At the higher administrative level, Belarus is divided into 6 voblasts. In addition, Minsk has a special administrative status of the capital.

Voblast (вобласць/вобласьць in modern Belarusian or vobłaść in Lacinka) is the major administrative subdivision in Belarus. It used to be translated as "province" or "region" in English. The recommended translation is the former one, because the latter may lead to confusion, since the minor administrative division of Belarus is called rajon (the word is translated as "district" in the administrative division sense and "region" in other senses) and the Belarusian word "рэгіён" is also translated as "region".

No.	Province	Capital	Belarusian
1	Minsk (capital)		Менск
2	Brest Province	Brest	Берасьцейская вобласьць
3	Homyel Province	Homyel'	Гомельская вобласьць
4	Hrodna Province	Hrodna	Гарадзенская вобласьць
5	Mahilyow Province	Mahilyow	Магілёўская вобласьць
6	Minsk Province	Minsk	Менская вобласьць
7	Vitsebsk Province	Vitsebsk	Віцебская вобласьць

The current subdivision into voblasts is inherited from the subdivision of Belarus when it was part of the USSR, and the name is the Belarusian word for the Russian oblast.

Voblasts (and cities) are further subdivided into raions (usually translated as districts).