Prefecture

Last updated

A prefecture (from the Latin praefectura) is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international church structures, as well as in antiquity a Roman district. The term prefecture is used for the modern first-level subdivisions of the Central African Republic, Japan, and Morocco.

Contents

Literal prefectures

Antiquity

Prefecture originally refers to a self-governing body or area since the tetrarchy, when Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into four districts (each divided into dioceses), grouped under a Vicarius (a number of Roman provinces, listed under that article), although he maintained two pretorian prefectures as an administrative level above the also surviving dioceses (a few of which were split).

Ecclesiastic

As canon law is strongly inspired by Roman law, it is not surprising that the Catholic Church has several offices under a prefect. That term occurs also in otherwise styled offices, such as the head of a congregation or department of the Roman Curia. Various ecclesiastical areas, too small for a diocese, are termed prefects.

Analogous prefectures

Brazilian equivalent of prefecture

In Brazil, the prefecture (prefeitura or prefeitura municipal in Portuguese) is the executive branch of the government of each Brazilian municipality (município in Portuguese). The term also refers to the office of the mayor (prefeito in Portuguese).

Central African Republic

The Central African Republic is divided into twenty prefectures. [1]

Greek equivalent of prefecture

From 1836 until 2011, modern Greece was divided into nomoi (Greek : νομοί, singular νομός, nomos) which formed the country's main administrative units. These are most commonly translated into English as "prefectures" or "counties".

Each nomos was headed by a prefect (νομάρχης, nomarches ), who was a ministerial appointee until ca. 1990, but was then elected by direct popular vote in a process of decentralization that saw the prefectures become local government units. Municipal elections in Greece are held every four years and voting for the election of prefects and mayors was carried out concurrently but with separate ballots.

The 2010 Kallikratis plan, which took effect on 1 January 2011, abolished the prefectures as separate administrative units, and transformed them into regional units within the country's thirteen administrative regions.

Chinese equivalents of prefecture

The ancient sense

Xian ()

When used in the context of Chinese history, especially China before the Tang dynasty, the word "prefecture" is used to translate xian (). This unit of administration is translated as "county" when used in a contemporary context, because of the increase of the number of "xian" and the decrease of their sizes over time in the Chinese history.

Zhou () or Fu ()

In the context of Chinese history during or after the Tang dynasty, the word "prefecture" is used to translate zhou (Wade–Giles chou (), another ancient unit of administration in China, equivalent to the modern province.

The modern sense

In modern-day China, the prefecture (地区; pinyin: dìqū) is an administrative division found in the second level of the administrative hierarchy. In addition to prefectures, this level also includes autonomous prefectures, leagues, and prefecture-level cities. The prefecture level comes under the province level, and in turn oversees the county level.

Italian prefettura

In Italy a prefettura is the office of a prefetto , the representative of the Government in each province.

French préfecture

In France, a préfecture is the capital city of a department, and by metonymy also designates the office and residence of the prefect. As there are 101 departments in France, there are 101 prefectures. A préfecture de région is the capital city of an administrative region. This is the city where the prefect - the appointed government representative - resides.

Japanese sense of prefecture

In English, "prefecture" is used as the translation for todōfuken ( 都道府県 ), which are the main subdivisions of Japan. They consist of 43 prefectures (県 ken) proper, two urban prefectures (府 fu, Osaka and Kyoto), one "circuit" or "territory" (道 dō, Hokkaido) and one "metropolis" (都 to, Tokyo). Before the end of World War II, the word was also used for overseas areas 庁 (chō)、州 (shu) and 道 (dō, in Korea).

Korean equivalents of prefecture

Until 1894 Hyeon (Korean : ; Hanja : ) was the lowest level administrative division in Korea and can be translated into "Petty Prefecture" in the modern sense. It was below Gun (, ; "county") in the administrative hierarchy.

Dohobu (도호부;都護府) was a higher level administrative division and can be translated into "Protectorate General", "Greater Prefecture", "Metropolitan Prefecture", or "Martial Prefecture" in the modern sense. The capital, Hanyang (Seoul), can sometimes be translated as "Hanseong Prefecture".

In 1895, Hyeon and Dohobu divisions were abolished. From 1910 to 1949, the term "prefecture" was used to translate Bu (;). Since 1949 neither Hyeon nor Bu have been used, and there has been no division in either the South Korean or North Korean administrative system which translates as "prefecture".

Mongolian equivalent

Mongolian prefectures (Aimags) were adopted during Qing dynasty's rule. Today these are usually translated as "provinces".

Moroccan Préfecture

In Morocco, the 75 second-level administrative subdivisions are 13 prefectures and 62 provinces. They are subdivisions of the 12 regions of Morocco. Each prefecture and province are subdivided in their turn into districts (cercles, sing. cercle), municipalities (communes, sing. commune) or urban municipalities (communes urbaines, sing. commune urbaine), and arrondissements in some metropolitan areas.

Romanian prefectură

Venezuelan equivalent

Traditionally the prefecture as being the City Hall and the prefect as being the equivalent of a mayor and commissioner until recently; now the prefectures and prefect are analogous with the figure of Town Clerk.

See also

Related Research Articles

A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French comté denoting a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count (earl) or a viscount. Literal equivalents in other languages, derived from the equivalent of "count", are now seldom used officially, including comté, contea, contado, comtat, condado, Grafschaft, graafschap, and zhupa in Slavic languages; terms equivalent to 'commune' or 'community' are now often instead used.

A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions of municipalities, school district, or political district.

