Editing Maldives (section)

===Administrative divisions===
{{main|Administrative divisions of the Maldives}}

[[File:Atolls of the maldives.png|thumb|Each administrative atoll is marked, along with the [[thaana]] letter used to identify the atoll. Natural atolls are labelled in light blue.]]
The Maldives has twenty-six natural [[Atolls of the Maldives|atolls]] and few island groups on isolated reefs, all of which have been divided into twenty-one administrative divisions (17 administrative atolls and cities of Malé, Addu, [[Fuvahmulah]], [[Thinadhoo (Huvadhu Atoll)|Thinadhoo]], and [[Kulhudhuffushi]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atolls of Maldives |url=http://www.statoids.com/umv.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102053209/http://statoids.com/umv.html |archive-date=2 January 2010 |access-date=30 June 2010 |website=Statoids}}</ref>

Each atoll is administered by an elected Atoll Council. The islands are administered by an elected Island Council.

In addition to a name, every administrative division is identified by the Maldivian code letters, such as "[[Haa Alif]]" for [[Northern Thiladhunmathi Atoll|Thiladhunmati Uthuruburi]] (Thiladhunmathi North); and by a Latin code letter. The first corresponds to the geographical Maldivian name of the atoll; the second is a code adopted for convenience. As certain islands in different atolls have the same name, for administrative purposes this code is quoted before the name of the island, for example: Baa Funadhoo, Kaafu Funadhoo, Gaafu-Alifu Funadhoo. Since most atolls have very long geographical names it is also used whenever the long name is inconvenient, for example in the atoll website names.<ref name="autogenerated1">''Divehiraajjege Jōgrafīge Vanavaru''. Muhammadu Ibrahim Lutfee</ref>

The introduction of code-letter names has been a source of much puzzlement and misunderstanding, especially among foreigners. Many people have come to think that the code letter of the administrative atoll is its new name and that it has replaced its geographical name. Under such circumstances, it is hard to know which is the correct name to use.<ref name="autogenerated1" />