The governorates of Libya ( muhafazah ) were a tenfold top-level administrative division of Libya from 1963 until 1983.
They came into being on 27 April 1963. [1] [2] 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. [3] In February 1975, Libya issued a law that abolished the governorates and their service directorates, [4] however they continued to operate [4] until they were fully replaced in 1983 by the baladiyat system districts. [1]
Historically, the three provinces of Libya (Tripolitania in the northwest, Cyrenaica in the east, and Fezzan in the southwest) were sometimes called governorates.[ citation needed ]
The original ten governorates were: [1] [5]
As early as 1973, Libya had been divided into forty-six baladiyat for census purposes. [8] In 1983 Libya replaced the governorates structure with the district (baladiyah) one, creating forty-six districts. [1]
Historical regions of Libya | |||
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Libya is fourth in size among the countries of Africa and sixteenth among the countries of the world. It is on the Mediterranean between Egypt and Tunisia, with Niger and Chad to the south and Sudan to the southeast. Although the oil discoveries of the 1960s have brought immense wealth, at the time of its independence it was an extremely poor desert state whose only important physical asset appeared to be its strategic location at the midpoint of Africa's northern rim.
In Libya there are currently 106 districts, second level administrative subdivisions known in Arabic as baladiyat. The number has varied since 2013 between 99 and 108. The first level administrative divisions in Libya are currently the governorates (muhafazat), which have yet to be formally deliniated, but which were originally tripartite as: Tripolitania in the northwest, Cyrenaica in the east, and Fezzan in the southwest; and later divided into ten governorates.
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 Cyrene, and the neighbouring city of Apollonia, a major port in the Mediterranean Sea in antiquity. On land, it borders Derna in east, Al Wahat in south and Marj in west.
Nuqat al Khams is one of the districts of Libya. It is in the northwest of the country, in what had been the historical region of Tripolitania. Its capital is Zuwara. Nuqat al Khams has a northern shoreline on the Mediterranean Sea. To the west, it borders the Medenine Governorate of Tunisia. Domestically, it borders the districts of Zawiya to the east, Jabal al Gharbi to the southeast, and Nalut to the southwest. Nuqat al Khams is a part of the Tripolitania geographical region of Libya.
Yafran or Yifren is one of the districts of Libya (baladiyat). It is located in the northwest part of the country and its capital is Yafran. Between the 2007 reorganization of districts and the 2013 reorganization, most of its territory was part of Jabal al Gharbi District, although the southwestern part was in Nalut District. In 2013, its territory was placed in Nafusa Mountains District. However, by 2015 it had been restored as a district.
Bayda, or Elbeida ( or ; Arabic: البيضاء al-Bayḍāʾlisten ), is a commercial and industrial city in eastern Libya. It is located in northern Cyrenaica. With a population of 250,000 people, Bayda is the 4th-largest city in Libya. It is the capital city of the Jabal al Akhdar district.
Subdivisions of Libya have varied significantly over the last two centuries. Initially Libya under Ottoman and Italian control was organized into three to four provinces, then into three governorates (muhafazah) and after World War II into twenty-five districts (baladiyah). Successively into thirty-two districts (shabiyat) with three administrative regions, and then into twenty-two districts (shabiyat). In 2012 the ruling General National Congress divided the country into governorates (muhafazat) and districts (baladiyat). While the districts have been created, the governorates have not.
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.
Al Wahat or The Oases, occasionally spelt Al Wahad or Al Wahah is one of the districts of Libya. Its capital and largest city is Ajdabiya. The district is home to much of Libya's petroleum extraction economic activity.
The Kingdom of Libya, known as the United Kingdom of Libya from 1951 to 1963, was a constitutional monarchy in North Africa which came into existence upon independence on 24 December 1951 and lasted until a coup d'état on 1 September 1969. The coup, led by Muammar Gaddafi, overthrew King Idris and established the Libyan Arab Republic.
Jabal al Gharbi Governorate or Jebal al Gharbi Governorate was one of the governorates (muhafazah) of Libya from 1963 to 1983. Its capital was Gharian. Other important towns in the governorate were Yafran, Nalut, Ghadames and Mizda. It was created out of the southwestern part of Tripolitania province.
The Baladiyah (singular), or baladiyat (plural), is the current second-level administration subdivision of Libya being reintroduced in 2012 by the General National Congress with Law 59 on the system of local administration, dividing the country into governorates (muhafazat) and districts (baladiyat), with baladiyah having local councils.
Al Khums Governorate or Homs Governorate was one of the governorates (muhafazah) of Libya from 1963 to 1983. Its capital was the town of Khoms. It was created out of the Tripolitania province.
Bayda Governorate 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 Apollonia. It was created out of the Cyrenaica province.
The General National Congress or General National Council was the legislative authority of Libya for two years following the end of the First Libyan Civil War. It was elected by popular vote on 7 July 2012, and took power from the National Transitional Council on 8 August.
Ali Zeidan is a former Prime Minister of Libya. He was appointed by the General National Congress on 14 October 2012, and took office on 14 November after Congress approved his cabinet nominees. Prior to the Libyan Civil War, Zeidan was a Geneva-based human rights lawyer and according to the BBC, he is considered by some local observers as a strong-minded liberal. He was ousted by the parliament committee and fled from Libya on 14 March 2014. However, he told the press conference in Rabat, Morocco, that the ousting was invalid.
The Islamic State – Yemen Province is a branch of the militant Islamist group Islamic State (IS), active in Yemen. IS announced the group's formation on 13 November 2014.
Tripolitania province is one of the three traditional Provinces of Libya. It was a formal province from 1934 until 1963, when it was subdivided into the Governorates of Libya. Its capital was the city of Tripoli. Between 1911 and 1934 it had been the separately governed colony of Italian Tripolitania.
Cyrenaica province is one of the three traditional Provinces of Libya. It was a formal province from 1934 until 1963, when it was subdivided into the Governorates of Libya. Its capital was the city of Benghazi. Between 1911 and 1934 it had been the separately governed colony of Italian Cyrenaica.
Tripolitania province is one of the three traditional Provinces of Libya. It was a formal province from 1934 until 1963, when it was subdivided into the Governorates of Libya. Its capital was the city of Sabha.