Administrative Divisions of Maharashtra

For administration, Maharashtra is organised into a hierarchy of units, and knowing this structure helps a student place the state's economic geography.

Six revenue divisions. The state is divided into six administrative (revenue) divisions, each headed by a Divisional Commissioner:

• Konkan (the coastal belt, headquartered at Mumbai — it contains Mumbai and Maharashtra's entire coastline);
• Pune (Western Maharashtra);
• Nashik (northern/Khandesh region);
• Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) (the Marathwada region);
• Amravati (western Vidarbha); and
• Nagpur (eastern Vidarbha).

Districts, talukas and villages. These six divisions are subdivided into districts (of which the state has thirty-six), and the districts in turn into talukas (tehsils) and then villages — the smallest administrative unit, where most economic activity in a still-largely-rural state actually takes place. Local self-government runs in parallel through Zilla Parishads (district), Panchayat Samitis (block/taluka) and Gram Panchayats (village) in rural areas, and Municipal Corporations and Councils in urban areas. …