Senegal is subdivided into four levels of administrative divisions.
At the top level are the Regions of Senegal and their elected administrative body. The 14 regions (régions, singular - région), are administered by a Conseil Régionaux, which is elected by population weight at the Arrondissement level.
Region | Capital | Area (km2) | Population (2013 census) [1] |
---|---|---|---|
Dakar | Dakar | 547 | 3,137,196 |
Ziguinchor | Ziguinchor | 7,352 | 549,151 |
Diourbel | Diourbel | 4,824 | 1,497,455 |
Saint-Louis | Saint-Louis | 19,241 | 908,942 |
Tambacounda | Tambacounda | 42,364 | 681,310 |
Kaolack | Kaolack | 5,357 | 960,875 |
Thiès | Thiès | 6,670 | 1,788,864 |
Louga | Louga | 24,889 | 874,193 |
Fatick | Fatick | 6,849 | 835,352 |
Kolda | Kolda | 13,771 | 714,392 |
Matam | Matam | 29,445 | 562,539 |
Kaffrine | Kaffrine | 11,262 | 566,992 |
Kédougou | Kédougou | 16,800 | 152,357 |
Sédhiou | Sédhiou | 7,341 | 452,944 |
Regions are subdivided into Departments, which are strictly administrative entities with no independent political power.
Departments are made up of Arrondissements. These are also purely administrative structures, with prefects appointed by the central government.
City arrondissements (such as in Dakar and Pikine) are divided into Communes d'arrondissement. In the Dakar Region, since 1996, the four Arrondissements have been subdivided into such Communes d'arrondissement, with appointed Sub-Prefects, answerable to their Arrondissement Prefects. Outside the large cities, the built up areas are titled communes de ville and the rural arrondissements divided into communautés rurales which maintain the same powers: city councils and mayors, directly elected.
Senegal's subdivisions number 14 régions, 45 départements, 133 arrondissements, 46 communes d'arrondissement, 113 communes de ville and 370 communautés rurales. [2]
An arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, and the Netherlands.
Dakar Region is the smallest and most populated Région of Senegal, encompassing the capital city of the country, Dakar, and all its suburbs along the Cap–Vert Peninsula, Africa's most westerly point.
Thiès is a region of western Senegal. The capital is also called Thiès.
The administrative divisions of France are concerned with the institutional and territorial organization of French territory. These territories are located in many parts of the world. There are many administrative divisions, which may have political, electoral (districts), or administrative objectives. All the inhabited territories are represented in the National Assembly, Senate and Economic and Social Council and their citizens have French citizenship.
Senegal is subdivided into 14 regions, each of which is administered by a Conseil Régional elected by population weight at the arrondissement level. Senegal is further subdivided into 45 departments, 103 arrondissements and by collectivités locales which elect administrative officers. Three of these regions were created on 10 September 2008, when Kaffrine Region was split from Kaolack, Kédougou region was split from Tambacounda, and Sédhiou region was split from Kolda.
A territorial collectivity is a chartered subdivision of France, with recognized governing authority. It is the generic name for any subdivision with an elective form of local government and local regulatory authority. The nature of a French territorial collectivity is set forth in Article 72 of the French constitution of 1958, which provides for local autonomy within limits prescribed by law.
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
The 14 Regions of Senegal are subdivided into 45 departments and 103 arrondissements and by collectivités locales which elect administrative officers.
In French Polynesia, there are two levels of administrative divisions: five administrative subdivisions and 48 communes. Many of the communes are further subdivided into communes associées. The breakdown into administrative subdivisions was as a result of the law #71-1028, dated December 24, 1971. The compositions of the administrative subdivisions and the communes were defined in the decrees #72-408 and #72-407 of May 17, 1972, respectively. These subdivisions were confirmed in the decree #2005-1611 of December 20, 2005. Below are several lists of the divisions, according to different sorting schemes.
A cercle is the second level administrative unit in Mali. Mali is divided into eight régions and one capital district (Bamako); the régions are subdivided into 49 cercles. These subdivisions bear the name of their principal city.
The Departments of Niger are subdivided into communes. As of 2005, in the seven Regions and one Capital Area, there were 36 départements, divided into 265 communes, 122 cantons and 81 groupements. The latter two categories cover all areas not covered by Urban Communes or Rural Communes, and are governed by the Department, whereas Communes have elected councils and mayors. Additional semi-autonomous sub-divisions include Sultanates, Provinces and Tribes (tribus). The Nigerien government estimates there are an additional 17000 Villages administered by Rural Communes, while there are over 100 Quartiers administered by Urban Communes.
The departments of Senegal are subdivided into arrondissements. As of 2008 there were 133. The arrondissements are listed below, by department:
Dakar Department is one of the Departments of Senegal, located in the Dakar Region.
Koungheul is the name of one of 45 departments of Senegal, as well as the name of Koungheul Arrondissement and the commune of Koungheul, the principal settlement of the department.
A Commune is the third level administrative unit in Mali. Mali is divided into eight regions and one capital district (Bamako). These subdivisions bear the name of their principal city. The regions are divided into 49 Cercles. The Cercles and the district are divided into 703 Communes, with 36 Urban Communes and 667 Rural Communes, while some larger Cercles still contain Arrondissements above the Commune level, these are organisational areas with no independent power or office. Rural Communes are subdivided in Villages, while Urban Communes are subdivided into Quartier. Communes usually bear the name of their principal town. The capital, Bamako, consists of six Urban Communes. There were initially 701 communes until the Law No. 01-043 of 7 June 2001 created two new Rural Communes in the desert region in the north east of the country: Alata, Ménaka Cercle in the Gao Region and Intadjedite, Tin-Essako Cercle in the Kidal Region.
Dakar-Plateau is an arrondissement in the Dakar Department, and forms the central district of the city of Dakar.
Niger is governed through a four layer, semi-decentralised series of Administrative divisions. Begun 1992, and finally approved with the formation of the Fifth Republic of Niger on 18 July 1999, Niger has been enacting a plan for Decentralisation of some state powers to local bodies. Prior to the 1999-2006 project, Niger's subdivisions were administered via direct appointment from the central government in Niamey. Beginning with Niger's first municipal elections of 2 February 1999, the nation started electing local officials for the first time. Citizens now elect local committee representatives in each Commune, chosen by subdivisions of the commune: "Quarters" in towns and "Villages" in rural areas, with additional groupings for traditional polities and nomadic populations. These officials choose Mayors, and from them are drawn representatives to the Department level. The same process here chooses a Departmental council and Prefect, and representatives to the Regional level. The system is repeated a Regional level, with a Regional Prefect, council, and representatives to the High Council of Territorial Collectives. The HCCT has only advisory powers, but its members have some financial, planning, educational and environmental powers. The central government oversees this process through the office of the Minister of State for the Interior, Public Safety and Decentralization.
Yanfolila Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Sikasso Region of southern Mali. The administrative center (chef-lieu) is the town of Yanfolila.
Yorosso Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Sikasso Region of southern Mali. The main town (chef-lieu) is Yorosso.
The Villages of Senegal are the lowest level administrative division of Senegal. They are constituted "by the grouping of several families or carrés in a single agglomeration.".