The governorates of Libya (''

muhafazah A is a first-level administrative division of many Arab countries, and a second-level administrative division in Saudi Arabia. The term is usually translated as "governorate", and occasionally as "province". It comes from the Arabic triconsonant ...

'') were a tenfold top-level administrative division of Libya from 1963 until 1983. They came into being on 27 April 1963. In 1970, after the 1 September 1969 Free Officers Movement coup, there was an administrative reorganization which gave local authorities more power to implement policies of the national government, and redesignated some of the names and boundaries of the ten governorates.Zeidan, Shawky S. (1987) "Chapter 4 – Government and Politics: Internal Politics: Subnational Government and Administration
''A Country Study: Libya''
Federal Research Division, Library of Congress In February 1975, Libya issued a law that abolished the governorates and their service directorates,Zeidan, Shawky S. (1987) "Chapter 4 – Government and Politics: Internal Politics: Subnational Government and Administration: The Cultural Revolution and People's Committees

Federal Research Division, Library of Congress however they continued to operate until they were fully replaced in 1983 by the ''baladiyat'' system districts. Historically, the three provinces of Libya (

Tripolitania Tripolitania (), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province of Libya. The region had been settled since antiquity, first coming to prominence as part of the Carthaginian empire. Following the defeat ...

in the northwest,

Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika (, , after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between the 16th and 25th meridians east, including the Kufra District. The coastal region, als ...

in the east, and

Fezzan Fezzan ( , ; ; ; ) is the southwestern region of modern Libya. It is largely desert, but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys (wadis) in the north, where oases enable ancient towns and villages to survive deep in the otherwise in ...

in the southwest) were sometimes called governorates.

Ten governorates

The original ten governorates were: # Bayda Governorate
In 1971 Bayda was renamed

Jabal al Akhdar Jabal al Akhdar or The Green Mountain ( ') is one of the districts of Libya. It lies in the northeast of the country. The capital is Bayda. In its territory, close to the city of Shahhat, can be found the remains of the ancient Greek colony of ...

. # Al Khums Governorate # Awbari Governorate # Az Zawiyah Governorate # Benghazi Governorate # Darnah Governorate # Al Jabal al Gharbi Governorate
In 1970 Al Jabal al Gharbi was renamed Gharyan. # Misrata Governorate # Sabha Governorate # Tarabulus Governorate.

Reorganisation under Gaddafi

As early as 1973, Libya had been divided into forty-six baladiyat for census purposes.Society for Libyan Studies (1984) ''Libyan Studies'' Volume 15 (being the ''Annual Report of the Society for Libyan Studies'') Society for Libyan Studies, London, p. 145, In 1983 Libya replaced the governorates structure with the district (''baladiyah'') one, creating forty-six districts.

Notes

External links

Map of the ten governorates of Libya
''Area Handbook for Libya'', United States Library of Congress {{DEFAULTSORT:Governorates of Libya

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

Former subdivisions of Libya

Ten governorates

Reorganisation under Gaddafi

See also

Notes

External links