A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circuit (administrative division)</span> Historical political division of China and Japan

A circuit was a historical political division of China and is a historical and modern administrative unit in Japan. The primary level of administrative division of Korea under the Joseon and in modern North and South Korea employs the same Chinese character as the Chinese and Japanese divisions but, because of its relatively greater importance, is usually translated as province instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeosu</span> Municipal city in Honam, South Korea

Yeosu, formerly romanized as Yosu, is the second largest city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. In 1998, the Old Yeosu City, Yeocheon City and Yeocheon County were merged and the current city, Yeosu, was formed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prefectures of China</span> Second-level administrative divisions of China

Prefectures are one of four types of prefecture-level divisions in China, the second-level administrative division in the country. While at one time prefectures were the most common prefecture-level division, they are in the process of being abolished and only seven formally-designated prefectures remain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Districts of China</span> Administrative division in China

The term district, in the context of China, is used to refer to several unrelated political divisions in both ancient and modern China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhou (administrative division)</span> Historical administrative and political division of China

Zhou were historical administrative and political divisions of China. Formally established during the Han dynasty, zhou existed continuously for over 2000 years until the 1912 establishment of the Republic of China. Zhou were also once used in Korea, Vietnam and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Administrative centre</span> Seat of regional administration or local government

An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prefectures and provinces of Morocco</span>

In Morocco, the 75 second-level administrative subdivisions are 13 prefectures and 62 provinces. They are subdivisions of the 12 regions of Morocco. Each prefecture or province is subdivided into arrondissements, municipalities or urban municipalities in other urban areas, and districts in rural areas. The districts are subdivided into rural municipalities. One prefecture (Casablanca) is also subdivided into préfectures d'arrondissements, similar to districts (cercles) except they are grouping a few arrondissements instead of rural municipalities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimi system</span> System of stratified government in imperial China

The Jimi system or Jimifuzhou was an autonomous administrative and political organization system used in China between the 7th century and 10th century. It should not be confused with the Chinese tributary system. The term "Jimi" was first seen in the annotation of Shiji quoted by Sima Zhen from a book of the Eastern Han dynasty, which implied to a man directing a horse or ox by the use of rein. Jimi administrative divisions were used primarily during the Tang dynasty from the 650s until the 740s. It was subsequently used in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties under other names such as the Tusi system until around 1726, when a new civil order under the Qing government was established.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Shuozhou</span> Roman Catholic diocese in China

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Shuozhou/Shuoxian is a diocese located in the city of Shuozhou (Shanxi) in the ecclesiastical province of Taiyuan in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counties of Taiwan</span> One of the administrative divisions of Taiwan

A county, constitutionally known as a hsien, is a de jure second-level administrative division unit in the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the administrative structure of Taiwan, it is with the same level of a provincial city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yonan County</span> County in South Hwanghae Province, North Korea

Yŏnan County is a county in South Hwanghae Province, North Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiwan Prefecture</span> Historical administrative division of China

Taiwan Prefecture or Taiwanfu was a prefecture of Taiwan during the Qing dynasty. The prefecture was established by the Qing government in 1684, after the island came under Qing dynasty rule in 1683 following its conquest of the Kingdom of Tungning. The Taiwan Prefecture Gazetteer documented it as part of Fujian Province. The Gazetteer was completed by Gao Gonggan in 1695, the 34th year of the reign of the Kangxi Emperor. With the development and population growth of Taiwan during the Qing Era, the scope of Taiwan Prefecture was also varied over time. Following the establishment of Fujian-Taiwan Province in 1887, the prefecture correspondingly became a subdivision under the newly founded province.

Yanzhou Prefecture was an administrative unit (prefecture) in Zhejiang Province of China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was abolished in 1912, soon after the fall of the Qing. The territory of the former Yanzhou Prefecture is now part of the Hangzhou Prefecture-level city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District (Vietnam)</span> Type of second-tier subdivision of Vietnam

Districts, also known as rural districts or counties, are one of several types of second-tier administrative subdivisions of Vietnam, the other types being urban districts, provincial cities, municipal cities, and district-level towns. The districts are subdivisions of the first-tier divisions, namely the provinces and municipalities. Districts are subdivided into third-tier units, namely townships and communes.

Fu is a traditional administrative division of Chinese origin used in the East Asian cultural sphere, translated variously as commandery, prefecture, urban prefecture, or city. They were first instituted as a regular form of administrative division of China's Tang Empire, but were later adopted in Vietnam, Japan and Korea. At present, only two fu still remain: the prefectures of Kyoto and Osaka in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shuntian Prefecture</span> Historical administrative division in Beijing, China

Shuntian Prefecture was an administrative region of China during the Ming and Qing dynasties, equivalent to Beijing Municipality in today's People's Republic of China. However, the area of the prefecture jurisdiction was different. The term Shuntian fu also referred to the yamen (office) of the prefecture's local government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Administrative divisions of the Tang dynasty</span>

The Tang dynasty of China administered territory using a hierarchical system of three descending divisions: circuits, prefectures, and counties. Prefectures have been called jùn (郡) as well as zhōu (州) interchangeably throughout history, leading to cases of confusion, but in reality their political status was the same. The prefectures were furthered classified as either Upper Prefectures, Middle Prefectures, or Lower Prefectures depending on population. An Upper Prefecture consisted of 40, 000 households and above, a Middle Prefecture 20, 000 households and above, and a Lower Prefecture anything below 20, 000 households. Some prefectures were further categorized as bulwark prefectures, grand prefectures, renowned prefectures, or key prefectures for strategic purposes. A superior prefecture was called a fu (府).

References

  1. Ngoulou, Fridolin (11 December 2020). "La Centrafrique dispose désormais de 20 préfectures et de 84 sous-préfectures". oubanguimedias.com. Oubangui Medias. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.