Direct-controlled municipality

A direct-controlled municipality is the highest level classification for cities used by unitary states, with status equal to that of the provinces in the respective countries. A direct-controlled municipality is similar to, but not the same as, a federal district, a common designation in various countries for a municipality that is not part of any state, and which usually hosts some governmental functions. Usually direct-controlled municipality are under central government control with limited power. In some cases, a similar term in federal states is the federal city.

Many countries have adopted this system with some different variations. Geographically and culturally, many of the municipalities are enclaves in the middle of provinces. Some occur in strategic positions in between provinces.

Country	Municipalities	Main article
{{#invoke:flag	Belarus}}	Minsk
Template:KHM	Kep, Pailin, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville
Template:Flag	Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin	Direct-administered municipalities of China
Template:KAZ	Almaty, Astana, Baikonur, Shymkent
Template:PRK	Pyongyang, Nampho, Rason, Kaesong	Special cities of North Korea
Template:KOR (until 1995)<ref>지방자치법 <법률 제4789호, 1994.12.20.> 제2조 (지방자치단체의 종류)</ref>	Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan, Sejong	Special cities of South Korea
Template:KGZ	Bishkek, Osh
Template:LAO	Vientiane
{{#invoke:flag	Moldova}}	Chişinău, Bălți, Bender
Template:MNG	Ulaanbaatar
Template:PHI	Highly urbanized cities: Manila, Angeles City, Bacolod, Baguio, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Caloocan, Cebu City, Davao City, General Santos, Iligan, Iloilo City, Lapu-Lapu, Las Piñas, Lucena, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Mandaue, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Olongapo, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Puerto Princesa, Quezon City, San Juan, Tacloban, Taguig, Valenzuela, Zamboanga City; Independent component cities: Cotabato City, Dagupan, Naga, Ormoc, Santiago Independent municipality: Pateros	Cities of the Philippines § Independent cities
Template:Flag	Taipei,<ref>Taipei City Government, Taipei Yearbook (2008).</ref> Kaohsiung, New Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Taoyuan	Special municipality (Taiwan)
Template:TKM	Ashgabat
{{#invoke:flag	Ukraine}}	Kyiv, Sevastopol (disputed)
Template:UZB	Tashkent
Template:VIE	Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Da Nang, Cần Thơ, Huế	Municipalities of Vietnam

See also

• Independent city
• Federal city
• Metropolitan Capitalism (Capital City)
• Federal district
• Federal territory