the capital city Budapest, although counties and the capital are grouped into seven statistical regions.

Counties are subdivided into districts ({{lang|hu|járás}}) and municipalities, the two types of which are towns (''város'') and villages (''község''), each one having their own elected mayor and council. 23 of the towns have the rights of a county although they do not form independent territorial units equal to counties.

The {{lang|hu|vármegye}} was also the historic administrative unit in the [[Kingdom of Hungary]], which included areas of present-day neighbouring countries of Hungary. Its Latin name ({{lang|la|comitatus}}) is the equivalent of the French {{lang|fr|comté}}. Actual political and administrative role of counties changed much through history. Originally they were subdivisions of the royal administration, but from the 13th century they became self-governments of the nobles and kept this character until the 19th century when in turn they became modern local governments.

===Ireland===
{{Main|Counties of Ireland|Counties of the United Kingdom}}
[[File:Island of Ireland location map.svg|thumb|Ireland, showing traditional [[provinces of Ireland|provinces]] and [[counties of Ireland|counties]] as well as the modern administrative districts on both sides of the [[republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border|international border]]]]

The island of [[Ireland]] was historically divided into 32 counties, of which 26 later formed the [[Republic of Ireland]] and 6 made up [[Northern Ireland]].

These counties are traditionally grouped into [[provinces of Ireland|four provinces]]: [[Leinster]] (12 counties), [[Munster]] (6), [[Connacht]] (5) and [[Ulster]] (9). Historically, the counties of [[County Meath|Meath]] and [[County Westmeath|Westmeath]] and small parts of surrounding counties constituted the province of [[Mide]], which was one of the "Five Fifths" of Ireland (in the Irish language the word for province, {{lang|ga|cúige}}, means 'a fifth': from {{lang|ga|cúig}}, 'five'); however, these have long since been absorbed into Leinster. In the Republic each county is administered by an elected "[[county council]]", and the old provincial divisions are merely traditional names with no political significance.

The number and boundaries of administrative counties in the Republic of Ireland were reformed in the 1990s. For example, [[County Dublin]] was divided into three: [[Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown]], [[Fingal]], and [[South Dublin]]; the [[City of Dublin]] had existed for centuries before. The cities of [[Cork (city)|Cork]] and [[Galway]] have been separated from the town and rural areas of their counties. The cities of [[Limerick]] and [[Waterford]] were merged with their respective counties in 2014. Thus, the Republic of Ireland now has 31 'county-level' authorities, although the borders of the original twenty-six counties are still officially in place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.osi.ie/mapping/FAQ/areasMeasurements.shtml|title=Areas|publisher=[[Ordnance Survey Ireland]]|access-date=1 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703221652/http://www.osi.ie/mapping/FAQ/areasMeasurements.shtml|archive-date=3 July 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In Northern Ireland, the six county councils and the smaller town councils were abolished in 1973 and replaced by a single tier of local government. However, in the north as well as in the south, the traditional 32 counties and 4 provinces remain in common usage for many sporting, cultural and other purposes. County identity is heavily reinforced in the local culture by allegiances to county teams in [[hurling]] and [[Gaelic football]]. Each [[Gaelic Athletic Association county]] has its own flag/colours (and often a nickname), and county allegiances are taken quite seriously. See the [[counties of Ireland]] and the [[Gaelic Athletic Association]].

===Italy===
In [[Italy]] the word ''county'' is not used; the administrative sub-division of a region is called {{lang|it|[[provinces of Italy|provincia]]}}. [[Italy|Italian]] provinces are mainly named after their principal town and comprise several administrative subdivisions called {{lang|it|[[comune|comuni]]}} ('communes'). There are currently 110 provinces in Italy.

In the context of pre-modern Italy, the Italian word {{lang|it|contado}} generally refers to the countryside surrounding, and controlled by, the city state. The {{lang|it|contado}} provided natural resources and agricultural products to sustain the urban population. In contemporary usage, {{lang|it|contado}} can refer to a metropolitan area, and in some cases large rural/suburban regions providing resources to distant cities.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Guilds, Markets and Work Regulations in Italy, 16th–19th Centuries|last=Guenzi|first=Alberto|publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=9781351931960}}</ref>

===Lithuania===
{{Main|Counties of Lithuania}}

{{lang|lt|Apskritis}} (plural {{lang|lt|apskritys}}) is the Lithuanian word for county. Since 1994 [[Lithuania]] has 10 counties; before 1950 it had 20. The only purpose with the county is an office of a state governor who shall conduct law and order in the county.

