Iraq is divided into 18 governorates, which constitute the country's primary administrative division. These governorates serve as the first tier in Iraq's two-level administrative structure, functioning as intermediate authorities between the federal government and local districts. Each governorate is headed by a governor and maintains its own provincial council, responsible for managing regional affairs including public services, infrastructure development, education, healthcare, and local security coordination. The governorates possess varying degrees of administrative autonomy, with the Kurdistan Region governorates exercising broader powers under Iraq's federal system. This administrative framework enables the distribution of governmental responsibilities across Iraq's diverse geographic and demographic landscape, facilitating more localized governance while maintaining national cohesion.