The football association is the second largest behind Boa Vista and ahead of Santo Antão South.
The area includes the northern part of the island and includes the municipalities of Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, São Lourenço dos Órgãos, São Miguel, São Salvador do Mundo and Tarrafal Its logo features the north of the island, its municipalities that are included with geographical features including places, streams, routes and mountain names being one of the few logos in the world displaying these features to a regional sports association and is Cape Verde's only one displaying it.
The association has the third largest number of clubs after Santiago's two zones and ahead of São Vicente.
Unlike other island leagues, between 2012 and 2015, it had the first and second phases and a playoff system in which the first four clubs would participate.
In its early years up to the 2014 season, it had the second most number of clubs in the country after the South Zone and ahead of São Vicente, later Fogo.