Kassel (region)

Kassel is one of the three Regierungsbezirke of Hesse, Germany, located in the north of the state. It was created in 1866 when Prussia annexed the area to form the new province Hesse-Nassau. All together it consists of 138 municipalities.
Economy.
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 45.4 billion € in 2018, accounting for 1.4% of German economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 34,200 € or 113% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 96% of the EU average. This makes it one of the wealthiest regions in Germany and Europe.


Veliko Tarnovo Province

Veliko Tarnovo () is a province in the middle of the northern part of Bulgaria. Its capital city, Veliko Tarnovo, is of historical significance as it is known as the capital of the Bulgarian Empire. The province is divided into 10 municipalities with a total population, as of December 2009, of 275,395 inhabitants.
Other towns in the province include Gorna Oryahovitsa, which is within of Veliko Tarnovo, Svishtov, set on Danube River and famous for its Tsenov Academy of Economics, and Suhindol, the hometown of "Lovico" — an internationally recognised label for fine wines and spirits. Another notable place is the village of Arbanasi, set between Veliko Tarnovo and Gorna Oryahovitsa. The combination of old style and modern architecture, as well as its churches and monasteries, present the spirit of Bulgaria. Real estate is among the most expensive in the country.
Municipalities.
The Veliko Tarnovo oblast contains 10 municipalities (общини, "obshtini"). The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town (in bold) or village, and the population of each as of December 2009.
Population.
The Veliko Tarnovo province had a population of 293,294 (293,172 also given) according to a 2001 census, of which were male and were female.
As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 275,395 of which are inhabitants aged over 60 years.
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:
Ethnic groups.
Total population (2011 census): 258 494
Ethnic groups (2011 census):
Identified themselves: 233,992 persons:
A further 25,000 persons in the Province did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.
Religion.
Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:


Haskovo Province

Haskovo Province ( - "Oblast Haskovo", former name "Haskovo okrug") is a province in southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece and Turkey to the southeast, comprising parts of the Thracian valley along the river Maritsa. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre - the city of Haskovo. The province embraces a territory of that is divided into 11 municipalities with a total population, , of 256,408 inhabitants.
Municipalities.
The Haskovo province (Област, "oblast") contains 11 municipalities (singular: община, "obshtina" - plural: Общини, "obshtini"). The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town or village (towns are shown in bold), and the population of each .
Population.
The Haskovo had a population of 277,483 (277,478 also given) according to a 2001 census, of which were male and were female.
As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 256,408 of which are inhabitants aged over 60 years.
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:
Ethnic groups.
Total population (2011 census): 246,238<br>
Ethnic groups (2011 census):
Identified themselves: 227,382 persons:
A further 20,000 persons in Haskovo Province did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.
Religion.
Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:


List of municipalities of Portugal

This is a list of the municipalities of Portugal. Portugal is divided into 18 districts () and 2 autonomous regions (), Azores and Madeira. The districts and autonomous regions are further subdivided into 308 municipalities of Portugal ( or ). Usually, a municipality is named after its largest or historically most important town or city. Municipalities are typically much larger than the city or town after which they are named.


Central Finland

Central Finland (; ) is a region ( / ) in Finland. It borders the regions of Päijät-Häme, Pirkanmaa, South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia, North Savo, and South Savo.
Jyväskylä is the regional centre and by far the largest city in the area.
Historical provinces.
"For history, geography and culture see: Tavastia, Savonia, Ostrobothnia"
Municipalities.
The region of Central Finland is made up of 22 municipalities, of which six have city status (marked in bold).
Total: - 272,300 (2012 population)
Äänekoski sub-region:
Jämsä sub-region:
Joutsa sub-region:
Jyväskylä sub-region:
Keuruu sub-region:
Saarijärvi-Viitasaari sub-region:
Politics.
Results of the 2019 Finnish parliamentary election in Central Finland:


Stara Zagora Province

Stara Zagora (), formerly known as the Stara Zagora okrug, is a province of south-central Bulgaria. It is named after its administrative and industrial centre—the city of Stara Zagora—the sixth-biggest town in the country. The province embraces a territory of that is divided into 11 municipalities with a total population, as of December 2009, of 350,925 inhabitants.
In the southeastern part of the province on the edge of Radnevo Municipality there is a coal production facility. Between 1934 and 1949, the province included parts of the present Kardzhali Province.
Municipalities.
The Stara Zagora province (област, "oblast") contains 11 municipalities ( - plural: , ). The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town or village (towns are shown in bold), and the population of each as of December 2009.
Population.
The Stara Zagora province had a population of 370,665 (370,615 also given) according to a 2001 census, of which were male and were female.
As of the end of 2009, the population of the province, announced by the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute, numbered 350,925 of which are inhabitants aged over 60 years.
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:
Ethnic groups.
According to the most recent 2011 census, out of the 333,265 people, 308,106 Identified themselves:
A further 25,000 persons in the Province did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.
Ethnic groups according to the 2001 census, when 370,615 people of the population of 370,665 of Stara Zagora Province identified themselves (with percentage of total population):
Religion.
Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:
Main city.
Stara Zagora is a cultural centre of particular significance for Bulgaria as it is an ancient Thracian, subsequently Greek, Roman and Byzantine metropolis. The oldest Neolithic remains were found in Stara Zagora. The famous film of BBC "The History of Europe" starts with the Neolithic museum in Stara Zagora. It shows the remains of the first homes of the people in Europe. Stara Zagora is one of the oldest cities in Europe.
In October 2004, Stara Zagora Province was awarded for having the best quality of life in Europe, together with Greater Zürich (Switzerland), and ahead of Andalucia (Spain), and Flanders (Belgium). The award was given by fDi Magazine, produced by the renowned Financial Times Group, for the region's low-cost, newly built accommodation and rich cultural heritage.
In November 2014 the Maritsa Iztok-2 power station located in the East of Stara Zgora Province was ranked as the industrial facility that is causing the highest damage costs to health and the environment in Bulgaria and the entire European Union by the European Environment Agency.


Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan

Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan (died 1289) was a Scoto-Norman magnate who was one of the most important figures in the 13th century Kingdom of Scotland. He was the son of William Comyn, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan, and Marjory, Countess of Buchan, the heiress of the last native Scottish Mormaer of Buchan, Fergus. He was the chief counsellor of Alexander III, King of Scots for the entire period of the king's majority and, as Scotland's leading magnate, played a key role in safeguarding the independence of the Scottish monarchy. During his long career, Alexander Comyn was Justiciar of Scotia (1258–89), Constable of Scotland (1275–89), Sheriff of Wigtown (1263–66), Sheriff of Dingwall (1264–66), Ballie of Inverie (in Knoydart) and finally, Guardian of Scotland (1286–89) during the first interregnum following the death of Alexander III. In 1284 he joined with other Scottish noblemen who acknowledged Margaret of Norway as the heiress to King Alexander. He died sometime after 10 July 1289.
Alexander had at least nine children with his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester:


COROP

A COROP region is a division of the Netherlands for statistical purposes, used by Statistics Netherlands, among others. The Dutch abbreviation stands for , literally the Coordination Commission Regional Research Programme. These divisions are also used in the EU designation as NUTS 3.