===Norway===
{{Main|Counties of Norway}}

Norway has been divided into 11 [[counties of Norway|counties]] ({{langx|nb|fylker}}, {{langx|nn|fylke}}; singular: {{lang|no|fylke}}) since 2020; they previously numbered 19 following a local government reform in 1972. Until that year [[Bergen]] was a separate county, but today it is a [[municipality]] within the county of [[Vestland]]. All counties form administrative entities called county municipalities ({{lang|nb|fylkeskommuner}} or {{lang|nn|fylkeskommunar}}; singular: {{lang|no|fylkeskommune}}), further subdivided into [[list of municipalities of Norway|municipalities]] ({{lang|nb|kommuner}} or {{lang|nn|kommunar}}; singular: {{lang|no|kommune}}). One county, [[Oslo]], is not divided into municipalities, rather it is equivalent to the municipality of Oslo.

Each county has its own [[county council (Norway)|county council]] ({{lang|no|fylkesting}}) whose representatives are elected every four years together with representatives to the [[municipal council (Norway)|municipal councils]]. The counties handle matters such as high schools and local roads, and until 1 January 2002 hospitals as well. This last responsibility was transferred to the state-run [[regional health authority (Norway)|health authorities]] and [[health trust]]s, and there is a debate on the future of the county municipality as an administrative entity. Some people, and parties, such as the [[Conservative Party (Norway)|Conservative]] and [[Progress Party (Norway)|Progress Party]], call for the abolition of the county municipalities once and for all, while others, including the [[Labour Party (Norway)|Labour Party]], merely want to merge some of them into larger regions.

===Poland===
{{main|List of counties in Poland|Powiat|Administrative divisions of Poland}}
[[File:POLSKA mapa powiaty2.png|thumb|upright=0.5|''Powiaty'' in Poland]]

The territorial administration of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision. The country is divided into [[Voivodeships of Poland|''voivodeships'']] (provinces); these are further divided into ''[[powiat]]s''. The term ''powiat'' is often translated into English as ''county'' (or sometimes ''district''). In historical contexts this may be confusing because the Polish term ''hrabstwo'' (a territorial unit administered/owned by a ''hrabia'', [[count]]) is also literally translated as "county" and it was subordinated under ''powiat''.

The 380 county-level entities in Poland include 314 "land counties" (powiaty ziemskie) and the 66 "city counties" (''miasta na prawach powiatu'' or ''powiaty grodzkie'') {{lang|pl|[[powiat]]}}. They are subdivisions of the 16 [[voivodeship (Poland)|''voivodeship'']], and are further subdivided into 2,479 [[gmina]]s (also called commune or [[municipality]]).<ref>{{cite web|last=ideo.pl|first=ideo-|date=2019-04-27|title=Gminy wiejskie chcą lepszej ochrony swych granic|url=https://www.prawo.pl/samorzad/gminy-wiejskie-chca-lepszej-ochrony-swych-granic,402541.html|access-date=2021-02-15|website=Prawo.pl|language=pl}}</ref><ref name=GUS>{{cite web|url=https://stat.gov.pl/download/gfx/portalinformacyjny/en/defaultaktualnosci/3286/3/23/1/population_size_and_structure_and_vital_statistics_in_poland_31-12-2017.pdf|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://stat.gov.pl/download/gfx/portalinformacyjny/en/defaultaktualnosci/3286/3/23/1/population_size_and_structure_and_vital_statistics_in_poland_31-12-2017.pdf|archive-date=2022-10-09|url-status=live|title=Population. Size and structure and vital statistics in Poland by territorial division in 2017. As of December, 31|publisher=Główny Urząd Statystyczny (Central Statistical Office)|access-date=18 August 2021|language=pl}}</ref>

===Romania===
{{main|Counties of Romania}}
[[File:Romanian license plate codes.png|thumb|upright=0.5|''Județe'' of Romania]]

The Romanian word for county, {{lang|ro|comitat}}, is not currently used for any Romanian administrative divisions. Romania is divided into a total of '''41 counties''' ({{langx|ro|[[județ]]e}}), which along with the [[municipality]] of [[Bucharest]], constitute the official [[administrative divisions of Romania]]. They represent [[Romania|the country]]'s NUTS-3 ([[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics]] – Level 3) statistical subdivisions within the [[European Union]] and each of them serves as the local level of [[Government of Romania|government]] within its borders. Most counties are named after a major [[Rivers in Romania|river]], while some are named after notable cities within them, such as the county seat.

