A is a first-level administrative division of many Arab countries, and a second-level administrative division in Saudi Arabia. The term is usually translated as "governorate", and occasionally as "province".
It comes from the Arabic root , , (verb: , ), which means to "keep" and "guard".
The head of a is a governor (Arabic: , ) .
The governorates of Tunisia are wilāyah in Arabic.
Muhafazat in Arab countries
- Governorates of Bahrain
- Governorates of Egypt
- Governorates of Iraq
- Governorates of Jordan
- Governorates of Kuwait
- Governorates of Libya (historic)
- Governorates of Lebanon
- Governorates of Oman
- Governorates of Palestine
- Governorates of Saudi Arabia (2nd level)
- Governorates of Syria
- Governorates of Yemen