Prefecture

Template:Short description Template:Multiple issues Template:Use dmy dates A prefecture (from the Latin word, "praefectura") is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international church structures. During the antiquity, it was the name of a type of Roman district. In the 21st century, the term prefecture is used for the modern first-level subdivisions of the Central African Republic, Japan, and Morocco.

Literal prefectures

Antiquity

Prefecture originally referred to several distinct administrative structures in ancient Rome.

In the Roman Republic and early Empire, a praefectura was a town or community lacking full civic autonomy and administered by a Roman-appointed Praefectus. These praefecturae were common in Italy before the extension of Roman citizenship and typically occupied a lower legal status than a municipium or colonia.

Later, during the Tetrarchy, Emperor Diocletian reorganized the Roman Empire into four major administrative divisions known as praetorian prefectures. Each was composed of several dioceses and governed by a senior official called a Praetorian prefect. This structure persisted into the Byzantine Empire and influenced later forms of territorial governance.

Ecclesiastic

Template:See also As Catholic canon law is strongly inspired by Roman law, it is not surprising that the Catholic Church has several offices under a prefect. That term occurs also in otherwise styled offices, such as the head of a congregation or department of the Roman Curia. Various ecclesiastical areas, too small for a diocese, are termed prefects.

Analogous prefectures

Brazilian equivalent of prefecture

In Brazil, the prefecture ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in Portuguese) is the executive branch of the government of each Brazilian municipality ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in Portuguese). The term also refers to the office of the mayor ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in Portuguese).

Central African Republic

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The Central African Republic is divided into twenty prefectures.<ref name="OU">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Greek equivalent of prefecture

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} From 1836 until 2011, modern Greece was divided into Template:Transliteration (Template:Langx, singular {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration) which formed the country's main administrative units. These are most commonly translated into English as "prefectures" or "counties".

Each {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} was headed by a prefect ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Template:Transliteration), who was a ministerial appointee until ca. 1990, but was then elected by direct popular vote in a process of decentralization that saw the prefectures become local government units. Municipal elections in Greece are held every four years and voting for the election of prefects and mayors was carried out concurrently but with separate ballots.

The 2010 Kallikratis plan, which took effect on 1 January 2011, abolished the prefectures as separate administrative units, and transformed them into regional units within the country's thirteen administrative regions.

Chinese equivalents of prefecture

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The ancient sense

Xian ({{#invoke

Lang|lang}})

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} When used in the context of Chinese history, especially China before the Tang dynasty, the word "prefecture" is used to translate xian ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). This unit of administration is translated as "county" when used in a contemporary context, because of the increase of the number of "xian" and the decrease of their sizes over time in the Chinese history.

Zhou ({{#invoke

Lang|lang}}) or Fu ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}})

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In the context of Chinese history during or after the Tang dynasty, the word "prefecture" is used to translate zhou (Wade–Giles chou ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), another ancient unit of administration in China, equivalent to the modern province.

The modern sense

In modern-day China, the prefecture ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; pinyin: Template:Transliteration) is an administrative division found in the second level of the administrative hierarchy. In addition to prefectures, this level also includes autonomous prefectures, leagues, and prefecture-level cities. The prefecture level comes under the province level, and in turn oversees the county level.

Italian prefettura

In Italy a prefettura is the office of a prefetto, the representative of the Government in each province.

French préfecture

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In France, a préfecture is the capital city of a department, and by metonymy also designates the office and residence of the prefect. As there are 101 departments in France, there are 101 prefectures. A préfecture de région is the capital city of an administrative region. This is the city where the prefect – the appointed government representative – resides.

Japanese sense of prefecture

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In English, "prefecture" is used as the translation for Template:Nihongo, which are the main subdivisions of Japan. They consist of 43 prefectures (県 ken) proper, two urban prefectures (府 fu, Osaka and Kyoto), one "circuit" or "territory" (道 dō, Hokkaido) and one "metropolis" (都 to, Tokyo). Before the end of World War II, the word was also used for overseas areas 庁 (chō)、州 (shū) and 道 (dō, in Korea).

Korean equivalents of prefecture

Until 1894 Template:Transliteration (Template:Korean) was the lowest level administrative division in Korea and can be translated into "Petty Prefecture" in the modern sense. It was below Template:Transliteration ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; "county") in the administrative hierarchy.

Template:Transliteration (Template:Korean) was a higher level administrative division and can be translated into "Protectorate General", "Greater Prefecture", "Metropolitan Prefecture", or "Martial Prefecture" in the modern sense. The capital, Hanyang (Seoul), can sometimes be translated as "Hanseong Prefecture".

In 1895, Template:Transliteration and Template:Transliteration divisions were abolished. From 1910 to 1949, the term "prefecture" was used to translate Template:Transliteration (Template:Korean). Since 1949 neither Template:Transliteration nor Template:Transliteration have been used, and there has been no division in either the South Korean or North Korean administrative system which translates as "prefecture".

Mongolian equivalent

Mongolian prefectures (Aimags) were adopted during Qing dynasty's rule. Today these are usually translated as "provinces".

Moroccan Préfecture

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In Morocco, the 75 second-level administrative subdivisions are 13 prefectures and 62 provinces. They are subdivisions of the 12 regions of Morocco. Each prefecture and province are subdivided in their turn into districts (cercles, sing. cercle), municipalities (communes, sing. commune) or urban municipalities (communes urbaines, sing. commune urbaine), and arrondissements in some metropolitan areas.

Romanian prefectură

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Swiss préfect

In Switzerland, préfecture dates back to the Helvetic Republic and were inspired by France.<ref>Template:HDS</ref> As of 2025, five cantons still have prefecture system, including Berne, Fribourg, Valais, Vaud.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The préfect is a local representative of the regional government.

Venezuelan equivalent

Traditionally, the term prefecture referred to a City Hall and the prefect was the equivalent of a mayor and commissioner. After recent changes, the prefectures and prefects are analogous with the figure of Town Clerk.

Quebec préfect

In Québec, a préfet is the head of a regional county municipality (municipalité régionale de comté, or MRC), acting as the president of the council of mayors. They are either elected by the council for a two-year term or by universal suffrage for a four-year term, with powers similar to those of a mayor.

See also

• Apostolic prefecture
• County
• Prefectures of China
• Politics of the People's Republic of China
• Prefectures of Japan
• Politics of Japan
• Politics of the Republic of China
• Politics of Mongolia
• Province
• Subprefecture