New York City is composed of five major governmental districts called boroughs. The boroughs are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Each borough has its own unique characteristics and attractions. Boroughs are formal subdivisions of cities that have some aspects of self-government, and each borough has its own government representatives. The boroughs were consolidated in 1898, with the largely rural Queens and Staten Island coming together with Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Each borough is also a county of New York State.