Emirate

An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arabic or Islamic monarch-styled emir.[1]

Etymology

Etymologically emirate or amirate (Arabic: إمارة imārah, plural: إمارات imārāt) is the quality, dignity, office, or territorial competence of any emir (prince, commander, governor, etc.). In English, the term is pronounced /ˈɛmərət, -ɪər-, -ɪt, -t/ or /ɛˈmɪərət, -ɪt, -t, iˈ-/ in British English and /ˈɛmərət/ or /ɪˈmɪərət/ in American English.[2]

As monarchies

The United Arab Emirates is a federal state that comprises seven federal emirates, each administered by a hereditary emir, these seven forming the electoral college for the federation's president and prime minister. 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.

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 emir) of the royal family, as in Saudi Arabian governorates.

List of present emirates

Location of Kuwait (red), Qatar (green), and the emirates of the United Arab Emirates

A list of present independent emirates:

List of former and integrated emirates

A list of emirates that have either ceased to exist, are not recognized and hold no real power, or were integrated into another country and preserved as "traditional states" arranged by location and in order of the date of the first leader styled "emir."

Nigeria

North Africa

Arabia

Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent

Near East

Caucasus

Iberia

Mediterranean region

See also

References

  1. "The definition of emirate". Dictionary.com.
  2. Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, ISBN 9781405881180
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