Erbil Governorate

Erbil Governorate (Kurdish: پارێزگای ھەولێر, romanized: Parêzgeha Hewlêr;^[5][6] Arabic: محافظة أربيل, romanized: Muḥāfaẓat Arbīl^[7]) is a governorate of Iraq in the Kurdistan Region. It is the capital and economic hub of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq.^[8]

Erbil Governorate Kurdish: پارێزگای ھەولێر Arabic: محافظة أربيل
Governorate
Clockwise, from top: Canyon in Rawandiz, Koy Sanjaq, Shaqlawa and Citadel of Erbil
Seal
Location of the Erbil Governorate (red) – in Iraq (red, beige & light grey) – in the Kurdistan Region  (red & beige)
Erbil Governorate within Kurdistan Region[2]
Coordinates: 36°11′N 44°2′E
Country	Iraq
Federal region	Kurdistan Region
Capital	Erbil
Governor	Omed Khoshnaw
Area
• Total	14,872 km2 (5,742 sq mi)
Population  (2023)[3]
• Total	1,763,351
ISO 3166 code	IQ-AR
HDI (2022)	0.690[4] medium
Website	www.hawlergov.org/app/en

Government

• Omid Khoshnaw, Governor of Erbil
• Dr Ali Rashid, Provincial Council Chairman of Erbil

Districts

Districts of the Erbil Governorate^[9]

District	Population (2009)[10]	Number of households
Erbil (Hewlêr)	792,981	152,899
Deştî Hewlêr	186,346	34,264
Mexmûr (disputed)	173,801	30,678
Soran	154,945	27,707
Şeqlawe	124,628	23,420
Koye	95,246	18,727
Xebat	93,442	16,015
Mêrgesor (partially disputed)	44,661	9,711
Çoman	23,730	4,749
Rewandiz	21,280	4,235
Total	1,713,461	322,719

Cities and towns

• Erbil (Hewlêr) (هەولێر), population 879,071
• Rewandiz (ڕەواندز), population 95,089
• Binesilawe (بنەسڵاوە), population 37,322
• Kune Gurg (کونە گورگ), population 30,283
• Selaheddîn (سەڵاحەددین), population 18,205
• Mexmûr (مەخموور), population 18,128
• Koye (کۆیە), population 15,123
• Kesnezan (کەسنەزان), population 12,783
• Derbend (دەربەند), population 10,086
• Şawês (شاوێس), population 7,387
• Behirke (بەحرکە), population 6,758
• Pîran (پیران), population 6,715
• Qesrê (قەسرێ), population 5,472

• 
  Shanidar Cave
• 
  Benoke village
• 
  Pêndro in 1968
• 
  Aerial view of the Citadel of Erbil, surrounded by the modern city

Academic establishments

• Salahaddin University: Founded in 1958 in Sulaymaniya and transferred to Erbil in 1981.^[11]
• Hawler Medical University: Founded in 2005.^[12]
• University of Kurdistan Hewlêr: Public English-medium university.^[13]
• Tishk International University (Previously called Ishik University): Private university that was established in 2008 in Erbil.^[14]
• Cihan University: Private university, founded in 2007.^[15]
• SABIS University: Private university.^[16]
• Soran University, KRG-Iraq governmental university founded in 2009.^[17]
• Knowledge University, KRG-Iraq Private university founded in 2009.^[18]
• Catholic University in Erbil, Private non-profit university founded in 2015.^[19]

Banking

Erbil Governorate Building

There are many national and international banks operating in Erbil offering citizens and visitors services, including:

• Kurdistan Central Bank
• Kurdistan International Bank for Investment and Development^[20]
• Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI)^[21]
• Byblos Bank^[22]
• Bank of Beirut and Arab Countries (BBAC)^[23]
• Intercontinental Bank of Lebanon (IBL)^[24]
• BLOM Bank

See also

• The archaeological hills in Erbil
• Shanidar Cave
• Lake Felaw