Erbil Governorate
Erbil Governorate (Kurdish: پارێزگای ھەولێر ,Parêzgeha Hewlêr, Arabic: محافظة أربيل, romanized: Muḥāfaẓat Arbīl) is a governorate in the Kurdistan Region. It is the capital and economic hub of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Districts of the Erbil Governorate
Erbil Governorate Building
Government
- Omid Khoshnaw, governor of Erbil
Districts
| District | Population (2009) |
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
-
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.
- Hawler Medical University: Founded in 2005.
- University of Kurdistan Hewlêr: Public English-medium university.
- Tishk International University (Previously called Ishik University): Private university that was established in 2008 in Erbil.
- Cihan University: Private university, founded in 2007.
- SABIS University: Private university.
- Soran University, KRG-Iraq governmental university founded in 2009.
- Knowledge University, KRG-Iraq Private university founded in 2009.
- Catholic University in Erbil, Private non-profit university founded in 2015.
Banking
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
- Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI)
- Byblos Bank
- Bank of Beirut and Arab Countries (BBAC)
- Intercontinental Bank of Lebanon (IBL)
- BLOM Bank