Municipalities of Catalonia

Each municipality typically represents one significant urban settlement, of any size from village to city, with its surrounding land.

Some large urban areas, for example Barcelona, consist of more than one municipality, each of which previously held a separate settlement.

The council consists of a number of members depending on population, who elect the mayor (Spanish: alcalde, Catalan: batlle).

The town hall (Catalan: ajuntament) is located in the main settlement, and deals with provision of local services and administrative matters such as registration of residents.

Boundaries between municipalities have their origins in ancient landholdings and transfers, and may often appear quite arbitrary and illogical, with exclaves common.