# Subdivisions of Libya

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.

## History

Prior to the Italian invasion of 1911, the area of Libya was administered as three separate provinces ("Vilayets") of the Ottoman Empire: Tripolitania, Fezzan, and Cyrenaica.
At first, Italy continued the tripartite administration, but soon consolidated the area into a single province/governorate administered as the "Libyan Colony". Indeed, until about 1931 -when the last of the native resistance to the Italians was subdued- the area was divided into three historical regions (Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan/"Territorio Sahara").
Then, in 1937, Italian governor Italo Balbo created the political entity called Libya. His Italian Libya was re-divided into four provinces and one territory: Tripoli, Misurata, Benghazi, Derna, (in the coastal north) and the "Southern Military Territory" (Italian: Territorio Militare del Sud) (in the Saharan south).
After the French and British occupied Libya in 1943, it was again split into three provinces: Tripolitania in the northwest, Cyrenaica in the east, and Fezzan-Ghadames in the southwest.
After independence, Libya was divided into three governorates (muhafazat), matching the three provinces of before, but in 1963 it was divided into ten governorates.

## Provinces

The Provinces of Libya existed during the last period of colonial Italian Libya through post-independence Libya. The country was divided into provinces from 1934 in the colonial era to 1963 when the Governorates system was instituted.

## Governorates

The Governorates of Libya (muhafazah) were an administrative division of Libya from 1963 until 1983. Initially there were 46 governorates-districts, called baladiyah, that were reduced to 25 in 1987.
| بلدية | Baladiyah | Main city | Population (in 1984) | Number (on the map) |
| طبرق | Butnan | Tobruk | 94,006 | 3 |
| درنة | Darnah | Derna | 105,031 | 14 |
| الجبل الاخضر | Jabal al Akhdar | Bayda | 120,662 | 5 |
| المرج | Marj | Marj | 102,763 | 4 |
| بنغازي | Benghazi | Benghazi | 485,386 | 13 |
| إجدابيا | Al Wahat | Ajdabiya | 100,547 | 1 |
| الكفرة | Kufra | Al Jawf | 25,139 | 8 |
| سرت | Sirte | Sirte | 110,996 | 21 |
| مصراتة | Misratah | Misrata | 178,295 | 17 |
| | Khoms | Khoms | 149,642 | 7 |
| طرابلس | Tripoli (Tarabulus) | Tripoli | 990,697 | 22 |
| العزيزيه | Al 'Aziziyah | 'Aziziya | 85,068 | 2 |
| الزاوية | Az Zawiyah | Zawiya | 220,075 | 12 |
| النقاط الخمس | Nuqat al Khams | Zuwara | 181,584 | 9 |
| الجبل الغربي | Gharyan | Gharyan | 117,073 | 16 |
| | Zlitan | Zliten | 101,107 | 25 |
| الجفرة | Al Jufrah | Waddan | ? | 6 |
| الشاطئ | Ash Shati' | Brak | 46,749 | 10 |
| سبها | Sabha | Sabha | 76,171 | 19 |
| أوباري | Awbari | Ubari | 48,701 | 11 |
| غدامس | Ghadamès | Ghadames | 52,247 | 15 |
| | Sawfajjin | Bani Walid | 45,195 | 20 |
| مرزق | Mourzouq | Murzuk | 42,294 | 18 |
| ترهونة | Tarhounah | Tarhuna | 84,640 | 23 |
| يفرن | Yafran | Yafran | 73,420 | 24 |
| Total | | | 3,637,488 | |

## Baladiyat

In 1983, a new system was introduced dividing the country into forty-six districts (baladiyat also sometimes translated as municipalities). In 1987 this number was reduced to twenty-five.
In Libya there are currently 106 districts, second level administrative subdivisions known as baladiyat (singular baladiyah). The number has varied since 2013 between 99 and 108.

## Districts

On 2 August 1995, Libya reorganized into thirteen districts (sha`biyat - singular sha`biyah, also translated as municipalities or popularates). In 1998 this was increased to twenty-six districts (sha`biyat). In 2001 it was increased to thirty-two districts plus three administrative regions. Finally in 2007 the number was reduced to twenty-two districts.

### Basic People's Congresses

Under Gaddafi Libyan districts were further subdivided into Basic People's Congresses Arabic: مؤتمر شعبي أساسي (Mu'tamar shaʿbi asāsi ). Geographically they corresponded approximately to the level of a township or borough. In desert areas they often had an extensive land area with very low population, and were generally centered on, and named for, an oasis.

## Overview

| year | number of divisions | name of divisions |
| historically (Persians) | 1(?) Barqa Shatrapani/Satrapy | Shatrapani/satrapy |
| historically (Greeks) | 1(?) Libya Satrapy | satrapy |
| historically Roman Empire | Roman Libya: Creta et Cyrenaica | province |
| historically Ottoman Empire (Ottoman Tripolitania) | Ottoman Tripolitania 1 | vilayet |
| colonised territory (1st phase) Italian North Africa, from 1912 to 1927 | 1 (Italian Libya) or 2 | governorate or province |
| colonised territory (2nd phase) Italian North Africa from 1927 to 1934 | 2 (Italian Cyrenaica, Italian Tripolitania) also Fezzan? | governorate or province |
| colonised territory (3rd phase) Italian Libya from 1934 to 1937 | 3 (Cyrenaica, Fezzan, Tripolitania) or 4 or 1 | province |
| colonised territory (4th phase) Provinces of the Fourth Shore within the Italian Colonial Empire from 1937 to 1940 | 4 (Tripoli, Bengazi, Derna, Misurata) or 5 (along with Southern Military Territory) or 1 | province |
| colonised territory (5th phase) after World War II from 1943 to 1951 | 3 (Cyrenaica and Tripolitania were British; Fezzan-Ghadames was French) | province |
| after independence in 1951-1952 (Kingdom of Libya) | 3 | muhafazah (governorate) |
| in Kingdom of Libya after 1963 and in Libyan Jamahiriya after 1969 coup d'état | 10 | muhafazah (governorate) |
| after 1983 | 46 | baladiyah |
| after 1987-1988 | 25 | baladiyah |
| after 1995 | 13 | shabiyah (district) |
| after 1998 | 26 | shabiyah (district) |
| after 2001 | 32 | shabiyah (district) |
| after 2007 | 22 | shabiyah (district) |
| after 2013 | 99 to 108 | baladiyah |
| after 2022 | 19 | Muqata'ah (provinces) |