Lebanon is divided administratively into three levels: provinces or governorates (محافظات), cazas or districts (أقضية), and municipalities (بلديات). There are eight governorates (although a ninth was recently announced), 26 districts, and (as of the 2016 municipal elections) 1029 municipalities in the country.

Terminology
Click on the audio files below to hear the Arabic words for these administrative levels, first in Modern Standard Arabic and then in colloquial Lebanese Arabic.
governorate, province | muHāfaẒa pl. -āt (MSA) | محافظة ج. محافظات | |||
muHāfaZaŧ pl. -āt (colloquial) | |||||
district, caza | qaDāĀ pl. ĀaqDiyaŧ (MSA) | قضاء ج. أقضية | |||
qaDāĀ pl. ĀaqDiyeŧ (colloquial) | |||||
municipality | baladiyyaŧ pl. -āt (MSA) | بلدية ج بلديات | |||
baladiyyeŧ pl. -ēt (colloquial) | |||||
governorate, province | muHāfaẒa pl. -āt (MSA) | محافظة ج. محافظات |
The three administrative divisions are respectively headed by the following persons:
governor | muHāfiẒ (MSA) | محافظ | |||
mHāfiZ (colloquial) | |||||
district head (caïmacam) | qāĀimaqām | قائمقام | |||
mayor | raĀīs baladiyyeŧ | رئيس بلدية |
Governorates of Lebanon (محافظات لبنان)
Lebanon has eight governorates, as shown on the following map. Click on the audio files to hear how their names are pronounced in colloquial Lebanese Arabic.

This image and the images below are derivatives of محافظات وأقضية لبنان by Aboluay / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain.
1 | Akkar | عكّار | 5 | Mount Lebanon | جبل لبنان | |||
2 | North Lebanon | الشمال | 6 | Beqaa | البقاع | |||
3 | Baalbek-Hermel | بعلبك-الهرمل | 7 | South Lebanon | الجنوب | |||
4 | Beirut | بيروت | 8 | Nabatiyeh | النبطية |
Until 2003, there were only six governorates. Baalbek-Hermel was part of the Beqaa Governorate, and Akkar was part of the North Lebanon Governorate.
On August 16, 2017, the Lebanese Parliament announced the creation of a ninth governorate: Keserwan-Jbeil. This governorate will contain the two northernmost districts of the Mount Lebanon Governorate, i.e. Keserwan and Jbeil.
Districts of Lebanon (أقضية لبنان)
With the exception of Beirut and Akkar, each governorate is divided into districts. There are 26 districts in total (counting Beirut and Akkar each as one district), as shown on the following map. Click on the audio files to hear how their names are pronounced in colloquial Lebanese Arabic.
1 | Akkar | عكّار | 2f | Batroun | البترون | |||
2a | Minieh-Dannieh | المنية-الضنّية | 3a | Hermel | الهرمل | |||
2b | Tripoli | طرابلس | 3b | Baalbek | بعلبك | |||
2c | Zgharta | زغرتا | 4 | Beirut | بيروت | |||
2d | Koura | الكورة | 5a | Byblos (Jbeil) | جبيل | |||
2e | Bsharre | بشرّي | 5b | Keserwan | كسروان |
5c | Matn | المتن | 7a | Sidon | صيدا | |||
5d | Baabda | بعبدا | 7b | Jezzine | جزّين | |||
5e | Aley | عالية | 7c | Tyre | صور | |||
5f | Chouf | الشوف | 8a | Nabatiyeh | النبطية | |||
6a | Zahleh | زحلة | 8b | Hasbaya | حاصبيا | |||
6b | Western Beqaa | البقاع الغربي | 8c | Marjaayoun | مرجعيون | |||
6c | Rachaya | راشَيّا | 8d | Bint Jbeil | بنت جبيل |
Municipalities of Lebanon (بلديات لبنان)
With the exception of Beirut, each district is divided into municipalities. There were 1029 municipalities at the time of the 2016 municipal elections.
Clicking the number of each district on the map below will take you to a Localiban.org page with detailed information about its municipalities.

For a complete clickable list of the municipalities, see Localiban’s page on the territorial administration of Lebanon.
Governorate and District Capitals (عواصم المحافظات والأقضية)
capital | 3āSimaŧ pl. 3awāSim (MSA) | عاصمة ج. عواصم | |||
3āSmeŧ pl. 3awāSim (colloquial) |
The following chart lists the capital of each governorate and district in Lebanon. Click on the audio files to hear how these capitals are pronounced in colloquial Lebanese Arabic.
Governorate | Capital | Audio | عاصمة | محافظة |
Akkar | Halba | حلبا | عكّار | |
Governorate | Capital | Audio | عاصمة | محافظة |
North | Tripoli | طرابلس | الشمال | |
District | Capital | عاصمة | قضاء | |
Batroun | Batroun | البترون | البترون | |
Bcharri | Bcharri | بشري | بشري | |
Koura | Amioun | أميون | الكورة | |
Minieh-Danniyeh | Minieh | المنية | المنية-الضنّية | |
Tripoli | Tripoli | طرابلس | طرابلس | |
Zgharta | Zgharta | زغرتا | زغرتا |
Governorate | Capital | Audio | عاصمة | محافظة |
Baalbek-Hermel | Baalbek | بعلبك | بعلبك | |
District | Capital | عاصمة | قضاء | |
Baalbek | Baalbek | بعلبك | بعلبك | |
Hermel | Hermel | الهرمل | الهرمل | |
Governorate | Capital | Audio | عاصمة | محافظة |
Beirut | Beirut | بيروت | بيروت |
Governorate | Capital | Audio | عاصمة | محافظة |
Mount Lebanon | Baabda | بعبدا | جبل لبنان | |
District | Capital | عاصمة | قضاء | |
Aley | Aley | عاليه | عاليه | |
Baabda | Baabda | بعبدا | بعبدا | |
Chouf | Deir El-Qamar | دير القمر | الشوف |
|
Matn | Jdeideh | جديدة | المتن | |
Byblos (Jbeil) | Byblos (Jbeil) | جبيل | جبيل | |
Keserwan | Jounieh | جونيه | كسروان |
Governorate | Capital | Audio | عاصمة | محافظة |
Beqaa | Zahleh | زحلة | البقاع | |
District | Capital | عاصمة | قضاء | |
Rachaya | Rachaya | راشيا | راشيا | |
Western Beqaa | Jeb Jannine | جب جنين | البقاع الغربي | |
Zahleh | Zahleh | زحلة | زحلة |
Governorate | Capital | Audio | عاصمة | محافظة |
South Lebanon | Sidon | صيدا | الجنوب | |
District | Capital | عاصمة | قضاء | |
Jezzine | Jezzine | جزين | جزين | |
Sidon | Sidon | صيدا | صيدا | |
Tyre | Tyre | صور | صور |
Governorate | Capital | Audio | عاصمة | محافظة |
Nabatiyeh | Nabatiyeh | النبطية | النبطية | |
District | Capital | عاصمة | قضاء | |
Bint Jbeil | Bint Jbeil | بنت جبيل | بنت جبيل | |
Hasbaya | Hasbaya | حاصبيا | حاصبيا | |
Marjaayoun | Jdeidet Marjaayoun | جديدة مرجعيون | مرجعيون | |
Nabatiyeh | Nabatiyeh | النبطية | النبطية |
Lebanese Arabic Institute Map: Local Authorities in Lebanon
The Lebanese Arabic Institute has prepared a detailed interactive map, Local Authorities in Lebanon, which shows the municipal areas of Lebanon and marks the location of cities and villages. It includes links to relevant government and community websites and Facebook pages, Wikipedia and Localiban entries, as well as some videos.
External Resources
- Localiban.org pages on the territorial administration of Lebanon (English) and on the Lebanese municipalities (Arabic)
- Libandata.org page on the Lebanese municipalities in 2016
- Elections.gov.lb pages on the municipal councils of Lebanon in 2016 (in Arabic)
- Citypopulation.de page containing population estimates of the governorates and districts of Lebanon
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