are generally functionally indistinguishable from towns, borough, municipalities, or cities. Three LGAs in outer metropolitan Sydney and four in outer metropolitan Melbourne have populations exceeding that of towns or municipalities, but retain significant bushlands and/or semi-rural areas, and most have continued to use "shire" in their titles whilst others have dropped it from theirs. These "city-shires" are: Sydney: Sutherland Shire (which is locally referred to as "The Shire") The Hills Shire ("The Garden Shire", previously "Baulkham Hills Shire") Hornsby Shire ("The Bushland Shire") Melbourne: Shire of Nillumbik ("The Green Wedge Shire") Shire of Yarra Ranges Shire of Cardinia Shire of Mornington Peninsula (which is locally known as "The Peninsula") Shire of Pakenham (1862-1994) Shires in the United States Virginia In 1634, eight "shires" were created in the Virginia Colony by order of Charles I, King of England. They were renamed as counties only a few years later. They were: Accomac Shire (since 1642 Northampton County, Virginia) Charles City Shire (since 1637 Charles City County, Virginia) Charles River Shire (since 1643 York County, Virginia) Elizabeth City Shire (became Elizabeth City County, Virginia in 1643) Henrico Shire (later became Henrico County, Virginia) James City Shire (about 1642-43 James City County, Virginia) Warwick River Shire (became consolidated with the City of Newport News, Virginia) Warrosquyoake Shire (became Isle of Wight County, Virginia) Today, the concept of a "Shire" still exists in Virginia code. It is defined as a semi-autonomous subdivision of a consolidated City-County. Currently no Shires exist in the commonwealth and the administrative provision is largely unknown. New York and New England Before the Province of New York was granted county subdivisions and a greater royal presence in 1683, the early ducal colony consisted of York Shire, as well as Albany and Ulster, after the three titles held by Prince James: Duke of York, Duke of Albany, Earl of Ulster. While these were basically renamed Dutch core settlements, they were quickly converted to English purposes, while the Dutch remained within the colony, as opposed to later practice of the Acadian Expulsion. Further Anglo-Dutch synthesis occurred when Prince James enacted the Dominion of New England and later when William III of England took over through the Glorious Revolution. The word also survives in the name of the state of New Hampshire, whose co-founder, John Mason, named his Province of New Hampshire after the English county of Hampshire. See also Comarca Comarcas of Spain