Subdivisions of Tanzania | |
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Location | Tanzania |
Subdivisions |
Region (31) District (169) Division Ward (Urban) > Street Ward (Rural) > Village > Hamlet |
The administrative divisions of Tanzania are controlled by Part I, Article 2.2 of the Constitution of Tanzania. Tanzania is divided into thirty-one regions (mkoa in Swahili). Each region is subdivided into districts (wilaya in Swahili). The districts are sub-divided into divisions (tarafa in Swahili) and further into local wards (kata in Swahili). Wards are further subdivided for management purposes: for urban wards into streets (mitaa in Swahili) and for rural wards into villages (kijiji in Swahili). The villages may be further subdivided into hamlets (vitongoji in Swahili).
In 1922 under the British Tanganyika was divided into twenty-two regions, known as "divisions": Arusha, Bagamoyo, Bukoba, Daressalam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kilwa, Kondoa-Irangi, Lindi, Mahenge, Morogoro, Moshi, Mwanza, Pangani, Rufiji, Rungwe, Songea, Tabora, Tanga, Ufipa, Ujiji, and Usambara.
According to the 2012 Tanzania National Census, Tanzania was divided into 169 districts. There is one type of rural district: a District Council. And there are three types of urban districts: Town Council, Municipal Council and City Council.
A division is an administrative organization for several Wards. Every division has its own elected MP (Member of Parliament).
A village is the lowest government administrative structure at the community level. A Ward or Shehia is an administrative structure for one single town or portion of a bigger town (Urban Wards) and is representing up to 21,000 people. Rural wards are composed of several villages.