Southern Albania

Southern Albania () is one of the three NUTS-2 Regions of Albania. This ethnographical territory is sometimes referred to as Toskeria () which also includes the Albanian-inhabited territories of Greece (Chameria) and North Macedonia.
It consists of five counties: Berat, Fier, Gjirokastër, Korçë and Vlorë. A small part of the region in Greece, the southernmost area near the Greek border, is commonly called Northern Epirus by the Greek minority.


Nidwalden

Nidwalden, also Nidwald (, ) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven municipalities and the seat of the government and parliament is in Stans. It is traditionally considered a "half-canton", the other half being Obwalden.
Nidwalden lies in Central Switzerland. It borders the canton of Obwalden to the west, the cantons of Lucerne and Schwyz to the north, the canton of Uri to the east and the canton of Bern to the south. The canton is essentially in the Alps, south of Lake Lucerne.
It is one of the smallest cantons, the population is 40,287 (in 2007). The largest town is Stans, followed by Hergiswil and Buochs.
Together with Obwalden, Nidwalden was part of the forest canton of Unterwalden, one of the three participants in the foundation of the Old Swiss Confederacy, named in the Pact of Brunnen of 1315 with Uri and Schwyz. The division of Unterwalden into two separate territories, Obwalden and Nidwalden, appears to develop over the course of the 14th and 15th centuries.
History.
The earliest traces of human settlement date to the Neolithic with sites found near Stansstad that are from 4000 to 3100 BC. The same sites, near Stansstad, also contain Late Bronze Age (1400–1100 BC) artifacts, with additional Bronze Age sites near Hergiswil and Ennetmoos. A La Tène (500–100 BC) grave for a 10-year-old girl has been found in Stans. Based on these finds, it appears that the Nidwalden region has been settled since the 1st millennium BC.
During the Roman Empire Ob and Nidwalden were inhabited by a Gallo-Roman or Celtic population. While there are few artifacts from the population, many names of the towns, rivers and mountains have either Celtic or Gallo-Roman roots. By the 8th century the Alemanni entered the valleys of present-day Nidwalden and intermingled. At this time a Roman Catholic church was built in Stans, most likely founded by an Alemanni noble family. The church in Stans would remain until the 10th century when it was replaced by a church in Buochs.
Initially the land was owned by a number of noble families and abbeys. But by the late 13th century the major powers in Nidwalden had shrunk to three: the Habsburgs, Murbach Abbey and Engelberg Abbey. In 1291 Rudolph of Habsburg bought Obwalden from Murbach Abbey. In response the people of Nidwalden (Obwalden joined shortly before the document was signed, the two-halves forming Unterwalden) joined Uri and Schwyz to form an alliance which is considered the foundation of the Old Swiss Confederacy.
At the time there was no state, but towards the end of the 14th century early forms of government were established. This included institutionalized assemblies and courts. In the 14th and 15th century the people of Nidwalden joined the people of Obwalden to discuss important matters, but the two cantons were never really one. For example, Obwalden did not participate in the annexation of Bellinzona, Riviera and Blenio areas (today located in the canton of Ticino).
Under the Helvetic Republic imposed in 1798 by French Revolutionary troops, Switzerland became a united country. The ideas of the French Revolution were not popular in some parts of the Swiss nation including Nidwalden. The cantons were accustomed to self-government and many resented the limits on the freedom of worship in particular. When rebel forces threatened the Republic, Nidwalden was attacked by French troops on 9 September 1798. The canton's infrastructure was badly damaged and at least 400 people were killed.
After the end of Napoleonic rule in 1814, most of the changes were reverted. Only in 1877 did Nidwalden introduce a new constitution. The open assembly ("Landsgemeinde") was abolished in 1997.
Geography.
Nidwalden is located in the centre of Switzerland. To the north it is bounded by the Lake Lucerne ("Vierwaldstättersee"), to all other directions by mountain chains (Urner Alps). The area of the canton is of which about 40% is inhabited or used for farming. Forests occupy about one third of the canton with about one quarter being considered unproductive (mountains or glaciers).
Politics.
Cantonal election.
The cantonal executive ("Regierungsrat") is composed of seven members. The local parliament has 60 seats. Nidwalden sends only one deputy to the Swiss Council of States.
Climate and energy policy.
WWF rating: 1.9 ("blocked")
The World Wildlife Fund commissioned a study into the energy policies of all Swiss cantons . No canton was given the highest possible rating of 6, and Nidwalden came out with one of the lowest in the country, above only Zug and Schwyz. Six indicators were used for the assessment, namely cantonal goals, energy efficiency requirements, renewable energy regulations, financial subsidies, energy planning of the individual municipalities, and the "Gebäudeenergieausweis". The highest rating can only be given to cantons which are on their way to meeting the requirements of the Paris Agreement in each area.
Municipalities.
There are eleven municipalities: Beckenried, Buochs, Dallenwil, Emmetten, Ennetbürgen, Ennetmoos, Hergiswil, Oberdorf, Stans, Stansstad and Wolfenschiessen. The capital is Stans.
Demographics.
The population of the canton (as of ) is . , the population included 4,046 foreigners, or about 10% of the total population. By gender the canton is nearly evenly split with 50.9% male and 49.1% female. In 2000, 75.6% of the population was Roman Catholic while 11.9% belong to the Swiss Reformed Church. The population density in December 2005 was 144.3 persons per km2. Most of the population () speaks German (92.5%) with a small minority speaking Italian (1.4%) or Serbo-Croatian (1.2%).
Economy.
Up to the 20th century Nidwalden was dominated by agriculture. Cattle and cheese were exported mainly to northern Italy. Around 1500, many people in Nidwalden worked as mercenary soldiers.
From the middle of the 19th century onwards, trade, industry and tourism gained momentum. Nevertheless, until the middle of the 20th century, agriculture dominated the canton. Today a great number of small and middle-sized businesses dominate the economy. The largest employer is the airplane constructor Pilatus. The small and middle-sized businesses work in a wide range of areas. Many specialize in machine construction, medical equipment, international trade, optics and electronics.
Traditional areas such as forestry and agriculture are still of importance. Agriculture is specialized in cattle and dairy farming. The farms are still run by individual families.
In recent years, Nidwalden is becoming an increasingly common place to live and work. This is caused by its low taxes, its central location between Zürich and Milan, and its natural environment.
Tourism.
Because of its mountainous geography, tourism is important in Nidwalden. The lake and the mountains attract many tourists, both during the winter and the summer. Major resorts include Klewenalp, Stanserhorn (mountain), the region around Bannalp, and Bürgenstock.
Culture.
Traditional culture in Nidwalden has been kept alive by many local organisations. There is traditional music, yodeling, dances, theaters and festivals. There are also a number of modern cultural events, such a concerts and galleries.


United Kingdom/London


List of settlements in West Yorkshire by population

This is a list of settlements in West Yorkshire by population based on the results of the 2011 census. The next United Kingdom census will take place in 2021. In 2011, there were 50 built-up area subdivisions with 5,000 or more inhabitants in West Yorkshire, shown in the table below.
Administrative boundaries.
Table taken from the West Yorkshire article - this outlines many of the county's settlements, and is formatted according to their metropolitan borough.


Northern Great Plain

The Northern Great Plain () is a statistical (NUTS 2) region of Hungary. It is part of the Great Plain and North (NUTS 1) region. The Northern Great Plain includes the counties of Hajdú-Bihar, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, with a total area of and a population of around 1.5 million.


List of Spanish autonomous communities by median income

Median income in Spain has declined significantly since the recession, in some cases, such as Catalonia, median income has declined by 9.6% since 2009. Median income differs from GDP per capita because the per capita is a mean value, which can exaggerate extreme values such as the very rich or the very poor. Median income represents the 50th percentile of income, meaning that half of people earn less than this value and half of people earn more than this value. The 2014 median monthly income in Spain is listed below. The two autonomous cities of Spain are excluded from this list. These values are paid 13 times per year, not 12 as in every month. As of 2014, the median income for all of Spain was €1,634, which is paid in 13 payments per year.
References.
http://www.lavanguardia.com/vangdata/20150519/54431721672/salario-medio-espana-ue.html| Median Income by Community


List of wards in Bristol by population

This is a list of council wards in Bristol by population based on the results of the 2011 census. The next United Kingdom census will take place in 2021. In 2011, there were 35 ward subdivisions in Bristol, shown in the table below.
Refer to the Subdivisions of Bristol article in order to understand that a 'built up area' city county such as Bristol has no extensive rural spaces or villages within its borders, so instead census data population counts are listed for well-defined ward divisions as opposed to less defined neighbourhood areas.
This article is for historical purposes as electoral changes will be made throughout England from 2016, Bristol will ultimately lose one ward and several will be renamed and merged - see the ward table for full details.


Ranked list of Swedish counties

Ranked lists of the Counties of Sweden.


Aalborg Municipality

Aalborg Municipality is a municipality (Danish, "kommune") in Region Nordjylland on the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. The municipality straddles the Limfjord, the waterway which connects the North Sea and the Kattegat east-to-west, and which separates the main body of the Jutland peninsula from the island of Vendsyssel-Thy north-to-south. It has a land area of 1,143.99 km2, population 197,426 (2010) and belongs to Region Nordjylland ("North Jutland Region").
It is also the name of the municipality's main city Aalborg and the site of its municipal council, as well as the name of a seaport.
The municipality and the town have chosen to retain the traditional spelling of the name as "Aalborg", although the new spelling "Ålborg" is used in other contexts, such as Ålborg Bight ("Ålborg Bugt"), the body of water which lies to the east of the Jutland peninsula.
Municipal reform of 2007.
As of 1 January 2007 Aalborg municipality joined with the municipalities of Hals, Nibe, and Sejlflod to form a new Aalborg municipality. The former Aalborg municipality, including the island of Egholm, covered an area of , with a total population of 192,353 (2005). Its last mayor was Henning G. Jensen, a member of the Social Democrats ("Socialdemokraterne") political party. The former municipality was bordered by Sejlflod and Hals to the east, Dronninglund and Brønderslev to the north, Aabybro and Nibe to the west, and Støvring and Skørping to the south. It belonged to North Jutland County.
Geography.
Surroundings.
The waters in the Limfjord splitting the municipality are called "Langerak" to the east and "Gjøl Bredning" to the west. The island of Egholm is located in "Gjøl Bredning", and is connected by ferry to the city of Aalborg at its southern shore.
The area is typical for the north of Jutland. To the west the Limfjord broadens into an irregular lake (salt water), with low, marshy shores and many islands. Northwest is Store Vildmose ("Greater Wild bog"), a swamp where a mirage is sometimes seen in summer. Southeast lies the similar Lille Vildmose ("Lesser Wild bog"). Store Vildmose was drained and farmed in the beginning of the 20th century, and Lille Vildmose is now the largest moor in Denmark.
Urban areas in Aalborg Municipality.
Aalborg City has a total population at 123,432. The metropolitan area is a conurbation of the Aalborg urban area in Himmerland (102,312) and the Nørresundby urban area in Vendsyssel (21,120).
Economy.
North Flying has its head office on the property of Aalborg Airport in Nørresundby, Aalborg Municipality.
Politics.
Municipal council.
Aalborg's municipal council consists of 31 members, elected every four years.
Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.
Twin towns – sister cities.
Aalborg is twinned with 34 cities, more than any other city in Denmark. Every four years Aalborg gathers young people from most of its twin towns for a week of sports, known as Ungdomslegene (Youth Games).


