A is a first-level

administrative division Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...

of many

Arab countries The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...

, and a second-level administrative division in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

. The term is usually translated as "

governorate A governorate or governate is an administrative division headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states or provinces, the term ''governorate'' is typically used to calque divisions ...

", and occasionally as "

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

". It comes from the Arabic

root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...

, , (verb: , ), which means to "keep" and "guard". The head of a is a governor (Arabic: , ) . The

governorates of Tunisia Tunisia is divided into 24 governorates (''wilayat'', sing. ''wilayah''). This term in Arabic can also be translated as province. The governorates are divided into 264 delegations (''mutamadiyat''), and further subdivided into municipalitie ...

are '' wilāyah'' in Arabic.

Muhafazat in Arab countries

Governorates of Bahrain The Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain is divided into four governorates: the Capital Governorate, Bahrain, Capital, Northern Governorate, Northern, Southern Governorate, Southern and Muharraq Governorate, Muharraq. The Central Governorate, Bahrain, Ce ...

Governorates of Egypt Egypt is administratively organized under a dual system that may consist of either two or three tiers, with further subdivisions occasionally resulting in an additional layer. It follows a centralized system of local government, officially term ...

Governorates of Iraq Iraq consists of 19 governorates (; ), also known as "provinces". Per the Iraqi constitution, governorates can form a Federal regions of Iraq, federal region. Four governorates, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Halabja and Duhok, constitute the semi-autono ...

Governorates of Jordan Jordan is divided into twelve historical regions (''muhafazah, almanatiq altaarikhia''), further subdivided into districts (''Liwa (Arabic), liwa''), and often into sub-districts (''qada (sub-district), qada''). 1994 reform In 1994, four new gov ...

Governorates of Kuwait Kuwait is divided into 6 governorates (''muhafazah''). The governorates are further subdivided into Areas of Kuwait, areas. Each governorate is headed by a Governor appointed by a ministerial decree for a period of 4 years which can be renewed ...

Governorates of Libya The governorates of Libya (''muhafazah'') were a tenfold top-level Subdivisions of Libya, administrative division of Libya from 1963 until 1983. They came into being on 27 April 1963. In 1970, after the 1 September 1969 History of Libya under Mua ...

(historic) *

Governorates of Lebanon Lebanon is divided into nine governorates (Arabic: ). Each governorate is headed by a governor (Arabic: ). All of the governorates except for Beirut Governorate, Beirut and Akkar Governorate, Akkar are divided into districts of Lebanon, dis ...

Governorates of Oman Oman is divided into eleven governorates ('' muhafazah'') as of 28 October 2011. Each of the 11 governorates are divided into '' wilayat'' ( provinces). Regions and governorates before 2011 Before 28 October 2011, Oman was divided into five re ...

Governorates of Palestine Palestine is a unitary state, but is divided into sixteen governorates for administrative purposes. After the signing of the Oslo Accords, the West Bank and Gaza Strip were placed under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority, wh ...

Governorates of Saudi Arabia The Governorates of Saudi Arabia, officially the Governorates of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, () are the second-level administrative divisions of Saudi Arabia after the 13 first-level Provinces of Saudi Arabia. There are 136 governorates class ...

(2nd level) *

Governorates of Syria Syria is a unitary state, but for administrative purposes, it is divided into fourteen governorates, also called provinces or counties in English (Arabic language, Arabic ''muḥāfaẓāt'', singular ''Muhafazah, muḥāfaẓah''). The governo ...

Governorates of Yemen The Republic of Yemen is divided into twenty-one governorates ('' muhafazah'') and one municipality ( amanah): The governorates are subdivided into 333 districts (''muderiah''), which are subdivided into 1,996 sub-districts, and then into 4 ...

Notes

Types of administrative division * {{Gov-stub