Martinique is divided into 34 communes, which constitute the second and final level of administrative subdivision in this French overseas territory. As the primary unit of local government, communes function similarly to their counterparts in metropolitan France, with elected municipal councils and mayors responsible for delivering essential public services to residents. These services typically include urban planning, local policing, primary education facilities, waste management, civil registration, and maintenance of municipal infrastructure such as roads and public buildings. Each commune operates with a degree of autonomy in managing local affairs while remaining subject to French national law and oversight from the territorial administration. The communes vary considerably in size and population, ranging from the capital Fort-de-France to smaller rural municipalities, but all share the same basic administrative structure and responsibilities for local governance.