Agovernorate orgovernate is anadministrative division headed by agovernor. AsEnglish-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors eitherstates orprovinces, the termgovernorate is typically used tocalque divisions of non-English-speaking administrations.
The most common usage are as a translation ofPersian "Farmandari" or theArabicMuhafazah.[1] It may also refer to theguberniya andgeneral-gubernatorstvo ofImperial Russia or thegobiernos ofImperial Spain.
The termgovernorate is widely used in Arab countries to describe an administrative unit. Some governorates combine more than oneMuhafazah; others closely follow traditional boundaries inherited from theOttoman Empire'svilayet system.
With the exception of Tunisia, all translations into the term governorate originate in the Arabic wordmuhafazah (Arabic:مُحَافَظَة).
In the modernGerman states ofBaden-Württemberg,Bavaria,Hesse, andNorth Rhine-Westphalia, as well as others in the past, there are sub-state administrative regions -Regierungsbezirke,lit. 'governmental districts', which are sometimes translated into English as "governorates".[2][3]
During the time of theThird Reich, a "General Government for the Occupied Polish Areas" (German:Generalgouvernement für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete) existed. The German (based on a traditionalPrussian term) is sometimes translated asGeneral Governorate.
The "New Lands" added to theKingdom of Greece by the 1912–1913First Balkan War—Epirus, Macedonia, Crete, and islands in the easternAegean Sea—initially continued theirOttoman divisions and administrators but these were overseen by new Greek governor generals. The territory was reorganized in 1915 amid theFirst World War, but the governorate generals (Greek:Γενικαὶ Διοικήσεις,Genikaí Dioikíseis,sing.Γενική Διοίκησις,Genikí Dioíkisis) continued in use in various forms until their complete abolishment in 1955.
In thePortuguese Empire, a governorate general (Portuguese: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:
During World War II,Romania administrated three governorates, two of them part of Romania, theBessarabia Governorate and theBukovina Governorate, and one under Romanian administration, but not as an integral part of Romania, theTransnistria Governorate.
In theSpanish Empire, thegobernaciones ("governorships" or "governorates") were an administrative division, roughly analogous to aprovince directly beneath the level of theaudiencia orcaptaincy general, and theviceroy in areas directly under the viceroy's administration. The powers and duties of agovernor were identical to acorregidor but a governor managed a larger or more prosperous area than the former.
WhenUkraine claimed autonomy in 1917 and then independence from Russia in 1918, it inherited the imperial subdivision of its land with nine governorates, twookruhas, and three cities with special status. Each governorate (Ukrainianhuberniia) was subdivided by the smaller unit of county (povit) and still smallervolost.
By the end of theSoviet-Ukrainian war in 1920, the Soviets had made them part of theUkrainian SSR.[4] Soviet Ukraine was reorganized into twelve governorates, which were reduced to nine in 1922, and then replaced withokruhas in 1925.[5]
Under theFundamental Law of Vatican City State, thepope'sexecutive authority forVatican City is exercised by thePontifical Commission for Vatican City State, a legislative body ledex officio by the President of the Governorate of Vatican City State. 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.[6]
