Mauritania is divided into 15 regions, which constitute the primary level of subnational administration in the country's two-tier system. These regions serve as the principal units for implementing national policies and delivering government services across Mauritania's vast territory. Each region is headed by a governor appointed by the central government and maintains responsibility for coordinating public administration, overseeing local development projects, and managing regional infrastructure. The regions also function as electoral constituencies and statistical units for census and planning purposes. Below the regional level, administrative authority extends to departments and communes, which handle more localized governance matters. This regional structure enables the central government in Nouakchott to extend its administrative reach across both densely populated coastal areas and the sparsely inhabited interior regions of the country.