Tampere sub-region

Tampere sub-region is a subdivision of Pirkanmaa and one of the sub-regions of Finland since 2009. it covers an area of 4,977 km2 and has a population of 389,896 as of 2014.
Politics.
Results of the 2018 Finnish presidential election:


Achaea

Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek as Akhaia (, "Akhaïa" ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. The capital is Patras which is the third largest city in Greece.
Geography.
Achaea is bordered by Elis to the west and southwest, Arcadia to the south, and Corinthia to the east and southeast. The Gulf of Corinth lies to its northeast, and the Gulf of Patras to its northwest. The mountain Panachaiko (1926 m), though not the highest of Achaea, dominates the coastal area near Patras. Higher mountains are found in the south, such as Aroania (2341 m) and Erymanthos (2224 m). Other mountain ranges in Achaea are Skollis, Omplos, Kombovouni and Movri. Its main rivers ordered from west to east are the Larissos, Tytheus, Peiros, Charadros, Selinountas and Vouraikos. Most of the forests are in the mountain ranges, though several are in the plains including the extreme west. There are grasslands around the mid-elevation areas and barren lands in the highest areas.
Climate.
Achaea has hot summers and mild winters. Sunny days dominate during the summer months in areas near the coast, while the summer can be cloudy and rainy in the mountains. Snow is very common during the winter in the mountains of Erymanthos, Panachaiko and Aroania. Winter high temperatures are around the 10 °C mark throughout the low-lying areas.
Administration.
The regional unit Achaea is subdivided into 5 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):
Prefecture.
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Achaea was created out of the former prefecture Achaea (). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
Provinces.
"Note:" Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.
History.
Classical Antiquity.
The Achaean League was a Hellenistic-era confederation of city states in Achaea, founded in 280/281 BC. It later grew until it included most of Peloponnese, much reducing the Macedonian rule in the area.
After Macedon's defeat by the Romans in the early 2nd century BC, the League was able to finally defeat a heavily weakened Sparta and take control of the entire Peloponnese. However, as the Roman influence in the area grew, the league erupted into an open revolt against Roman domination, in what is known as Achaean War. The Achaeans were defeated at the Battle of Corinth (146 BC), and the League was dissolved by the Romans.
In AD 51/52, Lucius Junius Gallio Annaeanus was proconsul of Achaea, and is portrayed (under the name "Gallio") in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, in the Bible, as presiding over the trial of the Apostle Paul in Corinth ().
Medieval and modern history.
Achaea remained a province of the Byzantine Empire after the fall of the western Roman Empire. In the 6th and 7th centuries, Slavs invaded the Peloponnese, and settled in parts of Achaea as well. By the 9th century, the whole peninsula was under Byzantine control again. However, after the Fourth Crusade several new crusader states were founded in Greece. One of these was the Principality of Achaea, founded in 1205, which like the Roman province covered a much larger area than traditional Achaea. Achaea was recaptured by the Byzantine Empire by 1430, and became part of the Despotate of the Morea.
The Despotate of the Morea fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1460. As a part of the Morean War, the Republic of Venice captured Achaea in 1687 and held it until 1715, when the Ottomans recaptured the Peloponnese. Under Ottoman rule, Achaea was part of the Morea Eyalet.
In the Greek War of Independence, Aigio was one of the first cities to be liberated by the Greeks and all of Achaea was liberated by the end of 1821. Achaea produced several heroes including Kanaris, Zaimis and Roufos and prime ministers of Greece including Andreas Michalakopoulos as well as some head of states.
In the first administrative subdivision of independent Greece, Achaea was part of the Achaea and Elis Prefecture. This was divided into the prefectures of Achaea and Elis in 1899. Achaea and Elis were reunited in 1909, and split again in 1930.
Achaea saw an influx of refugees that arrived from Asia Minor during the Greco Turkish War of 1919-1922. Tens of thousands were relocated to their camps in the suburbs of Patras and a few villages mainly within the coastline. One of the camps was named Prosfygika.
Population.
Achaea today has about one-third of the population of the Peloponnese. Patras, the capital of Achaea, is the third largest city in Greece, behind Athens and Thessaloniki. Two-thirds of the Achaean population live near Patras, and more than half within the city limits. The main industrial areas are around Patras.
Main towns and cities.
The main cities and towns of Achaea are (ranked by 2011 census population):
Culture.
The monastery Agia Lavra is situated a few kilometres west of Kalavryta on the top of a hill. 12 to 20 km east, is Cave Lakes, with lakes inside. The length is around 300 to 500 m.
The mountain hosts the most modern Greek telescope, named Aristarchus (after the ancient Greek astronomer - Aristarchus of Samos) and operated by the National Observatory of Athens. A narrow gauge railway track runs for 30 km, mainly as a tourist attraction. The track begins near Kalavryta and ends off Diakopto.
Economy.
Patras is one of the main industrial and commerce centers in Greece. Temeni is a place where the spring water Avra (Άυρα) is manufactured. It is owned by Tria Epsilon, a division of The Coca-Cola Company and a parent. There is a small oil refinery near Rio.
Transport.
Roads.
Intercity bus transport is provided by KTEL Achaias. The main bus terminal is in the city of Patras.
The main highways are:
Railways.
Achaea is connected to Corinthia, Elis and Attica by the Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways line Athens - Corinth - Aigio - Patras - Pyrgos - Kyparissia. Passenger service on the section Patras - Kyparissia has been suspended since 2011. The Diakofto–Kalavryta Railway is a rack railway, offering passenger service as well.
Sports.
There are two skiing resorts, one on the Panachaicus west of the mountain top (elevation around 1700 m) east of Patras, it will be Nafpaktos's closest because of the new bridge (mid-2004) and the other on Aroania, sometimes still called Chelmos, near Kalavrita. It is Kalavrita's closest resort.
Sporting teams.
Division rankings were as of the 2005-06 season for most teams, for football (soccer), they are run by the Achaea Football Clubs Association:


Province of Rimini

The province of Rimini () is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The provincial capital is the eponymous city of Rimini. The province borders the independent Republic of San Marino. As of 2019, the province has a population of 339,437 inhabitants over an area of , giving it a population density of 387.57 inhabitants per square kilometre. The built-up urban area of
Rimini had a population of 147,578 inhabitants within city limits. There are 26 "comuni" (singular: "comune") in the province.
History.
Rimini was founded in 268 BCE as a Latin colony and was connected to both the Via Flaminia to Rome and the Via Emilia to Piacenza. It became an Augustan colony and after the 476 fall of Rome, it joined a Byzantine confederation containing a number of cites along the coast of Marche. Following this, it was under papal rule for many years until it became a commune in the eleventh century. It was ruled by the family of Guelph Malatesta until the sixteenth century, when it was briefly ruled by the Republic of Venice. It became part of the Papal States and later became a component of the kingdom of Italy. In World War II, it was heavily bombed but liberated in 1944 by British and Polish troops.
After the referendum of 2006, seven municipalities of Montefeltro were detached from the Province of Pesaro and Urbino (Marche) to join the Province of Rimini on 15 August 2009. The municipalities are Casteldelci, Maiolo, Novafeltria, Pennabilli, San Leo, Sant'Agata Feltria and Talamello.


Trnava Region

The Trnava Region (, ; ; ) is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It was established in 1996, before which date most of its districts were parts of Bratislava Region which was established on the founding of Czechoslovakia in 1923. It consists of 251 municipalities, from which 16 have a town status. It is the second most densely populated region in Slovakia.
Geography.
In the lower, west part of Slovakia, the Trnava region forms a territorial band between the Bratislava Region and the rest of Slovakia, between Austrian and Czech borders in the north and north-west and the Hungarian border in the south. The part north of the Little Carpathians is part of the Záhorie Lowland, with its two subdivisions: hilly Chvojnická pahorkatina and flat Borská nížina. In addition to these, the Myjava Hills and the White Carpathians reach into the area. The fertile Danubian Lowland is located south of the Little Carpathians, again with two subdivisions: the Danubian Flat in the south, containing river island of Žitný ostrov (Rye Island) and the Danubian Hills in the north, where it also borders the Považský Inovec range app. on the line Hlohovec - Piešťany - border with the Trenčín Region. Major rivers are the Danube on the Hungarian border, with part of the Gabčíkovo Dam, Little Danube, which creates with Danube the island of Žitný ostrov, Váh in the east, Dudváh in the centre, and Morava River in the north-west, along the Austrian and Czech borders. The region borders: Austrian Lower Austria and Czech South Moravian Region in the north-west, Trenčín Region in the north, Nitra Region in the east, Hungarian Győr-Moson-Sopron county in the south and Bratislava Region in the west.
Demographics.
In terms of population, the region is smallest of all Slovak regions. However, the population density is 133 inhabitants per km2, that is more than Slovak average (110 per km2). Largest towns are Trnava, Piešťany, Hlohovec, Dunajská Streda and Sereď. The level of urbanization is around 49%, represented by inhabitants living in 16 towns. According to the 2001 census, the region had 551,003 inhabitants, with Slovaks forming a majority (73.9%), but there is a significant Hungarian minority in the south (23.7%), forming a majority in the Dunajská Streda District (87%) and are notably represented in the Galanta District (41%). Other minorities are the Czechs and Roma (<1%).
Economy.
The region is quite productive in both industry and agriculture. The proximity to the capital city of Bratislava is an asset, as many Trnava residents travel daily to work there. Lately, multinational manufacturing companies such as Peugeot or Samsung settled in the region.
Administrative division.
The Trnava Region consists of 7 districts. There are 249 municipalities in the region of which 16 are towns.
References.
Your list of municipalities for the Trnava Region does not include Chropov which shows up in Wikipedia in the Skalika District.
Genealogical resources.
The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Bratislava, Slovakia"


