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 (wards or quarters). 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.