Governorates of Iraq

Iraq consists of 18 recognized governorates (Arabic: محافظة, romanized: muḥāfażah; Sorani Kurdish: پارێزگا, romanized: parêzgeh), also known as "provinces". And 1 partially recognized governorate (Halabja). Per the Iraqi constitution, governorates can form an autonomous region. Four governorates, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Halabja and Duhok, constitute the autonomous Kurdistan Region. Baghdad (which is the most populous) and Basra are the oldest standing provinces of Iraq. The second most-populous province, Ninawa (also called Nineveh) is in the upland and quite cool climate of the north-west.

There have been numerous calls to recognize Halabja Governorate since 1999. It was recognized as an official governorate of the Kurdistan Region in 2014, and the Council of Ministers approved a bill twice in 2013, and 2023. However, the only legislature in Iraq that can implement new governorates is the Council of Representatives of Iraq, which has delayed hearings regarding Halabja numerous times.

Through early 2014, the Council of Ministers of the government of Iraq approved proposals to add the three newest governorates:

• Tal Afar, from part of Ninawa Governorate
• Tuz Khurmatu, from part of Saladin Governorate
• Nineveh Plains from the Ninawa Governorate.
• Halabja from Sulaymaniah Governorate

In 2013, activists and political parties called for the conversion of Hawija from a province into a governorate, but the Kirkuk provincial council blocked the proposal.

Shortly after the approval of the proposals, ISIS attacked the cities, towns and villages of the Nineveh Plains. Upon the eventual withdrawal of ISIS, the initial decision by the Council of Ministers was dishonored by Kurdistan, Baghdad and Iranian-connected political entities, as they began pushing security forces into different parts of the Nineveh Plains to try and lay claim to different parts of the territory, asserting that the demographics had changed due to ISIS and that the original inhabitants no longer could be representatives of their indigenous land. Part of the reason for the demographic shift was that squatters were encouraged to occupy Christian homes. Without enough paperwork to prove ownership, some of those homes became extremely challenging to reclaim. Initiatives are underway to help reclaim families' homes.

Another proposal exists to add a 19th: Fallujah, from the relevant part of the Al Anbar. This largely did not occur due to the ISIS insurgency. Following the defeat of ISIS in the Battle of Fallujah (2016), the proposal may resurface or Al-Anbar may remain undivided.