Pardubice Region

Pardubice Region (; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located mainly in the eastern part of its historical region of Bohemia, with a small part in northwestern Moravia. It is named after its capital Pardubice. As an administrative unit, Pardubice Region has existed three times in the course of history. It was established for the first time in 1850, and extended from Český Brod to the Bohemian-Moravian border. In its second existence, it was one of 19 regions as they were set between 1949 and 1960. After 1960, Pardubice became the capital of Pardubice district, which was part of the Eastern Bohemian Region (capital Hradec Králové). The Pardubice Region, as it is now, was reestablished in 2000.
Administrative divisions.
The Pardubice Region is divided into 4 districts:
There are a total of 451 municipalities in the region (as of 2019). Among these are 15 municipalities with extended powers and 26 municipalities with a delegated municipal office. Thirty-two of the municipalities are classified as towns. The regional central offices are in Pardubice.
Population.
The total population of the Pardubice Region is about 520,000. 17 municipalities have a higher population than 5,000. The largest municipality of the region is Pardubice with a population of more than 90,000. The table below shows the municipalities in Pardubice Region with the largest population (as of 1 January 2019).
Other significant towns in Pardubice Region are Hlinsko, Přelouč, Polička, Choceň, Holice, Letohrad and Žamberk.
Geography.
With a total size of 4,519 km2, Padrubice is the fifth smallest region in the Czech Republic. Králický Sněžník (1,424 m) is the highest point in the region. The lowest point (201 m) is situated on the water surface of the Labe (Elbe) River near Kojice.
The southern and southeastern parts of the region are home to the hilly areas of Žďárské vrchy and Železné Hory (Iron Mountains). The central and western parts of the region are formed by the Polabí lowlands. In the northeast, the region reaches the Orlické hory and Hrubý Jeseník Mountains.
The European Watershed runs through the region, where it separates the basins of the North Sea and the Black Sea. The tripoint of the Danube (Black Sea), Elbe (North Sea) and Oder (Baltic Sea) watersheds is located at the peak of Králický Sněžník. The majority of the region belongs to the drainage basin of the Elbe, consisting of the rivers Chrudimka, Divoká Orlice, Doubrava, Loučná, Tichá Orlice and Třebovka. The rivers in the drainage basin of the Danube are the Morava, Moravská Sázava, Svitava and Třebůvka. The Seč Dam (220ha) and the Pastviny Dam (92ha) are among the larger water bodies in the region.
The most prevalent soil types in the region are podzol and cambisol. Forests cover 29.6% of the region and are predominantly coniferous. Deciduous forests occur around Pardubice.
Climate.
Pardubice Region has a continental climate characterized by relatively hot summers and cold winters. The climate in Pardubice Region differs depending on location. The areas in the Polabí lowlands in the western part of the region are relatively warmer with annual mean temperatures reaching 8 °C. On the other hand, the coldest areas are situated in the hilly northeastern part of the region, where the annual mean temperatures are around 4 °C.
Precipitation is relatively lower in the central part of the region where the total annual values are around 700 – 800 mm. In the areas with higher elevation (such as Žďárské Vrchy or the foothills of Orlické Hory) there is higher precipitation with annual values of 800 – 1,000 mm.
Economy.
The gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of the region was 81.1% of the national average in 2011. Services form the largest part of the region's economy, forming 52.4% of GDP in 2011. Other significant sectors are industry (36.9% of GDP) and construction (7.2% of GDP). The registered unemployment rate was 8.44% at the end of 2011. The highest unemployment rate was in Svitavy District.
Industry and commercial public services are the basis of Pardubice's economy. General engineering, textiles, clothing, and leather processing are the strongest industrial branches. The chemical industry in Pardubice Region is larger than anywhere else in the Czech Republic.
Road networks make up 3,597 km that transverse throughout the region. Roads I/35 and I/37 (connecting to I/17 in Chrudim) are noted as the most important. A 9 km section of the D11 motorway connect the region to Prague. The two-lane R35 expressway is planned to cross the region and connect it with Liberec, Germany and the Moravian network of highways and expressways.
There are 542 km of railways in the region, connecting it to Prague, Brno, Liberec, Olomouc, Ostrava, and to Poland. The railway corridor of Berlin – Prague – Brno – Vienna crosses the region and in Pardubice it is connected to routes of national significance to Liberec and Havlíčkův Brod.
Pardubice has an international airport, operating for both public and military flights, which is listed in the category of the top 5 airports in the Czech Republic.
Agriculture plays an important role in the region. The agricultural land covers about 60.2% of all land in the region, while the arable land occupies 43.8%. Forests cover 29.6% of the region.
Attractions from natural tourist spots (such as the Železné Hory and the Orlické Hory) to historical monuments, mostly medieval castles established since the 13th century, all encourage tourism to the region. The most significant historical monuments in the region are connected with the noble Pernštejn family from Moravia, who had two huge castles built, at Litice nad Orlicí, and on Kunětická Hora near Pardubice. In 2011 there were 365 facilities providing accommodation in the region for 324,000 visitors.
Education and health care.
In 2011 there were:
Furthermore, there were nine hospitals with a capacity of 2,584 patients. In total, there were 2,009 doctors in the region and the patient-per-doctor ratio was 257.


Ranked list of Hungarian counties

The following article is a ranked list of Hungarian counties.
By area.
The following table presents a listing of Hungarian 19 counties ranked in order of their surface area.
Population.
By population.
The following table presents a listing of Hungarian 19 counties ranked in order of their total population (based on 2011 census). The data is taken from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) censuses results, as well as from the Gazetteer of Hungary.
Bold: record number of the population
By population density.
The following table presents a listing of Hungarian 19 counties ranked in order of their population density (based on 2011 census).
By urban and rural population.
Hungarian counties by their urban and rural population as of 2015.
Health.
By life expectancy.
Hungarian counties by life expectancy at birth, by sex, in 2017.
By median age.
Hungarian counties by median age at birth, by sex, in 2018.
Number of hospital beds.
Hungarian counties by number of hospital beds, in 2017.
Economy.
 Knoema
Agriculture.
By fruitage.
Hungarian counties by fruitage, by tonnes, in 2016.
By number and type of municipalities.
Hungarian counties by their population living in urban counties ("megyei jogú városok"), towns ("városok"), large villages ("nagyközségek") and villages ("falvak"), according to the 2017 Gazetteer of Hungary.
By largest cities.
Largest cities within a county, according to the 2017 Gazetteer of Hungary (according to the number of inhabitants). In all counties, the largest city is also the county seat.
Bold: Cities with county rights


County Durham (district)


Overijssel

Overijssel (; ; ) is a province of the Netherlands located in the eastern part of the country. The province's name translates to "across the IJssel", from the perspective of the Episcopal principality of Utrecht by which it was held until 1528. The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle (pop. 127,497) and the largest city is Enschede (pop. 158,986). The province had a population of 1,162,215 as of November 2019.
Geography.
Overijssel is bordered by Germany (Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia) to the east, the Achterhoek region of Gelderland to the south, the Veluwe region of Gelderland and Flevoland to the west, and Friesland and the former moors of Drenthe to the north. Overijssel comprises three regions: Kop van Overijssel in the northwest, Salland in the centre of the province, and Twente in the east. Besides the capital Zwolle, other major cities are Almelo, Deventer, Hengelo, Enschede, and Kampen.
To the southeast, the province's surface is mostly sandy, interspersed with small rivers such as the Regge and Dinkel and other brooks. In the northwest, the geology is dominated by sediments from the "Overijsselse Vecht" and clay. The northern parts were once covered by "veen" (bogs) which separated the dryer and more arable south from Drenthe and which have been exploited as fuel to a large degree. Only small patches survive today ("Engbertsdijksvenen" near Geesteren, "Witteveen" (near Haaksbergen), and the Aamsveen (near Enschede). The extreme northwest is dominated by a system of lakes formed by former peat-mining and protected under the De Weerribben-Wieden National Park status, which is a valuable wetland.
The highest point in Overijssel is the summit of the Tankenberg, a hill in the municipality of Losser, at 85 metres (278 ft). The lowest point is in the Mastenbroek Polder near Kampen at 2 metres (6 ft) below sea level.
Climate.
Overijssel enjoys an oceanic climate (Cfb in the Köppen classification). However, winters tend to be more severe than the rest of the Netherlands, because of its distance from the coast.
History.
Oversticht.
Overijssel was formerly known as Oversticht and also included most of the modern-day province of Drenthe. In 1336, it was made part of Guelders, though it was ceded to the Bishopric of Utrecht in 1347. The Bishops ceded the Oversticht to the Emperor Charles V in 1528, who styled himself Lord of Overijssel, after the Latin name of Oversticht that was known since 1233: "Transysla" or "Transisalania", or Over-IJssel, i.e. the other side of the river IJssel. The people joined with the other Dutch and rebelled against Charles' heir Philip II. Overijssel became governed by the most powerful mayors and lords in the province, including by the lieutenant-governor Nicolaas Schmelzing (1561-1629).
After a brief occupation by the forces of the Bishop of Münster (1672–74), Overijssel received a new form of government which granted the stadtholders more power. Widespread resistance against the increased power throughout the provinces eventually led to the formation of the Batavian Republic in 1795. A centralist government arose and the Netherlands was organised into a series of "départements", based on those used by revolutionary France.
Overijssel.
At first organised into its own "département", it was merged with Drenthe in 1798 to form Ouden IJssel, which was renamed Overijssel in 1801.
The French annexed the Batavian Republic in 1810, and Overijssel was organised into the new French département of Bouches-de-l'Yssel. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1814, the kingdom of the Netherlands and the former province of Overijssel were recreated.
Overijssel was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II from May 1940 until its liberation in April 1945. The Noordoostpolder, a reclaimed territory which had been laid dry in 1942, was part of Overijssel from 1962 until 1986, when it became part of the newly created province of Flevoland.
Politics.
The King's Commissioner of Overijssel is currently a vacant position as previous title holder Ank Bijleveld (CDA) was appointed to be Minister of defence on 26 October 2017. The King's Commissioner is the chairman of the Provincial-Executive (executive branch) and the States-Provincial (elected legislature) of the province.
Economy.
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 43.2 billion € in 2018, accounting for 5.6% of the Netherlands economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 32,700 € or 108% of the EU27 average in the same year.
Transport.
There are three main motorways in Overijssel, the A1, A28, and the A35. The A32 also runs through the province, but just for a few kilometers near Steenwijk.
The main railway station in Overijssel is the Zwolle railway station, located in the city of Zwolle which serves as hub between the northern provinces and the rest of The Netherlands.
The main airport in Overijssel is the Enschede Airport Twente, located outside of Enschede. The airport does not currently offer any international flights, though it has historically.
Municipalities.
Overijssel is divided into 25 municipalities:


