Governorates of Egypt
Encyclopedia
Egypt
is divided for administrative purposes into 27 governorate
s ( muḥāfaẓa, plural muḥāfaẓāt). Egyptian governorates are the top tier of the country's five-tier jurisdiction hierarchy. A governorate is administered by a governor, who is appointed by the President of Egypt
and serves at the president's discretion. Most governorates have a population density of more than one thousand per km², while the 3 largest have a population density of less than two per km².
Governorates are either fully "urban" or else an admixture of "urban" and "rural". The official distinction between "urban" and "rural" is reflected in the lower tiers: i.e. fully urban governorates have no regions (markaz), as the markaz is, natively, a conglomeration of villages. Moreover, governorates may comprise just one city, as in the case of Cairo
or Alexandria
. Hence, these one-city governorates are only divided into districts (urban neighborhoods). Cairo consists of 23 districts; Alexandria consists of 6.
Non-urban Governorates in Upper Egypt
and along the Suez Canal
are all named after their capitals, while governorates in the Nile Delta
and the deserts tend to have names different from their capitals (Kafr el-Sheikh
, Damietta, and Matruh Governorates being exceptions).
Two new governorates were created in April 2008; namely, Helwan
and 6th of October
. In April 2011, the 6th of October
and Helwan
governorates were again incorporated into the Giza and Cairo Governorates, respectively.
Luxor was created in December 2009, to be the 29th governorate of Egypt.
The governorates are further divided into regions
(markazes).
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
is divided for administrative purposes into 27 governorate
Governorate
A governorate is an administrative division of a country. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states, provinces, or colonies, the term governorate is often used in translation from non-English-speaking administrations.The...
s ( muḥāfaẓa, plural muḥāfaẓāt). Egyptian governorates are the top tier of the country's five-tier jurisdiction hierarchy. A governorate is administered by a governor, who is appointed by the President of Egypt
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
and serves at the president's discretion. Most governorates have a population density of more than one thousand per km², while the 3 largest have a population density of less than two per km².
Governorates are either fully "urban" or else an admixture of "urban" and "rural". The official distinction between "urban" and "rural" is reflected in the lower tiers: i.e. fully urban governorates have no regions (markaz), as the markaz is, natively, a conglomeration of villages. Moreover, governorates may comprise just one city, as in the case of Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
or Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
. Hence, these one-city governorates are only divided into districts (urban neighborhoods). Cairo consists of 23 districts; Alexandria consists of 6.
Non-urban Governorates in Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
and along the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
are all named after their capitals, while governorates in the Nile Delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
and the deserts tend to have names different from their capitals (Kafr el-Sheikh
Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate
Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. It lies in the northern part of the country, along the western branch of the Nile in the Nile Delta. Its capital is the city of Kafr el-Sheikh.-History:...
, Damietta, and Matruh Governorates being exceptions).
Two new governorates were created in April 2008; namely, Helwan
Helwan Governorate
Helwan Governorate was one of the governorates of Egypt. It was located in Lower Egypt.-History:The Helwan Governorate was split from the Cairo Governorate in April 2008. It was created through a presidential decree in order to ease the burden placed on Cairo, one of Egypt's most densely populated...
and 6th of October
6th of October Governorate
The 6th of October Governorate was one of the governorates of Egypt. It was located in Middle Egypt, to the west of the Nile Valley.-History:...
. In April 2011, the 6th of October
6th of October Governorate
The 6th of October Governorate was one of the governorates of Egypt. It was located in Middle Egypt, to the west of the Nile Valley.-History:...
and Helwan
Helwan Governorate
Helwan Governorate was one of the governorates of Egypt. It was located in Lower Egypt.-History:The Helwan Governorate was split from the Cairo Governorate in April 2008. It was created through a presidential decree in order to ease the burden placed on Cairo, one of Egypt's most densely populated...
governorates were again incorporated into the Giza and Cairo Governorates, respectively.