Provinces of Belgium

The country of Belgium is divided into three regions. Two of these regions, the Flemish Region or Flanders, and Walloon Region, or Wallonia, are each subdivided into five provinces. The third region, the Brussels Capital Region, is not divided into provinces, as it was originally only a small part of a province itself.
Most of the provinces take their name from earlier duchies and counties of similar location, while their territory is mostly based on the departments installed during French annexation. At the time of the creation of Belgium in 1830, only nine provinces existed, including the province of Brabant, which held the city of Brussels. In 1995, Brabant was split into three areas: Flemish Brabant, which became a part of the region of Flanders; Walloon Brabant, which became part of the region of Wallonia; and the Brussels Capital Region, which became a third region. These divisions reflected political tensions between the French-speaking Walloons and the Dutch-speaking Flemish; the Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual.
The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Belgian Constitution. The provinces and Brussels are subdivided into 43 administrative arrondissements, and further into 581 municipalities.
History.
The medieval Low Countries, including present-day Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, as well as parts of modern Germany and France, comprised a number of rival and independent feudal states of varying sizes. These each had their own identities and governments, though in the early modern period almost all the Belgian states became part of larger entities (the Seventeen Provinces (1549–1581) and the Southern Netherlands (after 1581)). Prominent early states in the area of modern Belgium included the Duchy of Brabant, the County of Flanders, the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and the Duchy of Luxembourg; smaller ones included the County of Hainaut, the Duchy of Limburg and the County of Namur, though there were other small states as well.
When these territories were annexed by France in 1795, they were reorganised into "départments"; the borders were redrawn and the historical names were replaced by names of geographical features (generally the main river of the area).
At the end of French rule and the creation of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, the departmental territories were generally retained but were renamed into provinces and the historical names returned. At the time of the independence of Belgium from the Netherlands in 1830, Belgium's territory simply consisted of the existing nine southern provinces. The first article of the Belgian Constitution said: "Belgium is divided into provinces. These provinces are Antwerp, Brabant, West Flanders, East Flanders, Hainaut, Liège, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, except for the relations of Luxembourg with the German Confederation." As such, each of the modern provinces of Belgium (with the exception of Antwerp) takes its name from one of the medieval predecessors, whereas the borders largely correspond to those of the French departments, which in most cases differ substantially from the historical entities.
In 1839, as part of the Treaty of London, half of the province of Limburg became part of the Netherlands, which consequently has its own province of Limburg.
In 1920, following the First World War, Belgium annexed the Eupen-Malmedy territory, which became part of Liège Province.
During the second half of the 20th century, Belgium transitioned from a unitary state to a federal state with three Communities and three Regions. As part of the state reforms, the (bilingual) province of Brabant was split in 1995 three ways: into two (unilingual) provinces (Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant) and into the (bilingual) Brussels-Capital Region. (The Brussels-Capital Region does not belong to any province, is not a province, and does not contain any provinces.) The two new Brabant provinces became part of the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region respectively. The remaining eight provinces became part of these regions as well, so the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region each contain five provinces.
Schematic overview.
The following table presents a simplified overview of the evolution of the French departments into the present-day Belgian provinces.
Provincial governments.
The provincial government consists of three main branches: the "Provincial Council", which is the elected body, the "Deputation" or "Provincial College", which is the executive body, and the "Governor", who is appointed by the regional government (i.e. the Flemish or Walloon Government).
The Provincial Councils (; ) are the representative bodies of the population of the provinces. This is the equivalent of the States-Provincial in the Netherlands. The numbers of seats in the Provincial Councils are proportional to the population of the province; the numbers were reduced in both Flanders and Wallonia, starting 2013 (following the 2012 elections). They are directly elected each six years, at the same time of the municipal elections. Before 1994, the provincial elections instead coincided with the national elections. Until then, the provincial councils also appointed Provincial Senators to the Belgian Senate. The last elections were held on 14 October 2018.
The executive branch was previously called the "Permanent Deputation". In the Flemish Region it is now simply called the Deputation () and it consists of the Governor and six Deputies elected by the Provincial Council from among its members. Following the next 2018 election, there will be one Deputy less, i.e. five Deputies. In the Walloon Region it is called the Provincial College () which consists of the Governor and four to five Deputies (depending on the number of inhabitants of the province) elected by the Provincial Council from among its members.
In Flemish Brabant, there is also a Deputy Governor (). The Deputy Governor is appointed by the Flemish Government on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers and must have a considerable knowledge of both the Dutch and the French language. He is responsible for ensuring that the language legislation is observed in the municipalities in the Brussels Periphery.
Following the Fifth State Reform, the responsibility for the provincial institutions was devolved to the Regions. The Regions have the power to amend or replace the existing legislation on the provincial institutions, most notably the Provincial Law of 30 April 1836. In the Flemish Region, the Provincial Decree of 9 December 2005 applies. In the Walloon Region, the Code of Local Democracy and Decentralisation applies. The legal framework in these Regions is still very similar, but that could change in the future. Although the Regions are responsible for the provincial institutions, the Federal State has retained its responsibility over the provinces in certain cases. For instance, the Regions are responsible for the appointment of the Provincial Governors, but only after the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers. Legislation regarding the Governor and Vice-Governor of Brussels-Capital, and the Deputy Governor of Flemish Brabant, has also remained a federal competency.
Absence of any province in the Brussels Capital Region.
The Brussels Capital Region does not belong to any province, nor does it contain any. The extraprovincial status of Brussels has existed since 1995, when the former province of Brabant, which had Brussels as its capital, was divided into the Dutch-speaking province of Flemish Brabant and the French-speaking province of Walloon Brabant.
Within this mainly French speaking region, nearly all former provincial competencies are assumed by its regional institutions and by the French Community Commission, the Flemish Community Commission or the Common Community Commission. However, the Arrondissement of Brussels-Capital has two commissioners of the Federal Government who are called "Governor of the Brussels-Capital Region" and "Vice-Governor". The Governor exercises most of the few remaining powers elsewhere exercised by a provincial governor, particularly in the field of public order, as far as no (federal) law, (regional) decree, ordinance or decision states otherwise.
The Governor is appointed by the cabinet of the Brussels Capital Region on the unanimous advice of the Federal Council of Ministers. The regional government also appoints the Vice-Governor, who must have a considerable knowledge of both the French and the Dutch language and who must ensure that the legislation regarding the use of languages is observed in Brussels.
Proposed additional province.
Because the German-speaking Community is located entirely within Liège Province, it has been proposed on multiple occasions to create an eleventh province, the Province of Eupen-Sankt Vith, which would comprise the nine municipalities of the German-speaking Community. Most of the functions carried out by provincial organs would then be exercised by the organs of the German-speaking Community.
The community is however small in area () and has only about 76,000 inhabitants, which would make it the smallest and by far the least populated province.


Central Albania

Central Albania () is one of the three NUTS-2 Regions of Albania. It consists of two counties: Tirana County and Elbasan County.
 In colloquial usage some other regions are often included in Central Albania, especially Durrës and Shijak, and, less consistently, Dibër, Krujë, Pogradec, Berat and Myzeqe.
References.


Chrudim District

Chrudim District () is a district ("okres") within Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is the town of Chrudim.
Overview.
The district has mostly flat terrain with slopes of Iron Mountains appearing on the south. Seč Dam is the largest water surface in the district (2.2 km2), Chrudimka is the longest river in the district (104 km). Industrial centres are Chrudim (mechanical engineering, textile, food industry), Hlinsko (electrotechnical, textile) and Skuteč (textile). Climatic conditions and terrain make the area convenient for agriculture.
Tourism is concentrated on Seč Dam and historical architecture. Of note is historical centre of Chrudim, hippology museum in Slatiňany, castles Košumberk, Lichnice, Rychmburk and Oheb, war memorial in Ležáky and Veselý Kopec Skansen.
Among notable persons associated with the district are inventor Josef Ressel, composers Zdeněk Fibich and Vítězslav Novák, writers Karel Václav Rais and Jaroslav Vrchlický, painters Antonín Slavíček, Antonin Chittussi and Adolf Kosárek.
Complete list of municipalities.
Chrudim -
Běstvina -
Biskupice -
Bítovany -
Bojanov -
Bor u Skutče -
Bořice -
Bousov -
Bylany -
Ctětín -
Čankovice -
České Lhotice -
Dědová -
Dolní Bezděkov -
Dřenice -
Dvakačovice -
Hamry -
Heřmanův Městec -
Hlinsko -
Hluboká -
Hodonín -
Holetín -
Honbice -
Horka -
Horní Bradlo -
Hošťalovice -
Hrochův Týnec -
Hroubovice -
Chrast -
Chroustovice -
Jeníkov -
Jenišovice -
Kameničky -
Kladno -
Klešice -
Kněžice -
Kočí -
Kostelec u Heřmanova Městce -
Krásné -
Krouna -
Křižanovice -
Lány -
Leštinka -
Libkov -
Liboměřice -
Licibořice -
Lipovec -
Lozice -
Lukavice -
Luže -
Míčov-Sušice -
Miřetice -
Mladoňovice -
Morašice -
Mrákotín -
Nabočany -
Načešice -
Nasavrky -
Orel -
Ostrov -
Otradov -
Perálec -
Podhořany u Ronova -
Pokřikov -
Prachovice -
Proseč -
Prosetín -
Předhradí -
Přestavlky -
Raná -
Rabštejnská Lhota -
Ronov nad Doubravou -
Rosice -
Rozhovice -
Řestoky -
Seč -
Skuteč -
Slatiňany -
Smrček -
Sobětuchy -
Stolany -
Střemošice -
Studnice -
Svídnice -
Svratouch -
Tisovec -
Trhová Kamenice -
Trojovice -
Třemošnice -
Třibřichy -
Tuněchody -
Úherčice -
Úhřetice -
Vápenný Podol -
Včelákov -
Vejvanovice -
Vítanov -
Vojtěchov -
Vortová -
Vrbatův Kostelec -
Všeradov -
Vysočina -
Vyžice -
Zaječice -
Zájezdec -
Zderaz -
Žlebské Chvalovice -
Žumberk


