Tuvalu is divided into 9 islands, which constitute the country's sole administrative level. These islands serve as the primary units for local governance and public administration across the nation. Each island manages essential services including education, healthcare, and infrastructure maintenance for its resident population. The island councils work in coordination with the national government in Funafuti to deliver programs and collect revenue, though the central government retains significant authority given Tuvalu's small size and population. This administrative structure reflects both the geographic reality of Tuvalu as a dispersed archipelago and the practical needs of governing remote island communities. The system allows for local decision-making on matters affecting individual islands while maintaining national coherence across the territory.