section_path: Geography/Metropolitan area and districts
section_name: Metropolitan area and districts
paragraph_text: Metropolitan area and districts
  
  The city of Cairo forms part of Greater Cairo, the largest metropolitan area in Africa. While it has no administrative body, the Ministry of Planning considers it as an economic region consisting of Cairo Governorate, Giza Governorate, and Qalyubia Governorate. As a contiguous metropolitan area, various studies have considered Greater Cairo be composed of the administrative cities that are Cairo, Giza and Shubra al-Kheima, in addition to the satellite cities / new towns surrounding them.
  
  Cairo is a city-state where the governor is also the head of the city. Cairo City itself differs from other Egyptian cities in that it has an extra administrative division between the city and district levels, and that is areas, which are headed by deputy governors. Cairo consists of 4 areas (manatiq, singl. mantiqa) divided into 38 districts (ahya', singl. hayy) and 46 qisms (police wards, 1-2 per district):
  
  The Northern Area is divided into 8 Districts:
  
  The Eastern Area divided into 9 Districts and three new cities:
  
  The Western Area divided into 9 Districts:
  
  The Southern Area divided into 12 Districts: