Emirate facts for kids
An emirate is a special kind of territory or country that is ruled by a leader called an emir. An emir is usually a ruler who comes from a specific family, meaning the position is often passed down through generations. The word "emirate" comes from the Arabic word Imaarah.
Many emirates from the past have either joined bigger countries or changed their ruler's title, like to a Malik (which means King in Arabic) or a Sultan. This means that today, there are not many independent countries that are still called emirates.
In Arabic, the word "emirate" can also mean a province or region within a country that is managed by a member of the ruling family, especially a royal family member. For example, some regions in Saudi Arabia are called emirates.
Contents
What is an Emirate?
An emirate is a land or state led by an emir. Think of an emir as a prince or a powerful chief. In many cases, emirs inherit their position, meaning they are part of a ruling family. This is similar to how kings or queens rule in other monarchies. The idea of an emirate is very old and comes from the Middle East.
Independent Emirates Today
Today, only a few countries are officially known as independent emirates. These are sovereign states where an emir is the head of the country.
- Kuwait: A country in Western Asia known for its oil.
- Qatar: A peninsula country in the Middle East, also rich in natural gas.
- United Arab Emirates: A unique country made up of seven smaller emirates.
The United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a great example of how emirates work together. It's a federal state, which means it's a union of seven different emirates. Each of these seven emirates has its own hereditary emir. These seven emirs then work together to choose the country's President and Prime Minister. This makes the UAE a very special kind of federation.
Emirates from the Past
Throughout history, many territories were known as emirates. Some of these no longer exist, while others became part of larger nations or changed their form of government.
- The Emirate of Armenia: An early emirate in the region of Armenia.
- Emirate of Sicily: This was an emirate on the island of Sicily from 965 to 1072.
- Emirate of Granada: A famous emirate in Spain that existed from 1228 to 1492.
- Emirate of Trarza: Found in what is now southwest Mauritania, it existed from the 1640s to the 1910s.
- Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: A historical and modern political entity in Afghanistan.
- Islamic Emirate of Waziristan: A region in Pakistan.
- Az Zubayr: A historical emirate.
- Bahrain: This island nation was an emirate until 2002, when it became a kingdom.
Images for kids
-
Location of Afghanistan (grey), Kuwait (red), Qatar (green), and the emirates of the United Arab Emirates
-
Ifriqiya under the Hafsids
-
Trarza (upper left)
-
Cyrenaica in Libya
-
Beihan and Dhala in South Arabia
-
Diriyah
-
Nejd
-
Jabal Shammar
-
Asir at its height
-
Saudi Arabian emirate divisions
-
Bukhara
-
Waziristan in Pakistan
-
Ottoman emirate in 1300, labeled 'Osman'
-
Timurid Emirate under the leadership of Timur
-
Soran (at center)
-
Transjordan
-
Darband, Azerbaijan
-
Armenia
-
Córdoba
-
Crete within modern Greece
.png)
See also
In Spanish: Emirato para niños
