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{{short description|Title for the head of government of some countries' administrative divisions}}
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{{Executive}}

A '''chief minister''' is an [[Election|elected]] or appointed [[head of government]] of – in most instances – a [[sub-national entity]], for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a [[union territory]]) in India; a territory of Australia;<ref>[https://nt.gov.au/about-government "About government"]. nt.gov.au. Retrieved on 16 March 2018.</ref> a province of Sri Lanka or Pakistan; a [[Provinces of Nepal|federal province]] in Nepal; an [[Autonomous regions of the Philippines|autonomous region]] of Philippines;<ref>Only in [[Bangsamoro]]</ref> or a [[British Overseas Territory]] that has attained self-governance. It is also used as the English version of the title given to the heads of [[government]]s of the [[Malay states]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Unfederated+Malay+States|title=Malay Stats|work=TheFreeDictionary.com |access-date=14 April 2009}}</ref> without a [[monarchy]].

The title is also used in the [[Crown Dependencies]] of the [[Isle of Man]] (since 1986), in [[Guernsey]] (since 2004), and in [[Jersey]] (since 2005).

In 2018 [[Sierra Leone]], a [[presidential republic]], created the role of an appointed chief minister, which is similar to a [[prime minister]] in a [[semi-presidential system]].<ref name="telegraph">{{Cite web|url=https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/controversy-over-appointment-of-chief-minister-of-sierra-leone/|title=Controversy over appointment of chief minister of Sierra Leone|first=Abdul Rashid|last=Thomas|date=2 May 2018}}</ref> Before that, only [[Milton Margai]] had the same position between 1954 and 1958.<ref>[http://unimak.edu.sl/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Centre-of-Sierra-Leone-Studies-Politics.pdf ''Centre of Sierra Leone Studies – The politics of Sierra Leone.'' The University of Makeni.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191126144517/http://unimak.edu.sl/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Centre-of-Sierra-Leone-Studies-Politics.pdf |date=26 November 2019 }} Retrieved 15 May 2018.</ref> 

== Origin ==
It was used throughout history in various forms but most notable is the [[Grand vizier]]. The vizier was originally known as "''wazir''" and was used for the first as prime minister or chief minister role in [[Abbasid Caliphate]] later it was adopted by various sultanates and empires like [[Ottoman Empire]].

==Meaning and role==
The title has a similar construction and role as a [[first minister]] or [[minister-president]] but usually with a lower rank. The role has context within the [[Westminster system]] of government where a constitutional [[head of state]] (usually sub-national) is [[Advice (constitutional)|advised]] by [[Minister (government)|ministers]] who usually head executive government departments ([[Ministry (government department)|ministries]]). A chief minister is understood to be "first among equals". They would be the chief adviser to the nominal head of their state, the [[chairman|chair]] of [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] and leader of the main governing [[political party]] in the [[legislature]].<ref name="NTchief">{{cite book |last1=Boland |first1=Angela |title=Cabinet Handbook |date=8 August 2017 |publisher=Northern Territory Government |page=5 |url=https://dcm.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/252216/cabinet_handbook_august_2017.pdf |access-date=20 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320113700/https://dcm.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/252216/cabinet_handbook_august_2017.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Chief ministers around the world==
<!-- ordered by country -->
* [[Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory]]
* [[Chief Minister of the Northern Territory]] of Australia
* [[Chief Minister of Burma]]
* [[Chief Minister of Guernsey]]
* [[Chief Minister of Gibraltar]]
* [[Chief Minister (India)]]
* [[Chief Minister of Jersey]]
* [[Chief Minister of the Isle of Man]]
* [[Chief Minister of Montserrat]]
* [[Chief Ministers in Malaysia]]
* [[Chief minister (Nepal)]]
* [[Chief Minister (Pakistan)]]
* [[Chief Minister of Bangsamoro]] of the Philippines
* [[Chief Minister of Saint Helena]]
* [[Chief Minister of Sierra Leone]]
* [[Chief Minister of Singapore]]
* [[Chief Ministers in Sri Lanka]]
* [[Chief Minister of Mandalay Region]]
* [[List of chief ministers of Galmudug]] (Somalia)

==Informal chief ministers==
* [[Chief minister of France]]
* [[List of English chief ministers|English chief ministers]]

==See also==
{{Wiktionary|chief minister}}
* [[Constitutional monarchy]]
* [[Governor]]
* [[Parliamentary leader]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Types of heads of government}}

[[Category:Heads of government]]
[[Category:Positions of subnational authority]]
[[Category:Gubernatorial titles]]