| Gharbia Governorate | |
| Settlement Type: | Governorate |
| Flag Size: | 120px |
| Image Blank Emblem: | Coat of arms of Gharbia Governorate.jpg |
| Blank Emblem Size: | 75px |
| Coordinates: | 30.867°N 31.028°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Seat: | Tanta (capital) |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Tarek Rahmi |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 1,942 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 5409714 |
| Population As Of: | January 2023 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | GDP |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Total |
| Demographics1 Info1: | EGP 174 billion (US$ 11.1 billion) |
| Timezone1: | EET |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Blank Name Sec2: | HDI (2021) |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 0.743[3] · 9th |
Gharbia Governorate (Arabic: محافظة الغربية , pronounced as /elɣɑɾˈbejjɑ, -jæ/, "the western governorate") is one of the governorates of Egypt. It is located in the north of the country, south of Kafr El Sheikh Governorate, and north of Monufia Governorate. Its capital is Tanta, which is 90 km north of Cairo, and 120 km south east of Alexandria. The largest city in Gharbia is El Mahalla El Kubra. The total area of Gharbia governorate is 1,942 km2.
The governorate is divided into municipal divisions, with a total estimated population, as of January 2023, of 5,500,507. In some instances there is a markaz and a kism with the same name.
| El Mahalla El Kubra | Arabic: مركز المحله الكبرى | 829,692 | Markaz | ||
| El Mahalla El Kubra 1 | Arabic: قسم أول المحلة الكبرى | 186,805 | Kism (fully urban) | ||
| El Mahalla El Kubra 2 | Arabic: قسم ثان المحلة الكبرى | 289,541 | Kism (fully urban) | ||
| El Mahalla El Kubra 3 | Arabic: قسم ثالث المحلة الكبرى | 133,652 | Kism (fully urban) | ||
| El Sunta | Arabic: مركز السنطة | 507,934 | Markaz | ||
| Basyoun | Arabic: مركز بسيون | 318,370 | Markaz | ||
| Kafr El Zayat | Arabic: مركز كفر الزيات | 486,055 | Markaz | ||
| Kotoor | Arabic: مركز قطور | 357,643 | Markaz | ||
| Samanoud | Arabic: مركز سمنود | 426,257 | Markaz | ||
| Tanta | Arabic: مركز طنطا | 716,116 | Markaz | ||
| Tanta 1 | Arabic: قسم أول طنطا | 315,737 | Kism (fully urban) | ||
| Tanta 2 | Arabic: قسم ثان طنطا | 277,863 | Kism (fully urban) | ||
| Zefta | Arabic: مركز زفتى | 449,066 | Markaz | ||
| Zefta | Arabic: قسم زفتى | 114,983 | Kism (fully urban) |
al-Gharbiyya is an Arabic term meaning "Western one" or "Western side". In the 13th century it comprised 165 villages. The 15th-century geographer al-Qalqashandi describes the region as fertile and prosperous.
El Mahalla El Kobra was the provincial capital until 1836, later succeeded by Tanta.
The region is notable for the cultivation of cotton, and its textile industry.
In 1960, the governorate numbered 1,815,000 inhabitants. According to population estimates, in 2015 the majority of 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 as opposed to only 1,427,235 in urban areas.[4]
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, as well as the expansion and improvement of existing waste treatment, landfill, and recycling facilities.[5]