| Governorates of Bahrain محافظات البحرين (Arabic) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | Kingdom of Bahrain |
| Number | 4 Governorates |
| Populations | 268,106 (Muharraq Governorate) – 534,939 (Capital Governorate) |
| Areas | 30.39 sq mi (78.71 km2) (Capital Governorate) – 188.75 sq mi (488.85 km2) (Southern Governorate) |
| Government |
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| Subdivisions |
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TheKingdom of Bahrain is divided into fourgovernorates: theCapital,Northern,Southern andMuharraq. TheCentral Governorate was abolished in September 2014.[1]
Each governorate is governed by a governor, appointed by theprime minister, and has its own municipality council, with separate elections for them. The first municipal elections in Bahrain held after independence in 1971, was held in conjunction with the2002 Bahraini general election.[2] The most recent was held in conjunction with the2022 Bahraini general election.
The governorates are theNorthern Governorate,Southern Governorate,Muharraq Governorate, andCapital Governorate:[3]
| Map | Governorates |
|---|---|
| 1 –Capital Governorate |
| 2 –Muharraq Governorate | |
| 3 –Northern Governorate | |
| 4 –Southern Governorate |
Each governorate is divided into a varying number ofconstituencies for the election of the country'sCouncil of Representatives. Elections are held in these constituencies every four years, with each constituency electing one member. Only Bahraini citizens are entitled to stand for and to vote at elections.
The firstmunicipality in Bahrain was the eight-memberManama municipality which was established in July 1919.[4][5] Members of the municipality were elected annually; the municipality was said to have been the first municipality to be established in theArab world.[4] The municipality was in charge of cleaning roads and renting buildings to tenants and shops. By 1929, it undertook road expansions as well as opening markets andslaughterhouses.[4][5] In 1958, the municipality startedwater purification projects.[4] In 1960, Bahrain comprised four municipalities: Manama, Hidd, Al Muharraq, and Riffa.[6] Over the next 30 years, the 4 municipalities were divided into 12 municipalities as settlements such asHamad Town andIsa Town grew.[6] These municipalities were administered fromManama under a central municipal council whose members are appointed by the king.[7]
The first municipal elections to be held in Bahrain after independence in 1971, was in 2002.[8] The municipalities were:
| Map | Former Municipality |
|---|---|
 | 1.Al Hidd |
| 2.Manama | |
| 3.Western Region | |
| 4.Central Region | |
| 5.Northern Region | |
| 6.Muharraq | |
| 7.Rifa and Southern Region | |
| 8.Jidd Haffs | |
| 9.Hamad Town (not shown) | |
| 10.Isa Town | |
| 11.Hawar Islands | |
| 12.Sitra |
After 3 July 2002, Bahrain was split into five administrativegovernorates, each of which has its owngovernor.[9] These governorates were abolished in September 2014. These governorates were:
| Map | Former Governorates |
|---|---|
 | 1.Capital Governorate |
| 2.Central Governorate | |
| 3.Muharraq Governorate | |
| 4.Northern Governorate | |
| 5.Southern Governorate |