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Written by Ken Gebhart
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Thursday, March 20 2008 |
 A department is a part of a larger organization with a specific
responsibility. For the division of organizations into departments, see
departmentalization.
In particular:
A government department in Australia, Canada, Switzerland and the United States, corresponds to a ministry in other systems:
Department (Australian government)
Department (Swiss government)
Department (US government)
Department (country subdivision)- a geographical and administrative division within a country.
Part of an institution such as a commercial company (see
departmentalization) or a non-profit organization such as a university.
Academic department
A department store is a retail store that includes many specialized departments such as clothing or household items.
Part of a state or municipal government:
Fire department
Police department
In the US military:
"Department" is a term used by the U.S. Army, mostly prior to World War I.
A naval Department is a section devoted to one of several major tasks.
In the magazine context:
Articles, essays and columns that follow a certain consistency under one topic.
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Departments 
