Between 1905 and 1945, the Japanese Empire administered the southern half of Sakhalin, using the name Karafuto (樺太). The area was designated a chō (廳), the same term given to Hokkaidō at the time. It is commonly referred to as Karafuto Prefecture in English. The prefecture was divided into 4 subprefectures (支廳, shichō), which in turn were subdivided into 11 districts, in turn divided into 41 municipalities (1 city, 13 towns, and 27 villages)