In Portuguese language usage, there are two words to distinguish the territory and the administrative organ. Administratively, right below the government, there are the municípios (municipalities), who administrate the concelhos, and below them, the juntas de freguesia who administrate the freguesias (civil parishes). Therefore, the concelhos are the first-level administrative subdivision in Cabo Verde.

The islands are traditionally divided in two geographic regions (with no administrative meaning):

Barlavento Islands (windward), the six northern islands and

Sotavento Islands (leeward), the four southern ones.