Subdivisions of Egypt

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Subdivisions of Egypt

Egypt is administratively organized under a dual system that may consist of either two or three tiers, with further subdivisions occasionally resulting in an additional layer. It follows a centralized system of local government, officially termed local administration, as it functions as a part of the executive branch of the government.[1]

Overview

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Egyptian law delineates the units of local governance as governorates, centers, cities, districts, and villages, each possessing legal personality.[2] The legal framework establishes a dual system of local administration that alternates between a two-tier and a three-tier structure, depending on the characteristics of the governorate.[3]

At the top of the hierarchy are 27 governorates (singular: محافظة muḥāfẓa, plural: محافظات muḥāfẓat).[4] Each governorate has a capital, typically its largest city, and is headed by a governor, appointed by the President of Egypt, serving at the president’s discretion.

Governors hold the civilian rank of minister and report directly to the prime minister, who chairs the Council of Governors (maglis al-muhafzin) and convenes regular meetings with them.[5][6] The Ministry of Local Development is responsible for coordinating the governors and managing their governorates' budgets.[7]

City governorates, whose boundaries largely coincide with those of a major urban center, fall directly under the authority of its governor and are only subdivided into districts (singular: حي ḥay, plural: أحياء aḥya'),[3] each headed by a district head. In Egypt, there are four such governorates, namely the Alexandria Governorate, Cairo Governorate, Port Said Governorate, and Suez Governorate.

The remaining 23 governorates, which encompass both rural and urban areas, operate under a three-tier system that include intermediate municipal units known as centers (singular: مركز markaz, plural: مراكز marakiz). The lowest level of administration is determined by the rural or urban character of the settlement, classified as either a city or a village.[3]

Sub-districts and special administrative units

There are additional subdivisions into smaller units and non-administrative census blocks.[8]

In city governorates, districts are further subdivided into non-administrative units called sheyakha (lit. sheikhdom, شياخة). In urban–rural governorates, cities may be divided into districts, although this is not always the case, and these cities may also be subdivided into sheyakhas. Additionally, some cities in those governorates are divided directly into sheyakhas without an intermediate layer.

Two special categories exist outside the traditional administrative structure, but are intended for eventual transfer to local administration:

Economic regions

Separate from administrative divisions, seven economic regions exist for planning purposes, as defined by the General Organization for Physical Planning (GOPP).[11]

History

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Centralization after the 1952 revolution

Before the 1952 Egyptian revolution, state penetration of the rural areas was limited by the power of local notables. Under Nasser, land reform reduced those notables' socioeconomic dominance, and the peasants were incorporated into cooperatives, which transferred mass dependence from landlords to the government. The extension of officials into the countryside permitted the regime to bring development and services to the village. The local branches of the ruling party, the Arab Socialist Union (ASU), fostered a certain peasant political activism and coopted the local notables — in particular, the village headmen — and checked their independence from the regime.[12]

Until 1979, local government enjoyed limited power in Egypt's highly centralized state. Under the central government, there were twenty-six governorates (27 today), which were subdivided into counties (In Arabic: مركز markaz  "center", plural: مراكز marākiz), each of which was further subdivided into towns or villages.[12] At each level, there was a governing structure that combined representative councils and government-appointed executive organs headed by governors, district officers, and mayors, respectively. Governors were appointed by the president, and they, in turn, appointed subordinate executive officers. The coercive backbone of the state apparatus ran downward from the Ministry of Interior through the governors' executive organs to the district police station and the village headman.[12]

Decentralization under Sadat

State penetration did not retreat under Sadat, though the earlier effort to mobilize peasants and deliver services disappeared as the local party and cooperative withered. However, administrative controls over the peasants remained intact. The local power of the old families and the headmen revived but more at the expense of peasants than of the state. The district police station balanced the notables, and the system of local government (the mayor and council) integrated them into the regime.[12]

Sadat took several measures to administratively decentralize power to the provinces and towns, with limited fiscal and almost no political decentralization. Governors acquired more authority under Law 43/1979,[1] which reduced the administrative and budgetary controls of the central government over the provinces. The elected councils acquired, at least formally, the right to approve or disapprove the local budget. In an effort to reduce local demands on the central treasury, local government was given wider powers to raise local taxes. Local representative councils became vehicles of pressure for government spending, and the soaring deficits of local government bodies had to be covered by the central government. Local government was encouraged to enter into joint ventures with private investors, and these ventures stimulated an alliance between government officials and the local rich that paralleled the infitah alliance at the national level.[citation needed]

Under Mubarak

Under president Hosni Mubarak's rule (1981–2011), decentralization continued to evolve. Some scholars believed local autonomy was achieved, as local policies often reflected special local conditions. Thus, officials in Upper Egypt often bowed to the powerful Islamic movement there, while those in the port cities struck alliances with importers.[12]

