Administrative divisions of France

Administrative divisions of France
The administrative divisions of France are concerned with the institutional and territorial organization of French territory. These territories are located in many parts of the world. There are many administrative divisions, which may have political (local government), electoral (districts), or administrative (decentralized services of the state) objectives. All the inhabited territories are represented in the National Assembly, Senate and Economic and Social Council and their citizens have French citizenship and elect the President of France.
Types of division
Regions, the most integrated territories
The French Republic is divided into 18 regions: 12 in mainland France and 6 elsewhere (1 in Europe: Corsica; 2 in the Caribbean (the Lesser Antilles): Guadeloupe and Martinique; 1 in South America: French Guiana; and 2 in the Indian Ocean near East Africa: Mayotte and Réunion). They are traditionally divided between the metropolitan regions, located on the European continent, and the overseas regions, located outside the European continent. Both have the same status and form the most integrated part of the French Republic.
Metropolitan regions
, metropolitan France is divided into the following:
13 regions, including Corsica; although Corsica is formally a single territorial collectivity, it is considered equivalent to a region (local authority).
The regions are subdivided into 96 departments (local authority).
The departments are subdivided into 320 arrondissements (not a public or legal entity).
The departments are subdivided into 1,995 cantons (not a public or legal entity).
The departments are subdivided into 34,826 communes (local authority).
Three urban communes (Paris, Marseille, and Lyon) are further divided into municipal arrondissements. There are 20 arrondissements of Paris, 16 arrondissements of Marseille, and 9 arrondissements of Lyon.
The city of Marseille is also divided into 8 municipal sectors. Each sector is composed of two arrondissements.
There are also 710 associated communes, formerly independent communes which were merged with larger communes but have retained some limited degree of autonomy (e.g., the commune of Lomme which was absorbed by Lille in 2000 and transformed into an "associated commune" inside the commune of Lille).
Furthermore there exist 2,585 intercommunal structures grouping 34,077 communes (93.2% of all the communes of metropolitan France), with 87.4% of the population of metropolitan France living in them. These intercommunal structures are:
16 urban communities (communautés urbaines, or CU)
167 agglomeration communities (communautés d'agglomération, or CA)
2,397 commune communities (communautés de communes, or CC)
5 Syndicates of New Agglomeration (syndicats d'agglomération nouvelle, or SAN), a category being phased out
Overseas regions
Five overseas regions (régions d'outre-mer, or ROM), which have the same status as metropolitan regions. The overseas regions are as follows:
French Guiana
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Mayotte
Réunion
Each overseas region is coextensive with an overseas department (département d'outre-mer, or DOM), again with the same status as departments in metropolitan France. The first four overseas departments were created in 1946 and preceded the four overseas regions, Mayotte became a DOM in 2011. The dual structure of overseas region and overseas department, with two separate assemblies administering the same territory, results from the extension of the regional scheme to the overseas departments in the 1970s. Each overseas region or department may transform into a single territorial collectivity, with the merger of the regional and departmental assemblies, which voters in Martinique and French Guiana approved in two referendums in 2010. In Réunion, the creation of a second department for the southern part of the island has been debated for some time.
The overseas departments are subdivided into 12 arrondissements (Mayotte does not have arrondissements).
The 12 arrondissements are further subdivided into 153 cantons with Mayotte having another 19 cantons.
The 172 cantons are composed of 129 communes. (In the five DOM, there are more cantons than communes, unlike in metropolitan France, because many communes are divided into several cantons, whereas in metropolitan France in general cantons are made up of several communes, except in large communes like Toulouse or Lille which are divided into several cantons.)
