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25-442: Vielha e Mijaran ( Occitan pronunciation: [ˈbjeʎa e miʒaˈɾan] ) is a municipality in central Aran , Catalonia , Spain. It is the capital and largest municipality of the region, with 5,581 inhabitants as of 2022. It is part of the terçons of Castièro and Marcatosa . It was created in 1970 by the merger of the municipalities of Arròs e Vila, Betlan, Escunhau, Gausac, Vielha and Vilac as Viella – Mitg-Aran : some of

50-676: A High Commission in the capital, although larger Commonwealth nations generally also have consulates and consulates-general in major cities. For example, Toronto in Canada , Sydney in Australia and Auckland , New Zealand, are of greater economic importance than their respective national capitals, hence the need for consulates there. When Hong Kong was under British administration , diplomatic missions of Commonwealth countries, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand , India, Malaysia , and Singapore were known as commissions . After

75-411: A different hierarchy from the diplomats in the strict sense. However, it is common for individuals to be transferred from one hierarchy to the other, and for consular officials to serve in a capital carrying out strictly consular duties within the consular section of a diplomatic post; e.g., within an embassy. Between Commonwealth countries, both diplomatic and consular activities may be undertaken by

100-465: A host country beyond a guest country's embassy in the capital. Staff of consulates may be career diplomats, but they have limited forms of diplomatic immunity unless they are also accredited as such. Immunities and privileges for consuls and accredited staff of consulates ( consular immunity ) are generally limited to actions undertaken in their official capacity and, with respect to the consulate itself, to those required for official duties. In practice,

125-492: A low number of inhabitants. The area of the municipal territory (Spanish: término municipal ) usually ranges 2–40 km , but some municipalities span across a much larger area, up to the 1,750.33 km of Cáceres ', the largest municipality in the country. The average land area of a Spanish municipality is about 62.23 km (24.03 sq mi), while the average population is about 5,988 people. Municipalities were first created by decree on 23 May 1812 as part of

150-1032: A nation's capital, and in other cities throughout that country, especially centres of economic activity and cities where large populations of citizens from the consul's home country reside ( expatriates ). In the United States, for example, embassies are located in Washington D.C. and most countries have a consulate-general in New York City (the site of the headquarters of the United Nations ), and some have consulates-general in several major cities, such as Atlanta , Boston , Chicago , Dallas , Houston , Los Angeles , Miami , or San Francisco . Many countries have multiple consular offices in nations such as Germany, Russia, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. Consulates are subordinate posts of their home country's diplomatic mission (typically an embassy , in

175-412: A term often also used to refer to the municipal headquarters (city/town hall). The ayuntamiento is composed of the mayor (Spanish: alcalde ), the deputy mayors (Spanish: tenientes de alcalde ) and the deliberative assembly ( pleno ) of councillors ( concejales ). Another form of local government used in small municipalities is the concejo abierto (open council), in which the deliberative assembly

200-483: Is extended to Spanish citizens living abroad. A Spaniard abroad, upon registering in a consulate , has the right to vote in the local elections of the last municipality they resided in. A Spanish citizen born abroad must choose between the last municipality his or her mother or father last lived in. As of 2022, there were a total of 8,131 municipalities in Spain, including the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla . In

225-451: Is formed by all the electors in the municipality. The operation of the municipalities is broadly outlined by the 1985 Local Government Act. The Statutes of Autonomy of the various autonomous communities also contain provisions and many sectorial laws from national and autonomous community government determine the functions and powers of ayuntamientos. In general, municipalities enjoy a large degree of autonomy in their local affairs: many of

250-429: Is no implied hierarchy or primacy of one over the other. Instead the two entities are defined according to the authority or jurisdiction of each ( Spanish : competencias ). Some autonomous communities also group municipalities into entities known as comarcas (districts) or mancomunidades (commonwealths). The governing body in most municipalities is called ayuntamiento ( municipal council or corporation ),

275-465: Is not admitted publicly, consulates, like embassies, may also gather intelligence information from the assigned country. A consular district is a sub-national region designated by a consular post to exercise consular functions in a host country. A consular district is serviced by a consul or "consul-general" and is headquartered at a consulate or "consulate-general." It is a common utility for spreading diplomatic representation and services to regions of

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300-444: Is the office of a consul . A type of diplomatic mission , it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a high commission ). The term "consulate" may refer not only to the office of a consul, but also to the building occupied by the consul and the consul's staff. The consulate may share premises with

