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

'') 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 The Provinces of Libya were prescribed in 1934, during the last period of colonial Italian Libya, and continued through post-independence Libya until 1963 when the Governorates system was instituted. The three main provinces of the country follo ...

(

Tripolitania Tripolitania ( ar, طرابلس '; ber, Ṭrables, script=Latn; from Vulgar Latin: , from la, Regio Tripolitana, from grc-gre, Τριπολιτάνια), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province o ...

in the northwest,

Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή ��παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...

in the east, and

Fezzan Fezzan ( , ; ber, ⴼⵣⵣⴰⵏ, Fezzan; ar, فزان, Fizzān; la, Phazania) 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 ...

in the southwest) were sometimes called governorates.

Ten governorates

The original ten governorates were: #

Bayda Governorate Bayda Governorate (Bayda Governorate, ar, محافظة البيضاء) was one of the governorates (muhafazah) of Libya from 1963 to 1969. Its capital was Bayda.Other important towns in the governorate were Marj, Al Qubah, Shahhat and Apollo ...

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 north east of the country. The capital is Bayda. In its territory, close to the city of Shahhat, can be found the remains of the old Greek colony of Cy ...

. # Al Khums Governorate #

Awbari Governorate Awbari Governorate or Ubari Governorate ar, أوباري محافظة was one of the governorates (muhafazah) of Libya from 1963 to 1973. Its capital was the town of Ubari. It was created out of the southwestern part of Fezzan province Fezzan ...

# Az Zawiyah Governorate #

Benghazi Governorate Benghazi Governorate was one of the governorates (muhafazah) of Libya from 1963 to 1983. It was created out of the Cyrenaica province. Its capital was the town of Benghazi Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Lat ...

Darnah Governorate Darnah Governorate (Derna Governorate, ar, محافظة درنة) was one of the governorates (muhafazah) of Libya from 1963 to 1983. It was created out of the Cyrenaica province. Its capital was the town of Derna. The governorate's population ...

# Al Jabal al Gharbi Governorate
In 1970 Al Jabal al Gharbi was renamed Gharyan. #

Misrata Governorate Misrata Governorate (or Misurata Province before WW2) was one of the governorates (muhafazah) of Libya from 1963 to 1983. Its capital was the town of Misrata. Initially in the 1930s was called "Provincia di Misurata" of Italian Libya. It was crea ...

Sabha Governorate Sabha Governorate (or Sebha Governorate) was one of the governorates (muhafazah) of Libya from 1963 to 1983. It was formed from part of Fezzan province. Its capital was Sabha. In 1970, it had a population of around 97,000.United States, Departme ...

Tarabulus Governorate Tarabulus Governorate or Tripoli Governorate was one of the Governorates of Libya, governorates (muhafazah) of Libya from 1963 to 1983. It contained the city of Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli, which was also its administrative capital. Tarabulus is the ...

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 (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

Former subdivisions of Libya

Ten governorates

Reorganisation under Gaddafi

See also

Notes

External links