Gharbia Governorate

Gharbia is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is found in the northern part of the country, just south of Kafr El Sheikh Governorate and north of Monufia Governorate. The main city, or capital, is Tanta, which is about 90 km north of Cairo and 120 km southeast of Alexandria. The biggest city in Gharbia is El Mahalla El Kubra. The whole area covers 1,942 km².

The history of Gharbia goes back to very old times, from the Pharaonic era. Back then, the land was part of three important areas around Abu Sir, Samannoud, and Sa El Hagar. These places were special for religion and politics in ancient Egypt. Later, the area became important during the time of the Twenty-fourth Dynasty of Egypt, which helped bring Egypt back together after some difficult times.

In more recent history, Gharbia has been part of big moments in Egypt’s story. People there stood up against foreign rulers, like during the French Campaign in 1798 in Tanta. They also helped fight for Egypt’s freedom during the Egyptian Revolution of 1919 against British occupation of Egypt.

Today, Gharbia is a busy place for farming and industry. It is the biggest place in Egypt for growing onions and the second biggest for grapes. The area also grows wheat, rice, and jasmine. There are big factories for making clothes, food, perfume, and pottery, making Gharbia an important part of Egypt’s economy.

Municipal divisions

Gharbia Governorate in Egypt is divided into eight main areas for local management. As of January 2023, it had an estimated population of 5,500,507 people. Sometimes, two types of areas may share the same name.

The way Gharbia is organized goes back to the early 1800s. During this time, Egypt was divided into new administrative parts after a big land survey in 1813. By 1822, Gharbia was split into five districts. Later, in 1825, it was reorganized again into more districts.

Today, besides these eight main areas, Gharbia also includes seven larger divisions, 71 local units, and 320 villages.

The biggest city in the area is El Mahalla El Kubra, followed by the important city of Tanta. Samannud is the smallest main center. Basyoun has the fewest people overall, and Qutur has the least number of people living closely together.

Etymology

The name Gharbia comes from an Arabic word meaning "west." It translates to "the Western one," showing where the area is located compared to important cities like Cairo and near the Nile Delta.

History

The Gharbia Governorate has a long history dating back to ancient times. Archaeological findings show that people lived in this area during the time of the pharaohs. Egypt was divided into regions called nomes, each with its own leader and important god. The land that is now Gharbia was not part of just one nome but included parts of several, such as the Fifth Lower Egyptian nome with its capital at Sais and the Ninth nome with its capital at Abu Sir.

During the medieval period, the area was part of different administrative regions. After the Islamic conquest, it became part of "Batn al-Rif" and was divided into several areas known as kuras. The Fatimid rulers created a region called Gharbia between the Rosetta and Damietta branches of the Nile River, naming it for its western location.

In more recent times, the French army entered Tanta in 1798 during a celebration and faced resistance from local people. Later, administrative changes moved the capital from al-Mahalla al-Kubra to Tanta in 1836 because of its central location. During the 1919 Revolution, people in Gharbia protested and even declared a small republic in Zefta. The area continued to change with new administrative rules over the years.

Population

In 1960, Gharbia Governorate had about 1.8 million people. By 2015, most people lived in rural areas, with only about 25% in cities. Out of around 4.8 million people, more than 3 million lived in the countryside, while around 1.4 million lived in towns.

Today, there are about 1.3 million households, with each household having around 4 people on average. The birth rate is 17.8 babies for every 1,000 people, which is lower than the national average. The death rate is 6.1 for every 1,000 people, a bit higher than the national average. This leads to a population growth of 11.7 people for every 1,000. The average age for men to get married is 30 years, while for women it is 24 years.

Religion

Although there are no recent official numbers, most people in Gharbia are Sunni Muslims, with Orthodox Christians making up a smaller group. There are also tiny communities of other Islamic and Christian groups. In 1986, Muslims made up about 98% of the population, Christians about 1.7%, and there were a few Jews and people of other religions. The governorate has many mosques and several churches.

Tribes

During the Ayyubid period, many Arab tribes settled in Gharbia. Some well-known tribes include the Banu Sinbis from the Tayy tribe, as well as other groups like the Banu Rumaith, Banu ‘Anaz, and Banu ‘Adwa. Other tribes such as the Banu Yazid, ‘Umariyyun, and groups from Kutama and Lawata also lived in different parts of the area.

Cities

Gharbia Governorate has several important cities. Some of the main cities include El Mahalla El Kubra, Kafr El Zayat, Samanoud, Tanta, Zifta, El Santa, Kotoor, and Basyoun. These cities are part of what makes Gharbia a special place to learn about in Egypt.

Economy

Gharbia Governorate, located in northern Egypt, has a growing economy. In 2024, its estimated revenues were about 28.7 billion Egyptian pounds, with expenditures around 26.9 billion, leaving a small surplus. The governorate’s total goods and services value was about 174 billion pounds in 2021.

Agriculture plays a big role in Gharbia’s economy. The land is full of farms growing crops like wheat, onions, and maize. It is especially famous for onions and jasmine flowers. There are also many animals and fish farms, and the area has factories for food and other products.

Environmental projects and programs

In 2016, Switzerland agreed to help fund a program to manage waste better in Gharbia. This project worked with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment and was finished in 2021. The program, called the National Solid Waste Management Programme, built new facilities and made old ones better for treating waste, dealing with landfills, and recycling.

Infrastructure

The road network in Gharbia Governorate is very important. It helps connect Cairo to the northern coasts and cities near the Suez Canal. As of 2021, the roads in Gharbia cover about 4,743 kilometers, with most of them paved.

Gharbia is also a key place for train travel in Egypt. It has many railway lines that link Cairo and Alexandria, as well as other cities. Trains are used for both people and goods, and some stations are being updated to improve service.

There are many vehicles in Gharbia, with over 500,000 registered as of 2022. The area has many bridges, but no airports or river ports. The closest airports are Cairo International Airport and Borg El Arab Airport in Alexandria.

Culture

The Directorate of Culture in Gharbia Governorate helps people learn more about culture through many places, including 12 cultural palaces and houses, 49 public libraries, and many more libraries. There are 83 reading halls with about 440,000 books in total.

The main museum in the area is the Tanta Museum, which opened in 1913. It has items from old excavations in the governorate and from other places too. The museum has five floors: one for Islamic antiquities, one for manuscripts, one for the Greco-Roman world and Coptic heritage, one for Ancient Egyptian artifacts, and one for offices.

Two important places for books are the Tanta Library (Dar al-Kutub), which is over 100 years old and has around 30,000 books, and the Ahmadi Mosque Library, started in 1898 during the time of Abbas II of Egypt using collections from scholars at the mosque of Ahmad al-Badawi. In 1955, this library had 10,200 books and 11,700 volumes.

Healthcare

The healthcare in Gharbia is generally better than the rest of Egypt, except for some issues with child health. There are 6,999 hospital beds in the area, most of which are in public hospitals, with some in private ones. These hospitals have many doctors, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists to help people stay healthy.

As of 2022, there were over 5,000 pharmacies in Gharbia, but only eleven stayed open late at night. The rates for children who unfortunately don’t survive are recorded, showing numbers for babies, infants, and young children.

Education

The Gharbia Governorate has worked hard to help people learn to read and write. In recent years, many people who couldn't read or write have learned these skills.

There are many schools in the area, including public schools, religious schools, and technical schools. Some schools have too many students in each class, which makes learning harder. The main university is Tanta University, which started as part of another university and grew into its own big school with many different subjects to study. There are also smaller colleges and new universities being planned to help even more students learn.

Notable people

Gharbia Governorate has been home to many well-known individuals. One famous person is Mohamed Salah, a soccer player for Liverpool F.C.. Another is Mohammed Elneny, who used to play for Arsenal F.C and now plays for Al Jazira F.C. There is also Alaa Aladdin Mumohamed Elghobashy, who works as an Imam.