The government of the Republic of Indonesia consists of 33 provinces. Some of them have a status as Special Region of Jakarta, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam,  Papua, West Papua and the Special Region of Yogyakarta. What is now called the Special of Yogyakarta continues administrations which existed long before the Republic of Indonesia became independent.

During the Dutch occupation there were two principalities in this region: the Kasultanan Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta Sultanate) and the Kadipaten Pakualaman (Pakualam Regency).

The Dutch Colonial Government gave those two principalities some limited autonomy, arranged under a political contract.

When Indonesian independence was proclaimed the rulers of both principalities, the Sultan of Yogyakarta and the Prince Pakualam declared that the Yogyakarta Sultanate and the Pakualaman Regency were part of the Republic of Indonesia.

Those two regions were unified to form the special Region of Yogyakarta, and the Sultan of Yogyakarta became the Governor with the Prince Pakualaman as the Vice-Governor. Both were responsible to the President of the Republic of Indonesia.

The Special Region of Yogyakarta was formed after the end of the war of independence, and was legalized by Act 3, 1950.

The Regional Government consists of the head of the Region (Governor) and the Legislative Assembly of the region. The first Governor was the late HRH Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX of Yogyakarta. The second governor was the late HRH Paku Alam VIII. He is succeeded by HRH Sultan Hamengku Buwono X up to the present.