A governorate is an

administrative division Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...

of a state. It is headed by a

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

. As

English-speaking Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest language ...

nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states or

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

, the term ''governorate'' is often used in translation from non-English-speaking administrations. The most common usage are as a translation of

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

"Farmandari" or the

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

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 to " governorate", and occasionally to "province". It comes from the Arabic ro ...

''. It may also refer to the '' guberniya'' and '' general-gubernatorstvo'' of

Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

or the '' gobiernos'' of

Imperial Spain The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

Arab countries

The term governorate is widely used in Arab countries to describe an administrative unit. Some governorates combine more than one ''

''; others closely follow traditional boundaries inherited from the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

's ''

vilayet A vilayet ( ota, , "province"), also known by #Names, various other names, was a first-order administrative division of the later Ottoman Empire. It was introduced in the Vilayet Law of 21 January 1867, part of the Tanzimat reform movement init ...

'' system. With the exception of Tunisia, all translations into the term governorate originate in the Arabic word ''muhafazah''. *

Governorates of Bahrain Bahrain is divided into four Governorates: the Capital, Northern, Southern and Muharraq. Until September 2014, there were five, when the Central Governorate was abolished. Each governorate is governed by a Governor, appointed by the Prime Mini ...

Governorates of Egypt Egypt has a Centralisation, centralised system of local government officially called local administration as it is a branch of the Executive (government), Executive. The country is divided into twenty-seven governorates ( '; ; genitive case#Ara ...

Governorates of Iraq Iraq consists of 19 governorates ( ar, محافظة, muḥāfażah; ckb, پارێزگا , parêzgeh), also known as "provinces". Per the Iraqi constitution, governorates can form an autonomous region. Four governorates, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah ...

(official translation, sometimes also translated as province) *

Governorates of Jordan Jordan is divided into three regions, further into twelve governorates ('' muhafatha''), further subdivided into districts ('' liwa''), and often into sub-districts ('' qada''). 1994 reform In 1994, four new governorates were created as part of ...

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

Governorates of Lebanon Lebanon is divided into nine governorates (''muhafazah''). Each governorate is headed by a governor (''muhafiz''): All of the governorates except for Beirut and Akkar are divided into districts, which are further subdivided into municipali ...

Governorates of Oman Oman is divided into eleven governorates (''muhafazah''), and has been since 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 in ...

Governorates of Palestine The Governorates of Palestine are the administrative divisions of the State of Palestine. After the signing of the Oslo Accords, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip were divided into three areas ( Area A, Area B, and Area C) and 16 go ...

Governorates of Saudi Arabia The Governorates of Saudi Arabia, officially the Governorates of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ( ar, محافظات المملكة العربية السعودية) are the 136 governorates (second-level administrative division) that form the 13 e ...

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 ''muḥāfaẓāt'', singular '' muḥāfaẓah''). The governorates are divided into si ...

Governorates of Tunisia Tunisia is divided into 24 governorate, governorates (''wilayat'', sing. ''wilayah''). This term in Arabic can also be translated as province or federated state (though the latter does not apply, as Tunisia is a unitary state). The governorate ...

(the local term is ''

wilayah A wilayah ( ar, وَلاية, wālāya or ''wilāya'', plural ; Urdu and fa, ولایت, ''velâyat''; tr, vilayet) is an administrative division, usually translated as "state", "province" or occasionally as "governorate". The word comes fr ...

'') *

Governorates of Yemen Yemen is divided into twenty-one governorates (''muhafazah'') and one municipality ( amanah): Notes: a - Also known as Sanaa City b - Socatra Governorate was created in December 2013 from parts of Hadramaut, data included there The govern ...

Russian Empire

History of the administrative division of Russia The modern administrative-territorial structure of Russia is a system of territorial organization which is a product of a centuries-long evolution and reforms. Early history The Kievan Rus' as it formed in the 10th century remained a more or ...

Governorate (Russia) A governorate, gubernia, province, or government ( rus, губе́рния, p=ɡʊˈbʲɛrnʲɪjə, also romanized ; uk, губернія, huberniia), was a major and principal administrative subdivision of the Russian Empire. After the empir ...

and :Governorates of the Russian Empire

Congress Kingdom of Poland

*See

Subdivisions of Congress Poland Congress Poland was subdivided several times from its creation in 1815 until its dissolution in 1918. Congress Poland ("Russian Poland") was divided into departments, a relic from the times of the French-dominated Duchy of Warsaw. In 1816 the ...

Grand Duchy of Finland

Governorates of the Grand Principality of Finland The governorates of the Grand Principality of Finland were the administrative division of the Grand Principality of Finland as part of the Russian Empire from 1809 to 1917. The administrative division of Finland followed the Russian imperial model ...