Luxor was created in December 2009, to be the 29th governorate of Egypt.
List of the Egyptian governorates
| Nr. (key) | Name | Area (km²) | Population (2006-11-11) | Population (2010-01-01) | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandria | 2,679 | 4,123,869 | 4,362,168 | Alexandria Alexandria Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving... |
| 2 | Aswan Aswan Governorate Aswan Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. The southernmost governorate in Upper Egypt, its capital is Aswan.The Aswan Governorate borders Qena Governorate to the north, Red Sea Governorate to the east, New Valley Governorate to the west, and Sudan to the south... |
679 | 1,186,482 | 1,258,882 | Aswan Aswan Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre... |
| 3 | Asyut Asyut Governorate Asyut Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. It stretches for about 120 km along the banks of the Nile. The capital of the governorate is the city of Asyut.-Etymology:... |
1,553 | 3,444,967 | 3,701,392 | Asyut Asyut Asyut is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt; the ancient city of the same name is situated nearby. The modern city is located at , while the ancient city is at .- Etymology :... |
| 4 | Beheira Beheira Governorate Beheira Governorate is a coastal governorate in Egypt. Located in the northern part of the country in the Nile Delta, its capital is Damanhur.-Overview:Beheira governorate enjoys an important strategical place, west of the Rosetta branch of the Nile... |
9,118 | 4,747,283 | 5,071,346 | Damanhur Damanhur Damanhur is a city in Lower Egypt, and the capital of the Beheira Governorate. It is located northwest of Cairo, and E.S.E. of Alexandria, in the middle of the western Nile Delta.... |
| 5 | Beni Suef | 1,322 | 2,291,618 | 2,470,960 | Beni Suef Beni Suef - Overview :Beni Suef is an important agricultural center, which grew from a small village at the turn of the century and now hosts a population of over 200,000. It was famous for its linen manufacturing in the Middle Ages, and continues to be heavily involved in cotton-spinning and carpet-making.... |
| 6 | Cairo | 1,277 | 8,471,859 | 8,968,723 | Cairo Cairo Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life... |
| 7 | Dakahlia Dakahlia Governorate Dakahlia Governorate is an Egyptian governorate lying north east of Cairo. Its area is about 3,500 km² and it has a population of about 5 million. The capital is Mansoura.-Overview:... |
3,471 | 4,989,997 | 5,338,831 | Mansura |
| 8 | Damietta | 589 | 1,097,339 | 1,180,991 | Damietta Damietta Damietta , also known as Damiata, or Domyat, is a port and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.-History:... |
| 9 | Faiyum | 1,827 | 2,511,027 | 2,721,478 | Faiyum |
| 10 | Gharbia | 1,942 | 4,011,320 | 4,262,200 | Tanta Tanta Tanta is a city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with an estimated 429,000 inhabitants . Tanta is located north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria... |
| 11 | Giza | 12,925 | 5,724,545 | 6,107,365 | Giza |
| 12 | Ismailia | 1,442 | 953,006 | 1,029,136 | Ismailia Ismaïlia -Notable natives:*Osman Ahmed Osman, a famous and influential Egyptian engineer, contractor, entrepreneur, and politician, was born in this town on 6 April 1917.... |
| 13 | Kafr el-Sheikh Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. It lies in the northern part of the country, along the western branch of the Nile in the Nile Delta. Its capital is the city of Kafr el-Sheikh.-History:... |
3,437 | 2,620,208 | 2,798,942 | Kafr el-Sheikh Kafr el-Sheikh Kafr el-Sheikh is the capital of Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, about 134 km north of Cairo, in the Nile Delta. As of November 2006, the town had a population of 147,380 inhabitants.-Factories:... |