===Sweden===
{{Main|Counties of Sweden}}
[[File:SWE-Map Län.svg|thumb|314x314px|Sweden's counties since 1998.]]
The Swedish division into counties,  {{lang|sv|[[län]]}}, which literally means '[[fief]]', was established in 1634, and was based on an earlier division into [[provinces of Sweden|provinces]]; [[Sweden]] is divided into 21 counties and 290 municipalities (''[[Municipalities of Sweden|kommuner]]''). At the county level there is a [[county Administrative Boards of Sweden|county administrative board]] led by a governor appointed by the central [[government of Sweden]], as well as an elected [[county councils of Sweden|county council]] that handles a separate set of issues, notably [[hospital]]s and [[public transportation]] for the [[municipalities of Sweden|municipalities]] within its borders. The counties and their expanse have changed several times, most recently in 1998.

Every county council corresponds to a county with a number of municipalities per county. County councils and municipalities have different roles and separate responsibilities relating to local government. Health care, public transport and certain cultural institutions are administered by county councils while general education, public water utilities, garbage disposal, elderly care and rescue services are administered by the municipalities. [[Gotland]] is a special case of being a county council with only one municipality and the functions of county council and municipality are performed by the same organisation.<ref>Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, [http://skl.se/tjanster/englishpages/municipalitiescountycouncilsandregions.1088.html Municipalities, county councils and regions] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122153331/http://skl.se/tjanster/englishpages/municipalitiescountycouncilsandregions.1088.html |date=22 November 2016 }}; official translation of the [http://www.regeringen.se/content/1/c4/06/96/34cb7541.pdf Local Government Act] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050220081642/http://www.regeringen.se/content/1/c4/06/96/34cb7541.pdf |date=20 February 2005 }} (''Kommunallagen'');[http://www.sll.se/om-landstinget/Information-in-English1/About-Stockholm-County-Council/ About Stockholm County Council] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821160842/http://www.sll.se/om-landstinget/Information-in-English1/About-Stockholm-County-Council/ |date=21 August 2016}}</ref>

=== Ukraine ===
In Ukraine the county ({{Langx|uk|повіт|translit=povit}}) was introduced in Ukrainian territories under Poland in the second half of the 14th century, and in the eighteenth century under the [[Russian Empire]] in the [[Cossack Hetmanate]], [[Sloboda Ukraine]], [[Southern Ukraine]], and [[Right-bank Ukraine|Right-Bank Ukraine]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=County|url=http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CC%5CO%5CCounty.htm|access-date=2022-09-17|website=Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine}}</ref> In 1913 there were 126 counties in Ukrainian-inhabited territories of the Russian Empire.<ref name=":0" /> Under the [[Austrian Empire]] in 1914 there were 59 counties in Ukrainian-inhabited Galicia, 34 in [[Carpathian Ruthenia|Transcarpathia]], and 10 in [[Bukovina]].<ref name=":0" /> Counties were retained by the independent [[Ukrainian People's Republic]] of 1917–1921, and in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Romania until the Soviet annexations at the start of World War II. 99 counties formed the [[Ukrainian SSR]] in 1919, where they were abolished in 1923–25 in favour of 53 [[Okruhas of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|okruhas]] (in turn replaced by [[Oblasts of Ukraine|oblasts]] in 1930–32), although they existed in the [[Zakarpattia Oblast]] until 1953.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Okruha|url=http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CO%5CK%5COkruha.htm|access-date=2022-09-17|website=Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine}}</ref>

===United Kingdom===
{{Main|Counties of the United Kingdom|Shires of Scotland|Historic counties of Wales|Counties of Northern Ireland|Traditional counties of Ireland}}

The United Kingdom is divided into a number of [[metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England|metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties]]. There are also [[ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial counties]] which group small non-metropolitan counties into geographical areas broadly based on the [[historic counties of England]]. In 1974, the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties replaced the system of [[administrative counties of England|administrative counties]] and [[county borough]]s which was introduced in 1889. The counties generally belong to level 3 of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics ([[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics#Former EU member-state|NUTS 3]]).

