A county is generally a sub-unit of regional self-government within a sovereign jurisdiction. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count. Counts are called earls in post-Celtic Britain and Ireland—the term is from Old Norse jarl and was introduced by the Vikings—but there is no correlation between counties and earldoms. Rather, county, from French comté, was simply used by the Normans after 1066 to replace the native English term scir ()—Modern English shire. A shire was an administrative division of an Anglo-Saxon kingdom (Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia, etc.), usually named after its administrative centre: for example, Gloucestershire, in Gloucester; Worcestershire, in Worcester; etc.Etymology of the word county.

Thus, whereas the word comté denoted a sovereign jurisdiction in the original French, the English county denotes a subdivision of a sovereign jurisdiction.

Overview

---

Country/Area	Language	Singular	Plural	Number	Notes
Counties of Canada	English and French
Counties of Croatia	Croatian	županija	županije	20
Counties of Denmark	Danish	amt	amter
Counties of Estonia	Estonian	maakond	maakonnad	15
Counties of Finland	Swedish and Finnish	län/läänit	län/läänit	6
Counties of Germany	German	Kreis	Kreise	323+116
Counties of Hungary	Hungarian	megye	megyék	19/22/1	for numbers: see main article
Counties of Ireland	Irish and English	contae	contaethe	32*
Counties of Japan	Japanese	gun
Counties of Latvia	Latvian	rajons	rajoni	26
Counties of Liberia	English language			15
Counties of Lithuania	Lithuanian	apskritis	apskritys	10
Counties of Moldova	Romanian language	judeţ	judeţe	9	disbanded in 2003
Counties of the Netherlands	Dutch language	graafschap	graafschappen		only historic
Counties of Norway	Norwegian language	fylke	fylker	19
Counties of Poland	Polish language	powiat	powiaty
Counties of Romania	Romanian language	judeţ	judeţe	41+1
Counties of Serbia and Montenegro	Serbian language	okrug	okruzi	29+1/21
Counties of Sweden	Swedish language	län	län
Counties of the United Kingdom	English language
Counties of the United States	English language			3141

* The 32 refers to the counties of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland combined. For more information, see the sections on Ireland and United Kingdom below.

More on [ County ]

Kansas City Star: Local News

Gubernatorial candidates Nixon, Hulshof have testy exchange in radio debate
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:50:00 -0500
In a radio debate that marked the fiercest exchanges of the campaign, Republican Kenny Hulshof and Democrat Jay Nixon quarreled Thursday over school vouchers, economic development and health care.
Downtown arts community gradually emerges in KCK
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:50:00 -0500
About nine months ago, artist Lacey Lewis knew the time had come to move the brushes and canvasses from her Kansas City, Kan., living room to a real studio.
Couple's $1 million gift to KU will aid fight against cancer
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:50:00 -0500
On Thursday, a Leawood couple unwrapped a $1 million gift to the University of Kansas Cancer Center to pursue its goal of National Cancer Institute designation.
KC Police Department to consider changing forced-retirement policy
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:50:00 -0500
The Kansas City Police Department has opened discussion about changing its policy requiring officers to retire after 30 years with the force.
Mining application draws criticism in Sugar Creek
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:50:00 -0500
Recent limestone mining in and around Sugar Creek has caused exasperation, lower real estate values and sometimes even physical pain.
Forum addresses ballot question on Johnson County district judges
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:50:00 -0500
Johnson County's system of nominating judges is cloaked in secrecy, a proponent of a Johnson County ballot question to begin electing judges said at a forum Thursday.

STLtoday.com Top News Headlines

Suspect in baby-swiping plot pleads
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:14:39 -0000

Tiffany Hall wants to take back plea
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:14:39 -0000

Federal worker admits $280K in fake charges
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:14:39 -0000

AP: GPS could save airlines time and fuel
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:14:39 -0000

Hulshof, Nixon trade barbs at debate
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:14:38 -0000

Silex man sentenced in murder-for-hire plot
Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:14:38 -0000


ColumbiaTribune.com - News

New mapping adds contours to landscape
By JODIE JACKSON JR. of the Tribune’s staff A nearly half-million-dollar mapping project could give Boone County government and private developers a much more accurate and more useful view of topography by 2010.
Council action to open Taser files
By SARA SEMELKA of the Tribune’s staff Extensive information about local law enforcement officers’ use of Tasers will be made available to the public by the end of the month after Mayor Darwin Hindman asked that records sought by a local activist coalition be provided to the Columbia City Council.
Student fees prompt call for a change
By JENNA YOUNGS of the Tribune’s staff Some University of Missouri student leaders are seeking to adopt policies that would make students more accountable for fees they vote to fund new campus facilities.

Subscribe to Missouri RSS feed