Emirate

Etymologically an emirate or amirate (Arabic: إمارة‎ transliteration: , plural: إمارات Imarat) is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any Emir (prince, governor etc.).

As monarchies

Generally speaking, an emirate designates a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled emir. As most emirates have either disappeared, been integrated in a larger modern state or changed their rulers' styles, e.g. to Malik (Arabic for King) or Sultan, such true emirate-states have become rare.

An example of this use persists in the United Arab Emirates, a federal nation that comprises seven federal emirates, each administered by a hereditary emir, these seven forming the electoral college for the federation's President and PM.

As provinces

Furthermore, in Arabic the term can be generalized to mean any province of a country that is administered by a member of the ruling class, especially of a member (usually styled Sheikh) of the royal family, as in Saudi Arabian governorates.

List of independent Emirates

• Kuwait
• Qatar
• United Arab Emirates

List of former and integrated emirates

• Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
• Islamic Emirate of Waziristan
• Az Zubayr
• Bahrain, became a kingdom in 2002

ar:إمارة bg:Емирство cs:Emirát de:Emirat es:Emirato id:Emirat it:Emirato nl:Emiraat ja:首長国 mk:Емират no:Emirat pl:Emirat pt:Emirado ru:Эмират sl:Emirat fi:Emiraatti sv:Emirat

Wikipedia information about Emirate This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Emirate". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.