In 1965 and 1974–1975, major reorganisations of local government in England and Wales created several new administrative counties such as [[Hereford and Worcester]] (abolished again in 1998 and reverted, with some transfers of territory, to the two separate historic counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire) and also created several new [[metropolitan county|metropolitan counties]] based on large urban areas as a single administrative unit. In Scotland, county-level local government was replaced by larger [[local government areas of Scotland 1973 to 1996|regions]], which lasted until 1996. Modern local government in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and a large part of England is trending towards smaller unitary authorities: a system similar to that proposed in the 1960s by the [[Redcliffe-Maud Report]] for most of Britain.

The name "county" was introduced by the [[Normans]], and was derived from a Norman term for an area administered by a [[Count]] (lord). These Norman "counties" were simply the Saxon shires, and kept their Saxon names. Several traditional counties, including [[Essex]], [[Sussex]] and [[Kent]], predate the unification of England by [[Alfred the Great]], and were originally more or less independent kingdoms (although the most important Saxon Kingdom on the island of Britain, Alfred's own [[Wessex]], no longer survives in any form).

====England====
[[File:English ceremonial counties 1998.svg|thumb|upright=0.5|Ceremonial counties of England]]

In England, in the [[Anglo-Saxon England|Anglo-Saxon]] period, ''shires'' were established as areas used for the raising of [[tax]]es, and usually had a fortified town at their centre. This became known as the ''shire town'' or later the [[county town]]. In many cases, the shires were named after their shire town (for example Bedford''shire''), but there are several exceptions, such as [[Cumberland]], [[Norfolk]] and [[Suffolk]]. In several other cases, such as [[Buckinghamshire]], the modern county town is different from the town after which the shire is named. (See Toponymical list of counties of the United Kingdom)

Most non-metropolitan counties in England are run by [[county council]]s and are divided into [[non-metropolitan district]]s, each with its own council. Local authorities in the UK are usually responsible for education, emergency services, planning, transport, social services, and a number of other functions.

Until 1974, the county boundaries of England changed little over time. In the [[medieval]] period, a number of important cities were granted the status of counties in their own right, such as [[London]], [[Bristol]] and [[Coventry]], and numerous small [[exclave]]s such as [[Islandshire]] were created. In 1844, most of these exclaves were transferred to their surrounding counties.

====Northern Ireland====
[[File:Northern Ireland - Counties.png|thumb|left|upright=0.5|Counties of Northern Ireland]]

In [[Northern Ireland]], the six county councils, if not their counties, were abolished in 1973 and replaced by 26 local government districts. The traditional six counties remain in common everyday use for many cultural and other purposes.

{{Clear}}

====Scotland and Wales====
[[File:WalesTradNumbered.png|thumb|upright=0.5|Historic counties of Wales]]
[[File:ScotlandCountiesNumbered.png|thumb|Counties in Scotland at the time of their 1975 abolishment|251x251px]]

The thirteen [[historic counties of Wales]] were fixed by statute in 1539 (although counties such as [[Pembrokeshire]] date from 1138) and most of the [[shires of Scotland]] are of at least this age. The Welsh word for county is ''sir'' which is derived from the English 'shire'.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://geiriadur.ac.uk/gpc/gpc.html?sir|title=Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru|website=geiriadur.ac.uk}}</ref> The word is officially used to signify counties in Wales.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales|title=Carmarthenshire County Council Website : Gwefan Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin|publisher=Carmarthenshire.gov.wales|access-date=2022-03-16}}</ref> In the Gaelic form, Scottish traditional county names are generally distinguished by the designation {{lang|gd|siorramachd}}—literally "sheriffdom", e.g. {{lang|gd|Siorramachd Earra-ghaidheal}} (Argyllshire). This term corresponds to the jurisdiction of the sheriff in the Scottish legal system.

== North America ==
===Canada===
{{main|Local government in Canada}}

====Alberta====
A ''county'' in [[Alberta]] used to be a type of designation in a single-tier municipal system; but this was nominally changed to "[[list of municipal districts in Alberta|municipal district]]" under the ''Municipal Government Act'', when the ''County Act'' was repealed in the mid-1990s. However, at the time the new "municipal districts" were also permitted to retain the usage of ''county'' in their official names.<ref name="MGAtransition">{{cite web|url=http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/cfml/pdf_search/pdf/TOWN/0361/Crowsnest_Pass_Transitional_from_Former_to_this_Act_1994.pdf|author=Province of Alberta|title=Transitional Provisions, Consequential Amendments, Repeal and Commencement (Municipal Government Act)|access-date=2010-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123193642/http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/cfml/pdf_search/pdf/TOWN/0361/Crowsnest_Pass_Transitional_from_Former_to_this_Act_1994.pdf|archive-date=23 January 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As a result, in Alberta, the term ''[[list of municipal districts in Alberta|county]]'' is synonymous with the term ''[[list of municipal districts in Alberta|municipal district]]'' – it is not its own incorporated municipal status that is different from that of a municipal district.  As such, Alberta Municipal Affairs provides municipal districts with the opportunity to change to a ''county'' in their official names, but some have chosen to hold out with the ''municipal district'' title. The vast majority of "municipal districts" in Alberta are branded as counties.

====British Columbia====
[[British Columbia]] has [[counties of British Columbia|counties]] for the purposes of its justice system but otherwise they hold no governmental function. For the provision of all other governmental services, the province is divided into [[list of regional districts of British Columbia|regional districts]] that form the upper tier, which are further subdivided into [[list of municipalities in British Columbia|local municipalities]] that are partly autonomous, and [[unincorporated area|unincorporated]] [[list of regional district electoral areas in British Columbia|electoral areas]] that are governed directly by the regional districts.

====Manitoba====
The province of [[Manitoba]] was divided into [[List of former counties of Manitoba|counties]]; however, these counties were abolished in 1890. Manitoba is divided into rural municipalities, which do not overlap with urban municipalities.

====New Brunswick====
The counties of [[list of counties of New Brunswick|New Brunswick]] were upper-tier governance units until the municipal reform of 1967; they were also used as electoral districts until 1973. They remain in use as [[census divisions|census]] [[Census geographic units of Canada|divisions]] by [[Statistics Canada]] and by locals as geographic identifiers. The Territorial Division Act defining them remains in effect; their subdivisions are called [[List of parishes in New Brunswick|parishes]]; their government centres are called [[list of shiretowns in New Brunswick|shiretowns]].

====Newfoundland and Labrador====
[[Newfoundland and Labrador]] does not have any second-level administrative subdivision between the provincial government and its municipalities.

====Northwest Territories====
The [[Northwest Territories]] are divided into regions; however, these regions only serve to streamline the delivery of territorial governmental services, and have no government of their own.

====Nova Scotia====
[[Nova Scotia]] formerly had a two-tier system of local government in which counties were upper-tier municipalities.

====Nunavut====
[[Nunavut]] is divided into regions; however, these regions only serve to streamline the delivery of territorial governmental services, and have no government of their own.

====Ontario====
[[Ontario]] has a two-tier system of local government in which counties are upper-tier municipalities.

The primary administrative [[Ontario#Administrative divisions|division]] of [[southern Ontario]] is its 22 counties, which are upper-tier local governments providing limited municipal services to rural and moderately dense areas—within them, there are a variety of lower-tier towns, cities, villages, etc. that provide most municipal services. This contrasts with [[northern Ontario]]'s 10 districts, which are geographic divisions but not local governments—although some towns, etc. are within them that are local governments, the low population densities and much larger area have significant impacts on how government is organized and operates. In both northern and southern Ontario, urban densities in cities are one of two other local structures: [[regional municipalities]] (restructured former counties which are also upper-tier) or single-tier municipalities.

====Prince Edward Island====
The counties of [[list of counties of Prince Edward Island|Prince Edward Island]] are historical and have no governments of their own today. However, they remain used as [[census divisions|census]] [[Census geographic units of Canada|divisions]] by [[Statistics Canada]], and by locals as geographic identifiers.

====Quebec====
[[Quebec]] has a two-tier system of local government in which counties are upper-tier municipalities. Quebec's counties are more properly called "[[list of regional county municipalities and equivalent territories in Quebec|regional county municipalities]]" ({{Lang|fr|municipalités régionales de comté}}). The province's [[List of former counties of Quebec|former counties]] proper were supplanted in the early 1980s.

