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.St. John, Ronald Bruce and Hahn, Lorna (1991) "Governorates" Historical Dictionary of Libya (2nd edition) Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, New Jersey, p. 44, 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.Zeidan, Shawky S. (1987) "Chapter 4 – Government and Politics: Internal Politics: Subnational Government and Administration" A Country Study: Libya Federal Research Division, Library of Congress In February 1975, Libya issued a law that abolished the governorates and their service directorates,Zeidan, Shawky S. (1987) "Chapter 4 – Government and Politics: Internal Politics: Subnational Government and Administration: The Cultural Revolution and People's Committees" A Country Study: Libya Federal Research Division, Library of Congress however they continued to operate until they were fully replaced in 1983 by the baladiyat system districts.
Historically, the three provinces of Libya (Tripolitania in the northwest, Cyrenaica in the east, and Fezzan in the southwest) were sometimes called governorates.
Ten governorates
The original ten governorates were:Habib, Henry (1981) Libya past and present Edam Publishing House, Valletta, Malta, p. 8, Bayda Governorate In 1971 Bayda was renamed Jabal al Akhdar. Al Khums Governorate Awbari Governorate Az Zawiyah Governorate Benghazi Governorate Darnah Governorate Al Jabal al Gharbi Governorate In 1970 Al Jabal al Gharbi was renamed Gharyan. Misrata Governorate Sabha Governorate Tarabulus Governorate.
Reorganisation under Gaddafi
As early as 1973, Libya had been divided into forty-six baladiyat for census purposes.Society for Libyan Studies (1984) Libyan Studies Volume 15 (being the Annual Report of the Society for Libyan Studies) Society for Libyan Studies, London, p. 145, In 1983 Libya replaced the governorates structure with the district (baladiyah) one, creating forty-six districts.
See also Districts of Libya Provinces of Libya
Notes
External links Map of the ten governorates of Libya, Area Handbook for Libya, United States Library of Congress