Counties of Atlantica Alba

Atlantica Alba consists of 23 counties (Atlantic: ciaemté; sg. ciaemet), which traditionally form the upper level of local government within a two-tiered administrative system. Note that this list does not include the six Personal Realms, each of which consists of multiple municipalities in a one-tiered system of administrative divisions, with each of the Personal Realms thus administratively equivalent to a single county, but with significantly more autonomy than the 23 counties of Atlantica Alba.

Since the municipal reform laid out in the Local Government Act, 1999, which was passed by the Parliament of Atlantica Alba, the island's 23 counties consist of three types:


 * Counties proper: The most common type of county (13 of 23), a county proper consists of several named towns and cities (incorporated municipalities), each responsible for most local matters of governance and public administration, with the county council responsible for county-wide infrastructure, regular law enforcement, and the provision of some county-wide services and services to smaller unincorporated communities within the county. Some counties proper are relatively populous while others are quite rural.
 * Unitary authorities: The second most-common type of county (7 of 23), a unitary authority is generally somewhat densely yet evenly populated, with typically no real urban centre(s) to speak of, and more or less equal in population to other unitary authorities. Consists of several named districts, all of which are unincorporated communities which rely entirely on the county council for services not provided by the national government.
 * Metropolitan counties: The least common type (3 of 23), a metropolitan county consists of a large urban centre and its immediate metropolitan area, which have merged the municipal corporations of the city and its suburbs and the county council into a single level of government led by a popularly elected mayor using the mayor–council system of government, as opposed to the council–manager system used by the councils of unitary authorities and counties proper. A metropolitan county consists of multiple boroughs, which have no authority of their own but function as geographical locations (like the districts of a unitary authority). Atlantica Alba's three most populous cities (the capital and most populous city of Milo, the main port and second-most populous city of Kilgard, and the educational and cultural centre of Kilbraei) are each metropolitan counties.

County types
There are three types of counties, which differ in the form (or presence) or lower-tier local government entities. The three types of counties are:


 * Counties proper: The most common type of county, counties proper have a single government called a county council, which handles regional administrative matters, while the county consists of several municipalities, which form the lower tier of local government, and each of which have a municipal government of their own led by an elected mayor, which handles most local government matters.
 * Unitary authorities: The second-most common type of county, a unitary authority consist of a county council which handles virtually all local government matters across the county. Unitary authorities are divided into townships, which each possess their own elected council, but with only advisory rather than executive local government power as in the municipalities of counties proper.
 * Metropolitan counties: A metropolitan county consists of a single municipality covering the whole county which has been merged with the county level of government. The mayor doubles as the chair of the county council. A metropolitan county consists of several boroughs, which have no administration of their own and exist simply as geographical/cultural areas of the metropolitan county.