Emirate

An emirate is a territory governed by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalent to a principality in non-Muslim contexts.

Currently in the world, there are three emirates that are independent states (Kuwait, Qatar, and Afghanistan), one state that consists of a federation of seven emirates (the United Arab Emirates), and one unrecognized quasi-state (the Islamic Emirate of Somalia). A great number of previously independent emirates around the world are now part of larger states.