||This article includes a list of references, related reading or
external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
inline citations. (May 2013)| An administrative division,
subnational entity, geopolitical division, or country
subdivision is a portion of a country or other political
division, established for the purpose of government.
Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of
autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their
own local governments. Countries are divided up into these
smaller units to make managing their land and the affairs of
their people easier. For example, a country may be divided into
provinces, which in turn are divided into counties, which in
turn may be divided in whole or in part into municipalities.
These are only a few of the names given to administrative
subdivisions; more examples are provided below. Administrative
divisions are conceptually separate from dependent territories,
with the former being an integral part of the state and th