Junta ( or ) is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian () term for a civil deliberative or administrative council. In English, the term, even when used alone, generally refers to a "

military junta A military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''Junta (governing body), junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the Junta (Peninsular War), national and local junta organized by t ...

", the government of an

authoritarian Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...

state run by high-ranking officers of a

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

. The literal meaning of the word derives from ''juntar'' (to join); a group of people with a common purpose. In Italy, a ''giunta'' is the civil

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

and municipalities (''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

''). In Spain, the term refers to various historical and current governing institutions of a particular territory or occasion. In English, the now-obsolete term "junto", derived from the Spanish "junta", was used without authoritarian connotation, first attested from 1641; the

Whig Junto The Whig Junto is the name given to a group of leading Whigs who were seen to direct the management of the Whig Party and often the government, during the reigns of William III and Anne. The Whig Junto proper consisted of John Somers, later ...

was a political faction in early 18th-century Britain.

Historical examples

Junta (Habsburg) Under Habsburg rule, a junta (or jointe) was an administrative body ruled in personal union with the Spanish Habsburgs. Juntas existed in Spain, Italy, and other European countries; in the Low Countries, the French name ''jointe'' was also off ...

* Specific to Spain: ** Name of some of the institutions of government of the

autonomous communities The autonomous communities () are the first-level administrative divisions of Spain, created in accordance with the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy to the nationalities and regions that make up Spa ...

of Spain (

Regional Government of Andalusia The Regional Government of Andalusia () is the government of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. It consists of the Parliament of Andalusia, Parliament, the President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, President of the Regional Government ...

and ''Junta of Castile and León'') or the parliament of the Principality of Asturias (

General Junta of the Principality of Asturias The General Junta of the Principality of Asturias (in Spanish language, Spanish: ''Junta General del Principado de Asturias'', in Asturian Language, Asturian: ''Xunta Xeneral del Principáu d'Asturies'') is the parliament of Asturias, an autonomou ...

) **

Junta (Peninsular War) In the Napoleonic era, junta () was the name chosen by several local administrations formed in Spain during the Peninsular War as a patriotic alternative to the official administration toppled by the French invaders. The juntas were usually formed ...

, 1808–1810 ** Junta acting as jury in Valladolid debate, 1550s * Argentina: **

Primera Junta The Primera Junta ("First Junta") or ''Junta Provisional Gubernativa de las Provincias del Río de la Plata'' ("Provisional Governing Junta of the Provinces of the Río de la Plata"), is the most common name given to the first government of what ...

, 1810 **

Junta Grande Junta Grande (), or Junta Provisional Gubernativa de Buenos Aires, is the most common name for the executive government of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata (modern-day Argentina), that followed the incorporation of provincial represent ...

, 1810s **

National Reorganization Process The National Reorganization Process ( PRN; often simply , "the Process") was the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as the ("last military junta"), ("last military dictatorship") ...

, 1970's * Chile in the 1810s: ** List of Government Juntas of Chile * Portugal: ** National Salvation Junta, ruled 1974−1975, after the

Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...

** Junta de freguesia, the executive body of a freguesia (civil parish) * Other organisations: ** Junta de Investigación de Accidentes de Aviación Civil, the Argentinian civil aviation accident investigation agency ** Revolutionary Government Junta, three consecutive Salvadoran joint civilian-military dictatorships ** Junta Investigadora de Accidentes de Aviación Civil, the former Venezuelan civil aviation accident investigation agency ** Junta de Aviación Civil, the Dominican Republic civil aviation authority ** Junta de Administración Portuaria y de Desarrollo Económico de la Vertiente Atlántica de Costa Rica, the Costa Rican Board of Port Administration and Economic Development of the Atlantic Coast ** Junta (trade unionism), a group of leading British trade unionists in the 1860s

References

{{Authority control Broad-concept articles Authoritarianism Spanish words and phrases Portuguese words and phrases

Historical examples

See also

References