Blagoevgrad Province

Blagoevgrad Province (, "oblast Blagoevgrad" or Благоевградска област, "Blagoevgradska oblast"), also known as Pirin Macedonia or Bulgarian Macedonia (), ("Pirinska Makedoniya or Bulgarska Makedoniya") is a province ("oblast") of southwestern Bulgaria. It borders four other Bulgarian provinces to the north and east, the Greek region of Macedonia to the south, and North Macedonia to the west. The province has 14 municipalities with 12 towns. Its principal city is Blagoevgrad, while other significant towns include Bansko, Gotse Delchev, Melnik, Petrich, Razlog, Sandanski, and Simitli.
Geography and climate.
Geography.
The province has a territory of and a population of 323,552 (). It is the third largest in Bulgaria after Burgas and Sofia Provinces and comprises 5.8% of the country's territory. Blagoevgrad Province includes the mountains, or parts of, Rila (highest point of the Balkans — Musala summit, 2925 m), Pirin (highest point — Vihren summit, 2914 m), the Rhodopes, Slavyanka, Belasitsa, Vlahina, Maleshevo, Ograzhden and Stargach. There are two major rivers — Struma River and Mesta River — with population concentrations along their valleys, which are also the main transport corridors.
Climate.
The climate varies from temperate continental to Mediterranean in the southernmost parts. Natural resources are timber, mineral springs, coal, construction materials, including marble and granite. The beautiful and preserved environment is widely considered an important resource. A number of national parks and protected territories care for the biodiversity. Arable land is 38.8% and forests constitute 52% of the province's territory.
History.
The Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 saw the annexation of the area to the Bulgarian state. Before the wars, it had been under Ottoman rule for over five centuries.
Municipalities.
The Blagoevgrad province (област, "oblast") contains 14 municipalities (singular: община, "obshtina" - plural: общини, "obshtini"). The following table shows the names of each municipality in English and Cyrillic, the main town (in bold) or village, and the population of each as of 2011.
Economy.
The region is characterized with diversified economic branch structure: food and tobacco processing industries, agriculture, tourism, transport and communications, textile industry, timber and furniture industries, iron processing and machinery industry, construction materials industry, as well as pharmaceuticals, plastics, paper and shoes production. Approximately 10% of the population is unemployed (close to the national average). There are 4 major hospitals in the province.
With its railway line and road connection, the region forms the heart of the land-based trading route between northern Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. Since the early 2000s the province enjoys a mini boom in trade from thousands Greek day-trippers from across the border, purchasing cheaper goods and services (dental, opticians, etc.). Since the early 1990s, the region has also attracted Greek manufacturers who moved their production line from Greece, especially to Petrich. It was an important tourist destination during the communist years for East Germans and is slowly picking up again. The unique town of Melnik was once a wealthy centre built on the back of exiled phanariots from Constantinople. Now it is a centre for wine production and offers eco-tourism.
Infrastructure remains relatively underdeveloped, especially regarding road and rail communications. It remains an important target for potential EU funding. There are two major infrastructural projects in the region. The Struma motorway, which is planned to connect the capital Sofia with the Greek border and the port of Thessaloniki, is going to run through the valley of the Sruma River, and will be ready in a few years. The second project is the airport of Bansko. The cost is currently estimated at around €30,000,000.
Culture, education and monuments.
Historical and archaeological monuments include the ruins of antique Thracian and Roman settlements, Early Christian basilicas, medieval Byzantine and Bulgarian towns, monasteries and fortresses, as well as many preserved buildings and whole villages — examples of the architecture from the Ottoman period (like Melnik, the Rozhen Monastery and Bansko).
A theatre, a library with 345,000 tomes, and an opera house are situated in the provincial centre, Blagoevgrad. There are art galleries in Bansko, Blagoevgrad and Sandanski. Many small cultural institutions, "chitalishta", are dispersed around the province. The Pirin State Ensemble is the most prominent among the numerous folklore and music bands. There are 10 museums in the province that preserve the rich historical, ethnographic and archaeological heritage. Cultural events include the Theatre Festival in Blagoevgrad, the Jazz Festival in Bansko and the Melnik Evenings of Poetry.
The Southwestern University and the American University in Bulgaria are situated in Blagoevgrad; the latter is the second largest American university campus in Europe and is located in the former headquarters of the communist party. Annually the city draws around 10,000 students from the country and abroad. The number of schools in the province is 182.
Notable people from Blagoevgrad Province.
A number of the province's towns were renamed in honor of major figures such as Sandanski (after Yane Sandanski).
Demographics.
The province had a population of 323,552 according to the 2011 census, of which were male and were female.
The following table represents the change of the population in the province after World War II:
Ethnic groups.
Total population (2011 census): 323 552

Ethnic groups (2011 census):
Identified themselves: 283,556 persons:
The issue of the current number of ethnic Macedonians in the province is complicated. In 2008, the local ethnic Macedonian political activist Stojko Stojkov, head of the United Macedonian Organization Ilinden–Pirin, claimed the number of the native ethnic Macedonians to be between 5,000 and 10,000 in the whole of Bulgaria. However, in 2017 there were 18,000 ethnic Macedonian nationals registered as residents only in the Blagoevgrad Municipality. Their number in the whole of the province is higher. They are citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, but have also Bulgarian citizenship, based on declared Bulgarian ethnic origin. The ethnic Bulgarian population in the province, has on the other hand, also a regional Macedonian identity. Indeed it is said there is no clear ethnic difference between both groups. According to the 2011 census only 561 persons (0.2%) declared themselves as ethnic Macedonians in Blagoevgrad Province.
Languages.
Mother tongues in the province according to 2001 census:
306,118 Bulgarian (),

19,819 Turkish (),
9,232 Romani () and 6004 others and unspecified ().
Religion.
Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:
Most Muslims in the province are Bulgarian Muslims, also called Pomaks. That makes Blagoevgrad Province together with Smolyan Province and the area around Velingrad one of the few places where Bulgarian Muslims make up the majority of the Muslims while in Bulgaria general most Muslims are from Turkish background.
Sport.
Blagoevgrad Province is currently one of the best-represented provinces in Bulgarian football, with 3 teams playing in the Bulgarian A PFG (second only to Sofia with 4) — FC Vihren Sandanski, PFC Belasitsa Petrich and PFC Pirin 1922 Blagoevgrad. One more team from the province, PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad (as distinct from Pirin 1922), began the 2005/06 season in the highest Bulgarian division, but disbanded shortly afterwards due to financial problems.
Owing to the alpine features and accessible location, the northern and eastern regionof Blagoevgrad Province is also a centre of winter sports. The main centre is Bansko which is becoming a leading skiing resort at European level with rapidly rising property prices.


