Puerto Rico is divided into 78 municipios, which serve as the primary administrative division of the territory. Each municipio functions similarly to a county or municipality in the continental United States, governed by a mayor and municipal legislature elected by local residents. Municipios hold responsibility for essential local services including zoning and urban planning, waste management, local policing, parks and recreation, and infrastructure maintenance. They also collect property taxes and issue construction permits within their jurisdictions. The size and population of municipios vary considerably, from San Juan, the capital and largest city, to smaller rural municipalities. This administrative structure has remained largely unchanged since the early 20th century and represents the most significant level of local government in Puerto Rico, with the barrios (wards or districts) constituting the secondary administrative subdivision within each municipio.