However, others found that local governance proved impotent. Parliamentarians were reduced to the roles of local councillors, lobbying at the parliamentary level for basic local services, while the elected Local Popular Councils (LPC) had a parallel ceremonial role to the appointed Local Executive Councils (LEC), which managed the local departments.[13]

Elections of the LPCs have also been observed to be fraudulent. The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) won 95 percent of local council seats during the last election in 2008, with 84 percent of the seats won unopposed.[14]

Post-2011 revolution

After Mubarak was deposed by the popular uprising of the January 2011, parliament and local councils were dissolved pending the writing of a new constitution. The short-lived 2012 constitution and the current 2014 version gave wider local power through more decentralization.[6]

However, by the end of 2022, these provisions had yet to be implemented, as the government prolonged the process of drafting a new local administration law, leaving LPC seats vacant for over a decade.[15][14]

List of governorates

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Map of Egyptian Governorates

Egypt is divided into 27 governorates (muhāfazāt) and each has a capital and at least one city.[16] Each governorate is administered by a governor, who is appointed by the President of Egypt and serves at the president's discretion. Most governorates have a population density of more than one thousand per km2, while the three largest have a population density of less than two per km2.[17]

More information Governorates, Name ...
Governorates[18][19]
Name Area Population
(November 2023 estimate)
Density
(November 2023)
Capital
km2sq mi per km2per sq mi
Alexandria 2,300890 5,703,824 2,4806,400 Alexandria
Aswan 62,72624,219 1,698,201 2770 Aswan
Asyut 25,92610,010 5,071,485 196510 Asyut
Beheira 9,8263,794 6,940,234 7061,830 Damanhur
Beni Suef 10,9544,229 3,618,395 330850 Beni Suef
Cairo 3,0851,191 10,456,284 3,3898,780 Cairo
Dakahlia 3,5381,366 7,058,212 1,9955,170 Mansoura
Damietta 910350 2,023,380 2,2235,760 Damietta
Faiyum 6,0682,343 4,141,222 6821,770 Faiyum
Gharbia 1,942750 5,483,000 2,8237,310 Tanta
Giza 13,1845,090 9,534,283 7231,870 Giza
Ismailia 5,0671,956 1,482,999 293760 Ismailia
Kafr El Sheikh 3,4671,339 3,731,540 1,0762,790 Kafr El Sheikh
Luxor 460180 1,429,385 3,1078,050 Luxor
Matrouh 166,56364,310 580,304 37.8 Marsa Matruh
Minya 32,27912,463 6,332,918 196510 Minya
Monufia 2,499965 4,743,341 1,8984,920 Shibin El Kom
New Valley 440,098169,923 324,600 0.71.8 Kharga
North Sinai 28,99211,194 544,494 1949 Arish
Port Said[20] 1,345519 835,193 6211,610 Port Said
Qalyubia 1,124434 6,137,896 5,46114,140 Banha
Qena 10,7984,169 3,651,215 338880 Qena
Red Sea 119,09945,984 409,394 37.8 Hurghada
Sharqia 4,9111,896 8,032,683 1,6364,240 Zagazig
Sohag 11,0224,256 5,714,903 5181,340 Sohag
South Sinai 31,27212,074 145,934 513 El Tor
Suez 9,0023,476 843,385 94240 Suez
Total 1,010,407390,120 106,668,704 106270 Cairo
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List of municipal divisions

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Map of Egypt's municipal divisions.

As of 2013, there were 351 subdivisions, of which 177 were aqsam, 162 marakiz, 9 new cities, and 3 police-administered areas. There are also unorganized areas in the Alexandria, Aswan, Asyut, Beheira, Beni Suef, Cairo, Dakahlia, Damietta, Faiyum, Giza, Ismailia, Kafr El Sheikh, Luxor, Minya, Port Said, Qalyubia, Qena, Sharqia, Sohag, and Suez governorates.[21]

