Gharbia Governorate is a town in the middle Nile River delta, Lower Egypt. It is bounded to the east and west by the Damietta and the Rosetta branches of the Nile, to the north by Kafr al-Shaykh governorate, and Menufia governorate to the south. The governorate’s capital has been at the cultural centre and transportation node of Tanta since 1836. An administrative unit named Al-Gharbiyyah has existed since the early Muslim period. It formerly included the entire central delta north to the Mediterranean. Still, in 1949 Fuʾādiyyah mudīriyyah (province), named for former king Fuʾād I, was created out of the northern part of Al-Gharbiyyah. Renamed in 1955, after the overthrow of the monarchy (1952), it is now the governorate of Kafr al-Shaykh. Southern Al-Gharbiyyah has an extremely high population density.
Location of Gharbia Governorate
Gharbia Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located north of the country, south of Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, and north of Monufia Governorate. Its capital is Tanta, 90 km north of Cairo and 120 km southeast of Alexandria. The largest city in Gharbia is El Mahalla El Kubra. The total area of the Gharbia governorate is 1,942 km2.
Municipal divisions
The governorate is divided into municipal divisions, with a total estimated population, as of July 2017, of 5,018,545. There is a markaz and a kism with the same name in some instances.
History
The name of al-Gharbiyya is an Arabic term meaning “The Western one” or “The Western Side”. In the 13th century, it comprised 165 villages, while the 15th-century geographer al-Qalqashandi describes it as fertile and prosperous.
El Mahalla El Kobra was the provincial capital until 1836 when Tanta later succeeded.
Historical places: 1- Tanta’s museum. 2- ali beik al kabeer avenue. 3- El Sa’aa Square
It is notable for the cultivation of cotton and its textile industry in modern times.
Population
In 1960, the governorate numbered 1,815,000 inhabitants. According to population estimates, in 2015, most residents in the governorate lived in rural areas, with an urbanization rate of only 30.0%. Out of an estimated 4,751.865 people residing in the governorate, 3,324,630 people lived in rural areas instead of only 1,427,235 in urban areas.
Cities
- El Mahalla El Kubra
- Kafr El Zayat
- Samanoud
- Tanta
- Zifta
- El Santa
- Kotoor
- Basyoun
Projects and programs
In 2016, Switzerland committed to funding a solid waste management program in Gharbia, a project with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment that will conclude in 2021. The National Solid Waste Management Programme (NSWMP) involves the construction of infrastructure for new and the expansion and improvement of existing waste treatment, landfill, and recycling facilities.
Notable people
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool F.C. footballer)
