Administrative divisions of Cartadania

The administrative divisions of Cartadania are the various governing entities that together form Cartadania. The first subdivisions are the states and territories, of which there are thirty-eight total. The admission of states into the union is authorized by the Constitution of Cartadania and is conducted by Congress. Predominantly, states outside the bounds of Lusia Velha have emerged through the organization of territories previously under federal sovereignty, often facilitated through congressional resolutions. Additionally, the partitioning of land within existing states or annexed regions has contributed to the formation of new states.

Within Cartadania's intricate political landscape, both federal and state governments coexist as parallel entities, a testament to the nation's distinct system of shared sovereignty. Unlike unitary systems, where divisions are derived directly from a centralized entity, Cartadanian states, along with the capital and federal territories, collectively compose the intricate fabric of the nation. Territories, under federal jurisdiction, boast considerable powers comparable to states, with the exception of certain aspects of autonomy and infrastructure management. Over time, the autonomy of territories has advanced through congressional actions, blurring the historical distinction.

State and territorial authorities wield legislative powers to formulate laws and administer justice, as long as these actions remain in harmony with federal statutes and uphold constitutional principles. States are often further subdivided into counties or analogous divisions (such as parishes, municipios, and merindades), the parameters of which are determined by jurisdictional considerations. Notably, the evolution of regions within Cartadania follows distinct patterns, with prior island-based counties like Solemia undergoing restructuring under the Goldstein Acts upon its elevation to statehood in 2026. Similar transformations occurred within São Ricardo, culminating in the formation of Pampalinda County and the City and County of Lua alongside Ricardo County.

Facilitating a broader understanding of Cartadanian territory, the Cartadanian Institute of Geography and Statistics delineates nine macroregions based on geographic, social, and economic factors. While academically recognized, these divisions carry minimal political implications beyond informing federal-level initiatives. The individual states retain the authority to define internal subregional configurations, which may, on occasion, be referenced within federal records, contingent upon state-specific contexts and preferences.

Level 1 jurisdiction (NOJ1)
The primary political entities of Cartadania are the states (os estados) and the territories (os territórios). Six states—Lombardia, Milan, Porta Bianca, Solemia, Verona, and Victoria—call themselves commonwealths (comunidade). The word commonwealth in this context refers to the common "wealth", or welfare, of the public. The term has no legal difference from a state, though it is a common belief that these states tend to be more strict in their laws.

On numerous occasions the Supreme Court of Cartadania has affirmed that the thirty-four individual divisions and Cartadania as a whole are each sovereign jurisdictions under the Constitution. Due to the shared sovereignty between each state and the federal government, Cartadanians are citizens of both the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. States, however, are not sovereign in international law as each State only has sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs, to the exclusion of all external powers, on the principle of non-interference in another State's domestic affairs, and that each State (no matter how large or small) is equal in international law. Additionally, the thirty-three states and capital do not possess international legal sovereignty, meaning that they are not recognized by other sovereign states such as, for example, Caphiria or Pelaxia.

Territories are very similar in nature to states, creating many of their own laws and regulations, but they lack the same degree of autonomy of a state. They operate at the discretion of the federal government but possess many of the same rights and residents of all territories are full citizens of Cartadania. However, like the states, they do not possess international legal sovereignty, meaning that they are not recognized by other sovereign states. With the ascension of Lotoa to statehood in 2029, Cartadania will no longer have any territories, but the distinction and title remain in record in the event that does change.

Counties, parishes, and county-equivalents
The states are divided into smaller administrative regions, called counties (comarcas) in all but three states. In Milan, Montecarlo, and Porta Bianca, the county equivalents are called parishes. These are, nonetheless, treated as counties by the federal government, and the general framework for these entities is generally the same as those found in other states. Counties have varying degrees of political and legal significance depending on the state in which they are found. In some states, mainly in Cambria, they are primarily used as judicial districts. The state government has opted to abolish the governments of the counties and primarily reports directly to its municipalities and vice versa. In other states, counties have broad powers in housing, education, transportation, and recreation, taking over some responsibilites that would be the state's jurisdiction in other states.

Counties may contain a number of cities, towns, or villages, or sometimes just a part of a city. Some cities are consolidated with, and coterminous with, their counties, like Lua and New Venceia—that is to say, these counties consist in their entirety of a single municipality, the government of which also operates as the county government. Some counties, such as Malta County, Alexandria, do not have any additional subdivisions. Further still, some states, mainly Acara and Triessa, contain independent cities that are not part of any county, thus they are considered equivalent to the state's counties (which, in these two cases, contain incorporated towns).

Cartadania currently consists of 1,962 counties, parishes, and county-level equivalents. The state with the most counties is Aveiro, with 195 counties, while the state with the fewest counties is Lotoa, which has three (one for each island). The most populous county in the country is Sierra County in Verona with 15.7 million residents as of 2028, while the least populous county is Elvira County in Toscana, with 91 residents. The largest county by area in Cartadania is Prince Lucás County, Verona, at 19217.2 km2, while the smallest county-equivalent in Cartadania is the Riso district of Alahuela, at just 27.3 km2.

Municipalities
There are various forms of municipal government below or adjacent to the county level within Cartadania. Cities are defined differently by the governments of each state and territory but typically are incorporated municipalities with some urban character of a certain population (e.g., 10k people). Some cities are independent cities, which means that they are separate from, and independent of, any county they may be near or within. Thus, these cities are the equivalent of counties as they have no higher local government intervening between them and the state government. Independent cities also should not be confused with consolidated city-county governments. An independent city is not part of any county, whereas a consolidated city and county is both a municipal corporation (cidade or city) and an administrative division of the state (comarca or county). There are also incorporated cities, which are a part of and operate under a county system. These are the most common form of city government found in Cartadania. Some incorporated cities overlap county borders. Cities are typically responsible for many services in their jurisdiction. Some states are composed solely of cities (i.e., Milan, Verona, and Victoria) and contain no towns or villages. Areas outside of cities are unincorporated areas of the county, though they may be designated as a "census-designated place".

Towns are very similar in nature to cities. The difference typically lies in the area and population of the municipality. Towns are always part of a county and cannot form independent governments, except in Cambria, where there are no county governments. Some states allow towns to reincorporate as cities once they achieve a specific population. Some states may say large areas have no general-purpose local government below the county level (as is the case in São Ricardo despite the existence of some "cities").

Villages are areas of counties that are basically towns but have no general-purpose local government. They may exist in states that don't have subdivisions below the county with an official government or in states that do have cities and towns to fill space that would normally be unincorporated. Santiago is known to have cities, towns, villages, and unincorporated areas, each with different purposes. For this specific case, villages are essentially neighborhoods.

Census-designated places are areas established by the Office of Statistics for census purposes. They may appear on maps as named places and many even have local postal offices, but they do not have a general-purpose local government. Some CDPs are quite large in population, such as Belmiers, Milan with its population of 91,000 as of 2028.