Cantabria is one of the sixteen autonomous communities of Spain. It is divided into 102 municipalities, in accordance with the organizations of territories put forth in Article 137 of the 1978 Constitution of Spain:

Municipal boundaries are defined in Spain's Ley Reguladora de las Bases del Régimen Local. These include "the basic local entity of the territorial organization of the state", with "legal status and full capability for the completion of their ends" and their elements are "the territory, the population, and the organization".

The administration and the governance of municipalities proceeds from a low level organ termed the local government or mayoralty, which is headed by a single person: an alcalde. Until 2011, the municipalities of Tresviso and Pesquera had been governed through a direct democratic system, but with the change in the law, both abandoned this system in order to adopt representative government forms that use a mayor-council system.

In general, municipalities are subdivided into various localities, one of which serves as the municipal seat and usually plays host to the town hall. Some municipalities take the name of one of their localities—be it their municipal seat or not—while others contain a name distinct from any of the localities therein. There also exist other sub-municipal government organs that enjoy some extent of autonomy in their management. These are called minor local entities, which correspond to villages, parishes, or districts, whose representation resides in a neighborhood board. Each of these entities has a municipal code composed of five or six numbers; the first two correspond to the provincial code, while the next three numbers refer to the municipality within the particular province. The sixth and final number is a check digit that is used in order to identify errors.

The Community of Campoo-Cabuérniga does not constitute a municipality, but is a sui generis territorial entity within Cantabria. Due to its unique size and makeup, the management of the locale is shared between the surrounding municipalities of Hermandad de Campoo de Suso, Cabuérniga, Los Tojos, and Ruente.

Municipal elections +Results of the Municipal Elections of Cantabria19871991199519992003200720112015PP 1Votes106 58357 901107 823123 429133 907139 555152 423116 049Councilors416227372447424429478433PSC-PSOEVotes95 171103 87389 77299 135102 97392 42570 88264 498Councilors290349282267256245196190PRCVotes28 22718 96633 22149 89866 59273 78370 63471 952Councilors1006988217276302319325IUVotes12 60913 78923 30211 67413 714564410 89014 445Councilors191627141581015CDSVotes25 59110 66111261832747 - -- -Councilors6930020 - -- -UPCAVotes -71 68341 6289179 - - -- -Councilors -28517029 - - -- -UCnVotes - - - -8226460 -- -Councilors - - - -151 -- -TOTALvotes298 552294 365312 772307 522336 708347 360346 383331 7491 In 1987, the numbers reflect the votes for the People's Coalition (AP-PDP-UL). Municipal elections are held the fourth Sunday of May every four years, coinciding with the date of the elections for the Parliament of Cantabria.

The electoral system is regulated by the Organic Law of the General Electoral Regime (LOREG) and is based upon voting on party lists and assigning councilors in line with the D'Hondt method. The electoral threshold for a party to gain representation is five percent of the valid votes cast.

The citizens of member countries of the European Union who maintain residency in Cantabria have the right to vote and run for office, in accordance with the laws that have been established in order to comply with EU Directive 94/80/CE.

The citizens of countries that have reciprocity agreements with Spain are able to vote in Cantabrian elections in the same manner as EU citizens. Countries with such agreements include: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, New Zealand, Paraguay, Perú, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Additionally, citizens of Spain who reside in some foreign countries, such as Norway, also are able to exercise their right to vote in Cantabrian elections, even though there is no reciprocity agreement between Norway and Spain.

The number of councilors a municipality elects depends on its population:

Up to 100 inhabitants: 3 councilors. From 101 to 250: 5 councilors. From 251 to 1000: 7 councilors. From 1001 to 2000: 9 councilors. From 2001 to 5000: 11 councilors. From 5001 to 10,000: 13 councilors. From 10,001 to 20,000: 17 councilors. From 20,001 to 50,000: 21 councilors. From 50,001 to 100,000: 25 councilors.