Canton of Jura

The Republic and Canton of Jura (), less formally the Canton of Jura or Canton Jura ( , ), is the newest (founded in 1979) of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of Switzerland. The capital is Delémont. It shares borders with the canton of Basel-Landschaft, the canton of Bern, the canton of Neuchatel, the canton of Solothurn, and the French régions of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and Grand Est.
History.
The king of Burgundy donated much of the land that today makes up canton Jura to the bishop of Basel in 999. The area was a sovereign state within the Holy Roman Empire for more than 800 years. After the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 the Jura had close ties with the Swiss Confederation.
At the Congress of Vienna (1815), the Jura region became part of the canton of Bern. This act caused dissension. The Jura was French-speaking and Roman Catholic, whereas the canton of Bern was mostly German-speaking and Protestant.
After World War II, a separatist movement campaigned for a secession of Jura from the canton of Bern.
After a long and partly militant struggle, which included some arson attacks by a youth organisation "Les Béliers", a constitution was accepted in 1977. In 1978, the split was made official when the Swiss people voted in favour, and in 1979, the Jura joined the Swiss Confederation as a full member. The canton celebrated its independence from the canton of Bern on 23 June. However, the southern part of the region, which is also predominantly French-speaking but has a Protestant majority, opted not to join the newly formed canton, instead remaining part of the canton of Bern. Although this decision may be considered strange linguistically, the choice may have been influenced by the fact that the canton of Bern is financially richer and is at the heart of federal power in Switzerland. The area is now known as Bernese Jura. The word Jura, therefore, may refer either to canton Jura, or to the combined territory of canton Jura and the Bernese Jura. Switzerland as a whole often presents the latter from a touristic standpoint with documentation easily available in French or German.
On creation, the canton adopted the title Republic and Canton of Jura. Other cantons in Switzerland using the title "Republic and Canton" are Ticino, Geneva, and Neuchâtel. In each case, the title refers to the autonomy of the canton and its nominal sovereignty within the Swiss Confederation.
Since 1994, the question of the Jura region has again been controversial. In 2004, a federal commission proposed that the French-speaking southern Jura be united with the canton of Jura, as the language question now seems to be more important than the denominational one. A possible solution would be to create two half-cantons, as reunification with the creation of only a single canton would mean a complete restructuring of the Jura's current political system, with the cantonal capital being transferred from Delémont to Moutier.
On 18 June 2017, the town of Moutier voted to secede from the canton of Bern and join the canton of Jura in a referendum. On 17 September 2017, the nearby municipalities of Belprahon and Sorvilier conversely voted to remain in the canton of Bern. The vote in Moutier was later declared invalid. On 28 March 2021, Moutier voted to secede from Bern and join Jura again in an officially sanctioned referendum. The changeover is expected to be implemented by 2026.
Geography.
Canton Jura lies in the northwest of Switzerland. It consists of parts of the Jura mountains in the south and the Jura plateau in the north. The Jura plateau is hilly and almost entirely limestone. The districts of Ajoie and Franches-Montagnes lie in this region. The term "Jurassic" is derived from the Jura Alps, strata of which give the era its name.
To the north and the west of the canton lies France. The canton of Solothurn and Basel-Landschaft are to east of the canton, while the canton of Bern bounds the Jura to the south. The rivers Doubs and the Birs drain the lands. The Doubs joins the Saône and then the Rhône, whereas the Birs is a tributary to the Rhine.
Political subdivisions.
Districts.
Jura is divided into 3 districts:
Municipalities.
There are 64 municipalities in the canton ().
Demographics.
The population is almost entirely French-speaking. Just one municipality is German-speaking: Ederswiler. The majority of the population is Roman Catholic (75% ) with a small Protestant minority (13%). The population of the canton (as of ) is . , the population included 8,195 foreigners, or about 11.8% of the total population.
Historic population.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Economy.
Agriculture is important in canton Jura. Cattle breeding is significant, but there is also horse breeding (the Franches-Montagnes is the last Swiss horse race). The main industries are watches, textiles and tobacco. There is a growing number of small and medium-sized businesses. In 2001, there were 3,578 people who worked in the primary economic sector. 14,109 people were employed in the secondary sector and 16,513 people were employed in the tertiary sector.
In 2001, the canton produced 0.9% of the entire Swiss national income while it had 0.9% of the total population. In 2005, the average share of the national income per resident of the canton was 38,070 CHF, while the national average was 54,031 CHF, or about 70% of the national income per person. Between 2003 and 2005, the average income grew at a rate of 6.4%, which was larger than the national rate of 5.3%. The average taxes in the canton are higher than in most cantons, in 2006, the tax index in the canton was 126.6 (Swiss average is 100.0). In 2006, the canton had the highest final tax rate on high wage earners (15.26% on a married couple with two children earning 150,000 CHF vs 11.6% nationally), though the tax rate was in the middle for lower-income families.
Culture.
The eau de vie Damassine is one typical produce of the Ajoie area. (see Terroir Jura and
 Jura Infos)


Groningen (province)