More information Qism, Markaz ...
Municipal divisions[22]
QismMarkazNew cityPolice-administered
6th of October 1AbnubNew AkhmimAlexandria Port Police Dept.
6th of October 2Abu El MatamirNew AswanPort Said Police Dept.
10th of Ramadan 1Abu HammadNew AsyutSuez Port Police Dept.
10th of Ramadan 2Abu HummusNew Borg El Arab
15th of MayAbu KebirNew Faiyum
AbdeenAbu QirqasNew Minya
Abu RadisAbu SimbelNew Qena
Abu ZenimaAbu TigNew Sohag
AgouzaAbu TishtNew Toshka
Ain ShamsAga
AmreyaAkhmim
Arish 1Armant
Arish 2Ashmoun
Arish 3Aswan
Arish 4Asyut
AswanAtfih
Asyut 1Awlad Saqr
Asyut 2Awsim
AtakaBadr
AzbakeyaBanha
Bab El ShariaBaris Shurta
Bab SharqBasyoun
BadrBeni Ebeid
BanhaBeni Mazar
Beni SuefBeni Suef
Bir El AbdBiba
Borg El ArabBilbeis
BulaqBilqas
Bulaq El DakrurBirket El Sab
DahabBiyala
DamanhurBurullus
Damietta 1Dairut
Damietta 2Damanhur
DekhelaDamietta
DesoukDar El Salam
DokkiDaraw
El AhramDeir Mawas
El ArabDekernes
El ArbeinDesouk
El AtareenDishna
El Basal PortDiyarb Negm
El BasatinEdfu
El DabaaEdku
El Darb El AhmarEl Ayyat
El DawahyEl Badari
El GamaliyaEl Badrashein
El GanayinEl Bagour
El GomrokEl Balyana
El HamamEl Delengat
El HassanaEl Fashn
El HawamdiyaEl Fath
El KawsarEl Gamaliya
El KhalifaEl Ghanayem
El LabbanEl Hamool
El ManakhEl Husseiniya
El ManasraEl Ibrahimiya
El MansheyaEl Idwa
El MargEl Mahalla El Kubra
El MatareyaEl Mahmoudia
El MuskiEl Mansha
El NozhaEl Manzala
El OmraniyaEl Maragha
El QanayatEl Matareya
El Qantara El SharqiyaEl Qanater El Khayreya
El QoseirEl Qantara
El QureinEl Qusiya
El Raml 1El Rahmaniya
El Raml 2El Reyad
El SalamEl Saff
El Sayeda ZeinabEl Santa
El SegilEl Senbellawein
El SharabiyaEl Shohada
El SharqEl Usayrat
El ShoroukEl Waqf
El TebbinEl Wasta
El TorEl Zarqa
El Wahat El BahariyaEsna
El Wahat El KharigaFaiyum
El WarraqFaqous
El WeiliFaraskur
El ZaherFarshut
El Zawya El HamraFayed
El ZohurFuwa
FaisalGirga
FaiyumGiza
FaqousHihya
GamasaHosh Essa
Ganoubi 1Ibsheway
Ganoubi 2Ihnasiya
Gharb NubariyaImbaba
GirgaIsmailia
GizaItay El Barud
Hada'iq El QobbahItsa
Hala'ibJuhayna El Gharbiyah
HeliopolisKafr El Dawwar
HelwanKafr El Sheikh
HurghadaKafr El Zayat
Hurghada 2Kafr Saad
ImbabaKafr Saqr
Ismailia 1Kafr Saad
Ismailia 2Kerdasa
Ismailia 3Khanka
Kafr El DawwarKom Hamada
Kafr El SheikhKom Ombo
KarmozKotoor
KhususLuxor
LuxorMaghaghah
MaadiMahallat Dimna
MallawiMallawi
Mansoura 1Manfalut
Mansoura 2Mansoura
Marina El AlameinMashtool El Souk
Marsa AlamMatay
MenoufMenouf
Mersa MatruhMetoubes
MinyaMinya
Mit GhamrMinya El Qamh
Moharam BekMinyet El Nasr
Monshat El NasrMit Ghamr
MontazaMit Salsil
Mubarak Sharq El TafreaNabaroh
Nasr City 1Nag Hammadi
Nasr City 2Naqada
New Beni SuefNasir Bush
New Cairo 1Nasr
New Cairo 2Qena
New Cairo 3Qift
New DamiettaQuesna
New SalhiaQus
North CoastRosetta
North CoastSadat City
NuweibaSahil Salim
ObourSamalut
Old CairoSamanoud
Port FuadSaqultah
Port Fuad 2Shibin El Kom
QahaShibin El Qanatir
QalyubShirbin
Qasr El NilShubrakhit
QenaShurtet El Dakhla
RafahShurtet Farafra
Ras El BarSidfa
Ras GharibSidi Salem
Ras SidrSinnuris
Rod El FaragSohag
SafagaSumusta El Waqf
Saint CatherineTahta
SallumTala
Sers El LyanTalkha
ShalateenTamiya
Sharm El SheikhTanta
Sheikh ZayedTell El Kebir
Sheikh ZuweidTima
Shibin El KomTimay El Imdid
ShubraTukh
Shubra El Kheima 1Wadi El Natrun
Shubra El Kheima 2Yousef El Seddik
Shurtet El QasimaZagazig
Shurtet RumanaZefta
Siwa
Sohag 1
Sohag 2
Suez
Taba
Tahta
Tanta 1
Tanta 2
Tura
Zagazig 1
Zagazig 2
Zamalek
Zeitoun
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Demographics

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Urbanization

More information CAPMAS, Governorate ...
CAPMAS[18]
Governorate  % Urban Population (2016) Rural Urban
Alexandria 98.8 4,812,186 56,698 4,755,488
Aswan 42.3 1,431,488 826,543 604,945
Asyut 26.5 4,245,215 3,119,112 1,126,103
Beheira 19.5 5,804,262 4,674,346 1,129,916
Beni Suef 23.2 2,856,812 2,193,871 662,941
Cairo 100.0 9,278,441 0 9,278,441
Dakahlia 28.2 5,949,001 4,271,428 1,677,573
Damietta 38.7 1,330,843 815,244 515,599
Faiyum 22.5 3,170,150 2,456,368 713,782
Gharbia 30.0 4,751,865 3,324,630 1,427,235
Giza 58.6 7,585,115 3,138,310 4,446,805
Ismailia 45.4 1,178,641 643,778 534,863
Kafr El Sheikh 23.1 3,172,753 2,441,246 731,507
Luxor 37.8 1,147,058 713,422 433,636
Matruh 70.6 447,846 131,841 316,005
Minya 18.9 5,156,702 4,183,284 973,418
Monufia 20.6 3,941,293 3,128,460 812,833
New Valley 48.0 225,416 117,180 108,236
North Sinai 60.2 434,781 173,095 261,686
Port Said 100.0 666,599 0 666,599
Qalyubia 44.7 5,105,972 2,825,045 2,280,927
Qena 19.7 3,045,504 2,445,051 600,453
Red Sea 95.1 345,775 17,062 328,713
Sharqia 23.1 6,485,412 4,987,707 1,497,705
Sohag 21.4 4,603,861 3,618,543 985,318
South Sinai 51.1 167,426 81,924 85,502
Suez 100.0 622,859 0 622,859
Total 42.7 87,963,276 50,384,188 37,579,088
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Population density

Information for population is in thousands, pop density - persons/km2 and area is in km2.

More information CAPMAS, Governorate ...
CAPMAS[18]
Governorate Population in thousands (2014-07-01) Pop. Density (Inhabited Area) Pop. Density (Total Area) % Inhabited to Total Inhabited Area Total Area
Alexandria 4,761 2,841.5 2,070.0 72.8 1,675.50 2,300.00
Aswan 1,412 13,477.1 22.5 0.2 104.77 62,726.00
Asyut 4,181 2,656.3 161.3 6.1 1,574.00 25,926.00
Beheira 5,720 806.3 582.1 72.2 7,093.84 9,826.00
Beni Suef 2,812 2,053.4 256.7 12.5 1,369.41 10,954.00
Cairo 9,184 48,235.3 2,976.8 6.2 190.40 3,085.12
Dakahlia 5,881 1,662.1 1,662.1 100.0 3,538.23 3,538.23
Damietta 1,316 1,968.7 1,445.7 73.4 668.47 910.26
Faiyum 3,118 1,680.0 513.8 30.6 1,856.00 6,068.00
Gharbia 4,698 2,418.7 2,418.7 100.0 1,942.34 1,942.34
Giza 7,487 6,286.3 567.9 9.0 1,191.00 13,184.00
Ismailia 1,162 229.3 229.3 100.0 5,066.97 5,066.97
Kafr El Sheikh 3,132 903.5 903.5 100.0 3,466.69 3,466.69
Luxor 1,132 4,992.7 469.8 9.4 226.73 2,409.68
Matruh 437 111.4 2.6 2.4 3,921.40 166,563.00
Minya 5,076 2,104.8 157.3 7.5 2,411.65 32,279.00
Monufia 3,890 1,596.9 1,556.6 97.5 2,435.93 2,499.00
New Valley 222 205.1 0.5 0.2 1,082.24 440,098.00
North Sinai 428 203.7 14.8 7.2 2,100.84 28,992.00
Port Said 660 499.7 490.7 98.2 1,320.68 1,344.96
Qalyubia 5,044 4,702.1 4,486.4 95.4 1,072.72 1,124.28
Qena 3,001 1,724.1 277.9 16.1 1,740.63 10,798.00
Red Sea 341 4,794.0 2.9 0.1 71.13 119,099.13
Sharqia 6,402 1,343.7 1,303.6 97.0 4,764.28 4,911.00
Sohag 4,536 2,845.8 411.5 14.5 1,593.92 11,022.00
South Sinai 166 9.9 5.3 53.7 16,791.00 31,272.00
Suez 615 68.3 68.3 100.0 9,002.21 9,002.21
Total 86,814 1109.1 85.9 7.8 78272.98 1010407.87
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