| 14 | Matruh | 212,112 | 323,381 | 352,885 | Marsa Matruh Marsa Matruh Marsa Matrouh is a Mediterranean seaport and the capital of the Matrouh Governorate in Egypt. It is west of Alexandria and 222 km from Sallum, on the main highway from the Nile Delta to the Libyan border. Another highway leads south from the town, toward the Western Desert and the oases of... |
| 15 | Minya Minya Governorate Minya Governorate is one of the governorates of Upper Egypt. The name originates from the chief city of the governorate, originally known in Sahidic Coptic as Tmoone and in Bohairic as Thmonē , meaning “the residence”, in reference to a monastery formerly in the area... |
2,262 | 4,166,299 | 4,481,879 | Minya Minya, Egypt Minya is the capital of Minya Governorate in Upper Egypt. It is located approximately south of Cairo on the western bank of the Nile River, which flows north through the city... |
| 16 | Monufia | 2,544 | 3,270,431 | 3,496,380 | Shibin el-Kom Shibin el-Kom Shibin el Kom is a city in Nile Delta, and the capital of the Monufia Governorate.-Facilities:While the city is not a new one, its infrastructure is being modernized. The most important central and local government offices are located in the city, as well as the main branches of Menoufia University... |
| 17 | New Valley | 376,505 | 187,263 | 199,810 | Kharga |
| 18 | North Sinai | 27,574 | 343,681 | 374,071 | Arish |
| 19 | Port Said | 72 | 570,603 | 604,451 | Port Said Port Said Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787... |
| 20 | Qalyubia | 1,001 | 4,251,672 | 4,546,564 | Banha Banha Banha , also spelled Benha, is the capital of the Qalyubia Governorate in north-eastern Egypt. Egyptians call it Banha Elasal, which means "Sweet like honey"; the nomenclature originally comes from when the Prophet Muhammed sent his massage to Elmoqwqs to convert to Islam, he replied by sending him... |
| 21 | Qena | 1,796 | 3,001,681 | 3,209,982 | Qena Qena Qena is a city in Upper Egypt, and the capital of the Qena Governorate. Situated on the east bank of the Nile, it was known as Kaine during the Greco-Roman period and as Cainepolis in antiquity.- Overview :... |
| 22 | Red Sea | 203,685 | 288,661 | 306,722 | Hurghada Hurghada Hurghada is a city in the Red Sea Governorate of Egypt. It is a main tourist center and second largest city in Egypt located on the Red Sea coast.- Overview :... |
| 23 | Sharqia | 4,180 | 5,354,041 | 5,736,644 | Zagazig Zagazig Zagazig is a town in Lower Egypt. Situated in the eastern part of the Nile delta, it is the capital of the governorate of Sharqia.As of 1999, its population was approximately 279,000. It is built on a branch of the Fresh Water or Ismaïlia Canal and on al-Muˤizz Canal , and is 47 miles by rail... |
| 24 | Sohag | 1,547 | 3,747,289 | 4,004,613 | Sohag |
| 25 | South Sinai | 33,140 | 150,088 | 154,941 | el-Tor El-Tor El-Tor , also transliterated as Al-Tur and At-Tur and known as Tur Sinai, formerly Raithu, is the capital of South Sinai Governorate of Egypt, located at the Sinai Peninsula... |
| 26 | Suez | 17,840 | 512,135 | 549,759 | Suez Suez Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities... |
| 27 | Luxor | 55 | 457,286 | 484,132 | Luxor Luxor Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple... |
| Total | 920,186 | 72,798,031 | 77,775,247 | ||
The governorates are further divided into regions
Markazes of Egypt
The governorates of Egypt are divided into 232 regions.Local government traditionally enjoyed limited power in Egypt's highly centralized state. Under the central government, there were twenty nine governorates. These were subdivided into regions, each of which was further subdivided into towns or...
(markazes).
See also
- List of Egyptian cities
- Subdivisions of Egypt
- List of political and geographic subdivisions by total area
- ISO 3166-2:EGISO 3166-2:EGISO 3166-2:EG is the entry for Egypt in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Egypt, ISO 3166-2 codes are defined...
