Prefecture
74478
223179088
2008-07-02T22:33:58Z
Godfrey Daniel
864816
/* Japanese sense of prefecture */ Slight change to wording; expanded; added characters; unified formatting
{{wiktionary|prefecture}}
''For subsequent types of ''praefectura'', see ''[[Praefectus]]''.
The term '''''prefecture''''' (from the [[Latin]] ''Praefectura'') indicates the office, seat, territorial circumscription of a [[Prefect]]. The term '''''prefecture''''' is also used to refer to offices analogous to prefectures.
==Literal prefectures==
===Antiquity===
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 four districts (each divided into [[diocese]]s, grouping under a ''Vicarius'' a number of [[Roman province]]s, listed under that article), although he maintained two pretorian prefectures as an administrative level above the also surviving dioceses (a few of which were split).
===Ecclesiastic===
As [[Canon law (Catholic Church)|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.
=== French ''préfecture'' ===
{{main|Prefectures in France}}
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''===
{{main|Prefectures of Greece}}
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.
=== Chinese equivalents of ''prefecture'' ===
{{main|Prefecture (China)}}
==== The ancient sense ====
;Xian'' (县/縣)
{{main|County (PRC and ROC)}}
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.
;''Zhou
{{main|Zhou (country subdivision)}}
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.
==== 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]].
=== Japanese sense of ''prefecture'' ===
{{main|Prefectures of Japan}}
In reference to the [[Japan]]ese system of administrative subdivisions, ''prefecture'' is used as the translation for ''todōfuken'' (都道府県). The system of local government in Japan consists of two classes: prefectures as the large-area local governing units, and [[municipality|municipalities]] (市町村) 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 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 prefecture plays a sufficiently large role in personal identity that Japanese introducing themselves often mention their prefecture of origin as well as (or instead of) their municipality.
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 of responsibility and local residents as their constituents, holding administrative authority within their respective geographical boundaries. In [[Hokkaidō]] and several other prefectures, [[subprefectures of Japan|subprefecture]]s are used as special administrative units, due to peculiarities of governmental evolution and the difficulty in centrally governing certain geographically large or remote areas.
All but four prefectures are followed with the suffix ''-ken'' (県), as in ''Kanagawa-ken'', which is rendered in [[English language|English]] as [[Kanagawa Prefecture]]. The large-area governing units of Ōsaka and Kyōto are both referred to as ''-fu'' (府) (Ōsaka-fu and Kyōto-fu, respectively), but this term is also translated as ''prefecture''. There are two government units that are not technically referred to as prefectures. Tokyo’s prefecture-level government and its area is followed by ''-to'' (都, literally, ''capital''), and whose government calls itself the "Tōkyō Metropolitan Government" in English. Finally, Hokkaidō’s ''-dō'' (道) is a suffix for an [[Gokishichidō|ancient region name]], even though it was so named in [[1869]]. Hokkaidō’s government calls itself the "Hokkaidō Government" in English.
Below the level of prefecture are ''-shi'' (市) ''cities'', ''-chō'' or ''machi'' (both 町) ''town'', and ''-son'' or ''mura'' (both 村) ''village''. Additionally, cities may be subdivided into ''-ku'' (区) ''wards''.
Japan’s current prefectural system was established in the [[Meiji era]] after the new Meiji government abolished fiefs run by [[feudal]] [[clan]]s 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 ([[Aimags of Mongolia|Aimags]]) were adopted under the [[Manchu Empire]]. Today these are usually translated as "provinces".
===Venezuelan equivalent===
Traditionally the prefecture as being the [[City Hall]] and the prefect as being the equivalent of a mayor and commissioner until recently; now the prefectures and prefect are analogous with the figure of [[Town Clerk]].
==See also==
*[[County]]
*[[Politics of the People's Republic of China]]
*[[Politics of Japan]]
*[[Politics of the Republic of China]]
*[[Politics of Mongolia]]
*[[Subprefecture]]
{{Types of administrative country subdivision}}
[[Category:Administrative divisions]]
[[af:Prefektuur]]
[[ca:Prefectura]]
[[cs:Prefektura]]
[[de:Präfektur]]
[[eo:Prefektejo]]
[[es:Prefectura]]
[[fr:Préfecture]]
[[id:Prefektur]]
[[ja:県]]
[[la:Praefectura]]
[[nl:Prefectuur]]
[[pl:Prefektura]]
[[pt:Prefeitura]]
[[ru:Префектура (Франция)]]
[[sr:Префектуре Француске]]
[[sv:Frankrikes departementshuvudstäder]]
[[zh:地区]]