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Prefecture
*** Shopping-Tip: Prefecture
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The term '''''prefecture''''' (from the Latin Praefectura) indicates the office, seat, territorial circonscription of a
Prefect; consequentally, like that word, is its applied in English in relation to actual Prefects, whose title is just that (or the forms it takes in other, especially Romance, languages), in the broadest sense in the Roman tradition, but also by analogy, more or less conventionally, to render offices deemed equivalent in other languages' cultural traditions.
Litteral Prefectures
Antiquity
For subsequent types of ''praefectura'', see ''
Praefectus''.
It has been used most prominently to denote a somewhat self-governing body or area since the
tetrarchy, when emperor
Diocletian divided the
Roman Empire into 4 districts (each divided into
dioceses, grouping under a ''Vicarius'' a number of
Roman provinces, listed under that article), , however, maintained two pretorian prefectures as an administrative level above the also surviving dioceses (a few of which got split).
Ecclesiastic
As
canon law is strongly inspired by Roman law, it is not surprising that the Catholic Church has several offices under a prefect (while that term occurs also in otherwise styled offices, such as the head of a congregation or department of the Roman curia)
French ''préfecture''
''Main article:
préfecture''
In
France, a '''''préfecture''''' is the
capital city of a ''
département''. As there are 100 départements in France, there are 100 ''préfectures'' in France. A '''''préfecture de région''''' is the capital city of a ''
région''.
Analogous Prefectures
Brazilian equivalent of ''prefecture''
In
Brazil, the prefecture (''prefeitura'' in
Portuguese language Portuguese) is the
City Hall, home to the
Executive (government) Executive of a city and to the
mayor's office.
Greek equivalent of ''prefecture''
Modern
Greece, under its 1975 Constitution, is divided into 51 ''
nomos nomoi'' (
Greek language Greek: νομοί) which form the units of local government.
These are most commonly translated into
English language English as '''prefectures'''.
Each ''nomos'' is headed by a '''prefect''' ''(nomarch),'' who was until recently a ministerial appointee but is nowadays elected by direct popular vote. Municipal elections in Greece are held every four years and voting for the election of nomarchs and mayors is carried out concurrently but with separate ballots.
''See:''
Prefectures of Greece
Chinese equivalents of ''prefecture''
= The ancient sense
=
== ''Xian''
==
When used in the context of
Chinese history, especially China before the
Tang Dynasty, the word "prefecture" is used to translate ''xian'' (县/縣). This unit of administration is translated as "county" when used in a contemporary context.
See '''
County of China''' for more information on the ''xian'' of China.
== ''Zhou''
==
In the context of Chinese history during or after the
Tang Dynasty, the word "prefecture" is used to translate ''zhou'' (州), another ancient unit of administration in China.
See '''
Zhou (political division)''' for more information on the ''zhou'' of China.
= The modern sense
=
In modern-day
People's Republic of China, the '''prefecture''' (地区;
pinyin: dìqū) is an administrative division found in the
Political divisions of China#Prefecture level second level of the administrative hierarchy. In addition to prefectures, this level also includes autonomous prefectures,
league (Inner Mongolia) leagues, and
prefecture-level city prefecture-level cities. The prefecture level comes under the
Political divisions of China#Province level province level, and in turn oversees the
Political divisions of China#County level county level.
See '''
Prefecture of China''' for more information on modern prefectures in China.
Japanese sense of ''prefecture''
In reference to the
Japanese system of administrative subdivisions, ''prefecture'' is used as the translation for ''todÅ?fuken'' (都é?“府県). The system of local government in Japan consists of two classes: prefectures as the large-area local governing units and
municipality municipalities as the basic local-level governing units. In Asian practice, the administrative segregation of a
country or unified
nation-state is usually trifold: the
state, large-area local governing units, and basic local-level governing units; Japan follows this pattern.
Japan is divided into
Prefectures of Japan 47 prefectures, and each is further divided into municipalities. These prefectures and municipalities neither overlap geographically nor leave any area uncovered; all residents of Japan are therefore residents of one municipality and one prefecture.
The prefectures and municipalities function as more than just the country's administrative units: they are incorporated bodies—independent from the national government—that possess their own basic spheres or responsibility and local residents as their constituents, holding administrative authority within their respective geographical boundaries. In
Nagasaki and
Hokkaido,
subprefectures are used as special administrative units, due to peculiarities of governmental evolution and the difficulty in centrally governing certain geographically large or remote areas.
Japan's current prefectural system was established in the
Meiji era after the new Meiji government abolished fiefs run by
feudal clans known as ''
Han (Japan) han''. This change is called the
abolition of the han system; see
History of Japan#Meiji Restoration "Meiji Restoration" in the History of Japan article and the "
Meiji era" article for more historical details of this event.
Mongolian equivalent
Mongolian prefectures (
aymag) were adopted under the
Manchu Empire. Today it is usually translated as "province".
.
See also
*
County
*
Politics of China
*
Politics of Japan
*
Politics of Taiwan
*
Politics of Mongolia
*
Subprefecture
{{Subnational entity}}
Category:Subnational entities
de:Präfektur
eo:Prefektejo
es:Prefectura
fr:Préfecture
id:Prefektur
ja:県
nl:Prefectuur
pl:Prefektura
pt:Prefeitura
sv:Frankrikes departementshuvudstäder
zh:地区
*** Shopping-Tip: Prefecture
