The City dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent Cities in Alberta. City is a municipality type defined under the authority of the Municipal Government Act. The formation of a City can occur when a majority of the buildings are on parcels of land smaller than 1850 square meters and there is a population of 10 000 or more.

The Village dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent Villages in Alberta. Village is a municipality type defined under the authority of the Municipal Government Act. The formation of a Village can occur when a majority of the buildings are on parcels of land smaller than 1850 square meters and there is a population of 300 or more.

The Hamlet dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent Hamlets in Alberta. The formation of a Hamlet can occur if there are 5 or more buildings used as dwellings with a majority of which are on parcels of land smaller than 1850 square metres, has a generally accepted boundary and name and contains parcels of land that are used for non-residential purposes. Hamlet is an unincorporated community that can be designated by the council of Municipal District or Specialized Municipality within their boundaries, or by the Minister of Municipal Affairs within the boundaries of an Improvement District.

The Hamlet, Locality and Townsite Point dataset is comprised of all the points that represent Hamlets, Localities and Townsites in Alberta. The formation of a Hamlet can occur if there are 5 or more buildings used as dwellings with a majority of which are on parcels of land smaller than 1850 square metres, has a generally accepted boundary and name and contains parcels of land that are used for non-residential purposes. A hamlet is an unincorporated community that can be designated by the council of Municipal District or Specialized Municipality within their boundaries, or by the Minister of Municipal Affairs within the boundaries of an Improvement District. Locality is an unincorporated place or an area with scattered population. Townsite is a federally administered village. The boundaries of rural classification of Locality and Townsite are often undefined. This dataset was previously known as Culture Point.

The Municipal District dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent Municipal Districts in Alberta. Municipal District is a municipality type defined under the authority of the Municipal Government Act. The formation of a Municipal District occur when a majority of the buildings used as dwellings are on parcels of land with an area of at least 1850 square meters and there is a population of 1000 or more. A municipal district is a government form in rural areas of the province.

The Urban Service Area dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent Urban Service Areas in Alberta. Urban Service Area is a municipality type defined under the authority of the Municipal Government Act. The formation of an Urban Service Area can occur if there is a large unincorporated community within a Specialized Municipality that is recognized as an equivalent to a City by the Government of Alberta. It has a population, public utility services, and other characteristics.

Compiled by Alberta Data Partnerships Ltd. (ADP), on behalf of the Government of Alberta, the ATS v4.1 Polygons - Township Index polygon layer contains polygons that represent the location of Township polygons, derived from the Master Alberta Township System points file published as ATS Version 4.1, dated March 31, 2005, and clipped to an updated Alberta Data Partnerships Ltd. (ADP) created version of the Alberta provincial boundary. No road allowance segments are included in this layer.

This dataset is produced for the Government of Alberta and is available to the general public. Note that the distribution contact is different for the general public than for Government of Alberta ministries. Please consult the Distribution Information of this metadata for the appropriate contact to acquire this dataset. The Summer Village dataset is comprised of all the polygons that represent Summer Villages in Alberta. Summer Village is a municipality type defined under the authority of the Municipal government Act. The formation of a Summer Village can occur if a majority of the buildings are on parcels of land smaller than 1850 square metres and there is a population of 300 or more. Generally same provisions related to a Village apply to a Summer Village except that in the latter, elections and annual meetings are required to be held in the summer. A Summer Village is the only type of municipality where a person can vote twice in municipal elections: once in the Summer Village and once in the municipality where their permanent residence is located. Summer Villages can no longer be created in Alberta.