Infraorbital foramen

In human anatomy, the infraorbital foramen is an opening in the maxillary bone of the skull located below the infraorbital margin of the orbit. It transmits the infraorbital artery and vein, and the infraorbital nerve, a branch of the maxillary nerve. It is typically from the infraorbital margin.
Structure.
Forming the exterior end of the infraorbital canal, the infraorbital foramen communicates with the infraorbital groove, the canal's opening on the interior side.
The ramifications of the three principal branches of the trigeminal nerve—at the supraorbital, infraorbital, and mental foramen—are distributed on a vertical line (in anterior view) passing through the middle of the pupil. The infraorbital foramen is used as a pressure point to test the sensitivity of the infraorbital nerve. Palpation of the infraorbital foramen during an extraoral examination or an administration of a local anesthetic agent will cause soreness to the area.
Jerpoint Abbey is a Cistercian abbey near Thomastown. It was constructed in 1180, probably on the site of an earlier Benedictine monastery built in 1160 by Domnall Mac Gilla Patraic, King of Osraige. Jerpoint is notable for its stone carvings, including one at the tomb of Felix Ua Duib Sláin, Bishop of the Diocese of Ossory when the abbey was founded.
Duiske Abbey in Graiguenamanagh founded in 1204 was one of the first and largest Cistercians monasteries in Ireland. What remains of the monastery is a large gothic church which dominates the town centre in Graiguenamanagh. The abbey derives its name from the river Duiske or Dúbh Uisce which flows through the town on its way to the river Barrow which also flows through this town. Original floor tiles from the original building can be seen in the abbey along with the gothic and romanesque architecture.
The Black Abbey in Kilkenny, founded 1225, is a Dominican abbey with two-bay double-height lean-to lower aisle to south. It was extended, c. 1325, with four-bay double-height transept to south having four-bay double-height lean-to lower aisle to west.
Kells Priory is one of the largest medieval historic monuments in Ireland. It is a National Monument and is in the guardianship of the Commissioners of Public Works. The priory is scenically situated alongside King's River, about fifteen kilometres south of Kilkenny. One of its most striking feature is a collection of medieval tower houses spaced at intervals along and within walls which enclose a site of just over . These give the priory the appearance more of a fortress than of a place of worship and from them comes its local name of "Seven Castles".
The Callan Augustinian Friary is situated in Callan. It is known locally as the "Abbey Meadow" and is located at the North East of the town on the banks of the Kings Rover. Edmund Butler of Pottlerath, a noted patron of literature, successfully petitioned Pope Pius II for the foundation of the friary in 1461. After Edmund died in 1462, the actual buildings were erected by his son, James, probably after 1467 when he received a papal dispensation to marry his concubine, to whom he was related.
18th-century bridges.
There are many 18th-century bridges in County Kilkenny. These bridges are an important element of the civil engineering and transport heritage of County Kilkenny and so are included in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) Building Survey.
The Great Flood of 1763 washed away many of the major bridges crossing the River Nore, and a comprehensive rebuilding programme was initiated. Many of the bridges are built to designs prepared by George Smith (1763–67), a pupil of George Semple, and they feature Classical-style detailing, indicating the lasting influence of the illustrations included in Andrea Palladio's "I quattro libri dell'architettura" (1570). Smith designed Green's Bridge in Kilkenny, Castlecomer Bridge on the Dinin (Deen) River; Thomastown Bridge on the River Nore; Graiguenamanagh Bridge on the River Barrow and Inistioge Bridge on the River Nore.
Other 18th-century bridges include; the bridges in Goresbridge, Bennettsbridge, Kells, Threecastles, Dinin Bridge and the bridge at Mount Juliet.
Churches.
In Medieval times many fine churches in Ireland were also built such as St. Mary's Collegiate Church Gowran, St. Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny and St. Mary's Cathedral.
St. Lachtain's Church, Freshford was built in 1731, incorporating a portal from 1100 as its main entrance, all that is left of the original church is the Hiberno-Romanesque (Irish-Roman) architectural porch and doorway. The remainder of the present church was built for Protestant worship in 1731. In St. Lachtains time Freshford was a diocese. In 1225 a bishops palace was built at Aghore (Achadh Ur), now Uppercourt. It was used as a summer residence for over 300 years.
Tourist attractions.
In County Kilkenny Jerpoint Abbey near Thomastown, Kells Priory at Kells. Kilkenny City including St Canice's Cathedral and St Mary's Cathedral, Rothe House and Kilkenny Castle.
Dunmore Cave is a show cave in Ballyfoyle, with a tourist centre established at the site. As well as a variety of cave formations, it is also one of the most documented archaeological sites in Ireland. Jenkinstown Park is about north of the town of Kilkenny and south of Castlecomer off the N78 road.
Gardens and Trails.
Gardens include Kilfane Glen in Thomastown, Woodstock Garden in Inistioge, the Discover Park in Castlecomer, Darver House garden in Jenkinstown, "Coolcashin Garden" near Johnstown, Emoclew Garden in Goresbridge, Shankill Gardens & Castle in Paulstown, Rothe Family Garden in Kilkenny, Dahlia garden in The Rower and the rose garden at Kilkenny Castle. Hedgerows also have historical significance as townland and field boundaries.
The Nore Valley Way is a long-distance trail under development. When completed it will begin in Kilkenny City and end in Inistioge. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Trail Kilkenny, a group made up of representatives of Kilkenny County Council, County Kilkenny LEADER Partnership, Kilkenny Sports Partnership and local landowners.
The scenic South Leinster Way, a very scenic trail, journeys along the lower Barrow Valley before leaving the riverside at Graiguenamanagh to traverse the lower slopes of Brandon Hill.
Demographics.
As of the 2016 census, by the Central Statistics Office, County Kilkenny's population was 99,232, of whom 38,722 people reported some level of Irish language usage. There were 41,363 people reported as at work in the county in 2016. There were 1,251 births and 546 deaths in 2007. Disposable household income per person as of 2005 was 18,032 euros and the index of disposable household was 89.4.
The main religion is Catholic, however there are Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Jewish and other religious traditions living in Kilkenny.
Irish language.
County Kilkenny was the last county in Leinster to have native Irish speakers other than Louth (which was historically and linguistically a part of Ulster). The dialect shared the majority of its features with the surviving dialect of Ring in Co. Waterford. One distinct feature of the traditional Irish of Kilkenny (and Laois) as part of the Ossory dialect region was the pronunciation of slender R [ɾʲ] as [ʒʲ] similar to but not exactly like the G in the English word "regime". This [ʒʲ] sound was devoiced to an "sh" sound when slender R was adjacent to the sound /h/. The Irish language scholar Risteárd A. Breatnach wrote an MA thesis entitled "Kilkenny Irish" but this remains unpublished.
Baile Shéamais, in Glenmore, was home to Pádraig Paor who is believed to have been the last traditional native speaker of the Irish language in Co. Kilkenny. Audio-recordings were made of his speech in 1936 for the Irish Folklore Commission (Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann) by Séamus Ó Duilearga and Risteárd A Breatnach. His speech contains the well-documented Ossory pronunciation of slender R [ɾʲ] as [ʒʲ], resembling the <j> sound of Standard French.
Economy.
Cooperatives.
In 1966, County Kilkenny village creameries amalgamated to create Avonmore Creameries, becoming Avonmore Food plc in 1988. The company joined with Waterford Food plc in 1997. It is today known as Glanbia, a large multinational nutrition company with revenues of over €2.3 billion and 6,900 employees.
Infrastructure.
Transport.
Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) provides rail services from Dublin to Waterford which pass through Kilkenny MacDonagh Station in Kilkenny and Thomastown railway station. Waterford railway station is located just outside County Kilkenny. The stations served are Dublin Heuston, Newbridge, Kildare, Athy, Carlow, Muine Bheag (Bagenalstown), Kilkenny, Thomastown, Waterford Plunkett. Since Kilkenny is a stub station, reversal is necessary. Non Passenger trains such as the DFDS Freight train from Ballina - Waterford avoid Kilkenny by using Lavistown loop which joins both lines going into Kilkenny. All direct services are operated by 22000 railcars. There is a service every 2 hours.
Bus Éireann and JJ Kavanagh and Sons provide bus services throughout the county.
Kilkenny Airport is a small airport located just 1.5 km West of Kilkenny. There are 6 powered resident aircraft and two gliders based at the aerodrome.
Hospitals.
Hospitals in County Kilkenny include three public and one private hospitals. St. Luke's General Hospital is a general medical and surgical hospital built in 1942. It is situated on the Freshford Road and provides a range of local and regional services, including general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics. St. Canice's is a psychiatric hospital, opened in 1852 and located on the Dublin Road. It provides a range of mental health services including acute and long stay care, out-patient services throughout the county including addiction counselling services, respite care community hostel facilities and day care facilities. Kilcreene is the regional orthopaedic hospital based outside Kilkenny in Kilcreene. Aut Even is a private hospital based outside the city of Kilkenny. In Castlecomer there is Castlecomer District Hospital.
Most maternity services for County Kilkenny are proved in Waterford at University Hospital Waterford.
There are also health centres based around County Kilkenny including in Ballyhale, Ballyragget, Bennettsbridge, Callan, Castlecomer, Clogh, Castlecomer, Freshford, Gowran, Graiguenamanagh, Marley and Tinnahinch in Graiguenamanagh, Inistioge, Johnstown, Loughboy in Kilkenny, Stoneyford, Kilmacow, Mullinavat, Paulstown, Rosbercon, Thomastown, Urlingford and Windgap.
Sport.
GAA.
In hurling, by far the dominant sport in the county, Kilkenny GAA compete annually in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, which they have won a record thirty-six times, the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, which they have won seventy times, and the National Hurling League, which they have won seventeen times. Kilkenny, along with Cork and Tipperary, are regarded as 'the Big Three' in the world of hurling. Brian Cody has been manager of the Kilkenny senior hurling team since 1998. The current senior hurling captain is Joey Holden from Ballyhale Shamrocks.
The Kilkenny flag or county colours are black and amber. The County Kilkenny hurling team, Tullaroan, were the first Kilkenny team to wear the famous black and amber colours. In 1886, after winning the first-ever county championship in Kilkenny they held a fund-raising event in Tullaroan to provide the team with a playing strip. After intensive debate and consultations the club chose the black and amber stripes as the design for the jerseys that they would wear against Limerick that August.
Horse racing.
Gowran Park is a horse racing course near Gowran. The first meeting was held in 1914 and the racecourse hosts 16 race days throughout the year including the Thyestes Chase (The Grand National of the South), one of the prestigious steeplechases in Ireland which has been won by three time Cheltenham Gold Cup Winner, Arkle in 1964 and Aintree Grand National winners Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde. It has 16 National Hunt and Flat meetings all year round.
Golf.
Mount Juliet Golf Course is a golf resort situated in Thomastown. It was the venue for the 2002 and 2004 WGC-American Express Championship, having previously hosted the European Tour's Irish Open on three occasions between 1993 and 1995. The par 72, Jack Nicklaus designed golf course opened in 1991, and was voted "Best Parkland Golf Course" by Backspin Golf Magazine in March 2008. There is also a full 18-hole putting course set in the grounds of Mount Juliet House, which is the venue for the annual National Putting Championship.
Kilkenny Golf Club is 18-hole championship parkland course within the town to the North West, close to town centre. It hosted several Professional Championship events. In 1984 and 1996, it was the venue for the All Ireland Mixed Foursome Finals and in 1985 hosted the All Ireland Cups and Shields Finals. The course is mostly flat terrain with an abundance of trees. Around Kilkenny City there is also a Driving Range in Newpark and an 18-hole all weather Par 3 golf course in Pocoke.
Other golf courses include Gowran Park Golf Course in Gowran, Callan Golf Club in Callan, Castlecomer Golf Club in Castlecomer, Mountain View Golf Course in Ballyhale and Carrigleade Golf Course in Graiguenamanagh.
Culture.
The Riordans (1965 to 1979) made by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (then called "Telefís Éireann") was set in the fictional townland of Leestown in County Kilkenny. Its use of Outside Broadcast Units and its filming of its episodes "on location" rather than in studio, broke the mould of broadcasting in the soap opera genre. It was the second Irish soap opera and inspired the creation of its British equivalent, "Emmerdale Farm" (now called "Emmerdale") by Yorkshire Television in 1972.
County anthem.
The song "The Rose of Mooncoin" is the traditional anthem of the county at GAA fixtures.
The recently released, "Kilkenny by the Nore" sung by Alice O'Hanlon is also now considered an anthem.
Notable people.
In the book: "Kilkenny: The Landed Gentry & Aristocracy" by Art Kavanagh (2004), he had devoted a chapter each to eighteen of the most prominent Kilkenny Families, chosen 'on a random geographical basis to ensure even distribution over the entire County', as follows - Agar of Gowran, Blunden of Castle Blunden, Bryan of Jenkinstown, Butler (Lords Carrick), Butler of Maidenhall, Butler (Lords Mountgarret), Butler (Earls of Ormonde), Cuffe (Lords Desart), De Montmorency, Flood of Farmley, Langrishe of Knocktopher, Loftus of Mount Juliet, McCalmont of Mount Juliet, Ponsonby (Earls of Bessborough), Power of Kilfane, Smithwick of Kilcreene, St George of Freshford and Wandesforde of Catlecomer.