Furthermore, as of 1 January 2009, there exist 16 intercommunal structures in the overseas departments, grouping 89 communes (79.5% of all the communes of the overseas departments), with 83.2% of the population of the overseas departments living in them intercommunal structures. These intercommunal structures are:
7 agglomeration communities
9 commune communities
Overseas collectivities, semi-autonomous territories
The French Republic includes five overseas collectivities (collectivités d'outre-mer, or COM) with a semi-autonomous status:
French Polynesia
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Wallis and Futuna
French Polynesia (designated as an "overseas country", French: pays d'outre-mer) is divided into 5 administrative subdivisions (subdivisions administratives). For elections, it is divided into six electoral districts (circonscriptions électorales), which differ slightly from the 5 administrative subdivisions. The 5 administrative subdivisions are divided into 48 communes. There also exist some associated communes as in metropolitan France.
Saint Barthélemy (designated as a "collectivity", French: collectivité) is a new overseas collectivity created on 22 February 2007. It was previously a commune inside the Guadeloupe department. The commune structure was abolished, and Saint Barthélemy is now one of only three permanently inhabited territories of the French Republic with no commune structure. There are no cantons and arrondissements either.
Saint Martin (designated as a "collectivity", French: collectivité) is also a new overseas collectivity created on 22 February 2007. It was also previously a commune inside the Guadeloupe department. The commune structure was abolished and Saint Martin is now one of only three permanently inhabited territories of the French Republic with no commune structure. There are also no cantons or arrondissements.
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (designated as a "territorial collectivity", French: collectivité territoriale, the same designation as Corsica, a region and not an overseas collectivity) is divided into 2 communes with no arrondissements or cantons.
Wallis and Futuna (designated as a "territory", French: territoire) is divided into 3 districts (circonscriptions territoriales), which exactly match the three traditional chiefdoms (royaumes coutumiers) with their traditional kings still at their head, the only kings currently recognized in the French Republic. These 3 districts are Uvea, Sigave, and Alo. Uvea is the most populous and is further divided into 3 wards (districts in French): Hahake, Mua, and Hihifo. Wallis and Futuna is one of only three permanently inhabited territories of the French Republic with no communes (the others being Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin). It also has no arrondissements or cantons.
New Caledonia, an autonomous territory
The French Republic includes one autonomous collectivity:
New Caledonia
New Caledonia's status is unique in the French Republic: it is the only French local government that is not a territorial collectivity (although its subdivisions are territorial collectivities). It is regarded as a sui generis collectivity, which means that local government and parliament have the power to pass and enforce specific laws without seeking the consent of the French Government; unless such laws are declared illegitimate by the Constitutional Council in a specific proceeding brought to the Constitutional Council. As agreed in the 1998 Nouméa Accord, a New Caledonian citizenship was established (in addition to the French citizenship which is kept in parallel, along with the consequent European citizenship) and a self-determination referendum was held in 2018. Two follow-up referendums were held in 2020 and 2021.
It is divided into 3 provinces.
The provinces are subdivided into 33 communes.
Territories without civilian population
These territories have no permanent civilian population. The residents consist of military personnel, scientific researchers, and support staff.
Overseas territory
1 overseas territory (territoire d'outre-mer, or TOM): the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, which have no permanent population and no communes.
The French Southern and Antarctic Lands are divided into five districts (districts in French):
Adélie Land
Crozet Islands
Kerguelen Islands
Saint Paul Island and Amsterdam Island
The Scattered Islands (Îles Éparses), a collection of five non-permanently inhabited island groups in the Indian Ocean: Bassas da India, Europa Island, the Glorioso Islands (including Banc du Geyser), Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island. These were previously administered separately but they have been combined into the French Southern and Antarctic Lands since February 2007.
Uninhabited island directly under the authority of the Minister of Overseas France
Clipperton Island: an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico which is directly under the authority of the Minister of the Overseas in Paris (until February 2007 it was administered by the high-commissioner of the French Republic in French Polynesia). Since the Scattered Islands were also combined with the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in February 2007, Clipperton Island is now the only island left in this category.
Territorial collectivities
French subdivisions that have a (limited) freedom of administration are called territorial collectivities. Among them are regions, departments, communes, overseas collectivities, provinces (only present in New Caledonia), and the territorial collectivity of Corsica which belongs to no category (but is usually grouped with the regions). New Caledonia is unique as it is not a territorial collectivity.
General rules
Citizens from all parts of France, including the overseas administrative divisions, vote in national elections (presidential, legislative), and all of the collectivities are represented in the Senate.
List of departments by region
Metropolitan France
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
01 Ain
03 Allier
07 Ardèche
15 Cantal
26 Drôme
38 Isère
42 Loire
43 Haute-Loire
63 Puy-de-Dôme
69D Rhône
69M Lyon Metropolis
73 Savoie
74 Haute-Savoie
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
21 Côte-d'Or
25 Doubs
39 Jura
58 Nièvre
70 Haute-Saône
71 Saône-et-Loire
89 Yonne
90 Territoire de Belfort
Brittany (Bretagne)
22 Côtes-d'Armor
29 Finistère
35 Ille-et-Vilaine
56 Morbihan
Centre-Val de Loire
18 Cher
28 Eure-et-Loir
36 Indre
37 Indre-et-Loire
41 Loir-et-Cher
45 Loiret
Corsica (Corse/Corsica)
2A Corse-du-Sud
2B Haute-Corse
Île-de-France
75 Paris
77 Seine-et-Marne
78 Yvelines
91 Essonne
92 Hauts-de-Seine
93 Seine-Saint-Denis
94 Val-de-Marne
95 Val-d'Oise
Grand Est
08 Ardennes
10 Aube
51 Marne
52 Haute-Marne
54 Meurthe-et-Moselle
55 Meuse
57 Moselle
67 Bas-Rhin
68 Haut-Rhin
88 Vosges
Hauts-de-France
02 Aisne
59 Nord
60 Oise
62 Pas-de-Calais
80 Somme
Normandy (Normandie)
14 Calvados
27 Eure
50 Manche
61 Orne
76 Seine-Maritime
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
16 Charente
17 Charente-Maritime
19 Corrèze
23 Creuse
24 Dordogne
33 Gironde
40 Landes
47 Lot-et-Garonne
64 Pyrénées-Atlantiques
79 Deux-Sèvres
86 Vienne
87 Haute-Vienne
Occitanie
09 Ariège
11 Aude
12 Aveyron
30 Gard
31 Haute-Garonne
32 Gers
34 Hérault
46 Lot
48 Lozère
65 Hautes-Pyrénées
66 Pyrénées-Orientales
81 Tarn
82 Tarn-et-Garonne
Pays de la Loire
44 Loire-Atlantique
49 Maine-et-Loire
53 Mayenne
72 Sarthe
85 Vendée
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
04 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
05 Hautes-Alpes
06 Alpes-Maritimes
13 Bouches-du-Rhône
83 Var
84 Vaucluse
Overseas departments and collectivities
Overseas departments (the following are both departments and regions)
971 Guadeloupe
972 Martinique
973 French Guiana
974 Réunion
976 Mayotte
Overseas collectivities
975 Saint Pierre and Miquelon
977 Saint Barthélemy
978 Saint Martin
986 Wallis and Futuna
987 French Polynesia (was also given the designation of overseas country)
Sui generis collectivity
988 New Caledonia
Overseas territory
984 French Southern and Antarctic Lands (including France's Antarctic claim and the Scattered Islands in the Indian Ocean)
Special status
989 Clipperton Island
Historical divisions
Historically, France was divided into a complex mosaic of more or less independent entities. Their gradual incorporation into France as provinces may be followed in the article Territorial formation of France.
See also
2009 Mahoran status referendum
Decentralisation in France
List of 35 largest French metropolitan areas by population
Outre-mer
Overseas collectivity
Overseas department and region
Overseas France
Overseas Territories of France (European Parliament constituency)
Overseas territory
Special member state territories and the European Union
Zone d'études et d'aménagement du territoire (ZEAT), the eight statistical divisions of metropolitan (mainland) France
References
External links
Local websites by region
France
Lists of subdivisions of France