Administrative divisions of the Maldives

The Maldives are administratively divided into 20 districts and the capital district of Malé. These units this administrative level are officially called atolls. They do not correspond to the atolls in the geographical sense, refer atolls of the Maldives. At a higher level, 20 districts are grouped into seven provinces.

The Atoll administrative units mentioned ( Atholhu ), besides their actual names nor a Thaana letters as a code, sometimes supplemented by Alifu ( އ ) for "north " ( uthuruburi ) or Dhaalu ( ދ ) for "south " ( dhekunuburi ). Because of the unusual character names confuse tourists this code designation often with the actual name.

Since 2008, the administrative atolls are grouped into seven provinces, as part of decentralization efforts of the government.

Provinces - Overview

The seven provinces were introduced in 2008 as the parent administrative level. The capital Malé not belong to any of the seven provinces.

The seven provinces are closely based on seven historic island regions:

Administrative atolls with associated geographical atolls

In the table below the 20 administrative atolls and Malé the capital district are listed with its corresponding geographical atolls. In exactly eight cases an administrative atoll corresponds to exactly one geographical atoll. These cases are marked with light green background color. In the other cases, smaller geographical atolls administrative atolls are associated, and larger geographic atolls are divided into two administrative atolls. Only the largest natural atoll of the Maldives, Thiladhunmathi - Miladhunmadulu ( two names, but actually an atoll ), is one of four different administrative atolls.

1) The name and Thiladhunmathi Miladhunmadulu denote the north and south of a single atoll, the largest atoll of the Maldives. The overall Atoll is also known under the name Tiladummati and Boduthiladhunmathi.