Borough

Borough, administrative division in England, Wales, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries influenced by Anglo-Saxon governmental practice (in Scotland, the equivalent is the burgh). The borough's chief historical character was its urban basis: derived from the late Latin word burgus, the term was used from the 11th century to designate towns and other urban settlements. Boroughs usually held legal rights of autonomy confirmed by charter from a monarch or noble, and in 1440 Hull became the first borough to be made a corporation; this became another defining characteristic of boroughs. Most boroughs could elect Members of Parliament, usually in pairs and generally of lower status than county MPs. English and Welsh boroughs were seldom changed as population changed, resulting in rotten boroughs, which were uninhabited, sparsely populated, or with restricted franchises, and offered great opportunities for local political manipulation and corruption. The Reform Act of 1832 disenfranchised many of these and increased the representation of other boroughs in the new urban population centres of the Industrial Revolution. The Local Government Reorganization Act of 1972 largely dispensed with the historic role of boroughs in local government. The 32 administrative divisions of Greater London, such as Greenwich, Westminster, and Kensington and Chelsea, are also referred to as boroughs.

In certain states of the United States, the term borough refers to a municipal corporation, while in Alaska the term designates a county. New York is divided into five boroughs: Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, the Bronx, and Manhattan.