Muhafazah

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Muḥāfaẓah is a first‑level administrative division in many Arab countries, and a second‑level division in Saudi Arabia. It is usually translated as "governorate" or sometimes "province." The name comes from an Arabic root meaning "to keep" or "to guard," and the head of a muḥāfaẓah is a governor (muḥāfiẓ). In Tunisia, the equivalent term is wilāyah.