Costa Rica is divided into 7 provinces, which constitute the first and highest level of the country's three-tier administrative system. These provinces serve primarily as geographical and statistical units rather than autonomous governing bodies with significant independent authority. Unlike provinces in many other countries, Costa Rican provinces lack elected provincial governments or legislatures. Instead, they function mainly for organizational purposes related to national government operations, including the delivery of public services, coordination of infrastructure projects, and collection of statistical data. Each province is overseen by a governor appointed by the President of Costa Rica, who acts as a representative of the central government. The provincial structure facilitates administrative coordination between the national government in San José and the more localized cantones (cantons) and distritos (districts) that comprise the second and third administrative levels.