Map

List of municipalities INE CodeMunicipalityPopulation(2017)Land area (km2)MapCoat of ArmsFlagSister cities39001Alfoz de Lloredo244646.3439002Ampuero422232.34 Eauze39003Anievas29120.9039004Arenas de Iguña169086.8239005Argoños17135.5139006Arnuero209824.6639007Arredondo47246.8339008El Astillero18,1206.83 Chiclana de la Frontera39009Bárcena de Cicero413236.6339010Bárcena de Pie de Concha68730.5339011Bareyo198732.4439012Cabezón de la Sal832633.5639013Cabezón de Liébana59581.4339014Cabuérniga100186.4539015Camaleño970161.8139016Camargo30,55636.58 Cugnaux39017Campoo de Enmedio375791.0639018Campoo de Yuso68289.7239019Cartes574219.0139020Castañeda274419.1939021Castro-Urdiales31,81796.77 Aire-sur-l'Adour Bucraa Cabourg39022Cieza53644.0739023Cillorigo de Liébana1320104.5239024Colindres82885.94 Le Haillan39025Comillas219518.61 Arignano39026Los Corrales de Buelna10,91245.38 La Haie-Fouassière39027Corvera de Toranzo205549.4839028Entrambasaguas375743.1739029Escalante74919.1139030Guriezo235874.5339031Hazas de Cesto155021.8939032Hermandad de Campoo de Suso1612222.6539033Herrerías62340.3439034Lamasón30271.2339035Laredo11,34715.71 Cenon Laredo39036Liendo121625.9639037Liérganes235536.7339038Limpias182410.0739039Luena61190.5439040Marina de Cudeyo514728.3739041Mazcuerras212555.6539042Medio Cudeyo745926.7839043Meruelo198516.3739044Miengo467624.5039045Miera39333.7739046Molledo158571.07 Molleo39047Noja25539.2039048Penagos208331.6739049Peñarrubia33254.2839050Pesaguero29869.9939051Pesquera688.9339052Piélagos24,91888.6439053Polaciones23989.7739054Polanco585012.70 Bruges39055Potes13427.6439056Puente Viesgo284336.1439057Ramales de la Victoria289532.97 Malestroit39058Rasines96642.8939059Reinosa93314.12 Deltebre Reynosa39060Reocín831232.0939061Ribamontán al Mar442636.94 Bignoux39062Ribamontán al Monte222342.1739063Rionansa1045118.0239064Riotuerto161530.4839065Las Rozas de Valdearroyo26457.3539066Ruente103165.86 Savignac-les-Églises39067Ruesga87087.9639068Ruiloba74815.1339069San Felices de Buelna242136.2439070San Miguel de Aguayo15435.9939071San Pedro del Romeral45257.4439072San Roque de Riomiera38035.7039073San Vicente de la Barquera417341.04 Pornichet39074Santa Cruz de Bezana12,81817.26 Martignas-sur-Jalle39075Santa María de Cayón909548.2339076Santander171,95134.76 San Luis Potosí39077Santillana del Mar415428.46 Le Dorat39078Santiurde de Reinosa25430.9839079Santiurde de Toranzo161036.8239080Santoña11,00411.53 Lons Palos de la Frontera El Puerto de Santa María39081Saro51517.8239082Selaya191539.2939083Soba1207214.1639084Solórzano104025.5039085Suances864524.56 Bassens39086Los Tojos40289.5039087Torrelavega52,03435.54 Zug La Habana Vieja Louga Rochefort-sur-Mer39088Tresviso7016.2339089Tudanca14552.4439090Udías90319.6439091Val de San Vicente280450.86 Mios39092Valdáliga221897.7639093Valdeolea99483.7239094Valdeprado del Río32389.3339095Valderredible987298.2439096Valle de Villaverde30619.5339097Vega de Liébana765133.2139098Vega de Pas78487.5339099Villacarriedo162650.7439100Villaescusa388328.0239101Villafufre101430.0839102Voto271677.71

See also

List of municipalities of Spain

References