====Saskatchewan====
[[Saskatchewan]] is divided into rural and urban municipalities, which do not overlap.  Saskatchewan does not have any second-level administrative subdivision between the provincial government and the municipalities.

====Yukon====
[[Yukon]] does not have any second-level administrative subdivision between the territorial government and its municipalities.

===Jamaica===
[[Jamaica]] is divided into 14 [[parishes of Jamaica|parishes]] which are grouped together into three historic [[counties of Jamaica|counties]]: [[Cornwall County, Jamaica|Cornwall]], [[Middlesex County, Jamaica|Middlesex]], and [[Surrey County, Jamaica|Surrey]].

===United States===
{{Main|County (United States)}}
{{See also|List of United States counties and county equivalents}}
[[File:Usa counties large.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|The 3,142 [[county (United States)|counties]] and county equivalents of the United States]]

Counties in [[U.S. state]]s are [[Administrative division|administrative]] or [[political subdivisions]] of the state in which their boundaries are drawn. In addition, the [[United States Census Bureau]] uses the term "county equivalent" to describe places that are comparable to counties, but called by different names.<ref name="US county equivalent">{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/help/en/county_and_equivalent_entity.htm|title=County and equivalent entity|website=factfinder.census.gov|access-date=21 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322003032/https://factfinder.census.gov/help/en/county_and_equivalent_entity.htm|archive-date=22 March 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Forty-seven of the 50 U.S. states use the term "county", while Alaska, Connecticut, and Louisiana use the terms "[[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|borough]]", "[[Councils of governments in Connecticut|planning region]]", and "[[List of parishes in Louisiana|parish]]", respectively, for analogous jurisdictions. A ''[[consolidated city-county]]'', such as the [[San Francisco|City and County of San Francisco]], is formed when a city and county merge into one unified jurisdiction. Conversely, ''[[Independent city (United States)|independent cities]]'', including [[Baltimore]], [[St. Louis]], [[Carson City, Nevada|Carson City]], and all cities in [[Virginia]], legally belong to no county, i.e. no county even nominally exists in those places compared to a consolidated city-county where a county does legally exist in some form. [[Washington, D.C.]], is known as a ''[[federal city]]'' because it is outside the jurisdiction of any state; the U.S. Census Bureau treats it as a single county equivalent.<ref name="US county equivalent"/>

The specific governmental powers of counties vary widely between the states. They are generally the intermediate tier of state government, between the statewide tier and the immediately local government tier (typically a city, town/borough, or village/township). Some of the governmental functions that a county may offer include judiciary, county prisons, land registration, enforcement of building codes, and federally mandated services programs. Depending on the individual state, counties or their equivalents may be administratively subdivided into [[civil township|townships]], [[borough|boroughs or boros]], or [[town]]s (in the [[New England]] states, [[New York (state)|New York]], and [[Administrative divisions of Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]).

[[New York City]] is a special case where the city is made up of [[Boroughs of New York City|five boroughs]], each of which is territorially coterminous with a [[List of counties in New York|county]], though not always with an identical name. The Bronx is Bronx County, Brooklyn is Kings County, Manhattan is New York County, Queens is Queens County, and Staten Island is Richmond County. In the context of city government, the boroughs are subdivisions of the city but are still called "county" where county function is involved, e.g., "''New York County'' Courthouse".

County governments in [[local government in Rhode Island|Rhode Island]] and [[local government in Connecticut|Connecticut]] have been completely abolished but the entities remain for administrative and statistical purposes in Rhode Island, while Connecticut has replaced them with planning regions served by councils of municipal governments. Alaska's {{convert|adj=on|323,440|sqmi|km2}} [[Unorganized Borough, Alaska|Unorganized Borough]] also has no county equivalent government, but the U.S. Census Bureau further divides it into statistical county equivalent subdivisions called [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|census areas]].<ref name="US county equivalent"/> [[local government in Massachusetts|Massachusetts]] eliminated county governments in 8 of its 14 counties.<ref>{{Cite web |title=America's County Governments: A SHORT PRIMER ON OUR HISTORY, DEFINITIONS, STRUCTURES AND AUTHORITIES |url=https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/2024%20County%20Government%20Primer_v20_FINAL.pdf |website=www.naco.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.test.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/technical-documentation/county-changes.1970.html | title=Substantial Changes to Counties and County Equivalent Entities: 1970-Present }}</ref>

