Sorry, I left the word 'are' out of the first sentence in number 4. >>> Revised Message >>> 1. Villages and hamlets are small, usually unincorporated, populated places. 2. Towns are larger, usually incorporated, populated places. 3. Cities are large, sometimes huge, nearly always incorporated, populated places. 4. Townships are areas of land. The standard U.S. township contains 36 sections or 36 square miles. Townships contain villages, hamlets, towns and cities. 5. Counties are political subdivisions of the States. Counties contain villages, hamlets, towns, cities and townships. 6. States, in the United States, are political subdivisions of the country. States contain counties. Unlike traditional sovereign states, each United State shares some of its sovereignty with the other States. 7. The United States of America is a country, a sovereign nation. Ray Justus Chandler, Arizona, USA