Groningen (; ; ) is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. It borders on Friesland to the west, Drenthe to the south, the German state of Lower Saxony to the east, and the Wadden Sea to the north. As of November 2019, Groningen had a population of 585,881 and a total area of .
The area was subsequently part of Frisia, the Frankish Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Dutch Republic, which is the precursor state of the Netherlands. In the 14th century, the city of Groningen became a member of the Hanseatic League.
The provincial capital and the largest city in the province is the city of Groningen (231,299 inhabitants). Since 2016, René Paas has been the King's Commissioner in the province. A coalition of GroenLinks, the Labour Party, ChristianUnion, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Democrats 66, and Christian Democratic Appeal forms the executive branch. The province is divided into 10 municipalities.
The land is mainly used for agriculture. There are seaports in Delfzijl and Eemshaven. The Groningen gas field was discovered in 1959. The province is home to the University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences.
History.
Groningen was originally a part of Frisia. It became a part of the Frankish Empire around 785. Charlemagne assigned the Christianization of this new possession to Ludger.
In the 11th century, the city of Groningen was a village in Drenthe that belonged to the Bishopric of Utrecht, while most of the province was in the Prince-Bishopric of Münster.
During the Middle Ages, central control was remote, and the city of Groningen acted as a city-state, exerting a dominating influence on the surrounding Ommelanden. In the 14th century, Groningen became one of the towns within the Hanseatic League. In the years after, Groningen expanded its influence. At its peak almost all of the current province Friesland was under the influence and control of Groningen.
Shortly before 1498, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor gave Groningen and Friesland to Albert III, Duke of Saxony, who could however not establish permanent control. In 1514/15 Groningen came to the Duchy of Guelders, and in 1536 as the Lordship of Groningen to the Habsburg Netherlands.
In 1594, Groningen was conquered from the Spanish by the Republic of the Seven United Provinces, precursor state of the Netherlands, to which it belonged henceforth.
During World War II, the Netherlands were occupied by Nazi Germany. In April 1945, the 2nd Canadian Division fought in the Battle of Groningen, which resulted in the liberation of the city and in the death of 130, the capture of 5,212, and the fleeing of 2,000 German soldiers. In May 1945, another 3,000 German soldiers were captured in the Battle of Delfzijl by the 5th Canadian Division, after which all of the northern provinces were liberated.
East Groningen was the scene of a particularly fierce class struggle in the 19th and 20th centuries. Perhaps not coincidentally, Groningen boasts the only municipality (Beerta) where the Communist Party of the Netherlands has ever had a mayor (Hanneke Jagersma).
Geography.
Groningen is situated at in the northeast of the Netherlands. To the west is the province Friesland, to the south is the province Drenthe, to the east the German districts are Leer and Emsland in the state Lower Saxony, and to the north the North Sea, Ems, and Dollart. The northernmost point of the Netherlands is on Rottumerplaat at ; the easternmost point of the Netherlands is in Bad Nieuweschans at .
Groningen is the 7th largest province of the Netherlands. It has a total area of , with of land and of water. About 80% of the land or is used for agriculture. The rest of the land is: 9% or of built-up or semi built-up area, 6% or of nature, 3% or of infrastructure, and 2% or of recreational area.
The land in Groningen is flat. A large area of the province is below sea level. The Hasseberg near Sellingen of above sea level is the highest point.
The Groningen gas field near Slochteren is the 8th largest natural gas field in the world. Since 1986, the exploitation of this gas field has caused earthquakes in the region with magnitudes up to 3.6.
In the Wadden Sea of Groningen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, are the sandbank Simonszand and the natural reserve Rottum consisting of the three uninhabited islands Rottumeroog, Rottumerplaat, and Zuiderduintjes. The national park Lauwersmeer (IUCN category II) is located on the border between Groningen and Friesland.
Subdivisions.
The province of Groningen is also called "Stad en Ommelanden", which means the city of Groningen and its surrounding lands, which are the historical regions of Fivelingo, Hunsingo, Oldambt, Westerkwartier, and Westerwolde.
The province (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or NUTS level 2) is divided into three COROP regions (NUTS level 3): East Groningen, Delfzijl and surroundings, and the rest of Groningen. The COROP regions are used for statistical purposes.
The province is also divided into 10 municipalities with each their own local government. Currently, Groningen is the most populated and most densely populated municipality, containing the largest city.
Climate.
The province of Groningen has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb).
Demographics.
On 1 January 2014, the province of Groningen had a population of 582,640 and a population density of , which make it the 9th most populous province and 8th most densely populated province of the Netherlands. The city of Groningen is the most populous city in the province and the in the Netherlands.
On 1 January 2013, 92.2% of the total provincial population was born in the Netherlands; and of the 7.8% that was born abroad, the ten most common foreign countries of origin are the neighbour Germany (1.09%), the former colonies and dependencies Indonesia (0.60%), Netherlands Antilles and Aruba (0.55%), Suriname (0.54%), and other countries Turkey (0.41%), Soviet Union (0.36%), China (0.32%), Poland (0,26%), Yugoslavia (0.26%), and United Kingdom (0.18%).
In 1999, a 59% majority of the population of Groningen was not affiliated with any religion; 29% was Protestant (15% Reformed and 14% Dutch Reformed; since 2004 united in Protestant Church in the Netherlands), 7% was Roman Catholic (Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden), and 6% had another religion.
Economy.
The city of Groningen is the economic center of the province. In the 14th century, the city became a member of the Hanseatic League. Currently some of the city's major employers are University Medical Center Groningen with 12,141 employees, University of Groningen with 5,591 employees, Municipality of Groningen with 3,063 employees, Education Implementation Service (DUO) with 2,000 employees, and Gasunie with 1,748 employees.
The other economically important area is the Ems delta with the sea ports of Delfzijl and Eemshaven. In 2015, a total of 11,589 cargo vessels arrived at the two Groningen Seaports combined, 7,111 sea vessels and 4,478 inland vessels. The ports had a cargo throughput of 11,309,000 tonnes. The chemical industry near Delfzijl is located at the Chemie Park in Farmsum, with factories of AkzoNobel, Lubrizol, and Teijin Aramid. Both GDF Suez and Vattenfall have a natural gas-fired power plant in Eemshaven, and Essent is building a coal-fired power plant there.
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 25 billion € in 2018, accounting for 3.2% of the Netherlands economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 37,300 € or 124% of the EU27 average in the same year.
In 1959, the Groningen gas field near Slochteren was discovered, and the NAM started to exploit the field in 1963. This caused Dutch disease and induced earthquakes.
In 2013, Groningen had a labor force of 268,000 people and unemployment rate of 9.6%, which is the second highest unemployment for a province in the Netherlands.
Culture.
Language.
Groningen is home to the Low Saxon dialect called "Gronings" ("Grönnegs" / "Grunnegs" in Gronings regional language), In the eastern part of Friesland variations of the Groninger 'language' is spoken. Gronings has local nuances, for example, the people in the eastern part speak Gronings with more German influence. Nowadays, many inhabitants of the province don't speak the dialect, especially in the city of Groningen where many outsiders have moved.
Cuisine.
Traditional dishes and delicacies from Groningen are boerenkoolstamppot, droge worst, krentjebrij, oudewijvenkoek, poffert, and spekdik. Traditional alcoholic drinks are boerenjongens, boerenmeisjes, fladderak, and heet bier.
Museums.
Museumhuis Groningen is an umbrella organization for museums and other heritage organizations in the province of Groningen and has 58 members. The Groninger Museum is the most visited museum in the province with 209,195 visitors in 2015. The other museums and heritage organizations with more than 25 thousand visitors in 2015 are Fort Bourtange in Bourtange, Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum in Groningen, Ter Apel Monastery in Ter Apel, Fraeylemaborg in Slochteren, Nationaal Bus Museum in Hoogezand, and Museumspoorlijn STAR in Stadskanaal.
Sports.
FC Groningen from the city of Groningen is the only football club from the province in the Eredivisie. Their home stadium Euroborg has a capacity of 22,550 seats. In the 2012–2013 competition, FC Groningen became 7th of the 18 teams. SC Veendam played in the Eerste Divisie, but filed for bankruptcy in 2013.
The city of Groningen is also the base of basketball club GasTerra Flames, volleyball club Lycurgus, and korfball club Nic..
The ice rink at the multi-sport center Kardinge in the city of Groningen is used for national speed skating championships, most recently the 2013 KNSB Dutch Sprint Championships.
Politics.
A provincial government in the Netherlands consists of a Provincial Council, the directly elected legislative branch, and a Provincial Executive, the executive branch. The King's Commissioner, who is appointed by the national government, is chairman of both branches. The Provincial Council of Groningen consists of 43 members and the Provincial Executive consists of the King's Commissioner and six deputies. The government has its seat in the city of Groningen, which is the provincial capital.
René Paas, member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), has been the King's Commissioner since 18 April 2016. He succeeded Max van den Berg who was the King's Commissioner in Groningen from 2007 to 2016.
In the provincial elections of 2011, the Labour Party became the largest party with nearly 25% of the votes and 12 seats in the Provincial Council. The next three largest parties are the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Socialist Party (SP) with 6 seats each, and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) with 5 seats. In 2011, two months after the elections, the member of the Party for the North (PvhN) continued as an independent under the name Free Mandate. The next provincial elections are planned for 18 March 2015.
Following the 2011 elections, the Provincial Executive was formed by a coalition of the Labour Party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Democrats 66 (D66), and GreenLeft (GL). In 2013, GreenLeft left the coalition and was replaced by the ChristianUnion (CU). The Labour Party has three deputies, the other coalition parties have one deputy each.
2015 provincial election
!colspan="2" align="left"| Party
! Votes
! Seats
!colspan="2"| Total
! 241,479
! 100
! 43
Transportation.
Roads.
In the province of Groningen, there are three national roads (), which are maintained by Rijkswaterstaat. The motorway A7 (E22) connects the city of Groningen with the provinces of Friesland and North Holland in the west and with Winschoten and Germany in the east. The motorway is interrupted for the ring road of the city of Groningen, where it is the expressway N7. The motorway A28 (E232) starts at the city of Groningen and runs south connecting it with the provinces of Drenthe, Overijssel, Gelderland, and Utrecht. The expressway N33 runs south from Eemshaven, via Appingedam and Veendam, to Drenthe. Other roads are overseen by the province (N roads), municipalities, or water boards.
Public transport.
Public transport falls under the rules for government procurement in the European Union. Tenders for regional bus and railway services are selected by the province of Groningen. Qbuzz is contracted for bus services in the period 2009–2015 and Arriva for railway services in the period 2005–2020. Nederlandse Spoorwegen operates the railway services from Groningen railway station southward to Drenthe and beyond.
The railway network in the Netherlands is maintained by ProRail. There are six railways located partially or entirely in the province of Groningen. The railway station Groningen connects several of these railways.
Airports.
The international airport that serves Groningen is Groningen Airport Eelde, which is located in Eelde in the province of Drenthe. The airport is co-owned by the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe and the municipalities of Groningen, Assen, and Tynaarlo. Its summer destinations are Antalya, Faro, Girona, Gran Canaria, Heraklion, Kos, Palma de Mallorca, and Tenerife. Its winter destinations are Innsbruck and Salzburg. Starting on 5 June 2014, there will also be flights to London. For other international destinations, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the nearest airport. The general aviation airports in the province are Oostwold Airport in Oostwold and Stadskanaal Airfield in Stadskanaal.
Science and education.
The University of Groningen in the city of Groningen was founded in 1614 and is the only research university ("universiteit") in the province. On 1 September 2013, it had 29,407 students and 5,238 full-time equivalent of staff members. The university has ten faculties: Arts, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Medical Sciences, Philosophy, Spatial Sciences, Theology and Religious Studies, and University College Groningen.
The Hanze University of Applied Sciences, the NHL University of Applied Sciences, and the Stenden University of Applied Sciences in the city of Groningen are the province's publicly funded universities of applied sciences ("hogescholen").
Media.
The "Dagblad van het Noorden" is a regional daily newspaper based in the city of Groningen and is owned by NDC Mediagroep. It was founded in 2002 by merging the "Nieuwsblad van het Noorden", the "Groninger Dagblad", and the "Drentse Courant". In 2015, the newspaper had a circulation of 96,515.
RTV Noord is a regional public broadcaster of radio and television based in the city of Groningen, with Radio Noord and TV Noord. Their radio station has 121,000 daily listeners and a market share of 28% (2012) and their TV station has 171,000 daily viewers and a market share of 26.7% (2012).
Notable residents.
People from the province of Groningen:


Kalmar County

Kalmar County () is a county or "län" in southern Sweden. It borders the counties of Kronoberg, Jönköping, Blekinge and Östergötland. To the east in the Baltic Sea is the island Gotland.
The counties are mainly administrative units. Geographically Kalmar County covers the eastern part in the Småland province, and the entire island of Öland.
Culture.
Much of Öland's present day landscape known as the Stora Alvaret has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This southern part of Öland is known for a large number of rare species; early paleolithic settlement at Alby; other prehistoric remains such as the Gettlinge Gravefield and Eketorp Fortress; and the Ottenby Nature Preserve.
Administration.
Kalmar County was integrated with Kronoberg County until 1672. Blekinge was a part of Kalmar County between 1680 and 1683, due to the foundation of the naval base at Karlskrona.
The seat of residence for the Governor or "Landshövding" is Kalmar. The Governor is the head of the County Administrative Board or "Länsstyrelse". The County Administrative Board is a Government Agency headed by a Governor. The current Governor is Stefan Carlsson. See List of Kalmar County Governors.
Since 1997 The municipalities and the county council cooperate through the indirectly politically controlled Regional Council of Kalmar County. The regional council represents the municipalities interests in regional growth issues, coordinates infrastructure planning, higher education, common cultural issues and administers various governmental an EU grants.
Municipalities.
On the mainland:
On Öland:
Localities in order of size.
The five most populous localities of Kalmar County in 2018:
Foreign background.
SCB have collected statistics on backgrounds of residents since 2002. These tables consist of all who have two foreign-born parents or are born abroad themselves. The chart lists election years and the last year on record alone.
Heraldry.
The County of Kalmar was formally granted its arms in 1944. Before this the county carried the arms of Småland and Öland side by side. The current arms is a combination of the arms for Småland and Öland. Blazon: "Quartered, the arms of Småland and Öland"


Euboea (regional unit)

Euboea () is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. It consists of the islands of Euboea and Skyros, as well as a 260 km² area on the Greek mainland. Its land area is 4,167.449 km², whereas the total land area of the municipalities actually on the island Euboea is 3,684.848 km², which includes that of numerous small offshore islets (Petalies Islands) near Euboea's southern tip.
Administration.
The Euboea regional unit is subdivided into 8 municipalities, numbered in the picture in the infobox. These are:
Prefecture.
As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the former Euboea Prefecture () was transformed into a regional unit within the Central Greece region, without any change in boundaries. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below.
"Note": the former municipalities of Anthidona and Avlida are on the mainland, attached to the northeastern part of Boeotia. Skyros is an island by itself.
Provinces.
"Note": Provinces no longer hold any legal status in Greece.
Population.
As of the 2001 census, the prefecture had a population of 215,136 inhabitants, and the island Euboea itself had a population of 198,130.


Vianden (canton)

Vianden is a canton in the north of Luxembourg. Its capital is Vianden.
Administrative divisions.
Vianden Canton consists of the following three communes:


Struer Municipality

Struer Municipality is a municipality (Danish, "kommune") in Mid Jutland Region on the Jutland Peninsula in west Denmark. The municipality includes the island of Venø, and it covers an area of . It has a total population of 21,576 (1 April 2014). Its mayor is Niels Viggo Lynghøj, a member of the Social Democrats party.
The main town and the site of its municipal council is the city of Struer.
The long Oddesund Bridge ("Oddesundbro") connects the municipality at the town of Oddesund Syd to the town of Oddesund Nord in Thyholm Municipality on Vendsyssel-Thy. Ferry service connects the municipality to the island of Venø every 20 minutes from Kleppen, northwest of the town of Struer.
Denmark's smallest church, built ca. 1600, is located on the island of Venø. The island has a population of approx. 160, of which most work on the mainland. The island is 7.5 km long and 1.5 km at its widest point.
On January 1, 2007, Struer municipality was, as the result of "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), merged with existing Thyholm municipality to form an enlarged Struer municipality.
Politics.
Municipal council.
Struer's municipal council consists of 21 members, elected every four years.
Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.
External links.


Province of Sondrio

The Province of Sondrio () is in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Its provincial capital is the town Sondrio. As of 2017, it has a population of 181,403.
History.
The Province was established in 1815, within the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, combining the valleys of Valtellina, Valchiavenna and Bormio.
Before the Roman conquest, the territory was inhabited by Celts (Lepontii) and Rhaetians (Camunni). The Romans included this area in their Cisalpine Gaul province.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it came under the control of the Lombards and was first ruled by feudal lords from the local area. During the Middle Ages it belonged to the Kingdom of Italy. In the 14th century it fell under the rule of the Duchy of Milan due to the House of Visconti and House of Sforza. Sondrio and Valtellina were strategically important in the politics of Europe, especially in the sixteenth and 17th century religious wars, due to their connections to Europe by Sondrio's Spluga Pass and valleys. Upon the collapse of the Duchy of Milan, rule over Sondrio was exercised by the Swiss Canton of Graubünden. Valtellina was invaded in 1622 by the Spanish Governor of Milan as the valleys had been used to transport troops around Europe; the Spanish efforts were assisted by a 1620 revolt in Valtellina against the Swiss.
The Peace of Westphalia (1648) secured peace in the region and granted the region to the Canton of Graubünden. In 1797, the Republic of Valtellina was formed but was quickly conquered by the French to become a component of the Cisalpine Republic client state. The Congress of Vienna (1815) Sondrio and Valtellina as a province of the Austrian Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia.
Lombardy–Venetia was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.
Geography.
The Province of Sondrio is a mostly mountainous, sparsely populated area in the north of Lombardy. It borders on the Swiss canton of Graubünden to the north, the Provinces of Como and Lecco to the west, the Province of Bergamo to the south and the Provinces of Brescia, Trento and Bolzano to the east. The Rhaetian Alps are the highest mountains in Lombardy. The valleys mostly run from north to south, the main ones being the Valtellina and Valchiavenna. One of the main towns is Livigno (1,800 m above sea level), which is a tourist centre in the summer and a ski resort in the winter. There are 78 communes in the province and Sondrio is the biggest town and the administrative centre. The Stelvio National Park is located in the north-eastern end of the province.
The economy is based on construction, logging, quarrying, tourism and light industry. Workers from Switzerland commute to work in Sondrio, and other workers cross the border from Italy to join the Swiss workforce. Throughout the province grapes have traditionally been grown, each district having its own local variety and producing its own local wine. It has been necessary for farmers to engineer terraces on the steep slopes, building dry stone retaining walls and moving earth to make the best use of terrain that is unsuitable for general agricultural purposes. The traditions of viticulture are embedded in the culture of the countryside.
External links.
<br>


List of Romanian counties by population

The following is a list of counties ("județe") in Romania, ordered by population, between 1948 and 2011. The data is taken from the Romanian National Institute of Statistics (INSSE) censuses results, as well as from the Romanian Statistical Yearbook published by INSSE.
The data is provided from the following censuses:


List of district flags of Germany

This is a list of flags of districts of Germany. The flags are listed per state.