Today, 3,142 counties and county equivalents carve up the United States, ranging in number from 3 for [[list of counties in Delaware|Delaware]] to 254 for [[list of counties in Texas|Texas]]. The areas of each county also vary widely between the states. For example, the territorially medium-sized state of [[Pennsylvania]] has 67 counties delineated in geographically convenient ways.<ref name="citsguide">{{cite journal|title=County Government|journal=Citizen's Guide to Pennsylvania Local Government|year=2010|page=8 of 56|url=http://dced.pa.gov/download/citizens-guide-to-pennsylvania-local-government-pdf/#.V6nqHUeOxtQ|access-date=2016-08-09}}</ref> By way of contrast, [[Massachusetts]], with far less territory, has massively sized counties in comparison even to Pennsylvania's largest,{{efn|e.g. Westmoreland, Washington in western Pennsylvania.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}}} yet each organizes their judicial and incarceration officials similarly.

Most counties have a [[county seat]]: a city, town, or other named place where its administrative functions are centered. Some [[New England]] states use the term [[shire town]] to mean "county seat". A handful of counties like [[Harrison County, Mississippi]] have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of the county, dating back from the days when travel was difficult. In Virginia, where all cities are independent, some double as county seats despite not being part of a county. Notable examples include the independent [[Fairfax, Virginia|City of Fairfax]] serving as the seat of [[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax County]] and [[Salem, Virginia|Salem]] serving as the county seat of [[Roanoke County]].

== Oceania ==
===Australia===
In the [[eastern states of Australia]], counties are [[lands administrative divisions of Australia|used in the administration of land titles]]. They do not generally correspond to a level of government, but are used in the identification of parcels of land.

The local communities in Australia that share the same [[post code]] are usually referred to as [[suburbs and localities (Australia)|suburbs or localities]]. Several neighboring suburbs are often serviced by the same [[local government in Australia|local government]] known as a [[council]], whose [[jurisdiction (area)|jurisdiction]] is officially known as the [[local government area]] (LGA). An LGA functions basically the same way as a county of other countries, although it is called instead as "city", "municipality", "shire", "borough", "town", "district" or simple "councils" depending on the [[states and territories of Australia|state/territory]] and [[subregion]]. It performs [[municipal services]] and regulates [[construction permit|permit]]s for [[land use]]s, but lacks any [[legislative]] or [[law enforcement]] powers.

===New Zealand===
{{Main|Counties in New Zealand}}

After New Zealand abolished its [[provinces of New Zealand|provinces]] in 1876, a system of counties similar to other countries' systems was instituted, lasting until 1989. They had chairmen, not mayors as [[borough]]s and cities had; many legislative provisions (such as [[burial]] and [[subdivision (land)|land subdivision]] control) were different for the counties.

During the second half of the 20th century, many counties received overflow population from nearby cities. The result was often a merger of the two into a ''district'' (e.g. [[Rotorua]]) or a change of name to either ''district'' (e.g. Waimairi) or ''city'' (e.g. [[Manukau City]]).

The [[Local Government Act 1974 (New Zealand)|Local Government Act 1974]] began the process of bringing urban, mixed, and rural councils into the same legislative framework. Substantial reorganisations under that Act resulted in the 1989 shake-up, which covered the country in (non-overlapping) cities and districts and abolished all the counties except for the [[Chatham Islands]] County, which survived under that name for a further 6 years but then became a "Territory" under the "Chatham Islands Council".

== South America ==
===Argentina===
Provinces in Argentina are divided into [[departments of Argentina|departments]] ({{langx|es|departamentos}}), except in the [[Buenos Aires Province]], where they are called {{lang|es|[[partidos of Buenos Aires|partidos]]}}. The [[Buenos Aires|Autonomous City of Buenos Aires]] is divided into communes ({{lang|es|comunas}}).

===Brazil===
States in Brazil were divided into [[microregions of Brazil|microregions]] ({{langx|pt|microrregiões}}) before they were replaced by "immediate geographic regions" in 2017.

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Counties}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}

{{Terms for types of administrative territorial entities}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Counties| ]]
[[Category:Types of administrative division]]