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A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. In the American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 and many Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
 systems, lieutenant governors are usually deputy heads of state. In Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, however, a lieutenant-governor
Lieutenant-Governor (Canada)

In Canada, the Lieutenant-Governor , is the Monarchy of Canada's representative in a Provinces and territories of Canada, much as the Governor General of Canada is the sovereign's representative in the federal jurisdiction....
 represents the sovereign to a provincial government
Provinces and territories of Canada

The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the List of countries and outlying territories by total area. The major difference between a Canada province and a territory is that a province receives its power and authority directly from the Monarchy in Canada, via the Constitution Act, 1867, whereas territories derive their manda...
, just as the governor general
Governor General of Canada

The Governor General of Canada is the viceroy representative in Canada of the Monarchy of Canada, who is the head of state. Canada is one of sixteen Commonwealth realms, all of which share the same person as their respective sovereign....
 represents the sovereign to the federal government
Government of Canada

Canada is a constitutional monarchy. The powers and structure of the federal government are set out in the Constitution of Canada, which includes the written part, the decisions of courts, and unwritten conventions developed over time....
.

In federal states, the term "lieutenant governor" is never used at federal level.






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A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. In the American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 and many Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
 systems, lieutenant governors are usually deputy heads of state. In Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, however, a lieutenant-governor
Lieutenant-Governor (Canada)

In Canada, the Lieutenant-Governor , is the Monarchy of Canada's representative in a Provinces and territories of Canada, much as the Governor General of Canada is the sovereign's representative in the federal jurisdiction....
 represents the sovereign to a provincial government
Provinces and territories of Canada

The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the List of countries and outlying territories by total area. The major difference between a Canada province and a territory is that a province receives its power and authority directly from the Monarchy in Canada, via the Constitution Act, 1867, whereas territories derive their manda...
, just as the governor general
Governor General of Canada

The Governor General of Canada is the viceroy representative in Canada of the Monarchy of Canada, who is the head of state. Canada is one of sixteen Commonwealth realms, all of which share the same person as their respective sovereign....
 represents the sovereign to the federal government
Government of Canada

Canada is a constitutional monarchy. The powers and structure of the federal government are set out in the Constitution of Canada, which includes the written part, the decisions of courts, and unwritten conventions developed over time....
.

In federal states, the term "lieutenant governor" is never used at federal level. Rather, federal governments typically have "vice" or "deputy" presidents, or deputy governors general.

The term is generally pronounced "lef-TEN-ant" in most Commonwealth countries but is "loo-TEN-ant" in the United States.

Australia

When Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 was a collection of colonies
Colony

In politics and in history, a colony is a Territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies....
 of Britain
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, lieutenant-governors ran Australian sub-colonies that were initially subordinate to the colony of New South Wales, such as Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land

Van Diemen's Land was the original name used by Europeans for the island of Tasmania, now part of Australia. The the Netherlands explorer Abel Tasman was the first European to explore Tasmania....
 (Tasmania
Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and States and territories of Australia of the same name. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait....
) or the Bay of Islands
Bay of Islands

The Bay of Islands is an area in the Northland , New Zealand of the North Island of New Zealand. Located 60 km north-west of Whangarei, it is close to the northern tip of the country....
 (New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
).

Today there are still Lieutenant-Governors in Australia. Constitutionally Lieutenant-Governors, Administrators and the Chief Justices of the State Supreme Courts are normally separate offices in the Australian states, however in many states most notably New South Wales
Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales

The Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales is a government position in the state of New South Wales, Australia, acting as a deputy to the Governor of New South Wales....
, Victoria the role of Lieutenant-Governor is played by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In 2001, the Constitution of Queensland was amended to restore the office of Lieutenant-Governor in that state. When a Governor-General or state Governor dies, resigns, or is absent, an Administrator
Administrator of the Government

An Administrator in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth of Nations is a person who fulfills a role similar to that of a Governor or a Governor-General....
, or acting Governor, would be appointed. In the case of the Governor-General this officer is styled as an Administrator, while in the case of State Governors this officer may either be an Administrator or the Lieutenant-Governor. The state Lieutenant-Governors/Administrators have no standing powers but stand ready to take up the Governor's role.

When the Governor-General is overseas or on leave, the longest serving State governor acts as Administrator of the Commonwealth.

Canada


In Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, the lieutenant-governor (often without a hyphen
Hyphen

A hyphen is a punctuation mark. It is used both to join words and also to separate syllables of a single word. It is often confused with the dash , which are longer and have different uses, and with the minus sign which is also longer....
, and "lefTENant" similar to the English pronunciation, in French lieutenant-gouverneur, always with a hyphen), is the Canadian monarch's representative within a provincial government, just as the Governor General
Governor General of Canada

The Governor General of Canada is the viceroy representative in Canada of the Monarchy of Canada, who is the head of state. Canada is one of sixteen Commonwealth realms, all of which share the same person as their respective sovereign....
 is the sovereign's representative in the federal area. Contrary to popular belief, the lieutenant-governors are not subordinate to the Governor General; rather, they are all equal in rank as they all represent the same monarch, who cannot be subordinate to him or herself. For purposes of protocol and precedence, the Governor General is first among equals after the sovereign, followed by the lieutenant-governors of, in order of entry into Confederation
Canadian Confederation

Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federalism Dominion of Canada was formed beginning July 1, 1867 from the provinces, colony and Territory of British North America....
, Ontario (1867), Quebec (1867), Nova Scotia (1867), New Brunswick (1867), Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward Island (1873), Saskatchewan (1905), Alberta (1905), and Newfoundland and Labrador (1949).

As with the Governor General, the lieutenant-governors are appointed on the advice of the federal prime minister. However, unlike the Governor General, who is appointed by the monarch, the lieutenant-governors are appointed by the Governor General.

Each of Canada's three territories has a commissioner who performs functions comparable to a lieutenant-governor. Unlike the provinces and federal government, however, the territories are not sovereign jurisdictions. Territorial commissioners thus do not represent the sovereign, but are merely officers of the federal government.

India

See also: List of Governors of India
List of Governors of India

List of current Governors, Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of Indian States and Union Territories....


In India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
, a Lieutenant-Governor is in charge of a Union Territory
Union Territory

A Union Territory is a sub-national administrative division of India, in the Federal republic framework of governance. Unlike the States and territories of India, which have their own elected governments, union territories are ruled directly by the federal Government of India; the President of India appoints an Administrator of the Governmen...
. He is given almost the same powers chief minister
Chief Minister

A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a United Kingdom crown colony that has attained self-government....
s have over their states. However the rank is given just to the 4 union territories of Chandigarh
Chandigarh

Chandigarh , also called The Beautiful City, is a city in India that serves as the Capital of two states and territories of India, Punjab, India and Haryana, and is a union territory of India....
, Delhi, Pondicherry and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India.Informally, the territory's name is often abbreviated to A & N Islands, or ANI....
. Lieutenant-governors hold the same rank as a governor of a state in the list of precedence.

However, Delhi and Pondicherry have a measure of self-government with an elected legislature and cabinet- hence the role of the Lieutenant-Governor in those territories is more akin to that of a state governor.

The other 3 territories have an administrator appointed, who is an IAS
Indian Administrative Service

The Indian Administrative Service is the Public administration civil service of the Government of India. One of the three All India Services , the IAS plays a major role in managing the bureaucracy of both the Union Government and the States and territories of India governments, with its officers holding strategic posts across the countr...
 officer.

New Zealand

The only person to have held the rank of Lieutenant Governor of New Zealand was Captain William Hobson, RN from 1839–1841, during which time the New Zealand colony was a dependency of the colony of New South Wales, governed at that time by Sir George Gipps. When New Zealand was designated a crown colony in 1841, Hobson was raised to the rank of Governor, which he held until his death the following year.

Subsequently in 1848 New Zealand was divided into three provinces: New Ulster
New Ulster

New Ulster is the name of a Provinces of New Zealand of New Zealand that existed between 1841 and 1853....
, New Munster
New Munster

New Munster was originally the name of the South Island of New Zealand. It was given the name by Captain William Hobson Governor-General of New Zealand, in honour of Munster, the Irish province in which he was born....
, and New Leinster
New Leinster

New Leinster was, briefly, a Provinces of New Zealand of New Zealand, consisting of Stewart Island/Rakiura.New Leinster was created in 1841 by Royal Charter, and was named after the Ireland province of Leinster....
, each with their own Lieutenant Governors.

Channel Islands

In the British Crown Dependencies
Crown dependency

The Crown Dependencies are possessions of The Crown, as opposed to British overseas territory or colony of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Islands bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea....
 of Jersey
Jersey

The Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes the nearly uninhabited islands of the Minquiers, ?cr?hous, the Pierres de Lecq and other rocks and reefs....
 and Guernsey
Guernsey

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Isles Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.As well as the island of Guernsey itself, it also includes Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou, Lihou and other islets....
 the Lieutenant Governor is the Queen's representative, but the post is largely ceremonial, with executive power remaining with each Island's elected administration. The post was originally created in 1259 following the Treaty of Paris as Warden. This was subsequently renamed Governor and again changed to Lieutenant Governor.

See also List of Lieutenant Governors of Jersey, List of Lieutenant Governors of Guernsey

Isle of Man

In the Isle of Man
Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , or Mann , is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical centre of the British Isles....
, the Lieutenant Governor was until 1980 the presiding officer of the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of the Isle of Man

The Legislative Council is the upper chamber of Tynwald, the legislature of the Isle of Man.It consists of eleven Members of the Legislative Council or MLCs....
 and of Tynwald Court
Tynwald

Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the bicameral legislature of the Isle of Man. It consists of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council of the Isle of Man....
 (the Legislative Council and the House of Keys
House of Keys

The House of Keys is the directly elected lower branch of Tynwald, the parliament of the Isle of Man, the other branch being the Legislative Council of the Isle of Man....
 in joint session), but both roles have been transferred to the President of Tynwald. Now, the Lieutenant Governor only presides once a year on Tynwald Day
Tynwald Day

Tynwald Day is the National Day of the Isle of Man, usually occurring on 5 July.On this day, the Isle's legislature, Tynwald, meets in St John's, Isle of Man, rather than its usual meeting place, Douglas, Isle of Man....
. On the 19 October 2005 Tynwald approved proposals to change the title of the Lieutenant Governor to Crown Commissioner
Crown Commissioner

Crown Commissioner was a proposed new title to replace the title of Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man.On 19 October 2005, the Isle of Man's parliament, Tynwald, approved a proposal to change the Lieutenant Governor's title to to reflect the new role which the Governor plays in the government of the Isle of Man....
 . In April 2006, however, after much public disapproval, Tynwald rejected the previously approved proposal and withdrew their request for Royal Assent. Accordingly, the Lieutenant Governor will remain as currently titled.

United States


Present day

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, 42 of the 50 states have lieutenant governors. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated. In the event a governor dies, resigns or is removed from office, the lieutenant governor typically becomes governor. In states like Massachusetts, however, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor
Acting governor

An acting governor is a constitutional position created in some U.S. states when the governor dies in office or resigns. In some states, the governor may also be declared to be incapacitated and unable to function for various reasons, including illness and absence from the state for more than a specified period....
 until the next election.

In 24 states, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket, ensuring that they come from the same political party. In the remaining 18 states, they are elected separately and, thus, may come from different parties. The lieutenant governor is also frequently the presiding officer of the upper house of the state legislature (usually called the Senate). This mirrors the federal
Federal government of the United States

The Federal Government of the United States is the central current reigning United States governmental body, established by the United States Constitution....
 role of the Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office in the United States of America created by the Constitution of the United States....
 as President of the Senate
President of the Senate

The President of the Senate is a title often given to the Speaker of a senate.In countries with a Argentine Senate or the Senate of Uruguay. The Senate President is often a very high-ranking figure in the order of presidential succession order: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is second in line for succession to the pres...
.

In a few states, including Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
 and Utah
Utah

The State of Utah is a western United States U.S. state of the United States. It was the List of U.S. states by date of statehood admitted to the United States on January 4, 1896....
, the position of Lieutenant Governor is equivalent to that of Secretary of State
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)

Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions....
.

Among the states without the office of lieutenant governor, the president of the state senate assumes the governor's office upon a vacancy in Maine
Maine

The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States of America. The state was named after the southern English Counties of England of Hampshire....
, New Jersey
New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, on the east by the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, on the southwest by Delaware, and on the west by Pennsylvania....
, Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
 and West Virginia
West Virginia

West Virginia is a U.S. state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast....
. New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment in November 2005 to create the office of Lieutenant Governor. It will become effective with the 2009 general election. Although the West Virginia Constitution
West Virginia Constitution

The Constitution of the State of West Virginia is the supreme law of the U.S. State of West Virginia. It expresses the rights of the State's citizens and provides the framework for the organization of law and government....
 establishes no such office, the title of Lieutenant Governor is assigned by statute to the Senate President. In Tennessee, the full title of the leader of the Senate is the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate. John S. Wilder
John S. Wilder

John Shelton Wilder is an United States politician who was a Tennessee Senate and who was Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee from 1971 to 2007. ...
 was elected to that post in 1971 and held the Office until 2006, when he was replaced by Ron Ramsey
Ron Ramsey

Ronald Lynn "Ron" Ramsey is the current Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee and Speaker of the Tennessee State Senate. A Republican Party from Blountville, Tennessee in East Tennessee, Ramsey succeeded long-term Democratic Party Lieutenant Governor John S....
. He had been both the longest-serving and oldest Lieutenant Governor in the United States.

Arizona
Arizona

The State of Arizona is a U.S. state located in the Southwestern United States of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix, Arizona....
, Oregon
Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
 and Wyoming
Wyoming

The State of Wyoming is a sparsely populated U.S. state in the Northwestern United States of the United States. The majority of the state is dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountains, while the easternmost section of the state is a high altitude prairie region known as the High Plains ....
 also do not have a Lieutenant Governor. In these three states and the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a Autonomy Territories of the United States of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands....
, the Secretary of State
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)

Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions....
 becomes Governor upon the office's vacancy.

The U.S. territories of American Samoa
American Samoa

American Samoa is an Territories of the United States of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa....
, Guam
Guam

Guam , officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated insular area of the United States....
, and the Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands

The United States Virgin Islands is a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles....
, and the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands , officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean....
 have the office of Lieutenant Governor.

Colonial America

In colonial America the Royal Governor would be paid directly by the crown, where as the Lieutenant Governor would be paid by the colonial treasury.

Other former colonial positions

(incomplete list)
  • British Lieutenant-Governor of Tangiers
  • Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong
    Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong

    Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong was the second highest position during the British colonial rule in Hong Kong from 1843-1902. Although Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong was the second highest position in Hong Kong, the Lieutenant Governor did not have any actual power in the Government - their power usually was gained by the Colonial Secret...


Sources



Further reading


  • George F.G. Stanley, The Role of the Lieutenant-Governor: A Seminar. Fredericton: Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
    New Brunswick

    New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only Constitution of Canada bilingual province in the federation. The provincial capital is Fredericton....
    , 1992.


External links



See also

  • Deputy Governor
    Deputy Governor

    A Deputy governor is a gubernatorial official who is subordinated to a governor, rather like a Lieutenant governor.British colonial cases...
  • Vice-Governor
  • Administrator of the Government
    Administrator of the Government

    An Administrator in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth of Nations is a person who fulfills a role similar to that of a Governor or a Governor-General....
  • Governor-General
    Governor-General

    The term governor general or governor-general refers to a Viceroy representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription....
  • Governor-in-chief
    Governor-in-chief

    Governor-in-chief is a British colonial title for governing offices with a jurisdiction that comprises ? unlike an ordinary governor, but like certain governors-general ? several colonies....
  • Governor
    Governor

    A governor is a governing official, usually the Executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state. In federations, a governor may be the title of each appointed or elected politician who governs a constitutive state....