Vesthimmerland Municipality

Vesthimmerland Municipality or Vesthimmerlandøs Municipality is a municipality () in the North Jutland Region in Denmark. It covers an area of 768,08 km² (2013) and has a total population of 38,277 inhabitants (2008). The Municipality borders Jammerbugt Municipality to the south and to the east it borders Rebild and Aalborg Municipality and to the south it borderes Viborg Municipality and to the south-east it borders Mariagerfjord Municipality.
On 1 January 2007 Vesthimmerland municipality was created as the result of "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), consisting of the former municipalities of Aalestrup, Farsø, Løgstør, and Aars.
The municipal seat is the city of Aars, which also was the seat in the former Aars Municipality.
Four principal towns.
The municipality's four principal towns ("hovedbyer") are Aars, Farsø, Løgstør & Aalestrup, all of them were former municipal seats of their former municipalities.
Aars.
Aars, the municipal seat of Vesthimmerland municipality and the largest town of Vesthimmerland municipality, is located to the east of the three other principal towns. Aars is/was a railway town and was the principal town of Aars Municipality. It has a population of 8,246.
Farsø.
Farsø is a town with a population of 3,299 in Region Nordjylland in Denmark in the Vesthimmerland municipality. It is located west of Aars, south of Løgstør, and north-west of Aalestrup. Until 1 January 2007 Farsø was also a municipality in North Jutland County. The municipality covered an area of 201 km², and had a total population of 7,991.
Løgstør.
Løgstør is a town with a population of 4,284 and the former seat of Løgstør municipality. It is located north-west of the other principal towns. The former municipality, including the island of Livø, covered an area of 218 km2 (84 sq mi), and had a total population of 10,270.
Aalestrup.
Aalestrup is a town in Vesthimmerland municipality with a population of 2,729. It is the furthest south of all the four principal towns. Aalestrup School has 294 students. It was also a municipal seat until 2007.
Former municipalities.
Aars Municipality.
The municipality covers an area of 223 km², and had a total population of 13,284 (2005). Its latest mayor was Knud V. Christensen, a member of the Conservative People's Party ("Det Konservative Folkeparti") political party.
Farsø Municipality.
The municipality covered an area of 201 km², and had a total population of 7,991 (2005). Its last mayor was H. O. A. Kjeldsen, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party.
Løgstør Municipality.
The municipality, including the island of Livø, covered an area of , and had a total population of 10,270 (2005). Its last mayor was Jens Lauritzen, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party.
Aalestrup Municipality.
The municipality covered an area of 176 km², and had a total population of 7,631 (2005). Its latest mayor was Rigmor Sandborg.
The main town and the site of its municipal council was the town of Aalestrup. The municipality was located on the eastern shores of the area known as "Himmerland", a part of the Jutland peninsula; the western border of the municipality was partially defined by the waters of Lovn's Broadening ("Lovns Bredning").
Politics.
Municipal council.
Næstved's municipal council consists of 27 members, elected every four years.
Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.
Notable people.
Not including people included on the Wiki pages for their own towns and villages elsewhere in the municipality


Trikala (regional unit)

Trikala () is one of the regional units of Greece, forming the northwestern part of the region of Thessaly. Its capital is the town of Trikala. The regional unit includes the town of Kalampaka and the Meteora monastery complex.
Geography.
Trikala borders the regional units of Karditsa to the south, Arta to the southwest, Ioannina to the west, Grevena to the north and Larissa to the east.
The southeastern part belongs to the Thessalian Plain. The forested Pindus mountain range dominates the western part. The northern part of Trikala is also mountainous and made up of forests and barren lands, the ranges here are Chasia and Antichasia. Its major river is the Pineios, flowing to the south and east.
Its climate is mainly of Mediterranean character, with hot summers and cold winters, along with temperate climate conditions by the mountains.
Administration.
The regional unit Trikala is subdivided into 4 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):
Prefecture.
Trikala was created as a prefecture () in 1882. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Trikala was created out of the former prefecture Trikala. 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.
Trikala prefecture had two provinces, named Trikala and Kalampaka, after the two largest towns.
"Note:" Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.
History.
The area of Trikala was relatively obscure in ancient Thessaly, as well as during the periods of Macedonian, Romans, and Byzantine rule. Under the Ottomans, Trikala was known as "Tırhala" and became the seat of the Sanjak of Tirhala, encompassing most of Thessaly, until the late 18th century. Despite a number of rebellions against Ottoman rule, the area remained under Ottoman control until joined with the independent Kingdom of Greece in 1881.
Upon annexation by Greece, Trikala became the seat of one of the two prefectures in which Thessaly was divided (the other being Larissa Prefecture). The area was briefly occupied by the Ottomans again during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, and by the Italians and Germans during the Axis occupation of Greece in World War II. In 1947, the southern part was split off as Karditsa Prefecture.
Economy.
Agriculture.
The agriculture of the area is famous, and produces a part of the country's production also in export. Its well-known production includes fruit and vegetables, cotton, olives, cattle and other foodstuffs.
Transport.
There are a number of highways and the main railway from Volos to Meteora crosses Thessaly. The region is directly linked to the rest of Europe through International Airport of Central Greece located in Nea Anchialos in a small distance from Trikala. In the 1980s, the Trikala Bypass was opened and between 1998 and 2006, the Via Egnatia was under construction with tunnels and bridges ; the first section was opened in 2002, and the final section in 2006.


Roskilde Municipality

Roskilde municipality () is a municipality in Region Sjælland, 30 km west of Copenhagen on the island of Zealand ("Sjælland") in east Denmark.
The biggest city is Roskilde, the municipality covers an area of 212 km², and it has a total population of 80,687 (2008). Its current mayor is Tomas Breddam. He is a member of Socialdemokraterne.
Neighboring municipalities are Egedal to the northeast, Greve and Solrød to the southeast, Høje-Taastrup to the east, Køge to the south and Lejre to the west. To the north-west is Roskilde Fjord.
By January 1, 2007 the former Roskilde municipality was merged with Gundsø and Ramsø municipalities into the current one, as the result of "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007). The name of the new municipality is still "Roskilde Kommune". The town hall is situated in the city of Roskilde, at Køgevej 80.
It formerly belonged to Roskilde County.
Urban areas.
The ten largest urban areas in the municipality are:
Economy.
Companies with headquarters in Roskilde municipality
Politics.
Municipal council.
Roskilde's municipal council consists of 31 members, elected every four years.
Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.
Government.
Accident Investigation Board Denmark is headquartered in Roskilde in Roskilde Municipality.


Province of Parma

The Province of Parma () is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its largest town and capital is the city of Parma.
It is made up of 47 "comuni". It has an area of and a total population of around 450,000.
The province is bordered by the Province of Reggio Emilia to the east, the Piacenza to the west, Lombardy's provinces of Cremona and Mantova to the north and by Liguria's provinces of La Spezia and Genoa and Tuscany's Province of Massa and Carrara to the south.
History.
In 1861, Italian provinces were established on the French republican model.
Italian Fascism saw the end of elections in the Province of Parma in the 1920s until the end of the Second World War.
Geography.
The province is divided into three zones from north to south: the "pianura" (plains), the "collina" (hills) and the "montagna" (mountains). The Po river acts as a boundary with the nearby province of Cremona in the plains. The main centres of the "collina" and "montagna" are situated along the course of the main rivers, which descend from the Parmesan Apennine Mountains. Roughly, each zone comprises one third of the total area.
The Plains:
The part in the North of the Province comprises Parma, Fidenza and various smaller towns, and covers from the Po river to the foothills at an altitude of 50 to 100 m amsl. This area has a continental climate, with cold winters (minimum temperatures around -1°C in the city centres, -3°C to -4° in the countryside on average) with an average of 45 to 60 cm of snow each year, hot and humid summers (maximum temperatures over 30°C on average). During autumns and springs it is not uncommon to encounter fog, with an average of 31 days of fog a year in the city of Parma and higher values on the countryside, particularly in the area close to the Po river. During summer, thunderstorms with heavy rain and hail can hit the area.
This is the part of the Province that hosts the vast majority of the industrial production, while the rest of the land is extensively used to grow crops, mainly wheat, tomatoes (with Mutti and various other producers based here) and alfalfa to feed the cows whose milk is used to produce Parmesan cheese.
The hills:
The centre part of the Province comprises only smaller towns, built in the valleys along rivers or on top of hills for defensive purposes, from the foothills to where the Apennine begin to grow into fully developed mountains, between 100 and around 700 m amsl. Many of those towns are built around medieval castles, such as Bardi , Torrechiara, Compiano and many others. In this area the climate is slightly different from that of the plains, with less foggy days, milder temperatures (higher minimum temperatures during winter and lower maximum temperatures during summer due to its height that makes it less prone to temperature inversions. Here, cultivated fields and wide woods coexist, mainly because part of the land is owned by families no longer living in the area, as big chunks of the population migrated to the plains or to other nations, mainly the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Argentina, over the course of the 20th century.
The mountains:
The Southernmost area of the Province is occupied by the ridge of the Apennine, with mountains ranging from 1000 m to the 1850 m amsl of Mount Sillara, Mount Losanna and Mount Marmagna. Due to the geographical nature of this mountain range, the Parmesan side, facing North, has considerably longer nights than the rest of Pianura padana and the Italian Alps, even during summer. In this area the climate is Alpine, with long winters, temperatures frequently reaching double digits negatives and snow falling from October to May, typically leaving the tops snow-free only from mid June to the end of September. During the summer months temperatures reach the lower 20s°C only when intense heat waves hit the region, while minimum temperatures are in the 5-8°C range, depending on the altitude. Almost daily thunderstorms develop on these mountains during summer, rarely being snow thunderstorms.
The mountains are almost completely covered in forests to an height of about 1500 m amsl, where grass, heather and various berries predominate. Two main towns are located in the valleys between the Apennine mountains: Bedonia and Borgotaro, historically in control of commercial traffic through the passes to Liguria (Passo del Tomarlo, Passo della Cisa, Passo del Brattello, Passo del Bocco and others).
Comuni.
The Province of Parma comprises 47 "comuni". The 20 largest of these are:
Cuisine.
Parma is famous for its Prosciutto di Parma. The whole area is renowned for its salami production (particularly the well known salame di Felino), as well as for the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and some kinds of pasta like gnocchi di patate, cappelletti (or anolini) in brodo (a kind of round tortelli stuffed with a filling made of stewed donkey, parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, cooked and served in hot broth), tortelli with different stuffing (erbetta, potatoes, pumpkin, mushrooms, chestnuts, Tortél Dóls di Colorno) and chicche.
Transport.
Highways.
There are two main highways that go through Parma: A1, to Milan to the west and to Bologna to the east, and A15, to La Spezia and the sea to the south.
Airport.
The Province of Parma is served by the Giuseppe Verdi Airport.
Railways.
The province is crossed by the Milan-Bologna railroad, one of the most important in Italy, with a station in Parma. The latter is the starting point for the following lines, connecting the city to the Tyrrhenian Sea, Alps and the Po River delta:
The station of Fidenza is an exchange point for the lines:
Sport.
Parma F.C. was founded in 1913. It is a Serie A football club renowned in Italy and Europe for its successes including three national cups, a European Cup Winner's Cup, two UEFA Cups, a European Supercup and an Italian Supercup. It plays in the city's stade Ennio Tardini which used to host up to 29,000 spectators but is being renovated in 2008 after the club was demoted to Serie B. In spring 2009 the team was promoted again in the top league (Serie A). Crociati Noceto play in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, the fourth tier.
Parma is also home to two rugby union teams in the top national division, Overmach Rugby Parma and SKG Gran Rugby.
Parma Panthers is the Parma American football team for which John Grisham's book Playing for Pizza was based.
Also volleyball, women basketball and baseball have large popularity in the city and have scored relevant successes.


Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt ( (; Low German: )) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.19 million inhabitants, making it the 8th-largest state in Germany by area and the 11th-largest by population. Its capital is Magdeburg and its largest city is Halle (Saale).
The state of Saxony-Anhalt originated in July 1945 after World War II, when the Soviet army administration in Allied-occupied Germany formed it from the former Prussian Province of Saxony and the Free State of Anhalt. Saxony-Anhalt became part of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, but was dissolved in 1952 during administrative reforms and its territory divided into the districts of Halle and Magdeburg, with the city of Torgau joining the district of Leipzig. Following German reunification the state of Saxony-Anhalt was re-established in 1990 and became one of the new states of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Saxony-Anhalt is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and possesses the highest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Germany.
Geography.
Saxony-Anhalt is one of 16 "Bundesländer" of Germany. It is located in the western part of eastern Germany. By size, it is the 8th largest state in Germany and by population, it is the 11th largest.
It borders four other "Bundesländer": Brandenburg to the north-east, Saxony to the south-east, Thuringia to the south-west and Lower Saxony to the north-west.
In the north, the Saxony-Anhalt landscape is dominated by the flat expanse of the North German Plain. The old Hanseatic towns Salzwedel, Gardelegen, Stendal and Tangermünde are located in the sparsely populated Altmark. The Colbitz-Letzlingen Heath and the Drömling near Wolfsburg mark the transition between the Altmark region and the Elbe-Börde-Heath region with its fertile, sparsely wooded Magdeburg Börde. Notable towns in the Magdeburg Börde are Haldensleben, Oschersleben (Bode), Wanzleben, Schönebeck (Elbe), Aschersleben and the capital Magdeburg, from which the Börde derives its name.
The Harz mountains are located in the south-west, comprising the Harz National Park, the Harz Foreland and Mansfeld Land. The highest mountain of the Harz (and of Northern Germany) is Brocken, with an elevation of 1,141 meters (3,735 ft). In this area, one can find the towns of Halberstadt, Wernigerode, Thale, Eisleben and Quedlinburg.
The wine-growing area Saale-Unstrut and the towns of Zeitz, Naumburg (Saale), Weißenfels and Freyburg (Unstrut) are located on the rivers Saale and Unstrut in the south of the state.
The metropolitan area of Halle (Saale) forms an agglomeration with Leipzig in Saxony. This area is known for its highly developed chemical industry (the "Chemiedreieck" – chemical triangle), with major production plants at Leuna, Schkopau ("Buna-Werke") and Bitterfeld. Finally, in the east, Dessau-Roßlau and Wittenberg are situated on the Elbe (as is the capital Magdeburg) in the Anhalt-Wittenberg region.
Administrative subdivisions.
The capital of Saxony-Anhalt is Magdeburg. It is the second-largest city in the state, closely after Halle (Saale). From 1994 to 2003, the state was divided into three regions ("Regierungsbezirke"), Dessau, Halle and Magdeburg and, below the regional level, 21 districts ("Landkreise"). Since 2004, however, this system has been replaced by 11 rural districts and three urban districts.
The counties are:
The independent cities are:
Largest towns.
The largest towns in Saxony-Anhalt according to a 31 December 2017 estimate:
History.
Saxony-Anhalt is a federal state with a relatively short history, if compared to other German federal states. It was formed in 1945 out of former Prussian territories and mainly consists of three distinct historical regions: the area around Magdeburg, the formerly independent Anhalt and a southern part which once was part of Saxony but had been annexed by Prussia in the 19th century. This historical origin can still be seen in the coat of arms of the federal state.
In April 1945 the US Army took control of most of the western and northern area of the future Saxony-Anhalt. The "U.S. Group Control Council, Germany" (a precursor of the OMGUS) appointed the first non-Nazi officials in leading positions in the area. So Erhard Hübener, put on leave by the Nazis, was reappointed Landeshauptmann (state governor). By early July the US Army withdrew from the former Prussian Province of Saxony to make way for the Red Army to take it as part of the Soviet occupation zone, as agreed by the London Protocol in 1944.
On 9 July the Soviet SVAG ordered the merger of the Free State of Anhalt, Halle-Merseburg, the governorate of Magdeburg (in its then borders), Allstedt (before Thuringia) and some Brunswickian eastern exclaves and salients (Calvörde and the eastern part of the former Blankenburg district) with the Province of Saxony. The previously Saxon Erfurt governorate had become a part of Thuringia.
"Anhalt" takes its name from Anhalt Castle near Harzgerode; the origin of the name of the castle remains unknown. Anhalt was once an independent German federal state dating back for centuries.
The SVAG appointed Hübener as president of the provincial Saxon administration, a newly created function. The administration was seated in Halle an der Saale, which became the capital, also of later Saxony-Anhalt until 1952. On 3 September 1945 the new administration enacted by Soviet-inspired ordinance the mass expropriations, mostly hitting holders of large real estates, often of noble descent.
On the occasion of the first (and one and only) election in the Soviet zone, allowing parties truly to compete for seats in provincial and state parliaments, on 20 October 1946, the Province of Saxony was renamed as the Province of Saxony-Anhalt (""), taking the prior merger into account. On 3 December 1946 the members of the new provincial parliament elected Hübener the first minister-president of Saxony-Anhalt with the votes of CDU and Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (LDPD). Thus he became the only governor in the Soviet zone, who was not a member of the communist Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). He was an inconvenient governor for the Soviet rulers.
After the official Allied decision to dissolve the Free State of Prussia, which had remained in limbo since the Prussian coup of 1932, its former provinces, in as far as they still existed, achieved statehood, thus the province emerged into the "State of Saxony-Anhalt" on 6 October 1947. It became part of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1949. From 1952 on the East German states were dissolved, and Saxony-Anhalt's territory was divided into the East German districts of Halle and Magdeburg, except that the territory around Torgau was assigned to Leipzig. In 1990, in the course of German reunification, the districts were reintegrated as a state. But, territory around Torgau did not return to the state and joined Saxony. Now, Torgau is the centre of Nordsachsen district (since 2008).
In 2015 the skeletal remains of an ancient inhabitant of Karsdorf dated from the Early Neolithic (7200 BP) were analysed; he turned out to belong to the paternal T1a-M70 lineage and maternal lineage H1.
Demographics.
Since German reunification, there has been a continuous downward trend in the population of Saxony-Anhalt. This is partly due to outward migration and partly because the death rate exceeds the birth rate. Although the birth rate has been steady since 1994, the net reproduction rate is only approximately 70%. However, the total fertility rate reached 1.50 in 2014, the highest value since 1990.
Religion.
The region has historically been associated with the Lutheran faith, but under Communist rule, church membership was strongly discouraged and much of the population disassociated itself from any religious body. Saxony-Anhalt contains many sites tied to Martin Luther's life, including Lutherstadt Eisleben and Lutherstadt Wittenberg.
In 2018, the majority of citizens in Saxony-Anhalt were irreligious and more were leaving the churches than entering them – in fact, Saxony-Anhalt is the most irreligious state in Germany. 15.2% of the Saxon-Anhaltish adhered to the major denominations of Christianity (11.9% were members of the Evangelical Church in Germany and 3.3% were Catholics), 2% were members of other religions (mostly Islam, Judaism, the New Apostolic Church and Mandeism). 82.8% of the citizens of Saxony-Anhalt were religiously unaffiliated. As of July 2019 there were 1,892 Jehovah's Witnesses (publishers) in Sachsen-Anhalt. Originally their branch office for Germany was in Magdeburg. When World War II ended in 1945, the property in Magdeburg, then part of East Germany, was returned and the branch was reestablished. But on August 30, 1950, Communist police stormed the facilities and arrested the workers, and the Jehovah's Witnesses in the German Democratic Republic (DDR) were banned.
Foreigners.
The percentage of foreigners in Saxony-Anhalt was 4.9 percent by 31 December 2018, the third lowest among the 16 states of Germany (together with Saxony and Thuringia).
The largest foreign resident groups by 31 December 2019 were:
Politics.
13 March 2016 state election.
< 2011    Next >
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left colspan="2" rowspan="2" width=400 |Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="3" |Popular vote
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="3" |Seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right width=60|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right width=40|%
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right width=50|+/–
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right width=30|Seats
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right width=30|+/–
 || 334,123 || 29.8 || 2.7 || 30 || 6
 || 271,832 || 24.2 || 24.2 || 24 || 24
 || 183,296 || 16.3 || 7.4 || 17 || 12
 || 119,377 || 10.6 || 10.9 || 11 || 15
 || 58,226 || 5.2 || 1.9 || 5 || 4
 || 54,525 || 4.9 || 1.1 || – || –
 || 21,211 || 1.9 || 2.7 || – || –
 || 16,613 || 1.5 || 0.1 || – || –
 || 10,471 || 0.9 || 0.9 || – || –
Minister-president Reiner Haseloff (CDU) retained his position in a coalition with former partner SPD and the Greens.
Economy.
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the state was 62.7 billion euros in 2018, accounting for 1.9% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 26,000 euros or 86% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 88% of the EU average. The GDP per capita was the second lowest of all German states.
Development.
Saxony-Anhalt was part of the communist German Democratic Republic. After the breakdown of communism and the German reunification in 1990, the collapse of non-competitive former GDR industries temporarily caused severe economic problems. In 2000, Saxony-Anhalt had the highest unemployment rate of all German states, at 20.2%.
However, the process of economic transformation towards a modern market economy seems to be completed. Massive investments in modern infrastructure have taken place since 1990, and the remaining and newly created businesses are highly competitive. For example, the industry has doubled its share of international revenue from 13 percent in 1995 to 26 percent in 2008. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate has fallen considerably. By 2010 the GDP of Saxony-Anhalt was almost two and a half times higher than it was in 1991.
Even though part of this recovery was induced by the quite good performance of the Germany economy, Saxony-Anhalt did not only follow the national trend, but clearly outperformed other German states. For example, it got ahead of three German states in terms of unemployment (10.8%, as of September 2011): the German capital and city-state of Berlin (12.7%), the city-state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (11.3%) and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (11%).
The unemployment began to fall under 10% in 2016 and stood at 7.1% in October 2018.
Tourism.
Saxony-Anhalt has seven World Heritage Sites, the highest number of all states in Germany.


Assens Municipality

Assens Municipality is a municipality (Danish, "kommune") in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the island of Funen in central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 513 km2 and a total population of 41,443 (2012). Its mayor from 1 January 2014 is Søren Steen Andersen, a member of the agrarian liberal Venstre political party.
The municipality's main town and the site of its municipal council is the city of Assens.
The island of Helnæs is connected to the municipality by road. Ferry service connects the municipality at the city of Assens to the island of Bågø.
On 1 January 2007 the former Assens municipality was merged with Glamsbjerg, Haarby, Tommerup, Vissenbjerg and Aarup municipalities to form a new Assens municipality. This was part of the "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007). The former Assens municipality was formed in 1966 by combining the even-then existing Assens Municipality with seven other smaller municipalities located around it.
Geography.
The highest point on the island of Funen, Frøbjerg Bavnehøj (131 meters) is located in Assens Municipality.
Politics.
Assens' municipal council consists of 29 members, elected every four years. The municipal council has five political committees.
Municipal council.
Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.
Culture.
Assens is home to the Boys Choir consisting of 23 boys (sopranos) between the ages of 9 and 14 years and 23 young men and adult (altos, tenors and bass) between the ages of 14 and 45 years. The choir was established in 1856, which makes it the oldest boy- and men choir in Denmark, however the tradition of using boys to sing in the church of Assens goes back to the 15th Century. The Assens Boy Singers perform about 20 concerts a year in such countries as England, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlans, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Czech Republic, Ireland, Brazil, Canada, United States, Italy, Vatican and Iceland.
Twin towns – sister cities.
Assens is twinned with:


List of settlements in Merseyside by population

This is a list of settlements in Merseyside by population based on the results of the 2011 census. The next United Kingdom census will take place in 2021. In 2011, there were 20 built-up area subdivisions with 5,000 or more inhabitants in Merseyside, shown in the table below.
Administrative boundaries.
Table outlines many of the county's settlements, and is formatted according to their metropolitan borough.
Population ranking.
Notes:


Arta (regional unit)

Arta () is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Arta.
Geography.
The regional unit of Arta is located north of the Ambracian Gulf. The main mountain ranges are the Athamanika in the northeast, the Pindus in the east, and Valtou in the southeast. Only one mountain road links Arta with the Pineios valley and Thessaly. There are low-lying agricultural plains in the west. Arta borders on the regional units of Preveza in the west, Ioannina to the north, Trikala in the east, Karditsa to the east and Aetolia-Acarnania to the south.
The main rivers are the Acheloos in the east, the Arachthos in the centre, and the Louros in the west. Most of the population lives in the west, in the Arachthos valley, south and east of Arta. The Athamanika and Valtou mountains are the least populated.
Administration.
The regional unit Arta is subdivided into 4 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox):
Prefecture.
Arta was established as a prefecture in 1882 (). As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Arta was created out of the former prefecture Arta. The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
History.
Arta was one of the capitals of the Despotate of Epirus in the late Middle Ages. The territory of the regional unit was ceded to Greece in 1881 by the Ottoman Empire, along with Thessaly, in accordance with the 1878 Congress of Berlin. A famous landmark of Arta is the Old Bridge over the Arachthos river.
Transport.
As one of the first completed sections of the future Ionia Odos linking Ioannina with Patras and Kalamata, the motorway bypass of the GR-5 around Arta was opened in 1997. The main highways are:


Province of Trapani

Trapani (, ; officially "Libero consorzio comunale di Trapani") is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily, southern Italy. Following the suppression of the Sicilian provinces, it was replaced in 2015 by the Free municipal consortium of Trapani. Its capital is the city of Trapani. It has an area of and a total population of 433,826 (2017). There are 25 comunes (Italian: "comuni") in the province (see Comuni of the Province of Trapani).
History.
The area now covered by the province was occupied successively by the Carthaginians, Greeks and latterly by the Romans. The port of Trapani, first known as Drepana, then Drepanon, was inhabited by the Sicani and the Elymi becoming a prosperous Phoenician trading centre by the 8th century BC. It was taken by the Carthaginians in 260 BC and by the Romans in 240 BC, becoming a "civitas romana" until 440 AD when it was sacked by the Vandals, then by the Byzantines and ultimately by the Muslims in 830. In the 16th century, it received privileges under Emperor Charles V of Spain who also strengthened the town walls. Trapani became the provincial capital in 1817.
Geography.
The province of Trapani borders the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Strait of Sicily to the west. It is bordered to the east with only the provinces of Palermo and Agrigento. The territory has few flat areas, although with the exception of the mountains of Sparagio (1,110 m) and Inici (1065 m), most land is under 1000 metres. The northwestern part is rugged in comparison to the south. The province also includes the archipelago of the Egadi Islands belonging to the comune of Favignana, the island of Pantelleria which is the largest of Sicily, in the comune of the same name, and the Stagnone Islands, which belong to the comune of Marsala. The Egadi Islands consist of three main islands, Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo and two islets, Formica and Maraone.
The province of Trapani has a number of rivers but most are not of notable size or importance, except for the Belice on the border of the province, and the Birgi, with a length of about 40 km. Other rivers include the torrential Modione, Mazaro, the Fiume, the Salemi and the Sossius, the latter of which flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the resort of Berbaro.
Natural lakes include the Gorghi Tondi and Preola, in the comune of Mazara del Vallo, and the Lago di Venere in Pantelleria. There are also three man-made lakes, Lago Rubino, created by a dam across the Cuddia River, which is part of the catchment area of the Birgi, at Lago Trinità in Castelvetrano, and the lake of the same name at the resort of Paceco. However, there is also a coastal lagoon, the Stagnone Lagoon, within a 2000 hectare reserve on the stretch of coast between Punta Alga and Cape San Teodoro, near Marsala, in an area which was once an important naval base and commercial for the Phoenicians. The waters are shallow and very salty, with marshland. The lagoon consists of four islands: Isola Longa Santa Maria, San Pantaleo and Schola.
Population.
Here below are listed the "Comuni" with more than 10,000 inhabitants:
The nearby island of Pantelleria, noted for its wine production, and the Aegadian Islands are also administratively a part of Trapani province. The Province of Trapani is a major centre for viticulture.


List of cantons of France

The following is a list of cantons of France, within each department:
French overseas departments and territories.
Overseas departments of France:


List of settlements in South Yorkshire by population

This is a list of settlements in South 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 34 built-up area subdivisions with 5,000 or more inhabitants in South Yorkshire, shown in the table below.
Administrative boundaries.
Table taken from the South Yorkshire - Geography subsection:


Anija Parish

Anija Parish () is a rural municipality in Harju County, Estonia, consisting of 33 settlements.
The parish has a population of 6274 and covers an area of .
The administrative centre of the municipality is Kehra. The municipality also has an office in the borough of Aegviidu.
Anija Parish is bordered by Kuusalu, Jõelähtme, Raasiku, Kose parishes in Harju County, Järva parish in Järva County and Tapa Parish in Lääne-Viru County.
History.
Anija Village "(Hangægus)" was first mentioned in the Danish Census Book in 1241.
Anija Manor, the namesake of Anija Parish, was first mentioned in 1482.
Anija Parish was first created in the 19th century as part of the bigger, now arhaic Harju-Jaani Parish.
In 1939, Anija Parish ceded Aavere, Pillapalu and gained Alavere Parish, Paasiku, and parts of Kiviloo.
In 1945, Anija, Kehra and Pikva Rural Councils were created on the lands of Anija Parish.
In 1950, Anija Parish was abolished, effectively being replaced by the three rural councils.
In 1992, a new Anija Parish was created, which had the same borders as the preceding Anija Rural Council.
In 2002, the town of Kehra was merged with Anija Parish.
In 2017, the borough of Aegviidu was merged with Anija Parish.


Metropolitan Borough of Sefton

The Metropolitan Borough of Sefton is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England. It was formed on 1 April 1974, by the amalgamation of the county boroughs of Bootle and Southport, the municipal borough of Crosby, the urban districts of Formby and Litherland, and part of West Lancashire Rural District. It consists of a coastal strip of land on the Irish Sea which extends from Southport in the north to Bootle in the south, and an inland part to Maghull in the south-east, bounded by the city of Liverpool to the south, the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley to the south-east, and West Lancashire to the east.
It is named after Sefton, near Maghull. When the borough was created, a name was sought that would not unduly identify the borough with any of its constituent parts, particularly the former county boroughs of Bootle and Southport. The area had strong links with both the Earl of Sefton and the Earl of Derby, resident of Knowsley Hall, and the adjacent borough was subsequently named Knowsley. A Sefton Rural District covering some of the villages in the district existed from 1894 to 1932.
Politics.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The Metropolitan Borough of Sefton is one of the six constituent local government districts of the Liverpool City Region. Since 1 April 2014, some of the borough's responsibilities have been pooled with neighbouring authorities within the metropolitan area and subsumed into the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The combined authority has effectively become the top-tier administrative body for the local governance of the city region and the leader of Sefton Council, along with the five other leaders from neighbouring local government districts, take strategic decisions over economic development, transport, employment and skills, tourism, culture, housing and physical infrastructure.
In July 2015, negotiations took place between the UK national government and the combined authority over a possible devolution deal to confer greater powers on the region, including whether to introduce an elected 'Metro Mayor' to oversee the entire metropolitan area.
Historic controversy.
The existence of Sefton has been an ongoing local controversy, especially in Southport, where local Members of Parliament and councillors have campaigned for separation from Bootle and the possible inclusion of the town as a district in the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire. It was highlighted after the 2012 local government election that different regions in Sefton had vastly different socio-economic backgrounds and needs. There are high levels of poverty around the Bootle area and central Southport.
Sefton Council composition.
The council has 66 councillors, three for each of the borough's 22 wards:
, the council is composed of 41 Labour councillors, 12 for The Liberal Democrat and Progressive Alliance Group, six Conservatives, and five for The Independents Group. There are two vacancies.
Economy.
The borough has a strong income from tourism, most of whom visit the Aintree Grand National, the most valuable horse race in Europe, Anthony Gormley's "Another Place" at Crosby Beach and Southport. Birkdale is also home to the Royal Birkdale Golf Club which has played host to the Open Championship, Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup.
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Sefton at current basic prices published (pp. 240–53) by "Office for National Statistics" with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.
 Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
 includes hunting and forestry
 includes energy and construction
 includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
Sister cities.
Sefton is twinned with:


County Roscommon

County Roscommon () is a county in Ireland. In the western region, it is part of the province of Connacht. It is the 11th largest Irish county by area and 27th most populous. Its county town and largest town is Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 64,544 as of the 2016 census.
Etymology.
County Roscommon is named after the county town of Roscommon. Roscommon comes from the Irish "Ros" meaning a wooded, gentle height and "Comán", the first abbot and bishop of Roscommon who founded the first monastery there in 550 AD.
Geography.
County Roscommon has an area of . Lough Key in north Roscommon is noted for having thirty-two islands. The geographical centre of Ireland is located on the western shore of Lough Ree in the south of the county.
Roscommon is the third largest of Connacht's five counties by size and the second-smallest in terms of population. It ranks 11th in size of Ireland's 32 counties, but 27th in terms of population, making it the 3rd most sparsely populated county after Leitrim and Mayo. The county borders every other Connacht county: Galway, Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim, as well as three Leinster counties: Longford, Westmeath, and Offaly. In 2008, a news report said that statistically, people from Roscommon have the longest life expectancy of any county on the island of Ireland.
Seltannasaggart, which is located along the northern border with County Leitrim, is the tallest point in County Roscommon, measuring to a height of 428 m (1,404 ft).
Baronies.
There are nine historical baronies in County Roscommon.
North Roscommon
South Roscommon
History.
Rathcroghan (), near Tulsk, a complex of archaeological sites, the home of Queen Medb (, anglicised Maeve), was the seat of Kings of Connacht and then to the High Kings of Ireland. This was the starting point of the "Táin Bó Cúailnge", or Cattle Raid of Cooley, an epic tale in Irish mythology. The county is home to prehistoric ringforts such as Carnagh West Ringfort and Drummin fort.
County Roscommon as an administrative division has its origins in the medieval period. With the conquest and division of the Kingdom of Connacht, those districts in the east retained by King John as "The King's Cantreds" covered County Roscommon, and parts of East Galway. These districts were leased to the native kings of Connacht and eventually became the county. In 1585 during the Tudor re-establishment of counties under the Composition of Connacht, Roscommon was established with the South-west boundary now alongside the River Suck.
Medieval art.
A "well defined" and "original" fine metal workshop was active in County Roscommon in the 12th century. The Cross of Cong, the Aghadoe crosier, Shrine of the Book of Dimma and Shrine of Manchan of Mohill' are grouped together as having been created by "Mael Isu Bratain Ui Echach" et al., at the same Roscommon workshop. The workshop has been linked to St. Assicus of Elphin.
Ordnance Survey.
John O'Donovan (1806–1861), historian and scholar, visited County Roscommon in 1837, while compiling information for the Ordnance Survey. Entering St Peter's parish in Athlone in June 1837, he wrote, "I have now entered upon a region totally different from Longford, and am very much pleased with the intelligence of the people." However, he had major problems with place-names. He later wrote, "I am sick to death's door of lochawns, and it pains me to the very soul to have to make these remarks, but what can I do when I cannot make the usual progress? Here I am stuck in the mud in the middle of Loughs, Turlaghs, Lahaghs and Curraghs, the names of many of which are only known to a few old men in their immediate neighbourhood and I cannot give many of them utterance from the manner in which they are spelled."
Government and politics.
Roscommon is governed locally by the 18-member Roscommon County Council.
For general elections, Roscommon forms part of the three-seat Roscommon–Galway constituency.
Rail transport.
There are railway stations located in Boyle (Dublin-Sligo line), Carrick-on-Shannon (Dublin-Sligo line), Roscommon (Dublin-Westport line), Castlerea (Dublin-Westport line), Ballinasloe (Dublin-Galway line) and Athlone (Dublin-Galway and Dublin-Westport lines).
Sport.
Gaelic football is the dominant sport in Roscommon. Roscommon won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championships in 1943 and 1944 and the National Football League Division 1 in 1979, as well as Division 2 in 2015 and 2018. Roscommon have captured the Connacht Senior Football Championship on 23 occasions, the most recent being in 2019.
Roscommon's main hurling title was the 2007 Nicky Rackard Cup.
Soccer and Rugby are also popular sports in the county.
Notable people.
In order of birth:


Regional Authorities in Ireland

Regional Authorities in Ireland were established by the "Local Government Act 1991" and came into existence in 1994. Under this Act, the Regional Authorities had two main functions: to promote the co-ordination of public service provision and to monitor the delivery of European Union Structural Fund assistance in the regions. The Regional Authorities were dissolved in 2014 and were replaced by Regional Assemblies.
Membership.
The members of the Regional Authorities were not directly elected, but were nominated from among the elected members of the local authorities in the region. Each local authority had a certain number of seats on a Regional Authority, based loosely on the population of the local authority area. The size of the Regional Authorities varied from 21 members in the Mid-East region to 37 members in the Border region.
Structures.
To assist the Regional Authority in undertaking its functions, each has an Operational Committee and an EU Operational Committee. The Operational Committee is chaired by the Cathaoirleach (Chairperson) of the Regional Authority and is composed of senior management from the constituent local authorities and other relevant public sector agencies operating in the region. It helps prepare the work of the Regional Authority and assists and advises it on matters relating to its functions. Also, each Regional Authority has a designated city/county manager (chief executive of a local authority) from one of its local authorities to further enhance the linkages between the local authorities and the Regional Authority.
The EU Operational Committee has a similar, but broader, composition and assists the Regional Authority in matters relating to EU assistance and reviewing the implementation of various EU Operational Programmes in a region.
Each Regional Authority has a Director, assisted by a number of policy and administrative staff. They are NUTS III level.
The Regional Authorities had specific responsibility for:
Financing.
The financing of the activities of the Regional Authorities was largely borne by their constituent local authorities.
Current regional assemblies.
The legislation which abolished the eight regional authorities and two Regional Assemblies and which also replaced them with three regional assemblies was the Local Government Act 1991, particularly the statutory instrument number 573/2014 of 2014. The Order provided for the transfer of staff, assets, and liabilities to the successor assemblies. It described the area under the remit of the regional authorities:


Vilnius County

Vilnius County () is the largest of the 10 counties of Lithuania, located in the east of the country around the city Vilnius. On 1 July 2010, the county administration was abolished, and since that date, Vilnius County remains as the territorial and statistical unit.
History.
Until the Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in late 18th century the area belonged to the Vilnius Voivodship and Trakai Voivodship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. In Russian Empire it belonged to the Northwestern Krai and approximately corresponded to its Vilna Governorate (as of 1843). During World War I, following the German offensive of 1915, it was occupied by the German army. After the war, some parts of the area was ruled by local Polish self-government established after the German Ober-Ost army withdrew from the area.
Following the start of the Polish-Bolshevik War in 1919, it was occupied by the Red Army, which was pushed back by the Polish Army. In 1920, it was again occupied by the Red Army, but Soviets officially recognized the sovereignty of Lithuanian Republic over the city immediately after defeat during Battle of Warsaw. During their retreat, the Bolsheviks passed the sovereignty over the area to Lithuania. The Polish commander Józef Piłsudski ordered his subordinate general Lucjan Żeligowski to "rebel" his Lithuanian-Belarusian division and capture the city of Vilnius, without declaring war on Lithuania. The area of the future Vilnius County was seized by the Polish forces without significant opposition from Lithuanian forces and Gen. Żeligowski created a short-lived state called Republic of Central Lithuania. Following the elections held there in 1922 the state was incorporated into Poland (see Vilnius region, Central Lithuania).
In the effect of the Nazi-Soviet Alliance and the Polish Defensive War of 1939, the area was captured by the Soviet Union, which transferred parts of present "Vilnius County" and Utena County to Lithuania, only to annex it the following year. In 1941, it was conquered by the Nazi Germany. During World War II, the area saw formation of many resistance units, most notably the Polish Home Army and, after 1943, the Soviet partisans. After the war, Vilniaus Apskritis existed as a relic of the pre-war independent state in Lithuanian SSR between 1944 and 1950. In this period, significant part of its population moved to Poland during so-called repatriation.
After 1990 saw the emergence of independent Lithuania, Vilnius county was re-established differently in 1994. This entity has different boundaries than any previous entity and is not directly related to previous entities in this area. The mission of the county is different as well: its primary goal (as in that of Lithuania's other counties) is to oversee that municipalities in its area follow the laws of Lithuania.
Municipalities.
The county is subdivided into 6 district municipalities, 1 municipality and 1 city municipality:
Demographics.
In 2011 around 60% of population was Lithuanians, 23% Poles and 17% others(mainly Russians, Belarussians and Ukrainians).
Economy.
Nominal GDP per capita of Vilnius County was about €25,400 , making it the richest county in the Republic of Lithuania. As of 2020 the average monthly net wage in Vilnius County reached €1,053. Vilnius County creates almost half of Lithuania's gross domestic product.


Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani

The Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani is a province of Italy in the Apulia region. The establishment of the province took effect in June 2009, and Andria was appointed as its seat of government on 21 May 2010.
It was created from 10 municipalities ("comuni"), which were formerly in the provinces of Bari and Foggia, taking its name from the three cities which share the new province's administrative functions. The total population of the 10 municipalities comprising the new province was 383,018 at the 2001 census.


Aabenraa Municipality

Aabenraa Municipality is a municipality in the Region of Southern Denmark () in southwestern Denmark. The municipality has an area of 940.7 km2 and a total population of 59,051 (2016). Its largest town and the site of its municipal council is the city of Aabenraa. The mayor of the municipality is Thomas Andresen, representing the Liberal party.
The island of Barsø is located in the northeast corner of the municipality in the Little Belt. Major communities include Lundsbjerg near the capital, Aabenraa; Sogard to the south, Felsted to the east, and Løjt Kirkeby to the north. Løjt Kirkeby is connected by ferry service from the island of Barsø.
History.
From 1864 to 1920, the region was part of Prussia, in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein, and as such part of the North German Confederation and, from 1871 onwards, part of the German Empire. It was formerly the seat of, respectively the German Kreis Apenrade and the Danish Aabenraa County.
Former municipality.
The 1970-2006 Aabenraa municipality was bordered by the municipality of Lundtoft to the south and east, and Rødekro and Tinglev to the west. As it was partially located on a peninsula, it was surrounded by water on three sides: at the southern side of the peninsula by Aabenraa Fjord opening up to the Little Belt east of the peninsula; at the northern side by Genner Bay ("Genner Bugt"). in South Jutland County on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. The municipality, including the island of "Barsø", covered an area of 129 km² with a total population of 22,132 (2005). Its last mayor was Poul Thomsen, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party.
A new Aabenraa municipality was formed on 1 January 2007 as the result of "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007) where the former municipality merged with Bov, Lundtoft, Rødekro, and Tinglev.
Politics.
Aabenraa's municipal council consists of 31 members, elected every four years. The municipal council has eight political committees.
Municipal council.
Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.
North Schleswig Germans.
Aabenraa Municipality is home to the only officially recognised ethno-linguistic minority of Denmark proper, the North Schleswig Germans. This minority makes up about 6% of the total population of the municipalities of Aabenraa/Apenrade, Haderslev/Hadersleben, Sønderborg/Sonderburg and Tønder/Tondern. In these four municipalities, the German minority enjoys certain linguistic rights in accordance with the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
The German-language daily "Der Nordschleswiger" is published in Aabenraa.
Twin towns – sister cities.
Aabenraa is twinned with:


Faxe Municipality

Faxe municipality is a municipality (Danish, "kommune") in Denmark in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand. The municipality covers an area of 406 km² and has a population of 35,418 (2008). Its mayor as of January 2018 is Ole Vive. He is a member of the agrarian liberal Venstre political party.
On 1 January 2007 Faxe municipality, as the result of "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), came into existence by merging the three former municipalities of Haslev, Fakse, and Rønnede.
Geography.
On 5 June 2007, it was reported by national broadcaster Danmarks Radio that an unknown hill near Rønnede (town), named Kobanke, has the highest natural point of terrain, 122.9 meters (403.2 ft) on Sjælland. Gyldenløveshøj has an altitude of 126 meters (413.4 ft), but that is due to a manmade hill from the 17th century. Its natural height is 121.3 meters (397.96 ft).
Locations.
The ten largest locations in the municipality are as of 2019:
Landmarks.
Several historic churches are located in Faxe Municipality including: Vester Egede Church, Braaby Church (Bråby Church), Faxe Church, Freerslev Church, Haslev Church and Roholte Church. The manor houses of Bregentved and Jomfruens Egede are also situated in the municipality.
Economy.
The municipality is home to the head offices of companies such as Royal Unibrew, Faxe Brewery and Danish Agro. Faxe Quarry is owned by the Belgian Lhoist Group.
Politics.
Faxe's municipal council consists of 25 members, elected every four years. The municipal council has seven political committees.
Municipal council.
Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.


Jurbarkas District Municipality

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Jurbarkas District Municipality () is a municipality in Tauragė County, Lithuania
Seniūnijos (Elderships or Wards).
The Jurbarkas municipality contains 12 "seniūnijos" (in English: elderships or wards); the main town or village is listed for each.


