Sri Lanka's nine provinces represent the first and highest tier of subnational administration in the country's two-level system. Established through the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1987, provinces function as devolved administrative units with their own Provincial Councils that exercise powers over subjects including education, health, agriculture, local government, and roads. Each province is governed by an elected council and a Governor appointed by the President, creating a system that balances central authority with regional autonomy. The provincial structure was designed to address ethnic and regional concerns by allowing greater local control over development and public services, though the degree of actual devolution has remained a subject of ongoing political debate in Sri Lankan governance.