section_path: Government and politics/Administrative divisions
section_name: Administrative divisions
paragraph_text: Administrative divisions
  
  Since 2018 Chad has been divided into 23 provinces. The subdivision of Chad in regions came about in 2003 as part of the decentralisation process, when the government abolished the previous 14 prefectures; however, in 2018, the government renamed the former regions to become provinces. Each region is headed by a presidentially appointed governor. Prefects administer the provinces' 120 departments which are divided into 454 sub-prefectures.
  
  The constitution provides for decentralised government to compel local populations to play an active role in their own development. To this end, the constitution declares that each administrative subdivision be governed by elected local assemblies, but no local elections have taken place, and communal elections scheduled for 2005 have been repeatedly postponed.