Loksa

Loksa is a town and municipality in Harju County, northern Estonia. The Valgejõgi river runs through Loksa and drains there into Hara Bay.
History.
The village of Loksa was first mentioned in 1687 but this area is known in modern times as the village of Kotka.
The development of what is known these days as the town of Loksa started around 1874 when the landlords of Kolga established a new brickyard outside Loksa village. Around this factory a new market town was born.
In 1903, a shipyard was established, boosting the community's further growth. From Loksa, bricks were transported to Reval (now Tallinn), Helsingfors (now Helsinki) and Saint Petersburg. Although no ships were built in Loksa, the shipyard was heavily engaged in repairing ships from 1905 onwards.
By the end of the 19th century, there were 36 dwellings in Loksa. By 1934, their number had grown to 150. Loksa soon became the administrative centre of Loksa Parish which was part of Harju County until 1949 and of Viru County from 1949 to 1950.
From 1950 to 1957, Loksa was the administrative centre of Loksa District. After a new administrative reform in 1957 Loksa became part of Harju District.
The brickyard was closed down in 1981, but the shipyard continued to be expanded until the end of the Soviet occupation and remains the town's main employer.
With the restoration of the Republic of Estonia in 1991, Loksa became again a centre of the restored Loksa Parish and was elevated from market town to town on August 25, 1993.
Population.
Since the beginning of the 1990s, the population of Loksa has decreased by more than one fifth. This has been mainly caused by growing unemployment, resulting from closure and downsizing of several companies not fit for new economic climate.
In 2000, there were 1,650 inhabitants in labor force, 750 of whom were working somewhere else.
The main ethnic group in Loksa is Russians, making up about 57% of the whole population. Estonians make up less than one third of all inhabitants.
Education.
The history of education in Loksa dates back to December 1867 when teacher Jakob Janter started to teach 20 children in a local farm house. The first schoolhouse was built in 1903, but this building burned down in 1927. Restoration work took two years and was completed in 1929.
With the influx of Russian workers in the late 1940s, three classes for Russian-speaking children were created in 1948. Loksa primary school was upgraded to secondary school in 1952 and renamed Loksa 1. Secondary School, the name it bears also today. Until 1988, both Russian and Estonian children studied in the same school.
In the end of the 1980s, both Russian- and Estonian-speaking community had grown big enough to justify creation of a second school. Loksa 2. Secondary School for Russian-speaking children was established in 1988 and is still operational, since 1996 under the name of Loksa Russian Gymnasium.


Guldborgsund Municipality

Guldborgsund is a municipality (Danish, "kommune") in Region Sjælland in Denmark, created on 1 January 2007 from six (6) former municipalities on the two islands Lolland in the west and Falster in the east bordering the Guldborgsund strait. It covers an area of 903.15 km² (2013) and has a total population of 61,219 (1 January 2018). Its neighboring municipalities are Lolland to the west and Vordingborg to the north. Its administrative seat is in the town of Nykøbing Falster. Its mayor as of 1 January 2010 is John Brædder from the local political party Guldborgsundlisten.
The municipality has the southernmost point in Denmark, Gedser Odde.
History.
On Monday January 1, 2007 Guldborgsund municipality was created as the result of "Kommunalreformen" ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), consisting of the six (6) former municipalities of Nykøbing Falster (located partly on the island of Falster and partly on Lolland (its Sundby section)), Nørre Alslev (Falster), Stubbekøbing (Falster), and Sydfalster (Falster) and two of the six former municipalities located on the island of Lolland: Sakskøbing and Nysted.
Politics.
Guldborgsund's municipal council consists of 29 members, elected every four years. The municipal council has six political committees.
Municipal council.
Below are the municipal councils elected since the Municipal Reform of 2007.
Economy.
The largest company headquartered in the municipality is Codan Medical in Nysted, although its activities are actually concentrated in Rødbyhavn in neighbouring Lolland Municipality.
Tourism.
Among the largest tourist attraction in the municipality is Middelaldercentret just outside Nykøbing Falster, which is an open-air museum built as a medieval town with houses and weaponry from around 1400. In Nysted is Aalholm, which is a privately owned castle. Fuglsang Art Museum holds a notable collection of Danish art from the end of the 18th century until today. In Marielyst on eastern Falster is a large summer house area and long sandy beaches.
Twin towns – sister cities.
Guldborgsund is twinned with:


Province of Reggio Emilia

The Province of Reggio Emilia () is one of the nine provinces of the Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna. The capital city, which is the most densely populated comune in the province, is Reggio Emilia.
It has an area of around and, , has a population of 531,942. There are 42 "comuni" (singular: "comune") in the province. Rolo, the smallest commune in the province by area, is the commune farthest to the East. Ventasso is the commune farthest to the West. The border towns of the Province are Ventasso, which is the smallest commune by population, to the south and Luzzara in the north. Luzzara is the second largest commune in Emilia-Romagna and has the highest number of foreign nationals in the region.
The province is home to the historical Canossa Castle, property of the countess Matilde; it is where the Walk to Canossa of Henry IV occurred. Representatives of the free municipalities of Reggio, Modena, Bologna and Ferrara met in Reggio Emilia's Sala del Tricolore in 1797 to proclaim the Repubblica Cispadana, adopting the three colour green-white-red flag to represent their newly formed Republic; it was later adopted in 1848 as the national flag.
Education.
Four faculties of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia are located in Reggio Emilia. The Faculty of Engineering and Agriculture was established in Reggio Emilia in 1998, followed by the Faculties of Communication Sciences and of Education Sciences. It is home to the Orto Botanico dell'Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia.
The Reggio Emilia approach to preschool education was started by the schools of Reggio Emilia after World War II and it's well-known all over the world, being one of the most advanced systems at present times. It is based and inspired on theories of Malaguzzi, Bruner, Vygotsky, Dewey, Piaget and Gardner. Reggio Emilia holds the International Centre Loris Malaguzzi, a modern structure where the Reggio Emilia approach is implemented, exported and spread around the world.
Sports.
With sports arenas including the Stadio Giglio and Palabigi, Reggio Emilia is home to the basketball team Pallacanestro Reggiana. The Camparini Gioielli Cup is a yearly challenger-level tennis tournament played on clay in Reggio Emilia. A.C. Reggiana 1919 is the historical soccer team of Reggio Emilia, at the moments plays in the third national soccer league Prima Divisione.Stadio Giglio (actual attendance is 29.650) is the home play ground for A.C. Reggiana 1919.


Flags of the autonomous communities of Spain

This gallery of flags of the autonomous communities of Spain shows the distinctive flags of the 17 autonomous communities (constitutionally they are the nationalities and regions in which Spain is territorially organized), plus the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.


