viloyats

Viloyats is the term for a first-level administrative division used in several Central Asian countries to designate a province or region. The word is derived from the Persian vilayat (ولایت) meaning governance or jurisdiction, and it spread through Turkic languages as viloyat. In Uzbek and Tajik, viloyat is used to describe a large administrative unit governed by an appointed regional head, functioning within the framework of the national government.

In Uzbekistan, viloyats are the largest subnational units below the national level. There are 12 viloyatlar and one city with special status; each viloyat has an administrative center and is led by a hokim appointed by the president. Local councils and ministries coordinate with the central government on issues such as infrastructure, economy, education, and public services.

In Tajikistan, viloyats are provincial-level divisions; major ones include Sughd and Khatlon. The country also contains autonomous regions and the capital city with special administrative arrangements. The broad responsibilities of viloyats include regional planning, public services, and implementation of national policies at the local level.

In historical and regional contexts, viloyat has long been used in Persian-speaking and Turkic-speaking areas and has equivalents in other languages, such as vilayet in Ottoman Turkish. The term remains in common administrative use in several states today, reflecting a shared tradition of provincial governance.