The cercles of Mali are divided into arrondissements. These are further divided into 703 communes, 19 urban communes and 684 rural communes. Unlike Communes or Cercles, Arrondissements have no administrative power or elected officials: they are merely territorial divisions or used to divide administrative duties. Often the borders of Communes and Arrondisements coincide, rendering the Arrondissement demarcation of the territory superfluous.