Page "Local government" Paragraph 47

The regions are divided into seventy-six districts ( okresy, singular okres ) including three " statutory cities " ( without Prague, which had special status ).

The districts lost most of their importance in 1999 in an administrative reform ; they remain as territorial divisions and seats of various branches of state administration.

A further reform in effect since January 2003 created 204 Municipalities with Extended Competence ( obce s rozšířenou působností ; also obce III.

stupně-third-level municipalities, unofficially also called " little districts " ( Czech: ' malé okresy ') which took over most of the administration of the former district authorities.

Some of these are further divided between Municipalities with Commissioned Local Authority ( obce s pověřeným obecním úřadem, shortened to pověřená obec, pl.

pověřené obce ; " second-level municipalities ").

In 2007 the borders of the districts were slightly adjusted and 119 municipalities are now within different districts.