Mark Robertson Mar 2, 2011:

Autarquias e autarquias locais I have come to the conclusion that my answer is incorrect. The source of my error lies in the fact that in Portugal the term autarquia is almost invariably used as an abbreviation of autarquia local, i.e. local authority, the lower decentralised levels of public administration and government. In Brazil, it appears that the term autarquia means an autonomous decentralised agency of central government, which is neither local, nor democratically elected. It is therefore similar to the Portuguese Juntas, Autoridades, e Institutos, which are similar central government agencies with strictly defined responsibilities.