The gmina (Polish: , plural gminy ) is the principal unit of the administrative division of Poland, similar to a municipality. , there were 2,477 gminas throughout the country, encompassing over 43,000 villages. 940 gminas include cities and towns, with 302 among them constituting an independent urban gmina () consisting solely of a standalone town or one of the 107 cities, the latter governed by a city mayor (prezydent miasta). The gmina has been the basic unit of territorial division in Poland since 1974, when it replaced the smaller gromada (cluster). Three or more gminas make up a higher level unit called powiat, except for those holding the status of a city with powiat rights. Each and every powiat has the seat in a city or town, in the latter case either an urban gmina or a part of an urban-rural one. Types There are three types of gmina: 302 urban gmina () constituted either by a standalone town or one of the 107 cities, the latter governed by a city mayor (prezydent miasta), including 66 cities with powiat rights 638 mixed urban-rural gmina () consisting of a town and surrounding villages and countryside; other than Gmina Nowe Skalmierzyce, seat of an urban-rural gmina is almost always located in the town 1537 rural gmina () consisting only of villages and countryside (occasionally of just one village). Some rural gminy have their seat in a town which itself is outside of the gmina's territory. For example, the rural Gmina Augustów is administered from the town of Augustów, but does not include the town, as Augustów is an urban type gmina in its own right. 107 urban gminas constitute cities, distinguished from towns through being governed by a city mayor (prezydent miasta) instead of a town mayor (burmistrz), the status awarded automatically to all urban gminas over 100,000 inhabitants or those with a status of a city with powiat rights, with some others allowed to retain the earlier awarded title due to historical reasons. 66 among the 107 cities (including all voivodeship seats and all cities over 100,000 inhabitants) have the special status of city with powiat rights (miasto na prawach powiatu). Such a city exercises also powers and duties of a powiat while not belonging to any; nevertheless, it may still be a seat of a regular powiat, albeit without belonging to it administratively (such powiat thus being often ″doughnut-shaped″). In