the governorate is divided into ten districts ( ; manatiq). there were nine district until february 2009, when qudsaya district was created from parts of markaz rif dimashq and al-zabadani districts. the districts are further divided into 37 sub-districts.there is a small village belonging to the damascus countryside (ghouta) called aqraba, which is characterized by its fields and agricultural orchards. ( ;nawahi).