# Municipio

A municipio (Spanish:) or município (Portuguese:) is an administrative division in several Hispanophone and Lusophone nations, respectively. It is often translated as "municipality." It comes from mūnicipium (Latin:), meaning a township.
In English, a municipality often is defined as relating to a single city or town, but in Spanish, the term municipio may mean not a single city or town but rather a jurisdiction with several towns and cities such as a township, county, borough or civil parish. The Italian term municipalità (IPA:) refers to a single city or to a group of cities and towns in a township, and the term municipio (IPA:) is used for city subdivisions. On the other hand, usage of município in Portuguese is almost entirely restricted to a cluster of cities or towns such as a county or township. However, in Brazil, a município is an independent city and a public corporation with the status of a federated entity.

## Overview

| Country | Term | Detailed article | Administered by | Comment |
| Angola | Município is used | Municipalities of Angola | |
| Argentina | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Argentina | | According to laws of the provinces |
| Bolivia | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Bolivia | | Below provinces |
| Brazil | Município is used | Municipalities of Brazil | | Município with elected (Prefeito) (mayor) and Vereador (plural: Vereadores) (councilors).They are part of the federation De facto et De jure |
| Chile | Comuna is used | Communes of Chile | Municipalidad with elected alcalde (mayor) and councilors | |
| Colombia | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Colombia | | Below departments |
| Costa Rica | Municipalidad is used | Municipalities of Costa Rica | | Coterminous with the Cantones |
| Cuba | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Cuba | | |
| Dominican Republic | Municipio is used | Municipalities of the Dominican Republic | ayuntamiento (elected municipal council) and síndico (mayor) | |
| East Timor | Município is used | Municipalities of East Timor | Autoridade Municipal (Municipal Authority), with a president (presidente), along with a Municipal Council (Concelho Municipal) | |
| Ecuador | Cantón is used | Cantons of Ecuador | Municipio or Municipalidad with elected alcalde (mayor) and concejales (councilors) | Below provinces. Further subdivided into urban and rural parishes. |
| El Salvador | Municipio is used | Municipalities of El Salvador | Alcalde | Below departments |
| Equatorial Guinea | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Equatorial Guinea | Alcalde | |
| Guatemala | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Guatemala | Municipalidad | Below departments |
| Honduras | Municipalidad is used | Municipalities of Honduras | Alcalde | Below departments |
| Italy | Comune is used; in some parts of Italy the municipio is the building housing the administration of the comune; elsewhere it is simply called comune. A municipalità may be a subdivision of comune | Municipalities of Italy | Consiglio comunale, headed by a sindaco | |
| Mexico | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Mexico | Ayuntamiento, headed by a municipal president | Below states |
| Mozambique | Município is used | Municipalities of Mozambique | |
| Nicaragua | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Nicaragua | Alcalde | Below departments |
| Paraguay | Municipalidad is used | Municipalities of Paraguay | | |
| Peru | Municipalidad is used | Municipalities of Peru | | |
| Philippines | Municipio is used | Municipalities of the Philippines | Elected alcalde (mayor) as the executive, vicealcalde (vice mayor) and concejales (councilors) of the legislative Ayuntamiento (Municipal Council). | Below provinces (except Pateros); equivalent to a town; has a lower income than a city (ciudad). Like a city, it is also further subdivided into barangays. |
| Portugal | Município is used (also called concelho) | Municipalities of Portugal | Câmara Municipal (executive) and Assembleia Municipal (legislative) | |
| Puerto Rico | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Puerto Rico | Alcalde and municipal legislature | |
| Spain | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Spain | Ayuntamiento (municipal corporation) or Concejo abierto, headed by an alcalde | |
| Uruguay | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Uruguay | Alcaldía (municipal council), headed by an alcalde | |
| Venezuela | Municipio is used | Municipalities of Venezuela | Consejo Municipal (municipal council) with separately elected alcalde and independent comptroller | Below state |