Turkmenistan is divided into 6 provinces (welayatlar), which serve as the primary level of subnational administration in the country's two-tier system. These provinces function as the principal administrative units responsible for implementing national policies at the regional level, coordinating public services, and overseeing local governance. Provincial administrations manage healthcare facilities, educational institutions, infrastructure development, and economic activities within their territories. Each province is headed by a governor (hakim) appointed by the President, who exercises executive authority and ensures coordination between the central government in Ashgabat and district-level authorities. The provinces also maintain their own budgets and administrative apparatus to deliver government services to their populations, though they operate under significant direction from the central government given Turkmenistan's highly centralized governance structure.