Municipalities of Belgium

Belgium comprises 581 municipalities (; ; ) grouped into five provinces in each of two regions and into a third region, the Brussels Capital Region, comprising 19 municipalities that do not belong to a province. In most cases, the municipalities are the smallest administrative subdivisions of Belgium, but in municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, on the initiative of the local council, sub-municipal administrative entities with elected councils may be created. As such, only Antwerp, having over 500,000 inhabitants, became subdivided into nine districts (). The Belgian arrondissements (; ; ), an administrative level between province (or the capital region) and municipality, or the lowest judicial level, are in English sometimes called districts as well.
Lists of municipalities.
Here are three lists of municipalities for each one of the three regions:
History.
Before 1830.
The municipalities, as an administrative division, were officially created in 1795, when the Directoire reorganised the structures of the Ancien Régime. The municipalities with less than 5,000 inhabitants were grouped in so-called canton municipalities. In 1800, these canton municipalities were abolished again and the number of autonomous municipalities became 2,776.
Not much changed during the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, only a number of smaller municipalities were merged.
Between 1830 and 1961.
In 1831, Belgium was divided into 2,739 municipalities, a number which remained more or less constant until 1961. The number of municipalities was reduced to 2,508 when the Belgian borders were recognised in 1839, as 124 municipalities were ceded to the Netherlands and another 119 municipalities became the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (see the article Communes of Luxembourg for details). New municipalities were created until 1928. There were 2,528 municipalities in 1850, 2,572 in 1875, 2,617 in 1900 and a maximum of 2,675 in 1929. This also includes the municipalities of the East Cantons that were added to Belgium following the First World War.
From 1961 to 1977.
In 1961, the so-called Unitary Law (; ; ), of which the fourth chapter was dedicated to the territorial organisation of the municipalities, was adopted. The authority to abolish municipalities was entrusted to the executive branch for a period of 10 years. Municipalities could be merged on financial grounds or on grounds of a geographical, linguistic, economic, social or cultural nature. In 1964 and in 1969 and 1970, roughly 300 municipalities ceased to exist and were subsumed into other municipalities. The number of municipalities was reduced from 2,663 in 1961 to 2,586 in 1965 and to 2,359 in 1971.
Article 4 of the constitution states that each municipality must belong to only one of the four official language areas that were established in 1962–63. In the three officially unilingual language areas, a couple of dozen municipalities in the vicinity of another language area must provide limited facilities for speakers of that other language. As only a law carried by special majorities can change the language status of any municipality, these arrangements have prevented some small municipalities with facilities to be merged in the 1970s, and thus the most minute Belgian municipalities are still found in this group, notably Herstappe with only 84 inhabitants (in 2006).
Lucien Harmegnies, Minister of the Interior in the government of Gaston Eyskens (1968–1972) decided to continue the process of territorial reorganization of Belgium. In 1971, the provisions of the Unity Law were extended and modified to apply to large agglomerations, which were initially excluded from its provisions. It was another Minister of the Interior, Joseph Michel, who managed the process. On December 30, 1975, the law regarding the merger of the municipalities was adopted. The merger became effective on January 1, 1977. The merger of 1977 further reduced the number of municipalities in Belgium from 2,359 to 596.
Antwerp.
Because of the specific nature of the reorganization in Antwerp, the law of December 30, 1975 didn't enter into force for Antwerp until January 1, 1983. The formerly independent municipalities were called districts and were given an advisory function. However, on January 1, 2001 they were given an administrative function again. The merger of Antwerp with the municipalities of Berchem, Borgerhout, Deurne, Hoboken, Ekeren, Merksem and Wilrijk in 1983 finally reduced the number of municipalities in Belgium to 589 and was the last reorganization of the municipalities for several decades because the merger of the 19 municipalities of Brussels was postponed indefinitely.
21st century.
The fifth state reform (2001) transferred the responsibility over municipalities from the federal level to the three regions.
This did not instantly have any significant effect on the reorganisation of municipalities, up until the Flemish Bourgeois Government (2014-2019) provided a legal framework and financial incentives for municipalities to consider merging. This led 15 Flemish municipalities to merge into seven, decreasing the total number of Flemish municipalities from 308 to 300. Their municipal councils were elected in the regular elections of 14 October 2018, and the change took effect on 1 January 2019.
Municipal organization.
Mayor.
The Mayor (; ; ) is not only the head of the municipality, he or she is also the representative of the Regional and the Federal Government at the local level. In that capacity, he or she is responsible for the execution of laws, decrees, ordinances and orders. The Mayor is also responsible for the maintenance of public order in his or her municipality. He or she chairs the College of Mayor and Aldermen or the Municipal College, depending on the Region, as well.
In the Flemish Region and the Brussels-Capital Region, the Mayor is appointed by the Regional Government, on the nomination of the Municipal Council, for a term of office of six years. In the Walloon Region, the Mayor is the municipal councillor who received the largest number of preferential votes of the majority party that received the largest number of votes in the municipal elections. Hence, it is also possible that the Mayor is not a member of the largest party, as the largest party is not always part of the governing coalition. It is also possible in the Walloon Region for the Municipal Council to adopt a constructive motion of no confidence in the Municipal College.
College.
The executive organ of the municipality is known as the College of Mayor and Aldermen (; ), commonly referred to as the College of Aldermen (; ), in the Flemish Region and the Brussels-Capital Region, and as the Municipal College (; ) in the Walloon Region. This College is responsible for the daily administration of the municipality. It is also responsible for the preparation and implementation of the decisions of the Municipal Council.
Council.
The Municipal Council (; ; ) is the representative assembly of the municipality and consists of members directly elected for a term of office of six years. The number of municipal councillors depends on the number of inhabitants of the municipality, and can vary from 7 to 55. It is responsible for all matters that are of municipal interest.
Differences between the Regions.
Following the Fifth State Reform in 2001, the responsibility for the composition, the organization, the competences and the activities of the municipal institutions were devolved to the Regions, as well as the responsibility for the provincial institutions. As a result, there are several differences between the municipal institutions in the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. The Walloon Region has also further devolved part of its responsibilities to the German-speaking Community with regards to its 9 municipalities.
The three Regions can amend or replace the existing legislation on the municipalities, most notably the New Municipal Law. In the Flemish Region the Municipal Decree of 15 July 2005 applies. In the Walloon Region the Code of Local Democracy and Decentralization applies. In the Brussels Region several provisions of the New Municipal Law have been modified by ordinance, such as the Ordinance of 17 July 2003. The legal framework in the three Regions is still relatively similar, but that could change in the future.
Agglomerations and federations.
Since 1970, the Belgian Constitution includes the possibility to create agglomerations and federations of municipalities by law. This possibility was only used once in 1971 when the Brussels Agglomeration, comprising the 19 municipalities of Brussels, was put into place. It "de facto" ceased to exist in 1989 when the organs of the Brussels-Capital Region were established.


Arad County

Arad County () is an administrative division (judeţ) of Romania roughly translated into county in the western part of the country on the border with Hungary, mostly in the region of Crișana and few villages in Banat. The administrative center of the county lies in the city of Arad. The Arad County is part of the Danube–Criș–Mureș–Tisa Euroregion.
Name.
In Hungarian, it is known as "Arad megye", in Serbian as "Арадски округ", and in German as "Kreis Arad". The county was named after its administrative center, Arad.
Geography.
The county has a total area of 7,754 km², representing 3.6% of national Romanian territory. The terrain of Arad County is divided into two distinct units that cover almost half of the county each. The eastern side of the county has a hilly to low mountainous terrain (Dealurile Lipovei, Munții Zărandului, Munții Codru Moma) and on the western side it's a plain zone consisting of the "Arad Plain", "Low Mures Plain", and "The High Vinga Plain". Taking altitude into account we notice that it follows a stepped pattern as it drops as we go from the east to the west of the county from 1489 m to below 100 m. In the east there are the Zarand Mountainsnand the Codru Moma Mountains, all subdivisions of the Apuseni Mountains, a major group of the Western Carpathians.
Climate and precipitation.
In terms of climate, the characteristics of Arad county have a typical temperate continental climate with oceanic influences, with a circulation of air masses with a predominantly western ordered direction visible from west to east, with increasing altitude. Average annual temperatures range from 10 °C in the lowlands, the hills and piedmonts 9 °C, 8 °C and 6 °C in the low mountains in the area of greatest height.
Average amounts of precipitation fall in values between 565–600 mm annually in the lowlands, 700–800 mm annually in the hills and piedmonts and 800–1200 mm annually in the mountainous area.
Hydrographic network.
The hydrographic network is composed of the two main rivers plus their tributaries and channels.
Demographics.
In October 31, 2011, it had a population of 409,072 and the population density was 52/km². The main ethnic composition was, as follows:
Economy.
Along with Timiș County it forms one of the most developed regions in Romania. Due to its proximity to the border, it attracts a great number of foreign investments. The agricultural potential is greatly put into value, Arad plains being considered one of the most important cereal and vegetable producing basins.
The predominant industries in the county are:
Natural resources in Arad, are worthy to be taken into account as there are oil and associated gases, points of extraction in the west of the county, molibden mines in the Săvârșin area, marble quarries at Căprioara and Moneasa, mineral waters at Lipova, Moneasa, Dorobanți, Curtici, Macea and uranium deposits in the NE part of the county.
Tourism.
The main tourist destinations are:
Politics.
The Arad County Council, renewed at the 2020 local elections, consists of 32 counsellors, with the following party composition:
Administrative divisions.
Arad County has 1 municipality, 9 towns and 68 communes with approximately 180 villages.
Historical county.
Administration.
In 1930, the county was divided into nine districts ("plăṣi"):
Subsequently, a tenth district was established having been carved out of Plasa Ineu:
Administration was re-organized in 1947, comprising 13 districts:
Population.
According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 423,469 inhabitants, 61.0% Romanians, 19.5% Hungarians, 12.3% Germans, 2.8% Slovaks, 2.1% Jews, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, 55.8% declared Eastern Orthodox, 26.5% Roman Catholic, 5.5% Reformed, 4.2% Greek Catholic, 3.2% Lutherans, 2.4% Jewish, 1% Baptists, as well as other minorities.
Urban population.
In 1930, the county's urban population was 77,181 inhabitants, 39.3% Romanians, 38.8% Hungarians, 9.1% Jews, 7.1% Germans, 1.7% Serbs and Croats, 1.4% Slovaks, as well as other minorities. In the urban area, languages were Hungarian (53.3%), Romanian (37.0%), German (6.0%), Serbian (1.4%), Yiddish (0.9%), as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was composed of Roman Catholics (38.5%), Eastern Orthodox (33.8%), Jewish (10.1%), Reformed (9.9%), Greek Catholics (4.0%), Lutherans (2.6%), as well as other minorities.
Industry.
The county's capital, Arad, was the location of Romania's first automotive factory. During the 1920s, "Astra" cars and commercial vehicles were made at Arad. ASTRA Arad manufactured automobiles from 1922 to 1926. The factory had an output of 2 automobiles per working day as of 1922.