325-683: The Port de la Bonaigua (2,072 m, 6,798 ft) to the comarca of Pallars Sobirà . This road, the higher stretches of which are impassable in winter, was the only route between the Aran valley and the rest of Spain before the opening of the Vielha tunnel in 1948. The municipality is composed of thirteen distinct settlements. Populations are given as of 2001: Municipalities of Spain Although provinces are groupings of municipalities , there

350-492: The Principality of Asturias , municipalities are officially named concejos (councils). The average population of a municipality is about 5,300, but this figure masks a huge range: the most populous Spanish municipality is the city of Madrid , with a population of 3,305,408 (2022) , while several rural municipalities have fewer than ten inhabitants ( Illán de Vacas , had a population of three in 2022 ). Almost 40% of

375-538: The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations , there are few formal requirements outlining what a consular official must do. For example, for some countries, consular officials may be responsible for the issue of visas; other countries may limit "consular services" to providing assistance to compatriots, legalization of documents, etc. Nonetheless, consulates proper will be headed by consuls of various ranks, even if such officials have little or no connection with

400-654: The transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997, they were renamed consulates-general , with the last commissioner becoming consul-general. However, the Australian commission had been renamed the consulate-general in 1986. Owing to Hong Kong's status as a special administrative region of China , some countries' consulates-general in Hong Kong report directly to their respective foreign ministries , rather than to their embassies in Beijing , such as those of Canada ,

425-693: The watershed . The ajuntament (town hall) is in Vielha, spelled Vielha in Occitan and Viella in Catalan and Spanish , which is also the capital of Aran and also the seat of the Conselh Generau d'Aran . The municipality is linked to France and to the rest of Catalonia (via the Vielha tunnel ) by the N-230 road. The C-28 (old name: C-142) road continues up the valley to Naut Aran , and on over

450-472: The Spanish population resides in just 62 municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. 84% (6,817) of municipalities have less than 5,000 inhabitants. Castile and León alone account for 28% of municipalities but they constitute less than 6% of the population of Spain. A European report said that one of the most important problems facing local governments in Spain is the very high number of little towns with

475-481: The capital city of the host country). Diplomatic missions are established in international law under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations , while consulates-general and consulates are established in international law under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations . Formally, at least within the US system, the consular career (ranking in descending order: consul-general, consul, vice-consul, honorary consul) forms

500-576: The embassy itself. A consul of the highest rank is termed a consul-general and is appointed to a consulate-general. There are typically one or more deputy consuls-general, consuls, vice-consuls, and consular agents working under the consul-general. A country may appoint more than one consul-general to another nation. Consuls of various ranks may have specific legal authority for certain activities, such as notarizing documents. As such, diplomatic personnel with other responsibilities may receive consular letters patent (commissions). Aside from those outlined in

525-513: The extension and application of consular privileges and immunities can differ widely from country to country. Consulates are more numerous than other diplomatic missions, such as embassies . Ambassadors are posted only in a foreign nation's capital (but exceptionally outside the country, as in the case of a multiple mandate; e.g., a minor power may accredit a single ambassador with several neighbouring states of modest relative importance that are not considered important allies). Consuls are posted in

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550-527: The former municipalities retain some privileges as "decentralised municipal entities" ( entitats municipals descentralitzades , EMD), as does the village of Betren. Mijaran literally means "Middle Aran" in Aranese , as the inhabited part of the municipality is situated in the valley of the Garonne ( Garona ). The Noguera Ribagorçana has its source on the territory of the municipality, on the opposite side of

575-495: The functions of the comarcas and provinces are municipal powers pooled together. All citizens of Spain are required to register in the municipality they live in, and after doing so, they are juridically considered "neighbors" (residents) of the municipality, a designation that grants them various rights and privileges, and which entail certain obligations as well, including the right to vote or be elected for public office in said municipality. The right to vote in municipal elections

600-495: The liberal reforms associated with the new Spanish Constitution of 1812 and based on similar actions in revolutionary France. The idea was to rationalise and homogenise territorial organisation, do away with the prior feudal system and provide equality before the law of all citizens. Between 1812 and 1931, the legislation regarding municipal organisation was changed more than 20 times, and there were 20 addition and unsuccessful proposals for change. Consulate A consulate

625-492: The more limited sense of consular service. Activities of a consulate include protecting the interests of their citizens temporarily or permanently resident in the host country, issuing passports ; issuing visas to foreigners and public diplomacy . However, the principal role of a consulate lies traditionally in promoting trade—assisting companies to invest and to import and export goods and services both inwardly to their home country and outward to their host country. Although it

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