Sudan is divided into fifteen states (wilayat, sing. wilayah) which in turn are subdivided into 86 districts. Before the secession of South Sudan on 9 July 2011, Sudan was the largest country in Africa and had 25 states.

At its independence on 1 January 1956, Sudan was divided into 9 historic regions that had existed in 1948 (Bahr el-Ghazal, Blue Nile, Darfur, Equatoria, Kassala, Khartoum, Kordofan, Northern and Upper Nile). Starting in 1973, a new series of divisions led to 18 regions being established (mudiryas) in 1976. In 1991, Sudan reverted to a structure of 9 provinces (wilaya) corresponding to its 9 former historic regions. In 1994, the number of provinces increased to 26. Western Kordofan was abolished in 2005, and restored in 2013. On 9 July 2011, the 10 southern states became part of independent South Sudan.^[1]