section_path: Government and politics/Administrative divisions
section_name: Administrative divisions
paragraph_text: Administrative divisions
  
  Vietnam is divided into 58 provinces (Vietnamese: Tỉnh, chữ Hán: 省). There are also five municipalities (thành phố trực thuộc trung ương), which are administratively on the same level as provinces.
  
  Provinces are subdivided into provincial municipalities (thành phố trực thuộc tỉnh, 'city under province'), townships (thị xã) and counties (huyện), which are in turn subdivided into towns (thị trấn) or communes (xã).
  
  Centrally controlled municipalities are subdivided into districts (quận) and counties, which are further subdivided into wards (phường).