Zila (country subdivision)
A zilā, zilla, zillah, jela, or jilha is a country subdivision mostly used officially in South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. It is translated as district.
Zilas in Bangladesh
[edit]The divisions of Bangladesh are further divided into districts or zilas (Bengali: জেলা).[1] The headquarters of a district is called the district seat (Bengali: জেলা সদর, romanized: zila sadar). There are 64 districts in Bangladesh. The districts are further subdivided into 500 subdistricts or upazilas.[2]
Zilas in India
[edit]A district (zila), also known as a revenue district, is an administrative division of an Indian state or union territory. In some cases, districts are further subdivided into subdivisions, and in others directly into tehsils or talukas. As of 9 December 2025[update], there are a total of 800 districts in India. This count includes Mahe and Yanam, which are Census districts rather than administrative districts as well as the temporary Maha Kumbh Mela district, but excludes the Itanagar Capital Complex, which has a Deputy Commissioner but is not an official district.
Zilas of Nepal
[edit]Districts in Nepal are second level of administrative divisions after provinces. Districts are subdivided into municipalities and rural municipalities. There are seven provinces and 77 districts in Nepal.
There were total of 75 districts in Nepal until 2015, grouped into 14 Zones and 5 Development Regions. After the adoption of federalism in 2015, the existing Zones and Development Regions were dissolved. Nawalparasi District and Rukum District were respectively divided into Parasi District and Nawalpur District, and Eastern Rukum District and Western Rukum District, making total number of districts 77.[a] These 77 districts were regrouped into 7 provinces.
Zilas in Pakistan
[edit]The districts of Pakistan (Urdu: اِضلاعِ پاكِستان) are the third-level administrative divisions of Pakistan, below provinces and divisions, but forming the first-tier of local government. In total, there are 173 districts in Pakistan.[5][6][7][8][9] excluding Islamabad Capital Territory. These districts are further divided into tehsils and union councils.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ↑ The districts of Nawalparasi and Rukum were formally divided following the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal in 2015. However, the division was implemented administratively only in 2017, following the restructuring of local governance and the local level elections, when the former 75 District Development Committees were replaced by 77 District Coordination Committees.[3][4]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Bangladesh – Government and society". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ↑ "Upazilla List". Bangladesh National Portal. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ↑ "Confusion surrounds coordination committee formation in split districts". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
- ↑ "77 district coordination committees in the country". Nepali Headlines. 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
- ↑ "Dividing governance: Three new districts notified in G-B – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ↑ "Administrative Setup". ajk.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ↑ Staff, ProPK (2026-07-12). "Balochistan Govt Notifies New Divisions and Districts". ProPakistani. Retrieved 2026-09-19.
- ↑ Correspondent, The Newspaper's (2023-01-22). "Allai tehsil of Battagram given district status". Dawn. Retrieved 2026-09-19.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ Desk, News (2025-10-03). "KP Cabinet approves measures to cement governance, improve service delivery, ensure public welfare". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 2026-09-19.
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