Borough (New York City)

The Five Boroughs of New York City: 1: Manhattan 2: Brooklyn 3: Queens 4: The Bronx 5: Staten Island

In New York City, a borough is a unique form of government used to administer the five constituent counties that make up the city; it differs significantly from other borough forms of government used in other parts of the Tri-State Region and elsewhere in the United States. New York City is often referred to collectively as The Five Boroughs; this phrase is used to unambiguously refer to New York City as a whole, no less and no more, avoiding confusion with any particular borough or with the greater metropolitan area. It is often used by politicians to counter a natural focus on Manhattan and to place all five boroughs on an equal standing.

Each borough corresponds to, and is effectively equivalent to, a county of New York State:
*The Bronx (Bronx County)
*Brooklyn (Kings County)
*Manhattan (New York County)
*Queens (Queens County)
*Staten Island (Richmond County)

Although each borough is represented by a borough president and (with the exception of Manhattan) has a borough hall, the borough president has minimal executive powers, and there is no legislative function within a borough. True executive power is exercised by the Mayor of New York, and legislative functions are the responsibility of the members of the New York City Council.