Provinces of Iraq

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This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.

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At present, there are 18 provinces of Iraq and one region. Baghdad is the national capital and lies in Baghdad Province. In formal Iraqi usage, what is called a province is properly a governorate ((muhafazat, singular - muhafazah)

Provinces (Governorates) and capitals

The country, which was formed by Britain by merging three provinces of the Ottoman Empire, roughly splits into Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish dominated areas. Saddam Hussein, a nominal Sunni, forced Arabization onto the Kurdish areas, so the population is more mixed there although there is a Kurdistan Regional Government. Kurdistan also has significant Turkmen and Christian minorities; the former a constant area of tension with Turkey. Saddam's former stronghold is known as the Sunni Triangle.

Many have a formal prefix of al-, as in al-Anbar, but the root part is commonly used. Articles are named for the root (e.g., Anbar) although the table below shows prefixes; there are redirects with the prefix to the articles on the province.

Province | Capital | Ethnicity | notes

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Al Anbar Province | Ramadi | Sunni | contains Fallujah
Arbil Province | Arbil |  |
Al Basrah Province | Basra |  |
Baghdad Province | Baghdad |  |
Dahuk Province | Dahuk  | Mixed |
Dhi Qar Province | Nasiriyah |  |
Diyala Province | Baqubah |  |
Karbala Province | Karbala | Shiite |
Kurdistan Regional Government | [[ ]] |  |
Maysan Province | Al Amarah |  |
Al Muthanna Province | Samawa | Shiite |
An Najaf Province | [[]] | Shiite |
Ninawa Province | Mosul |  |
Al Qadisiyah Province | Diwaniyah |  |
Salah ad Din Province | Salahuddin | Kurdish |
As Sulaymaniyah Province | As Sulaymaniyah |  |
At Ta'mim Province | Kirkuk |  |
Wasit Province | Al Kut | Shiite |  |

Most, but not all provinces, have international boundaries.

Iraq with neighbors Ethnic geography