Portuguese Empire

In the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire ( pt, Império Português), also known as the Portuguese Overseas (''Ultramar Português'') or the Portuguese Colonial Empire (''Império Colonial Português''), was composed of the overseas colonies, factories, and the l ...

, a governorate general (

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: ''governo-geral'') were a colonial administration. They usually were created in order to be a centralized government over smaller colonies or territories of the Portuguese Empire. Governorate Generals of the Portuguese Empire: *

Governorate General of Brazil The Governorate General of Brazil (''Governo-Geral do Brasil'') was a colonial administration of the Portuguese Empire in present-day Brazil. A governorate was equivalent in status to a viceroyalty, though the title viceroy didn't come into use un ...

(1549-1572 / 1578-1607 / 1613–1621) *

Governorate General of Bahia The Governorate General of Bahia (Portuguese: ''Governo-Geral da Bahia'') was a colonial administration of the Portuguese Empire. History In 1534, John III of Portugal started granting land rights to colonize Portuguese territory in South Amer ...

(1572-1578 / 1607–1613) *

Governorate General of Rio de Janeiro The Governorate General of Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: ''Governo-Geral do Rio de Janeiro'') was a colonial administration of the Portuguese Empire. History In 1534, John III of Portugal started granting land rights to colonize Portuguese terri ...

(1572-1578 / 1607–1613)

Spanish Empire

In the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

, the ''gobernaciones'' ("governorships" or "governorates") were an administrative division, roughly analogous to a

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

directly beneath the level of the '' audiencia'' or

captaincy general A captaincy ( es, capitanía , pt, capitania , hr, kapetanija) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule a ...

, and the

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

in areas directly under the viceroy's administration. The powers and duties of a

were identical to a ''

corregidor Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically b ...

'' but a governor managed a larger or more prosperous area than the former.

Italian Empire

Governorates of Italian East Africa The Italian colony of Italian East Africa ( it, Africa Orientale Italiana) was composed of six governorates which made up the first level of country subdivisions for the colony. The governorates of Amhara, Galla-Sidamo, Harar and Scioa constit ...

Germany

In the modern German states of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...

, and

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

, as well as others in the past, there are sub-state administrative regions called ''

Regierungsbezirk A ' () means "governmental district" and is a type of administrative division in Germany. Four of sixteen ' ( states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts. Saxony has ' (directorate districts) with more res ...

'', which is sometimes translated into English as "governorate" or "county." During the time of the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, a "

General Government The General Government (german: Generalgouvernement, pl, Generalne Gubernatorstwo, uk, Генеральна губернія), also referred to as the General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region (german: Generalgouvernement für die be ...

for the Occupied Polish Areas" (German: ''Generalgouvernement für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete'') existed. The German (based on a traditional

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

n term) is sometimes translated as ''General Governorate''.

Romania

During World War II,

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

administrated three governorates: the

Bessarabia Governorate The Bessarabia Governorate (, ) was a part of the Russian Empire from 1812 to 1917. Initially known as Bessarabia Oblast (Бессарабская область, ''Bessarabskaya oblast'') as well as, following 1871, a governorate, it included ...

, the

Bukovina Governorate The Bukovina Governorate ( ro, Guvernământul Bucovinei) was an administrative unit of Romania during World War II. Background and history In 1775, the region of Bukovina, historically part of the Romanian principality of Moldavia, officially ...

and the

Transnistria Governorate The Transnistria Governorate ( ro, Guvernământul Transnistriei) was a Romanian-administered territory between the Dniester and Southern Bug, conquered by the Axis Powers from the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa and occupied from 19 Aug ...

Ukraine

When

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

claimed autonomy in 1917 and then independence from Russia in 1918, it inherited the imperial subdivision of its land with nine governorates, two okruhas, and three cities with special status. Each governorate (

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

) was subdivided by the smaller unit of county () and still smaller . By the end of the Soviet-Ukrainian war in 1920, the Soviets had made them part of the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

. Soviet Ukraine was reorganized into twelve governorates, which were reduced to nine in 1922, and then replaced with okruhas in 1925.

Vatican City

Under the

Fundamental Law of Vatican City State The Fundamental Law of Vatican City State, promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 26 November 2000, is the main governing document of the Vatican's civil entities. It obtained the force of law of 22 February 2001, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, A ...

, the

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

executive authority The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems b ...

for

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

is exercised by the Governorate for Vatican City State. The

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of Vatican City's legislative body is ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

'' the President of the Governorate. The other key officers of the Governorate are the General Secretary and the Vice General Secretary. All three officers are appointed by the pope for five-year terms.

References

{{Authority control Types of administrative division