Per Law No.40/98/AN in 1998, Burkina Faso adhered to decentralization to provide administrative and financial autonomy to local communities. Most of these, according to their individual articles, were implemented on 2 July 2001. Burkina Faso is divided into 13 administrative regions. Each region is administered by a governor. These regions are divided into 45 provinces and subdivided into 351 communes.