Erbil Governorate

Erbil Governorate (پارێزگای ھەولێر ,Parêzgeha Hewlêr, محافظة أربيل ) is a governorate in the Kurdistan Region. It is the capital and economic hub of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Government

 * Omid Khoshnaw, governor of Erbil

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

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