Province of Caserta

The Province of Caserta () is a province in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Caserta, situated about by road north of Naples. The province has an area of , and a total population of 924,414 as of 2016. The Palace of Caserta is located near to the city, a former royal residence which was constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples. It was the largest palace and one of the largest buildings erected in Europe during the 18th century. In 1997, the palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
History.
The province of Caserta in the historical Terra di Lavoro region, also known as Liburia, covered the greatest expanse of territory around the 13th century when it extended from the Tyrrhenian Sea and the islands of Ponza and Ventotene to the Apennines and the southern end of the Roveto Valley. In the Kingdom of Naples and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Caserta was one of the most important departments in southern Italy.
The first capital of the region was the ancient city of Capua until 1818, then Caserta. In addition to Naples, the most important centers were Caserta, Capua, Nola, Gaeta, Sora, Aversa, Teano, and Isola Liri. In 1816, during the French occupation, Joseph Bonaparte reformed the territorial division of the kingdom of Naples, on the basis of the French model. A series of royal decrees completed the reforms, introducing local administrative units or communes like the French ones. The new Napoleonic reforms led to the establishment of the Province of Naples. In 1863, after the annexation of the Kingdom of Italy, the north-eastern comuni of Terra di Lavoro became part of the province of Campobasso, and Venafro and the surrounding areas were later transferred to the province of Isernia, established in the 1870s. In 1927, Benito Mussolini decided to dissolve the province of Terra di Lavoro, uniting much of its territory and the Pontine Islands to the province of Naples, although municipalities near Piedimonte and Alife were distributed between the provinces of Benevento and Campobasso and the districts of Sora and Gaeta went to the province of Rome. In 1945, a Decree signed by Umberto di Savoia reconstituted the Province of Caserta, and finally in 1970, the modern province came into being.
Geography.
The territory of the Province of Caserta, which lies on the southwestern part of central Italy, is bordered to the north by the Matese mountains belonging to the Apennines and by undulating hills, and to the south and west by plains of various types. To the northeast, near the Matese mountains is the Lago del Matese. The highest point is Monte Miletto at , divided between Campania and Molise. The karst massif is rich in water and minerals, and contains many caves and mountain lakes. Other mountainous areas of note include Monte Santa Croce, with the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina, on the border with Lazio, the Trebulani Mountains, in the central part of the province to the north including Monte Maggiore reaching , and the Tifatini Mountains to the south. The Volturno River flows through the centre of the province with a defensive outpost at Capua. The southern highlands of Caserta border the Province of Benevento.
Comunes.
There are 104 "comuni" (singular: "comune") in the province:


List of French departments by population

This table lists the 101 French departments in descending order of population, area and population density.
Data Description.
The figures include:
The total population takes into account double counting.
Evolution.
Between 1999 and 2006 all French departments have grown in population with the exception of the following seven departments: Allier and Cantal in Auvergne, Creuse in Limousin, Ardennes and Haute-Marne in Champagne-Ardenne, Nièvre in Burgundy, and Vosges in Lorraine.
In contrast the seven departments that have gained the most population in absolute value are Haute-Garonne, Gironde, Bouches-du-Rhône, Seine-Saint-Denis, Loire-Atlantique, Hauts-de Seine, and Hérault.
Guadeloupe has seemingly lost population between 1999 and 2008. However, this diminution of the legal population is due to the creation of the overseas communities of Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin. In the 1999 census, the population of Guadeloupe without the arrondissement of Saint-Martin-Saint-Barthélemy was 386,566 inhabitants. The department's population has actually increased by more than 15,000 people over the period based on a constant territory.


Louny District

Louny District () is one of seven districts ("okres") located within the Ústí nad Labem Region in the Czech Republic. Its administrative center is the town of Louny.
Louny is the largest district in the Ústí nad Labem region in terms of area, while it ranks last in terms of population.
Complete list of municipalities.
Bitozeves -
Blatno -
Blažim -
Blšany -
Blšany u Loun -
Brodec -
Břvany -
"Cítoliby" -
Čeradice -
Černčice -
Chlumčany -
Chožov -
Chraberce -
Deštnice -
Dobroměřice -
Domoušice -
Holedeč -
Hříškov -
Hřivice -
Jimlín -
Koštice -
Kozly -
Krásný Dvůr -
Kryry -
Lenešice -
Libčeves -
Liběšice -
Libočany -
Libořice -
Lipno -
Lišany -
Líšťany -
Louny -
Lubenec -
"Měcholupy" -
"Nepomyšl" -
Nová Ves -
Nové Sedlo -
Obora -
Očihov -
Opočno -
"Panenský Týnec" -
"Peruc" -
Petrohrad -
Pnětluky -
Počedělice -
Podbořanský Rohozec -
Podbořany -
Postoloprty -
Raná -
"Ročov" -
"Slavětín" -
Smolnice -
Staňkovice -
Toužetín -
Tuchořice -
Úherce -
Velemyšleves -
Veltěže -
Vinařice -
Vrbno nad Lesy -
Vroutek -
Vršovice -
Výškov -
Zálužice -
Žatec -
Zbrašín -
Želkovice -
Žerotín -
Žiželice


Karlovy Vary District

Karlovy Vary District or Carlsbad District () is a district ("okres") within the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. Its administrative center is Karlovy Vary.
Complete list of municipalities.
Abertamy -
Andělská Hora -
Bečov nad Teplou -
Bochov -
Boží Dar -
Božičany -
Bražec -
Březová -
Černava -
Chodov -
Chyše -
Čichalov -
Dalovice -
Děpoltovice -
Hájek -
Horní Blatná -
Hory -
Hroznětín -
Jáchymov -
Jenišov -
Karlovy Vary -
Kolová -
Krásné Údolí -
Krásný Les -
Kyselka -
Merklín -
Mírová -
Nejdek -
Nová Role -
Nové Hamry -
Ostrov -
Otovice -
Otročín -
Pernink -
Pila -
Potůčky -
Pšov -
Sadov -
Šemnice -
Smolné Pece -
Stanovice -
Štědrá -
Stráž nad Ohří -
Stružná -
Teplá -
Teplička -
Toužim -
Útvina -
Valeč -
Velichov -
Verušičky -
Vojkovice -
Vrbice -
Vysoká Pec -
Žlutice
Part of the district area belongs to Military Area Hradiště.


Alytus County

Alytus County () is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is the southernmost county, and its capital is the city of Alytus. Its territory lies within the ethnographic region of Dzūkija. On 1 July 2010, the county administration was abolished, and since that date, Alytus County remains as the territorial and statistical unit.
Municipalities.
The municipalities in Alytus County are:
Geography.
The town of Druskininkai, a spa visited for its healing waters, is located in Alytus County, as is Grūtas Park, also known as "Stalin World", a Soviet theme park. There are more than 420 lakes in Alytus County.


Dresden (region)

Dresden is one of the three former Direktionsbezirke of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, located in the east of the state. It coincided with the "Planungsregionen" Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien and Oberes Elbtal/Osterzgebirge.
It was disbanded in March 2012.
History.
The Direktionsbezirk Dresden came into existence on 1 August 2008, and succeeded the Dresden Government Region.


Province of Salerno

The Province of Salerno () is a province in the Campania region of Italy.
Geography.
The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 131,950; Cava de' Tirreni, Battipaglia and Nocera Inferiore, all having around 50,000 inhabitants. The province has an area of , and a total population of about 1.1 million. There are 158 "comuni", the one with the largest area being Eboli.
Tourism.
The Amalfi Coast — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 — is located within the province, attracting tens of thousands of tourists from all around the world every year. The province also comprises the Cilento coast, whose sea quality is considered among the best in Italy.
Formerly a notable center of Magna Graecia, Paestum houses a wide complex of well-preserved ancient Greek temples.
One of the features of the rugged country-side is "Gole del Calore di Felitto", an area of gorges between Felitto and Magliano Vetere formed by the Calore Lucano river. This area is of great geological interest and is rich in flora and fauna.
One of the many historical buildings in the province is the chapter house belonging to the Certosa di Padula (or Carthreuse of Padula or of San Lorenzo in Padula), a Carthusian monastery in the town of Padula. The building has evolved over centuries; the earliest parts were constructed in the early 14th century. A mannerist cloister leads to the church, and a later 17th-century cloister has loggias supported by rusticated columns. These features add to the general baroque character of the building.
The chapter house has been adapted for the Museo Archeologico della Lucania Occidentale, which has many ancient artifacts dating from Roman times.
The Monti Picentini area is home to the eponymous regional park, which is home to several natural preserves.


Southern Pirkanmaa

Southern Pirkanmaa is a subdivision of Pirkanmaa and one of the Sub-regions of Finland since 2009.
Politics.
Results of the 2018 Finnish presidential election: