A wilāyah or vilâyet (in Persian and Ottoman Turkish) is an administrative division, usually translated as "province" or "governorate". The word comes from Arabic w-l-y 'to govern': a wāli 'governor' governs a wilayah 'that which is governed'. Under the Caliphate, it referred to one of the constituent near-sovereign states. Use in specific countries Arab World For Morocco which is divided into provinces and wilāyas the translation "province" would cause the distinction to ce… (More on Vilayet)