Provinces of the Netherlands

There are twelve provinces of the Netherlands (), representing the administrative layer between the national government and the local municipalities, with responsibility for matters of subnational or regional importance.
The most populous province is South Holland, with just over 3.7 million inhabitants as of January 2020, and also the most densely populated province with . With 383,488 inhabitants, Zeeland has the smallest population. However Drenthe is the least densely populated province with . In terms of area, Friesland is the largest province with a total area of . If water is excluded, Gelderland is the largest province by land area at . The province of Utrecht is the smallest with a total area of , while Flevoland is the smallest by land area at . In total about 10,000 people were employed by the provincial administrations in 2018.
The provinces of the Netherlands are joined in the Association of Provinces of the Netherlands (IPO). This organisation promotes the common interests of the provinces in the national government of the Netherlands in The Hague.
Politics and governance.
The government of each province consists of three major parts:
Elections.
The members of the States-Provincial are elected every four years in direct elections. To a large extent, the same political parties are enlisted in these elections in the national elections. The chosen provincial legislators elect the members of the national Senate within three months after the provincial elections. The elections for the water boards take place on the same date as the provincial elections.
The last provincial elections were held in 2007, 2011, 2015 and in 2019. The next provincial elections are scheduled for 2023.
Competencies.
The provinces of the Netherlands have seven core tasks:
Financing.
To a large extent, the provinces of the Netherlands are financed by the national government. Also, provinces have income from a part of the Vehicle Excise Duty. Several provinces have made a large profit in the past from privatising utility companies originally owned or partly owned by the provinces. Essent, which was originally owned by six provinces and more than a hundred municipalities, was sold for around 9.3 billion euros.
Geography.
The country of the Netherlands, being the largest part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is divided into twelve provinces ("provincies" in Dutch) and three overseas special municipalities; Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands that are not part of any province. Previously these were part of public bodies ("openbare lichamen").
History.
Nearly all Dutch provinces can trace their origin to a medieval county or duchy, as can the provinces of regions in Belgium. Their status changed when they came under a single ruler who centralised their administration, reducing their powers. There were 17 in total: from these unified Netherlands, seven northern provinces from 1588 formed the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, namely Holland, Zeeland, Gelderland, Utrecht, Friesland, Overijssel and Groningen.
The Republic's lands also included Drenthe (one of the 17, but without the autonomous status of the others), and parts of the Duchy of Brabant, Duchy of Limburg and County of Flanders, which were considered to be "conquered lands" and were governed directly by the States General, hence their name Generality Lands. They were called "Staats-Brabant", "Staats-Limburg" and "Staats-Vlaanderen", meaning "governed by the States General". Each of these "Netherlands" had a high degree of autonomy, cooperating with each other mainly on defense and foreign relations, but otherwise keeping to their own affairs.
On 1 January 1796, under the Batavian Republic, Drenthe and Staats-Brabant became the eighth and ninth provinces of the Netherlands. The latter, which had been known as Bataafs Brabant (English: Batavian Brabant), changed its name to Noord-Brabant, North Brabant, in 1815 when it became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, which also contained (then) South Brabant, a province now in Belgium. This new unified state featured the provinces in their modern form, as non-autonomous subdivisions of the national state, and again numbering 17, though they were not all the same as the 16th century ones. In 1839, following the separation of Belgium, the province of Limburg was divided between the two countries, each now having a province called Limburg. A year later, Holland, the largest and most populous of the Dutch provinces, was also split into two provinces, for a total of 11. The 12th province to be created was Flevoland, consisting almost entirely of reclaimed land, established on 1 January 1986.
French period.
During the Batavian Republic, the Netherlands was from 1798 to 1801 completely reorganised into eight new departments, most named after rivers, inspired by the French revolutionary example, in an attempt to do away with the old semi-autonomous status of the provinces. They are listed below, with their capitals and the territory of the former provinces that they mostly incorporated:

After only three years, following a coup d'état, the borders of the former provinces were restored, though not their autonomous status. They were now also called "departments" and Drenthe was added to Overijssel. In 1806 the Kingdom of Holland replaced the republic to further French interests. It was during this administration that Holland was first split in two, with the department of to the north and that of to the south. East Frisia, then as now in Germany, was added to the kingdom as a department in 1807 and Drenthe split off again making a total of 11 departments.
When the Netherlands finally did become fully part of France in 1810, the departments of the kingdom and their borders were largely maintained, with some joined together. They were however nearly all renamed, again mainly after rivers, though the names differed from their Batavian counterparts. Following are their names and the modern day province they mostly correspond to:
With the defeat and withdrawal of the French in 1813, the old provinces and their names were re-established, Holland was reunited and East-Frisia went its separate way. The 17 provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands were for a significant part based on the former French departments and their borders, in particular in what would later become Belgium.
There is continuous discussion within the Netherlands about the future of the provinces. Before 2014, the national government was planning to merge the provinces Flevoland, North Holland and Utrecht into a single province (). Due to significant protest the plan was abandoned.


Armorial of Estonia

The coats of arms of the 15 counties of Estonia are presented below.
See also.
See also: Flags of Estonian counties


North Bohemia

North Bohemia (, ), is a region in the north of the Czech Republic.
Location.
North Bohemia roughly covers the present-day NUTS regional unit of "CZ04 Severozápad" and the western part of "CZ05 Severovýchod".
From an administrative perspective, North Bohemia is made up of the present day Ústí nad Labem Region ("Ústecký kraj"), Karlovy Vary Region ("Karlovarský kraj") and Liberec Region ("Liberecký kraj").
In German language usage the term "Nordböhmen" (North Bohemia) often refers to that part of the Sudetenland once mainly populated by Germans in North Bohemia between Karlovy Vary in the west and the Krkonoše in the east.
Geography and nature.
North Bohemia is divided into many landscape areas including the Ore Mountains, the Bohemian Switzerland national park, Mácha’s Country, the Lusatian Mountains and Ještěd Ridge, Frýdlantsko and the Jizera Mountains. It is a popular tourist destination, much of which had been inaccessible until recently.
The Jizera and Lusatian Mountains are protected landscape areas. The summits of the Jizera Mountains climb to heights of about 1,000 metres above sea level, and the region’s peat bogs have been opened up with interconnecting educational trails. The national nature reserve of the Jizera Mountain Beechwood Forest (Jizerskohorské bučiny) contains the largest beech woodland in the Czech Republic, covering .
Major cities and towns in North Bohemia include Česká Lípa, Děčín, Jablonec nad Nisou, Liberec, Litoměřice, Most and Teplice.
Historic administrative unit.
In the administrative system of the former Czechoslovakia there was a North Bohemia province ("Severočeský kraj") from 1960-1990 that consisted of the present-day region of Ústí nad Labem and parts of Liberecký kraj.


