{{Short description|Subdivisions of Syria}}{{Multiple issues|{{refimprove|date=September 2025}} {{Update|date=September 2025}}}}{{Infobox subdivision type | name = Governorates of Syria | native_name = محافظات سوريا | native_name_lang = ar | native_name2 = | native_name_lang2 = | alt_name = | map = {{Syria Labelled Map}} | category = Unitary state | territory = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg}} Syria | start_date = | current_number = 14 governorates | number_date = | population_range = 90,000 (Quneitra) – 4,868,000 (Aleppo) {{when|reason=unclear when these population data were recorded|date=September 2025}} | area_range = {{Convert|41|sqmi|km2|order=flip|abbr=on}} (Damascus) – {{Convert|16302|sqmi|km2|order=flip|abbr=on}} (Homs) | government = Provincial councils and their executive bureaus | subdivision = District }}
Syria is a unitary state, but for administrative purposes, it is divided into fourteen '''governorates''',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Syria (08/04) |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/syria/47567.htm |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=U.S. Department of State}}</ref> also called '''provinces''' or '''counties''' in English ({{Langx|ar|مُحَافَظَة}} {{IPA|ar|muˈħaːfaðˤa|}}; {{abbr|pl.|plural}} {{lang|ar|مُحَافَظَات}} {{Transliteration|ar|muḥāfaẓāt}} {{IPA|ar|muħafaˈðˤaːt|}}). The governorates are divided into sixty-five districts ({{Langx|ar|مناطق|manāṭiq}}, singular ''minṭaqah''), which are further divided into subdistricts ({{langx|ar|نَاحِيَة}} {{IPA|ar|ˈnaːħijah|}}, plural {{lang|ar|نَوَاحِي}}, {{translit|ar|nawāḥī}} {{IPA|ar|naˈwaːħiː|}}). 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. {{clear}}
== History == {| |thumb|118x118px|1941 |thumb|118x118px|1952 |thumb|118x118px|1958 |thumb|118x118px|1965 |thumb|118x118px|Current division |- | colspan="5" align="center" |Development of the administrative divisions of Syria until it reached 14 governorates |}
Upon achieving independence from the French Mandate on April 17, 1946, Syria retained much of the administrative framework inherited from the mandate period and organized its territory into nine top-level districts (later governorates): Aleppo, Damascus, Euphrates (Al-Furat), Hama, Hauran, Homs, Jabal al-Druze, Al Jazira, and Latakia.
During the 1950s, several governorates names were standardized: Hauran became Daraa, Jabal al-Druze was renamed Sweida, and Al-Jazira became Al-Hasakah.
In the early 1960s, further territorial adjustments were introduced: the Euphrates Governorate was divided into Al-Rashid and Deir ez-Zor, while Idlib Governorate was separated from Aleppo. In 1962, Damascus was reorganized into two administrative units, Damascus Governorate and the City of Damascus (Madīnat Dimashq).
In 1970, Al-Rashid Governorate was renamed Raqqa.<ref>{{cite web |title=الاستعاضة عن اسم محافظة الرشيد باسم محافظة الرقة |url=http://parliament.gov.sy/arabic/index.php?node=201&nid=9806&RID=-1&Last=9663&First=80&CurrentPage=97&Vld=-1&Mode=&Service=&Loc1=&Key1=&SDate=&EDate=&Year=&or=%20ORDER%20BY%20%20service%20DESC&Country=&Num=-1&Dep=-1&src=203& |website=parliament.gov.sy |language=ar}}</ref>
On August 27, 1964, Quneitra Governorate was created from parts of Damascus Governorate. Additional changes occurred in the 1970s, when Tartus Governorate was separated from the Latakia Governorate. In 1987, the City of Damascus was formally designated as an independent governorate, and Damascus Governorate was reorganized as Rif Dimashq Governorate, the rural governorate surrounding the capital, completing the basic structure of Syria's contemporary administrative system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Syria Provinces |url=https://www.statoids.com/usy.html |access-date=2026-01-11 |website=www.statoids.com}}</ref>
== List == {{update section|date=December 2023}} {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Governorate name !Area <br/> (km<sup>2</sup>) !Population <br/> (2018) !Population<br>density <br/> (km<sup>2</sup>) !Districts !class=unsortable|Photo !class=unsortable|Location
|- | Aleppo Governorate (محافظة حلب) | 18,482 | 4,600,166 | 248.90 | 8 | 120px | 105px |- | Raqqa Governorate (محافظة الرقة) | 19,616 | 919,000 | 46.85 | 3 | 120x120px | 105x105px |- | Suwayda Governorate (محافظة السويداء) | 5,550 | 500,000 | 90.09 | 3 | 120px | 105x105px |- | Damascus Governorate (محافظة دمشق) | 106 | 2,211,042 | 20858.89 | 1 | 120px | 105x105px |- | Daraa Governorate (محافظة درعا) | 3,730 | 998,000 | 267.56 | 3 | 120px | 105px |- | Deir ez-Zor Governorate (محافظة دير الزور) | 33,060 | 1,200,500 | 36.31 | 3 | 120px | 105px |- | Hama Governorate (محافظة حماة) | 8,883 | 1,593,000 | 179.32 | 5 | 120x120px | 105x105px |- | Hasakah Governorate (محافظة الحسكة) | 23,334 | 1,272,702 | 54.53 | 4 | 120x120px | 105x105px |- | Homs Governorate (محافظة حمص) | 42,223 | 1,762,500 | 41.74 | 6 | 120x120px | 105x105px |- | Idlib Governorate (محافظة إدلب) | 6,097 | 1,464,000 | 240.13 | 5 | 120x120px | 105x105px |- | Latakia Governorate (محافظة اللاذقية) | 2,297 | 1,278,486 | 556.58 | 4 | 120x120px | 105x105px |- | Quneitra Governorate (محافظة القنيطرة) | 1,861 | 87,000 | 46.74 | 2 | 120x120px | 105x105px |- | Rif Dimashq Governorate (محافظة ريف دمشق) | 18,032 | 2,831,738 | 157.04 | 9 | 120x120px | 105x105px |- | Tartus Governorate (محافظة طرطوس) | 1,892 | 785,000 | 414.89 | 5 | 120x120px | 105x105px |}
==See also== {{Politics of Syria}}
*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== {{Reflist}}
{{Governorates of Syria}} {{Syria topics}} {{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Asian countries}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Governorates of Syria}} Category:Governorates of Syria Category:Subdivisions of Syria Syria, Governorates Syria 1 Governorates, Syria Category:Syria geography-related lists Category:Syria politics-related lists Syria