Governorates of Syria
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it remains largely unverified because it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (November 2016) |
| Governorates of Syria محافظات سوريا (Arabic) | |
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| 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) |
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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 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 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.
List[]
| Governorate name | Area (km2) |
Population (2018) |
Population density (km2) |
Districts | Photo | Location |
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| Aleppo Governorate | 18,500 | 4,600,166 | 248.65 | 8 | 
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| Raqqa Governorate | 19,616 | 919,000 | 46.84 | 3 | 
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| As-Suwayda Governorate | 5,550 | 364,000 | 65.58 | 3 | 
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| Damascus Governorate | 1,599 | 2,211,042 | 18,273.07 | 1 | 
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| Daraa Governorate | 3,730 | 998,000 | 267.65 | 3 | 
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| Deir ez-Zor Governorate | 33,060 | 1,200,500 | 36.31 | 3 | 
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| Hama Governorate | 8,883 | 1,593,000 | 179.33 | 5 | 
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| Hasaka Governorate | 23,334 | 1,272,702 | 55.54 | 4 | 
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| Homs Governorate | 42,223 | 1,762,500 | 41.74 | 6 | 
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| Idlib Governorate | 6,097 | 1,464,000 | 240.11 | 5 | 
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| Latakia Governorate | 2,297 | 1,278,486 | 556.58 | 4 | 
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| Quneitra Governorate | 1,861 | 87,000 | 46.74 | 2 | 
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| Rif Dimashq Governorate | 18,032 | 2,831,738 | 157.03 | 9 | 
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| Tartus Governorate | 1,892 | 785,000 | 414.90 | 5 | 
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See also[]
- List of governorates of Syria by Human Development Index
- Districts of Syria
- ISO 3166-2:SY
- List of cities in Syria
- List of towns and villages in Syria
References[]
- Governorates of Syria
- Subdivisions of Syria
- Lists of administrative divisions
- Administrative divisions in Asia
- First-level administrative divisions by country
- Syria geography-related lists
- Syria politics-related lists
- Governorates