Province of Pisa

The province of Pisa () is a province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. Its capital is the city of Pisa. With an area of and a total population of 421,642 (), it is the second most populous and fifth largest province of Tuscany. It is subdivided into 37 "comuni".
With a history that dates to the Etruscans and Phoenicians, the province achieved considerable power and influence in the Mediterranean in the 12th and 13th centuries. Pisa, the provincial capital, is known for its Leaning Tower, and other historic landmarks that attract tourists.
History.
The area has a long maritime history dating back to the Etruscans, the Phoenicians and the Gauls. Under the Roman Empire, it was responsible for naval battles against the Ligurians, Gauls and Carthaginians, becoming a Roman colony in 180 B.C. and gaining further colonial independence under Julius Caesar. Thanks to its complex river system, with the fall of the Roman Empire, Pisa did not suffer unduly and was able to combat Saracen pirates. In 828, it launched an expedition against the north African coast while in 871, Pisan troops helped to defend Salerno from the Moors.
In the 11th century, Pisa became a republic, reaching its zenith in the 12th and 13th centuries when its navy controlled the western Mediterranean. As a Maritime Republic, its power extended well beyond the Italian peninsula. After first being an ally then a rival of the Republic of Genoa, it suffered defeat at the Battle of Meloria in 1284. As a result, it began to decline and in 1406 was annexed to Florence becoming part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in the 16th century. In the 20th century, Pisa was hit hard by allied bombing and Nazi reprisals.
The current province descends from the Grand Duchy, while its territories are part of the former Maritime Republic of Pisa. In 1925, the municipalities of Bibbona, Campiglia Marittima, Castagneto Carducci, Cecina, Collesalvetti, Piombino, Rosignano Marittimo, Sassetta, and Suvereto were transferred to the Province of Livorno, and at the same time the municipalities of Castelfranco di Sotto, Montopoli in Val d'Arno, San Miniato, Santa Croce sull'Arno, and Santa Maria a Monte were acquired by the Province of Florence. In 1938, the comune of Castellina Marittima bought a small slice of the territory of the municipality of Cecina, part of the province of Livorno, which was attributed to an administrative error.
Geography.
Pisa Province extends from the alluvial plain of the Arno River, in western Tuscany, to the Ligurian Sea and has the shape of a gun upside down. It is bordered to the north by the Province of Lucca, to the east by the Metropolitan City of Florence and Province of Siena, to the south by Province of Grosseto, and to the west by the Province of Livorno and the Ligurian Sea. The province contains 39 comuni (municipalities). The most populous cities in the province as of 2013 are Pisa (86,494), Cascina (44,040), San Giuliano Terme (31,039), Pontedera (28,793), San Miniato (27,580), Ponsacco (15,503).
The northern area is mountainous, containing the Apennine mountain range of Mount Pisano, adjacent to the extreme offshoot of the Apuan Alps, that separates the province of Pisa from Lucca. The highest point of Monte Pisano range and of the province is at Monte Serra (). The Pisan coast, extends for about , and includes the following locations: Calambrone, Tirrenia and Marina di Pisa in the Municipality of Pisa, a stretch of coast about , protected as a park and administered by the City of San Giuliano Terme; Vecchiano Marina, in the municipality of Vecchiano, is also located in the park. The area of Pisa is flat, but, a few miles further south, in the southern part of the province, is classic Tuscan landscape consisting of hills, forests and ancient villages. Of particular note in the south is the Val di Cecina, the valley of the Cecina River, and the ancient city of Volterra to the west. The southern area of the province is hilly, containing the peak of Monte Aia dei Diavoli (867m).
Demography.
Statistics recorded since 1861 show that the population of the province has increased gradually, from 240,000 is the 1860s to c. 390,000 in the 1990s. Since the new millennium, it has increased by some 30,000 to over 420,000 today.
As of 1 January 2014, the ten most populated municipalities were Pisa (88,627), Cascina (44,901), San Giuliano Terme (31,315), Pontedera (28,915), San Miniato (28,072), Ponsacco (15,609), Santa Croce sull'Arno (14,528), Castelfranco di Sotto (13,431), Santa Maria a Monte (13,197) and Casciana Terme Lari (12,536),
Subdivisions.
"Comuni".
The province is subdivided into 37 "comuni" (singular: "comune"). This is the complete list of "comuni" in the province of Pisa:
Economy.
The Province of Pisa has a wide variety of companies and organisations in the public and private sectors. One of the main areas of production is leather and footwear, where some 800 enterprises employing about 10,000 workers manufacture 35% of the Italy's total output in the sector. Since 2003, clothing has also been under development. There are also a number of enterprises in the chemical sector, while pharmaceuticals are also a strong sector. Catalysed by the CNR national research authority, facilities have been developed in Cascina, Pontedera, Santa Croce and Peccioli. There are also a number of software development firms and IT consultancies. While in recent years the economic crisis has reduced activities in most areas, agriculture had continued to grow, thanks to traditional crops, wine production and diversification in the fruit and vegetables sector. Other sectors that have recently prospered include technology (+3.4%) and glass (+4.5%) while there have been drops in footwear (-3.1%), metals (-2%), electronics and transport equipment (-9.7%), construction (-7.8%) and manufacturing (-8.2%).
Tourism is also an important contributor to the local economy but in 2013 it suffered from a reduction of 10.7% in the number of visitors to the province, with a reduction of 3.5% in nights spent in hotels.
Main sights.
In addition to the many sights in the city of Pisa (the Leaning Tower, the cathedral and the Carovana Palace), the province has many attractions in its other towns and villages. The historic city of Volterra is noted for its cathedral, its Etruscan and Roman remains and its museums, churches and palaces.
Set on the top of three hills, the medieval city of San Miniato has a cathedral, a fortress tower, two palaces and numerous old churches.
The province has many villages of interest, including Vicopisano with its fortress and towers, Calci with its Charterhouse (now a museum), and Buti with its castle and Medici villa.
Other points of interest include the Villa di Corliano in San Giuliano Terme, the gated medieval village of Castelfranco di Sotto, the towers of Montopoli in Val d'Arno, the bell-tower of Peccioli, and the Rocca Sillana fortress in Pomarance.


Poprad District

Poprad District ("okres Poprad") is a district in
the Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia. The district had been established in 1923 and from 1996 exists in its current borders. It consists of 29 municipalities, from which three have a town status. Its seat, cultural and economic center is Poprad, the largest city. Main economic branches are industry and tourism. In Poprad district is located mountain range High Tatras, top tourist attraction in Slovakia.


Counties of Sweden

The counties of Sweden (Swedish: "Sveriges län") are the top-level geographic subdivisions of Sweden. Sweden is today divided into 21 counties; however, the number of counties has varied over time, due to territorial gains/losses and to divisions and/or mergers of existing counties. This level of administrative unit was first established in the 1634 Instrument of Government on Lord Chancellor Count Axel Oxenstierna's initiative, and superseded the historical provinces of Sweden () in order to introduce a more efficient administration of the realm. At that time, they were what the translation of "län" into English literally means: fiefdoms. The county borders often follow the provincial borders, but the Crown often chose to make slight relocations to suit its purposes.
In every county there is a county administrative board ("länsstyrelse") headed by a governor ("landshövding"), appointed by the government, as well as a separate regional council ("region"). In the county of Gotland however, the county's only municipality has adopted regional responsibilities.
The aims of the county administrative board are to supervise local state administration (that is not otherwise assigned to other government agencies), and to coordinate political goals with the central government. The regional council is the elected regional political assembly that oversees the municipal affairs of the county, primarily in regards to public healthcare, public transport, and culture.
Several other government agencies are organised on a county basis, including the main bodies of the police, employment, social insurance, and forestry services.
Map.
With county codes, which were official until 1974.
Each county region contains a number of municipalities (), the existence of which is partly at the discretion of the central government. Since 2004 their number has been 290, thus an average of 13.8 municipalities per county.
Until 1968, the City of Stockholm had its own "county code" A, which is still used interchangeably with AB in some contexts, and County of Stockholm had county code B. L was for Kristianstad County and M was for Malmöhus County but since they were merged to form Skåne County, M is usually used. O used to stand for Gothenburg and Bohus County but has been used for Västra Götaland County since it was merged with Skaraborg County (R) and Älvsborg County (P).
History.
Older subdivisions.
Sweden's provinces, or "landskap", and the "lands", or "landsdelar", lack political importance today but are common denominations culturally and historically. The provinces had their own laws and justice systems and could have large cultural and religious differences. Note that the province of Småland (literally "small land") historically was several provinces with its own laws. Here burial tradition in the era before the Viking Age could differ significantly from province to province. The province of Norrbotten is a relatively recent creation; it was part of Västerbotten which extended all the way to Österbotten into today's Finland before 1809. Finnish and Swedish Lappland was also one province until 1809.
Historically, the provinces were grouped in three lands: Götaland, being southern and western Sweden; Svealand being eastern and south-eastern, and Norrland being the entire northern half. The names of the first two refer to ancient tribes, and the third is a geographical reference. They are still commonly used as geographical references. The boundaries have changed over time, with the most significant in 1658 (the cession of provinces from Denmark-Norway to Sweden) and 1812 (due to the loss of Finland to Russia in 1809). In 1812 some provinces were moved from Götaland to Svealand.
Finland.
After the Finnish War, Sweden was forced to cede the counties in Finland to Russia following the Treaty of Fredrikshamn in (1809). However, the counties were upheld in Finland until a reform in 1997. They are still in use in Sweden, 370 years later.
The counties in Finland established in 1634 were: Turku and Pori County, Nyland and Tavastehus County, Viborg and Nyslott County, Ostrobothnia County and Kexholm County. Over time the number of subdivisions in Finland increased to twelve, until a reorganization in 1997 reduced their number to six provinces, while keeping the administrative model intact. The counties in Finland were abolished in 2010.
Abolished counties.
Abolished counties in current-day Sweden proper were:
Counties in Swedish-ruled Finland were:
Proposed regions.
Under the aegis of the Swedish government, "Ansvarskommittén" has been investigating the possibilities of merging the current 21 counties into 6 to 9 larger regions. These proposals are from their final report, delivered in 2007:
A model for this comes from the merger of some counties into Skåne County and Västra Götaland County in 1997 and 1998, respectively, which is now considered a success.
The counties are discussing the proposal. An obstacle is that Stockholm County does not want to merge with any other county, while its neighbours want to merge with Stockholm.
After this discussion the following proposal has in 2016 emerged:
The main difference is that the proposed Bergslagen is divided to other counties, and Stockholm is on its own (plus the small Gotland which has air connections to Stockholm)
Riksområden.
The counties in Sweden correspond to the third level of division in the European Union's system of Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics. For the purpose of creating regions corresponding to the second level, counties have been grouped into eight , or "National Areas": Stockholm, East Middle Sweden, North Middle Sweden, Middle Norrland, Upper Norrland, Småland and the islands, West Sweden and South Sweden.


Old Poland Voivodeship

Old Poland Voivodeship (Polish: "Wojewodztwo staropolskie") was a proposed Voivodeship of Poland, which, however, has not been created. It was to cover the area of northern part of the historical province of Lesser Poland, with such cities as Częstochowa, Kielce and Sandomierz (first draft also included Radom).
First talks.
First talks about creation of the new voivodeship took place on February 13, 1998 in the village of "Zloty Potok". Participants were local politicians from three voivodeships - Radomskie, Kieleckie and Czestochowskie. All knew that according to the "1998 Local Government Reorganization Act", territorial organization of Poland would significantly change, with the removal of most of the voivodeships, and therefore they decided to act.
A week later, on February 20, 1998, another meeting took place. This time, there were no representatives from Radom, they were replaced by politicians from western part of the Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship, together with the city of Sandomierz (but without the cities of Tarnobrzeg and Stalowa Wola), who expressed their desire to join the proposed province.
Włoszczowa Agreement.
On July 4, 1998 in Włoszczowa, politicians from Kielce, Częstochowa and Sandomierz signed the so-called Włoszczowa Agreement. It included a joint statement, which backed creation of the Old Poland Voivodeship, with the seat of a Voivode located in Częstochowa and seat of the local parliament in Kielce. The text of the agreement was handed to the central authorities of Poland on July 8.
However, the initiative failed, as the Local Government Reorganization Act created the Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship, which did not include the area of Częstochowa, as it became part of the Silesian Voivodeship.
Size and population.
According to the Włoszczowa Agreement, the proposed Voivodeship would cover the area of 17 006 km2. Its population (as for 2006) would be 1 995 000, with 48.8% living in urban areas. It would be made out of two urban counties (cities of Częstochowa and Kielce), and eighteen land counties. These were:


Lolland Municipality

Lolland municipality (on the island of Lolland) is a municipality (Danish, "kommune") in Region Sjælland in Denmark. According to "Municipal And Regional Key Figures" (www.noegletal.dk) it covers an area of 885.40 km² (341.85 square miles) and has a population of 40,395 (1 April 2021;45.62 inh./sq.km/118.16/sq.mi.). The western part of Guldborgsund Municipality, the southernmost in Denmark, occupies the eastern part of the island ("Østlolland").
The city hall and the seat of the mayor of Lolland municipality is in Maribo while the largest town is Nakskov. There are 25 members from 1. January 2018 - a reduction from 31 members - of the municipal council. The current mayor is a Social Democrat.
On Monday 1 January 2007 Lolland municipality was created as the result of "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), covering the former municipalities of Holeby, Højreby, Maribo, Nakskov, Ravnsborg, Rudbjerg and Rødby. The local politicians' original plan was to create two new municipalities: "Maribo Kommune" ("Midtlolland": middle of the island:Holeby, Højreby, Maribo, Rødby) and: "Nakskov Kommune" ("Vestlolland": western part of the island:Nakskov, Rudbjerg, Ravnsborg), but in a local referendum Wednesday 18 May 2005 it was decided by the voters to combine "all" of the 7 municipalities into one (the results were 51.6% for in "Midtlolland" and 54.6% for in "Vestlolland"). This is on a par with Sønderborg Municipality, which also is made up of 7 old municipalities, which is the highest among the new municipalities.
Politics.
Municipal council.
Lolland's municipal council consists of 25 members as of January 2018, elected every four years. Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007 which was made into law 26 June 2005 before the elections to the municipal councils including councils in the 67 new municipalities of which 66 functioned as merger committees during 2006. The new Ærø Municipality was allowed by the government to commence work from 1 January 2006.
Economy.
Lolland municipality is a countryside municipality largely dependent on its agricultural industry featuring an open and intensively farmed landscape. The island has been renowned for its large sugar beet production. Despite the official vision of creating an ecologically sustainable economy agriculture is mainly conventional and focusing on cash crops like wheat, sugar beets, rapeseed and an intensive production. The sugar beets are refined in up to date processing facilities owned by Nordzucker in Nakskov, the main industrial center. Nordzucker also has a sugar processing factory in Nykøbing Falster in neighboring Guldborgsund Municipality.
The focus on green technologies has resulted in another landscape feature, the many windmills dotting the island.
The shipyard "Nakskov Skibsværft" founded in 1916 by East Asiatic Company's H. N. Andersen, who was born in Nakskov, was the largest single workplace in the area with 1,500 employees (1966:2,200 employees). It closed January 1, 1987. In the heavy industry other large industrial production sites within the municipality have concentrated their efforts on specialised parts of the production, design for instance, but all factory jobs - the majority of the jobs - have been lost, i.e. MAN B&W Diesel A/S (founded as Holeby Dieselmotorfabrik A/S in 1919) in Holeby. What remains is light industry. Among the manufactured products are: medical devices made of plastic, breakfast cereals for private label companies.
Major companies having production facilities in Lolland Municipality include Codan Medical in Rødby. It is headquartered in neighboring Guldborgsund Municipality.
Demography.
In the census taken (date?) 1965 (not based on a computerised digital register) the municipalities within the area covering the present municipality had 61,879 inhabitants, and 1 January 1985 (registerbased) 55,897 inhabitants. In 2013 alone, population numbers fell by 2.043% (908 people), from 44,436 to 43,528 inhabitants. From 1965 to 1 April 2021, this represents a fall of 21,484 in the population number, which comes to 34.71%. The area given for the former municipalities is in square kilometers, and then in square miles: Nakskov municipality (area:32.67;12.61 square miles) alone had 17,390 inhabitants in 1965 (1998:15,549;2002: 15,152) and Maribo (area:154.02;59.46 square miles), the second most populous municipality in 1965 in the area had 12,517 (1998:11,280;2002:11,039), Ravnsborg (197.59;76.28 sq mi) had 8,708 (1999:5,780;2002: 5,677), Rødby (120.37;46.47 sq mi) 8,198 (1999: 6,809;2002:6,763), Højreby (127.79;49.33 sq mi) 5,114 (1997:4,257;2002:4,175), Holeby (116.07;44.81 sq mi) 4,993 (1996:4,269;2002:4,149), and Rudbjerg (143.41; 55.37 sq mi) 4,959 (1999:3,584;2002:3,564) inhabitants.
Towns (1 January 2020):
Towns in Lolland Municipality with population numbers as of 1 January 2020. This is the contiguously built-up area, not to be confused with the previous municipalities with the same names that were made up of several whole parishes, including rural areas. Nakskov town (built-up area) had 16,935 inhabitants in 1960.
The Church of Denmark has more than 40 parishes in the municipality as of December 2020.
Births:413 (2006);400 (2007);376 (2008);377 (2009);375 (2010);331 (2011);324 (2012);286 (2013);309 (2014);293 (2015);270 (2016);309 (2017);292 (2018);290 (2019);215 (2020)
Deaths:822 (2006);759 (2007);754 (2008);755 (2009);756 (2010);711 (2011);651 (2012);739 (2013);677 (2014);675 (2015);671 (2016);667 (2017);698 (2018);694 (2019);685 (2020)
Births - deaths:-409 (2006);-359 (2007);-378 (2008);-378 (2009);-381 (2010);-380 (2011);-327 (2012);-453 (2013);-368 (2014);-382 (2015);-401 (2016);-358 (2017);-406 (2018);-404 (2019);-470 (2020)
Source:Statistikbanken.dk/Befolkning og valg/(table)FODIE (births);FOD207 (deaths);BEV107 (births;deaths;birth surplus).
Transport.
The municipalities of Lolland and Bornholm and the archipelago of Ertholmene northeast of Bornholm are the places in eastern Denmark that are located the farthest from the capital and largest city of Denmark, Copenhagen. Although the transport to Copenhagen from Lolland can be undertaken by road and railway, Lolland from a point of view of transport can be seen as lying on a dead end (Danish: "blind vej";"blindgyde") - at least the western part. For most people having visited or visiting Germany on the other side of Fehmarn Belt, Lolland is just a drive-by place along the motorway route.
The railway passenger service in the municipality is operated by the railway company Lokaltog, subsidized by the central government through Movia, which is a part owner of the train company.
A ferry route connects Lolland with Langeland to the west.
Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link.
The traffic corridor between Hamburg and Copenhagen is linked via car and train ferries sailing between Rødby and Puttgarden two times an hour. This ferry route will have competition from the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link road and railway tunnel which is scheduled to be finished in 2026 and to open in 2029. The tunnel will be located in a corridor traversing Fehmarn Belt between a location (exits and entrances of the tunnel) east of the port of Rødbyhavn and a location (exits and entrances) east of the port of Puttgarden. When the tunnel is finished, Rødbyhavn will not have a train station. instead, which is 10 kilometers inland. This is because the location of the tunnel changes the route of the railway and road in such a way that it will be impossible to relocate the train station from its present place to another place inside the town of Rødbyhavn itself.


Province of Potenza

The Province of Potenza (; Potentino: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.
Geography.
It has an area of and a total population of 369,538 (as of 2017). There are 100 "comuni" (singular: comune) in the province (see Comuni of the Province of Potenza).
The province is characterized by various natural landscapes, ranging from the mountain lakes of Monticchio, the Lucan forest, the Monte Sirino massif, the large National Park of Pollino (shared by Calabria) and the Tyrrhenian coast of Maratea. The largest city is Potenza, followed by Melfi.
History.
In 272 BC the province was conquered by the Romans. The new rulers named the region Lucania. In the 11th century, the area became part of the Duchy of Apulia, which was at the time ruled by the Normans. From the 13th century it was part of the Kingdom of Naples, though Potenza was ruled by local vassals. In 1861, the province was unified with the rest of Italy in the newly formed Kingdom of Italy.
The region has suffered from numerous earthquakes in historic times, and is still a seismically active area.


Kolding Municipality

Kolding municipality is a municipality (Danish, "kommune") in Region Syddanmark on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in southeast Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 640 km², and has a total population of 87,781 (2008). Its mayor is Jørn Pedersen, a member of the Liberal Party ("Venstre") political party. The main city and the site of its municipal council is the seaport city of Kolding, the sixth largest city in Denmark.
Several major Danish motorways intersect in Kolding municipality. Middelfart municipality and Kolding municipality are connected by two bridges: the Old Little Belt Bridge and the New Little Belt Bridge.
On 1 January 2007 Kolding municipality was, as the result of "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), merged with Christiansfeld, Lunderskov, and Vamdrup municipalities to form a new Kolding municipality.
The municipality is part of Triangle Region and of the East Jutland metropolitan area, which had a total population of 1.378 million in 2016.
Geography.
To the east is a strait, first called "Snævringen" ("The Narrowing") and then further south "Bredningen" ("The Broadening"), that separates the Jutland mainland from the island of Funen in this area, where the two lie very close to each other, often less than 1.5 km apart. "Snævringen" is an extension of the Kattegat, and begins near the cities of Fredericia and Middelfart, north and east of Kolding municipality. As "Snævringen" broadens it becomes "Bredningen", which opens out into the Little Belt ("Lillebælt"), the main strait between Jutland and Funen. The municipality of Middelfart on the other side of "Snævringen" is thus Kolding's municipal neighbor to the east. The island of Fænø lies in "Snævringen" between Kolding and Middelfart.
Leading directly into the city of Kolding from "Snævringen" are the waters of Kolding Fjord.
Population.
There are 18 cities and towns (as defined by Statistics Denmark as an urban area with a population of at least 200) in the municipality. Of the 89,556 people living in the municipality, 78,695 reside permanently in an urban area, 10,759 reside in rural areas (including localities with less than 200 inhabitants).
Economy.
Danish Air Transport has its head office in Vamdrup.
Attractions.
The former royal castle of Koldinghus is located in Kolding city. It was built in the 13th century by King Eric Glipping and is now a museum with certain parts of the castle, including its chapel and hall, being used for governmental ceremonial events. It was the last royal residence in Jutland.
Another notable site is the 13th century stone Church of Saint Nicholas, which is one of the oldest in Denmark.
Other popular tourist attractions include the Trapholt Art Museum and the Geographic Garden ("Geografisk Have"). Trapholt has a collection of Danish arts from 1900 onwards, as well as a smaller number of non-Danish exhibits.
Politics.
Kolding's municipal council consists of 25 members, elected every four years. The municipal council has eleven political committees.
Municipal council.
Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.


List of Romania county name etymologies

This is a list of the origins of the names of counties of Romania. Many of the etymologies are Romanian interpretations of Slavonic names (e.g.: Gorj and Dolj), as the administration documents in the Middle Ages Romanian Principalities (Wallachia and Moldavia) were written in this language.


List of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland

This is a list of cantonal legislatures of Switzerland. Each canton has a democratically elected cantonal legislature, as well as elected members to the Federal Assembly. The cantonal legislatures are elected for four years, except in Fribourg, Vaud, Geneva and Jura, which elect their legislatures for five years.
The largest legislatures, in Zürich and St. Gallen, have 180 members each, whilst the smallest, in less-populous Appenzell Innerrhoden, has only 49 members. Appenzell Innerrhoden is also the only legislature that is non-partisan. All other legislatures operate party political systems. The Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) and FDP.The Liberals are the largest party in eight legislatures each, whilst the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC) is the largest in six and the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS) is the largest in three.
Two cantons, Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus, hold ' as their highest legislative body. Under this system, a form of direct democracy, all adult citizens may attend an annual general assembly, where they may vote on laws. A permanent legislature also sits more frequently, but sovereignty resides with the '. For the purpose of this article, the permanent legislature is considered the cantonal legislature.


Flags and arms of cantons of Switzerland

Each of the 26 modern cantons of Switzerland has an official flag and a coat of arms.
The history of development of these designs spans the 13th to the 20th centuries.
List.
The cantons are listed in their order of precedence given in the federal constitution. This reflects the historical order of precedence of the Eight Cantons in the 15th century, followed by the remaining cantons in the order of their historical accession to the confederacy.
"Standesfarben" were used to identify the (historical) cantons when the full banner was not available for display, although there is overlap; Unterwalden and Solothurn share the same colours, as do Basel and Appenzell, and with the accession of the modern cantons, Valais and Basel-City, and St. Gallen and Thurgau.
Heraldic charges.
Of the 26 cantons since 1999 (22 cantons in 1848, accession of Jura in 1979, three half-cantons designated "canton" in 1999):
Distinctively, Swiss cantons use square flags.
History.
Historically, the number of cantons was:
Nidwalden and Obwalden form traditional subdivisions of Unterwalden. Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, as well as Appenzell Inner- and Ausserrhoden, are half cantons, resulting from the division of Basel and Appenzell, respectively.
The Swiss Federal Constitution of 1999 abandoned the use of the term "half-canton" as an official designation, so that the official number of cantons became 26 - the former half-cantons being now referred to as "cantons with half a cantonal vote" officially, even though they are still commonly referred to as" half-cantons".
With the exception of Lucerne, Schwyz and Ticino, the cantonal flags are simply transposed versions of the cantonal coats of arms. In case of Lucerne and Ticino, whose flags consist of fields of different colours divided per fess (horizontally), the coats of arms are of the same colours divided per pale (vertically). The coat of arms of Schwyz has the cross moved from the (hoist) canton to the sinister canton with respect to the flag.
The coats of arms of the Thirteen Cantons are based on medieval signs, originating as war flags and as emblems used on seals.
For war flags, a distinction was made between "Banner" and "Fähnlein", the former was the large war flag used only in the case of a full levy of cantonal troops for a major operation. The latter was a smaller flag used for minor military expeditions. The "Banner" was considered a sacred possession, usually kept in a church. Losing the banner to an enemy force was a great shame and invited mockery from other cantons.
Pope Julius II in recognition of the support he received from Swiss mercenaries against France
in 1512 granted the Swiss the title of "Ecclesiasticae libertatis defensores" and gave them two large banners, besides a blessed sword and hat. Papal legate Matthias Schiner in addition gave to the Swiss cantons and their associates a total of 42 costly silk banners with
augmentations, the so-called "Juliusbanner".
Some of these banners survive, of the cantonal ones notably those of Zürich and Solothurn.
The fashion of arranging cantonal insignia in shields ("escutcheons") as coats of arms arises in the late 15th century.
The "Tagsatzung" in Baden was presented with stained glass representations of all cantons in ca. 1501.
In these designs, two cantonal "escutcheons" were shown side by side, below a shield bearing the Imperial Eagle and a crown, flanked by two banner-bearers.
Based on these, there arose a tradition of representing cantonal arms in stained glass ("Standesscheiben"), alive throughout the early modern period and continued in the modern state.
Zürich.
The flag of Zürich is derived from a blue-and-white design attested since the 1220s, the diagonal division of the flag is first attested 1389.
The flag of Zürich was adorned by a red Schwenkel since 1273. This was regarded as a mark of sovereignty and honour by the people of Zürich, but the Schwenkel was otherwise used as a mark of "shame", identifying replacement flags used after a real flag was captured by an enemy
This led to a misunderstanding after the Battle of Nancy, when the Duke of Lorraine removed the Schwenkel from the Zürich flag, stating that with the present victory, Zürich had "erased its shame". The perplexed Zürich troops later quietly re-attached the Schwenkel.
Zürich attached the Swiss cross in the red Schwenkel rather than in the main flag, and this may have contributed to the development of the flag of Switzerland (placing the white cross in a red field by default).
Bern.
The city of Bern is a Zähringer foundation of 1160. In the 13th century, its flag showed a black bear in a white field, changed to the current red-and-yellow diagonal arrangement in 1289.
Bern also had a war flag with a simple red-and-black horizontal division. The cantonal colours remain red and black.
Lucerne.
The blue-and-white flag is attested from 1386.
The vertical division of the coat or arms has been explained as due to a gonfalon type of banner used by Lucerne, hung from a horizontal crossbar, which was also used as a flagstaff, so that the flag was turned by 90 degrees when carried in battle.
Uri.
The flag originates in the 13th century. It was carried in the battles of Morgarten (1315) and Laupen (1339). One 14th century flag is preserved in the town hall of Altdorf.
Schwyz.
Schwyz used a solid red war flag (Blutbanner) from 1240.
From the 14th century, a depiction of the crucifixion was sometimes shown on the flag.
Pope Sixtus IV confirmed this addition in 1480, stating explicitly that the crown of thorns and the nails (Arma Christi) should be shown.
The coat of arms remained solid red throughout the 16th to 18th centuries, but from the 17th century in depictions in print (in black and white), the cross was sometimes shown.
The modern design of flag and coat of arms with the cross in one corner dates to 1815. The precise definition of the proportions of the cross dates to 1963.
Unterwalden.
The flag Unterwalden, as the canton itself, has a complicated history, on one hand due to the rivalry of the constituent half-cantons Obwalden and Nidwalden, and on the other because its historical flag was identical to that of Solothurn.
The war flag of Obwalden was plain red and white, first recorded in 1309.
Nidwalden tended to be dominated by Obwalden and usually fought under the same banner.
A single key was used in the seal of Nidwalden from the mid 13th century.
This seal was used for both Obwalden and Nidwalden (i.e. the united canton of Unterwalden) during the early 14th century. The addition et vallis superioris "and the upper valley" was scratched into the seal to reflect this.
At this point, there was a seal (with the key) and a war flag (red-and-white), but no coat of arms.
From ca. 1360, Obwalden and Nidwalden were separated into two independent territories, while keeping a single vote in the confederate diet. Because of the "and the upper valley" addition scratched into the seal, Nidwalden began using a new seal of its own, and the seal of Unterwalden, formerly the seal of Nidwalden, now was used by Obwalden. The seal of Nidwalden now showed St. Peter with his keys.
Nidwalden began using the double-key as a design on its war flag from the early 15th century.
The red-and-white flag of Unterwalden was now also the flag of Obwalden if both half-cantons were to be represented separately.
This was the situation as the fashion of coats of arms was introduced in the late 15th century.
The early Standesscheiben of the first decade of the 16th century show
the double-key as the coat of arms and flag of Nidwalden, while Obwalden has the red-and-white design in both its flag and its coat of arms.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the coat of arms of the combined canton of Unterwalden came to be depicted as a superposition of the red-and-white flag of Obwalden and the double-key of Nidwalden.
Only in the mid 18th century does the single-key symbol (taken from the 13th-century seal) appear occasionally in coats of arms of Obwalden.
This design was introduced as the official coats of arms of Obwalden in 1816, and the same design came gradually into use also for the flag of Obwalden, which also resolved the problem of the Obwalden flag being identical to that of Solothurn.
Glarus.
The flag of Glarus ultimately goes back to a banner of Saint Fridolin used in the Battle of Näfels in 1388, because the former banner of Glarus had been captured by the people of Rapperswil in a previous raid.
After this, Glarus used the image of the saint in its banners. During the 15th and 16th century, these images varied considerably. Only by the beginning 17th century a standard design was established, showing the Saint as a pilgrim in silver on a red field.
The modern design shows the pilgrim in black, inspired by a banner shown in Glarus claimed as the original banner of 1388.
The current official design dates to 1959.
Zug.
First recorded in 1319.
Fribourg.
The oldest seal of the city dates to 1225 and shows the Zähringer coat of arms.
Fribourg became independent from the Duchy of Savoy in 1477.
The adoption of the black and white banner dates to this period, first recorded in 1478.
In the 17th century, the city coat of arms is shown as quartered, with the city's black and white
in the 1st and 4th quarters, and three towers in white on a blue field in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
The cantonal colours in the 17th and 18th century, and into the early 19th century, are black and blue, while the coat of arms is shown as white and black.
In 1830, the canton of Friburg adopts black and white for the cantonal coat of arms and as cantonal colours.
Solothurn.
1443 (1394?)
Basel.
The peculiar heraldic shape of the crozier (the "Baselstab" or "Basel staff") dates to the 13th century, used in the seals of the bishops of Basel.
It was introduced as heraldic emblem in 1385. From this time, the Baselstab in black represented the city, and the same emblem in red represented the bishop.
The staff represented was based on an actual artefact, a gilded staff recorded for the 12th century.
It is of unknown origin or significance (beyond its obvious status of bishop's crozier), but it is assumed to have represented a relic, possibly attributed to Saint Germanus of Granfelden.
The banner of the city of Basel with the same design was introduced in the early 15th century, as the city gained greater independence from the ruling bishops of Basel.
The flag and coat of arms of Basel-Landschaft was introduced in 1834, from the coat of arms of Liestal.
It represents red Baselstab historically used by the bishops, but with the addition of seven crockets ("Krabben", in local dialect also dubbed "Siebedupf") and turned to face sinister, representing the secession and "facing away" from the city.
Schaffhausen.
The flag is documented from 1218. The crown was added to the ram in 1512. The ram was originally rampant with only the rear left hoof on the ground, but in the 1940s this was changed to the salient position with both rear hooves on the ground.
Appenzell.
The flag is based on that of the Abbot of St. Gallen, who was the feudal lord of Appenzell until 1403. The flag of the abbey showed a bear on a yellow field, and the independent territory Appenzell changed the field to white for its own flag.
Before its independence, Appenzell had a flag of a bear statant (on all fours) on a honeycombed field, attested from 1377.
Appenzell split into its two half-cantons as a result of the Swiss Reformation, in 1597.
The letters V and R in the Ausserrhoden flag stand for "Ussere Rhoden" "outer districts" (V representing /u/).
The oldest representation of the letters is found on a flag, presumably of the 17th century and known to have been in use in 1743.
On this flag, the bear is facing away from the hoist, with the letters V and R on the hoist side, behind the bear's back. Above the V is the inscription "SOLI", corresponding to a lost "DEO GLORIA" on the reverse side. Other military flags with the V and R on either side of the bear are known from the late 18th century.
St. Gallen.
The coat of arms of the city of St. Gallen like the cantonal coat of arms of Appenzell since the 14th century has shown the bear taken from the flag of the abbot of St. Gall. But the canton of St. Gallen is unrelated to the historical territory of its eponymous capital, having been patched together from eight unrelated territories of other Cantons in 1798.
The cantonal arms and flag are an original design by David von Gonzenbach, created in 1803.
In the original design, the weapon contained in the fasces was a halberd, but this was changed to the axe in 1843. There were a number of other design changes during the 20th century; from the 1930s until 1951, a black Swiss cross was placed on the axe blade to avoid association with the fasces as used as a symbol of Italian fascism.
Grisons.
The flag of Grisons was adopted in 1933.
From 1815 to 1933, the canton had used various combinations of the three coats of arms of the historical Three Leagues. The modern design combines simplified versions of the historical coats of arms.
A combined coat of arms with the same division of the shield as in the modern version (but with the position of the leagues of God's House and of the Ten Jurisdiction reversed) is already found on the "Patenpfenning" minted by Jacob Stampfer in 1547.
Aargau.
Aargau (Argovia) is the ancient name of the march between Alemannia and Burgundy, but it never was an independent canton historically. Since 1712, the territory of the modern canton had been divided between Zürich and Bern. The canton of Aargau was created as an administrative division of the Helvetic Republic, and its flag is an original design by Samuel Ringier-Seelmatter of Zofingen (1767–1826), dating to 1803.
The current official design, specifying the stars as five-pointed, dates to 1930.
Thurgau.
Like Aargau, Thurgau (Turgovia) was historically a subject territory of the confederacy, and was created as a canton of the Helvetic Republic.
The flag design is an ad hoc creation of 1803, based on the two lions in the coat of arms of the House of Kyburg which ruled Thurgau in the 13th century.
The green-and-white were regarded as "revolutionary" colours in 1803, also introduced in the coats of arms of St. Gallen and Vaud, but the placement of a yellow lion on white is a violation of heraldic principles, and also creates a visibility problem. There have been suggestions to correct this, including a 1938 suggestion to use a solid green field divided by a diagonal white line, but they were not successful.
Ticino.
The flag is an 1803 design, but its designer or intended symbolism have not been recorded.
The convention of displaying the flag "per fess" is apparently inspired by Lucerne.
Vaud.
The design dates to 1803, based on the flag used in the Vaudois insurrection against Bernese rule in the 1790s, which was green and inscribed with Liberté, Egalité in white lettering. From this, the white and green became the "revolutionary" colours of cantons newly created from former subject territories of the confederacy, also used in the flags of the cantons of St. Gallen and Thurgau, and a green flag was also briefly used by Aargau.
The lettering in the Vaudois flag was in black or in green during 1803–1819, the gold was introduced with the military flag as Vaud organised its army in 1819. As such, it violates the heraldic rule of tincture which states that gold (or yellow) may not be placed upon silver (or white).
Valais.
The Bishop of Sion used a vertically divided red-and-white war flag from ca. 1220. The coat of arms of Valais originates in 1613, as the subject territories of the bishop were united into a republic, the stars representing the individual Dixains. There were six stars in 1613, augmented to seven in 1628. In the 1803 Act of Mediation, Napoleon separated the Valais from the restored Swiss Confederacy, and in 1810 he annexed it into the Department of Simplon. At this point the number of Dixains and the number of stars in the flag was increased to twelve. The thirteenth star was added as the Valais joined the restored Swiss Confederacy in 1815, with the creation of Conthey as the thirteenth Dixain.
Neuchâtel.
The flag is unrelated to the historical flag of the town of Neuchâtel, which had been in use from 1350, and as cantonal flag from 1815 until 1848, and which remains part of the town's coat of arms.
The canton of Neuchâtel was admitted to the restored Swiss Confederacy in 1815, but with the peculiar reservation that it owed nominal fealty to the king of Prussia. This lingering monarchism led to a republican coup in 1848, under the flag that would later become the cantonal flag.
The conflict between monarchists by 1856 threatened to devolve into full civil war, but in 1857, Frederick William IV of Prussia renounced all claims to Neuchâtel, and the 1848 revolutionary banner was made the official cantonal flag.
Use of the flag remained disputed, and during the 20th century there were three unsuccessful attempts to reintroduce the historical flag of 1350 by popular vote.
Geneva.
The flag of Geneva is the historical flag of the city of Geneva, showing the Imperial Eagle and a Key of St. Peter (symbolizing the status of Geneva as Reichsstadt and as episcopal seat, respectively), in use since the 15th century.
The flag of the medieval bishopric of Geneva showed two golden Keys of Peter in the red field of the imperial Blutbanner since 1293.
The full coat of arms of Geneva includes a crest in the form of half a sun inscribed with JHS (for Jesus Hominum Salvator), and a scroll below the shield with the motto Post Tenebras Lux.
The coat of arms of the city of Geneva was adopted as the cantonal coat of arms the accession of Geneva as a city-canton to the restored Swiss Confederacy in 1815.
Jura.
The separatist movement which eventually led to the canton's creation emerged in the 1940s, and the flag is a design by Paul Boesch, dated to 1943. The crozier symbolizes the former Prince-Bishopric of Basel, the seven stripes represent the seven districts of the Bernese Jura.
It was officially recognized as a regional flag by Bern from the early 1950s.
The canton of Jura was created in 1979 after a referendum, but only three of the seven districts opted to join. The seven stripes were retained in the cantonal flag regardless, and there remains some irredentism calling for a restored unity of all seven districts.


Salinas de Janubio

Salinas de Janubio are salt flats in Lanzarote of the Canary Islands. It is about north of Playa Blanca. In 1730, lava from volcano eruptions formed the walls of a natural lagoon. The salt flats were first created in 1895. The waters from the natural lagoon are evaporated to yield the salt. The waters of the lagoon were originally pumped in using wind power, but now electric pumps are used. Up to 2,000-15,000 tons of salt per year can be extracted from the salt flats.
The salt that came from the salt flats has been used to preserve fish. The salt has also been used to make dyes that local artists use, especially for decorations used in the annual Corpus Christi festival.
A number of migratory birds visit the salt flats.


List of Sites of Community Importance in the Canary Islands

This is a list of Sites of Community Importance in the Canary Islands.


North Lancashire/Cumbria

North Lancashire/Cumbria (usually referred to as North Lancs/Cumbria) was an English Rugby Union League at the seventh tier of club rugby union for teams from North Lancashire and Cumbria that ran until the end of 2017–18 season. Promotion from this division used to be into North 1 West with the champions going straight up and the league runners up facing the league runners up from South Lancs/Cheshire 1 for their place. Clubs at the bottom of the table were relegated either to North Lancashire 1, South Lancs/Cheshire 2 or the Cumbria League depending on their geographical location.
The division was initially known as North-West East/North 1 when it was created in 1987, and had a number of different names since with North Lancs/Cumbria being the longest running. At the end of the 2017–18 season, the RFU had to cancel the division after 19 Lancashire clubs withdrew from RFU competitions across the leagues to form their own competitions. As a result, all Lancashire based teams in this division that wanted to remain in the RFU league structure were transferred into Lancs/Cheshire 1, while the Cumbria sides were transferred into Cumbria 1.
Original teams.
When league rugby began in 1987 this division contained the following teams:
North Lancashire/Cumbria Honours.
North-West East/North 1 (1987–1992).
The original incarnation of North Lancashire/Cumbria was known as North-West East/North 1, and was a tier 9 league with promotion up to North West 2 and relegation down to either North-West East 1 or North-West North 1.
Cumbria/Lancs North (1992–1996).
As part of the north-west league restructuring North-West East/North 1 was renamed as Cumbria/Lancs North for the 1992–93 season with promotion continuing up to North West 2 and relegation down to either Lancashire North 1 (formerly North-West East 1) or Cumbria. Initially a tier 9 league, the creation of National 5 North for the 1993–94 season meant that Cumbria/Lancs North dropped to become a tier 10 league.
North Lancs/Cumbria (1996–2000).
The league system was restructured from top to bottom by the Rugby Football Union for the start of the 1996–97 season. Cumbria/Lancs North was renamed as North Lancs/Cumbria, and the cancellation of National 5 North and creation of North West 3 meant that it remained a tier 10 league. Promotion was now to North West 3 while relegation was to either North Lancashire 1 or Cumbria.
North Lancs/Cumbria (2000–2018).
Northern league restructuring by the RFU at the end of the 1999–00 season saw the cancellation of North West 1, North West 2 and North West 3 (tiers 7-9). This meant that North Lancs/Cumbria became a tier 7 league, with promotion to North 2 West (currently North 1 West). Relegation continued to be to either North Lancashire 1 or Cumbria.
Promotion play-offs.
Since the 2000–01 season there has been a play-off between the runners-up of North Lancashire/Cumbria and South Lancs/Cheshire 1 for the third and final promotion place to North 1 West. The team with the superior league record has home advantage in the tie. At the end of the 2017–18 season the North Lancashire/Cumbria and South Lancs/Cheshire 1 team sides have nine wins apiece; and the home team has won promotion on thirteen occasions compared to the away teams five.