An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Islamic monarch styled emir. It also means principality.
Etymologically emirate or amirate (Arabic: إمارة imārah, plural: إمارات imārāt) is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any emir (prince, commander, governor etc.).
The United Arab Emirates is a federal state that comprises seven federal emirates, each administered by a hereditary emir, these seven forming the electoral college for the federation's President and Prime Minister. As most emirates have either disappeared, been integrated in a larger modern state or changed their rulers' styles, e.g. to malik (Arabic for king) or sultan, such true emirate-states have become rare.
Furthermore, in Arabic the term can be generalized to mean any province of a country that is administered by a member of the ruling class, especially of a member (usually styled emir) of the royal family, as in Saudi Arabian governorates.
A list of present independent Emirates.
Kuwait, emirate since 1757
Qatar, emirate since 1878
United Arab Emirates, united since 1971-
Emirate of Abu Dhabi
Emirate of Ajman
Emirate of Dubai
Emirate of Fujairah
Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah
Emirate of Sharjah
Emirate of Umm al-Quwain
A list of emirates that have either ceased to exist, are not recognized and hold no real power, or were integrated into another country and preserved as "traditional states" arranged by location and in order of the date of the first leader styled "emir."
Emirate of Córdoba, modern Spain and Portugal 756-929 (title changed to caliph in 929)
Emirate of Badajoz, modern Portugal and western Spain 1009-1151
Emirate of Almería, region of Almería and Cartagena in modern Spain off and on 1013-1091
Emirate of Jerez, towns of Jerez de la Frontera and Arcos de la Frontera in modern southern Spain 1145-1147
Emirate of Granada, modern southeast Spain 1228-1492
Emirate of Crete, Crete, modern Greece, 824 or 827/828 to 961
Emirate of Bari, city of Bari in southern Italy 847-871
Emirate of Malta, 870-1091
Emirate of Sicily, Sicily 965-1072
The Emirate of Armenia, Caucasus 637-884
Emirate of Tbilisi, modern Georgia 736-1080, nominally to 1122
North Caucasian Emirate, Chechnya and Dagestan in the Caucasus 1919-1920
Caucasian Emirate, Caucasus 2007- (unrecognized)
Emirate of Mosul (see list of emirs for more), modern Iraq 905-1096, 1127-1222, 1254-1383, 1758-1918
Emirate of Melitene, modern central Turkey mid-ninth century to 934
Emirate of Amida, modern Eastern Turkey 983-1085
Karaman Emirate, south-central Anatolia 1250-1487
Ottoman Empire, Middle East, considered an emirate off and on before the title of sultan was adopted, 1299-1383
Emirate of Aydin, state composed of Oghuz Turks in modern Turkey from the early 14th century to 1390
Emirate of Dulkadir, modern Eastern Turkey 1337-1522
Emirate of Ramazan, modern Eastern Turkey 1352-1608
Timurid Emirates, Timur's empire and the minor emirates left behind after the fall of the Timurid dynasty in the Middle East, 1526-c.1550
Soran Emirate, modern northern Iraq 1816–35
Az Zubayr, town in Basra Governorate, Iraq during 19th century
Emirate of Transjordan, modern Jordan 1921–46
Uyunid Emirate, the modern Arabian Peninsula 1076–1253
Emirate of Beihan, modern southern Yemen 1680-1967
Emirate of Diriyah, mainly in modern Saudi Arabia and UAE 1744-1818
Emirate of Nejd, eastern Arabia 1818–91
Emirate of Dhala, modern southern Yemen early 19th century to 1967
Emirate of Jabal Shammar, northcentral Arabia 1836-1921
Emirate of Nejd and Hasa, central Arabia 1902–21
Idrisid Emirate of Asir, Jizan in modern southwestern Saudi Arabia 1906–34
Emirate of Mecca, Hejaz of modern Saudi Arabia 1916–24 (ibn Saud family, from when recognized by Allies as emir to when the royal style changed)
Emirate of Bahrain, 1971–2002 (before it was under a hakim; after under a malik)
The Al-Qaeda Emirate in Yemen in the interior of Yemen affiliated with Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (especially in Hadramaut Governorate)
Emirates of Saudi Arabia, the thirteen provinces of Saudi Arabia
Central Asia and Indian subcontinent
Emirate of Bukhara, modern Uzbekistan 1785–1920
Emirate of Afghanistan, Afghanistan 1823–1929
Khotan Emirate, 1933 northwest China, merged into First East Turkestan Republic
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Taliban state in Afghanistan 1996–2001
Islamic Emirate of Waziristan, western Pakistan 2004– (unrecognized and status unclear)
Emirate of Nekor, Rif region of modern Morocco 710-1019
Emirate of Ifriqiya, Aghlabid Ifriqiya within modern Tunisia, Algeria, Sicily, Morocco, and Libya 800-909
Emirate of Tunis, Hafsid Ifriqiya within modern Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya 1229-1574
Zab Emirate, modern Algeria circa 1400 (short-lived)
Emirate of Trarza, modern southwest Mauritania 1640s-1910s
Emirate of Harar, modern Ethiopia 1647-1887
Emirate of Cyrenaica, modern eastern Libya 1949-1951 (became the Kingdom of Libya)
Fika Emirate, northeastern Nigeria 15th century - (integrated)
Gwandu Emirate, northwestern Nigeria 15th century to 2005 (integrated and then deposed)
Kebbi Emirate, northwestern Nigeria 1516- (integrated)
Borgu Emirate, westcentral Nigeria, formed from Bussa Emirate 1730–1954 and Kaiama Emirate 1912–54, unified 1954- (integrated)
Gumel Emirate, northcentral Nigeria 1749- (integrated)
Yauri Emirate, northwestern Nigeria 1799- (integrated)
Gombe Emirate, northeast Nigeria 1804- (integrated)
Kano Emirate, northcentral Nigeria 1805- (integrated)
Bauchi Emirate, northeast Nigeria 1805- (integrated)
Daura Emirate, northcentral Nigeria off and on 1805- (integrated)
Katagum Emirate, northcentral Nigeria 1807- (integrated)
Zaria Emirate, northcentral Nigeria 1808- (integrated)
Potiskum Emirate, northeastern Nigeria 1809- (integrated)
Adamawa Emirate, eastern Nigeria and formerly into western Cameroon 1809- (integrated where preserved)
Ilorin Emirate, southwestern Nigeria 1817- (integrated)
Muri Emirate, eastcentral Nigeria 1817- (integrated)
Kazaure Emirate, northcentral Nigeria 1819- (integrated)
Lapai Emirate, central Nigeria 1825- (integrated)
Suleja Emirate, central Nigeria 1828- (integrated)
Agaie Emirate, westcentral Nigeria 1832- (integrated)
Bida Emirate, westcentral Nigeria 1856- (integrated)
Kontagora Emirate, northcentral Nigeria, 1858- (integrated)
Borno Emirate, northeastern Nigeria 1900- (integrated
Dikwa Emirate, northeast Nigeria 1901- (integrated)
Biu Emirate, northeast Nigeria 1920- (integrated))
