Hainan uses a slightly different administrative system from the other provinces of China. Most other provinces are divided entirely into prefecture-level divisions, each of which is then divided entirely into county-level divisions. County-level divisions generally do not come directly under the province. In Hainan, nearly all county-level divisions (the 4 districts excepted) come directly under the province.

The political divisions of Hainan are:

* 2 prefecture-level cities
o Haikou City
o Sanya City
* 4 county-level districts, which make up the city of Haikou
o Longhua District
o Xiuying District
o Qiongshan District
o Meilan District
* 6 county-level cities
o Wenchang City
o Qionghai City
o Wanning City
o Wuzhishan City
o Dongfang City
o Danzhou City
* 4 counties
o Lingao County
o Chengmai County
o Ding’an County
o Tunchang County
* 6 autonomous counties
o Changjiang Li Autonomous County
o Baisha Li Autonomous County
o Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County
o Lingshui Li Autonomous County
o Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County
o Ledong Li Autonomous County
There is also the Office of West, South, and Central Sands Archipelagos, which oversees the South China Sea Islands: the Xisha (Paracel Islands), Zhongsha (Macclesfield Bank), and Nansha (Spratly Islands). The Spratlys are in reality disputed and divided among China and several neighbouring countries, while the Macclesfield Bank is claimed by the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam, but administered by no one.

The cities and counties of Hainan are divided into 218 township-level divisions, including 181 townships, 20 towns, and 17 subdistricts.

Hainan was historically part of Guangdong Province and Guangxi Province, being as such, it was the Qiongya Circuit in 1912 (the establishment of the Republic of China). In 1921, it was planned to become a Special Administrative Region ; in 1944, it became Hainan Special Administrative Region with 16 counties containing the South China Sea Islands.

On May 1, 1950 (under the PRC), the Special Administrative Region became an Administrative Region Office a branch of the Guangdong provincial government. On October 1, 1984, it became the Hainan Administrative Region with a People’s Government, and finally as province separate from Guangdong four years later.

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