Governorates of Syria

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Governorates of Syria محافظات سوريا (Arabic)
Damascus Rif Dimashq Quneitra Daraa As-Suwayda Homs Tartus Latakia Hama Idlib Aleppo Raqqa Deir ez-Zor Al-Hasakah
Category	Unitary State
Location	Syrian Arab Republic
Number	14 Governorates
Populations	90,000 (Quneitra) – 4,868,000 (Aleppo)
Areas	110 km2 (41 sq mi) (Damascus) – 42,220 km2 (16,302 sq mi) (Homs)
Government	provincial councils and their executive bureaus
Subdivisions	District

Politics of Syria
Member State of the Arab League
Constitution Preamble and Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Human rights
Executive President (list) Bashar al-Assad Vice President Najah al-Attar Prime Minister (list) Hussein Arnous Deputy Prime Minister Ali Abdullah Ayyoub
Legislature People's Assembly Speaker: Hammouda Sabbagh
Judiciary High Judicial Council Supreme Constitutional Court
Subdivisions Governorates Districts Subdistricts (Nahiyas) Villages
Elections Recent elections Presidential: 2007 2014 2021 Parliamentary: 2012 2016 2020 Political parties National Progressive Front Popular Front for Change and Liberation Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (Syrian branch)
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister: Faisal Mekdad Diplomatic missions of / in Syria Syrian nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy UN resolutions on Syria Status of the Golan Heights Syrian civil war
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Syria is a unitary state, but for administrative purposes, it is divided into fourteen governorates, also called provinces or counties in English (Arabic muḥāfaẓāt, singular muḥāfaẓah). The governorates are divided into sixty-five districts (manāṭiq, singular minṭaqah), which are further divided into subdistricts (nawāḥī, singular nāḥiyah). The nawāḥī contain villages, which are the smallest administrative units.

Each governorate is headed by a governor, appointed by the president, subject to cabinet approval. The governor is responsible for administration, health, social services, education, tourism, public works, transportation, domestic trade, agriculture, industry, civil defense, and maintenance of law and order in the governorate. The minister of each local administration works closely with each governor to coordinate and supervise local development projects. The governor is assisted by a provincial council, all of whose members are popularly elected for four-year terms. In addition, each council elects from among its members an executive bureau which administers the day to day issues between provincial council sessions. Each executive officer is charged with specific functions.

Districts and subdistricts are administered by officials appointed by the governor. These officials work on local matters with elected district councils and serve as intermediaries between the central government and traditional local leaders, such as village chiefs, clan leaders, and councils of elders.