Interior minister

An interior minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for policing, national security, and immigration matters. In some countries, matters relating to the maintenance of law and order and the administration of justice are the responsibility of a separate justice minister.

In countries with a federal constitution, an interior minister will often be found at both the federal and state levels. Similarly, autonomous entities and dependent territories may also have interior ministers; an example is Hong Kong (a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China), which has a Secretary for Security.

The United States Secretary of the Interior is primarily concerned with managing lands owned by the federal government, mainly the administration of natural resources such as parks and wildlife. National security is the responsibility of the US Secretary of Homeland Security, while the US Attorney General is responsible for federal law enforcement.

Canada does not have a minister with a single title, rather it is split amongst three ministries. From 1873 to 1936, the title of Minister of the Interior did exist and responsible for land and resource extraction. It replaced the Secretary of State for the Provinces (1867â€"1873). For more see List of Canadian Ministers of the Interior.

Related articles and lists of ministers

Austria::Federal Minister for the InteriorAzerbaijan::Azerbaijan - Ministry of Internal AffairsCanada::Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada) - immigration issues and enforcement:Minister of Justice (Canada) - includes the office of the Attorney General of Canada:Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness - includes the RCMP, border control, Solicitor General's officeFrance::Minister of the Interior and Regional Development:List of ministersGermany::Federal Minister of the Interior:List of ministersHong Kong::Secretary for SecurityHungary::Minister of the Municipalities and Regional Development (Hungary) (önkormányzati és területfejlesztési miniszter) since 9 june 2006India::Minister for Home Affairs Italy::Italian Minister of the Interior (Ministro degli Interni)Japan:Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (since 2001)Pakistan::Minister of the Interior (Wazir-e-Dakhila)

Russia::List of Ministers of Interior of Imperial Russia:Singapore::Minister for Home Affairs:Minister for the Interior and DefenceSpain::Minister of the InteriorSwitzerland::Head of the Federal Department of the Interior United Kingdom::Secretary of State for the Home Department (UK Wide/England and Wales) :Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland):Minister for Justice (Scotland) United States::Attorney General - includes federal law enforcement:Secretary of Homeland Security - includes national security and disaster preparedness or response

See also

*Department of Public Safety