Albania is divided into twelve counties (Albanian: qarku, sing.qark (official term); but often prefektura, sing. prefekturë, sometimes translated as prefecture). Each contained several districts (sometimes described as subprefectures). The current administration divisions were put into effect in 1938. Recently, the government introduced a new administrative division to be implemented in 2015 whereby municipalities are reduced to 61 in total, while rural ones called komuna are abolished.[1]
