A district municipality is a designation for a class of municipalities found in several locations, including British Columbia, Canada, Lithuania, and South Africa.
Under provincial law, municipalities are to be designated "district municipalities" on incorporation if the area to be incorporated is greater than 800 hectares (8 km²) and has an average population density of less than 5 persons per hectare (500 persons per km²).[1] Municipalities may be incorporated under different classifications under the direction of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, as is the case with the District of North Vancouver.
Currently, only one District Municipality exists, Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario. It was formerly a District, but has undergone heavy urbanization and development, particularly from tourism, as it is the heart of Ontario's cottage country. As a result, it was "upgraded" from a District (such as neighbouring Parry Sound District) to having powers similar to a Regional Municipality, such as York RM.
In South Africa, district municipalities are administrative divisions of a province. South Africa recognizes two types of district; a metropolitan district and a district municipality. District municipalities make up the vast majority of districts, with metropolitan districts being reserved for large cities and the areas around them.
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