List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants
List
Table:
Commune
Department
Region
Population, 2013
Rank

Paris
Paris
Île-de-France
2,420,069
1

Marseille
Bouches-du-Rhône
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
855,393
2

Lyon
Rhône
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
500,715
3

Toulouse
Haute-Garonne
Occitanie
458,298
4

Nice
Alpes-Maritimes
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
342,295
5

Nantes
Loire-Atlantique
Pays de la Loire
292,718
6

Strasbourg
Bas-Rhin
Grand Est
275,718
7

Montpellier
Hérault
Occitanie
272,084
8

Bordeaux
Gironde
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
243,626
9

Lille
Nord
Hauts-de-France
231,491
10

Rennes
Ille-et-Vilaine
Brittany
211,373
11

Reims
Marne
Grand Est
182,592
12

Le Havre
Seine-Maritime
Normandy
172,074
13

Saint-Étienne
Loire
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
172,023
14

Toulon
Var
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
163,760
15

Grenoble
Isère
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
160,215
16

Dijon
Côte-d'Or
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
153,003
17

Nîmes
Gard
Occitanie
150,564
18

Angers
Maine-et-Loire
Pays de la Loire
150,125
19

Villeurbanne
Rhône
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
147,192
20

Consulting the following table along with the context snippets listed at the end.

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The commune ( French pronunciation : ​ [ kɔmyn ] ) is a level of administrative division in the French Republic . French communes are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities in the United States and Canada , Gemeinden in Germany , comuni in Italy or ayuntamiento in Spain . The United Kingdom has no exact equivalent , as communes resemble districts in urban areas , but are closer to parishes in rural areas where districts are much larger . Communes are based on historical geographic communities or villages and are vested with significant powers to manage the populations and land of the geographic area covered . The communes are the fourth-level administrative divisions of France . Communes vary widely in size and area , from large sprawling cities with millions of inhabitants like Paris , to small hamlets with only a handful of inhabitants . Communes typically are based on pre-existing villages and facilitate local governance . All communes have names , but not all named geographic areas or groups of people residing together are communes ( lieu dit or bourg ) , the difference residing in the lack of administrative powers . Except for the municipal arrondissements of its largest cities , the communes are the lowest level of administrative division in France and are governed by elected officials ( mayor and a conseil municipal ) with extensive autonomous powers to implement national policy .
In the administrative divisions of France , the department ( French : département , pronounced [ depaʁt ( ə ) mɑ̃ ] ) is one of the three levels of government below the national level ( territorial collectivities ) , between the administrative regions and the commune . Ninety-five departments are in metropolitan France , and five are overseas departments , which are also classified as regions . Departments are further subdivided into 334 arrondissements , themselves divided into cantons ; the last two have no autonomy , and are used for the organisation of police , fire departments , and sometimes , elections . Each department is administered by an elected body called a departmental council ( conseil départemental [ sing . ] , conseils départementaux [ plur. ] ) . From 1800 to April 2015 , these were called general councils ( conseil général sing . conseils généraux [ plur. ] ) . Each council has a president . Their main areas of responsibility include the management of a number of social and welfare allowances , of junior high school ( collège ) buildings and technical staff , and local roads and school and rural buses , and a contribution to municipal infrastructures . Local services of the state administration are traditionally organised at departmental level , where the prefect represents the government ; however , regions have gained importance in this regard since the 2000s , with some department-level services merged into region-level services . The departments were created in 1790 as a rational replacement of Ancien Régime provinces with a view to strengthen national unity ; the title department is used to mean a part of a larger whole . Almost all of them were named after physical geographical features ( rivers , mountains , or coasts ) , rather than after historical or cultural territories which could have their own loyalties .
France is divided into 18 administrative regions ( French : régions , singular région [ ʁeʒjɔ̃ ] ) , of which 13 are located in metropolitan France ( i.e . on the European continent ) , while the other five are overseas regions ( not be confused with the overseas collectivities , which have a semi-autonomous status ) . All 13 mainland administrative regions ( including Corsica as of 2019 [ update ] ) are further subdivided into 2 to 13 administrative departments , with the prefect of each region 's administrative center 's department also acting as the regional prefect . The overseas regions administratively consist of only one department each and hence also have the status of overseas departments . Most administrative regions also have the status of regional territorial collectivities , which comes with a local government , with departmental and communal collectivities below the region level . The exceptions are Corsica , the French Guiana , Mayotte , and Martinique , where region and department functions are managed by single local governments having consolidated jurisdiction , and which are known as single territorial collectivities .
The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies ( French : Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques ) , abbreviated INSEE ( French pronunciation : ​ [ inse ] ) , is the national statistics bureau of France . It collects and publishes information about the French economy and people and carries out the periodic national census . Headquartered in Paris , it is the French branch of Eurostat . The INSEE was created in 1946 as a successor to the Vichy regime 's National Statistics Service ( SNS ) . It works in close cooperation with the Institut national d'études démographiques ( INED ) .
Paris ( French pronunciation : ​ [ paʁi ] ( listen ) ) is the capital and most populous city of France , with a population of 2,148,271 residents ( official estimate , 1 January 2020 ) in an area of 105 square kilometres ( 41 square miles ) . Since the 17th century , Paris has been one of Europe 's major centres of finance , diplomacy , commerce , fashion , science and the arts . The City of Paris is the centre and seat of government of the Île-de-France , or Paris Region , which has an estimated official 2020 population of 12,278,210 , or about 18 percent of the population of France . The Paris Region had a GDP of €709 billion ( $ 808 billion ) in 2017 . According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey in 2018 , Paris was the second most expensive city in the world , after Singapore , and ahead of Zürich , Hong Kong , Oslo and Geneva . Another source ranked Paris as most expensive , on a par with Singapore and Hong Kong , in 2018 . The city is a major railway , highway and air-transport hub served by two international airports : Paris-Charles de Gaulle ( the second busiest airport in Europe ) and Paris-Orly . Opened in 1900 , the city 's subway system , the Paris Métro , serves 5.23 million passengers daily ; it is the second busiest metro system in Europe after the Moscow Metro . Gare du Nord is the 24th busiest railway station in the world , but the first located outside Japan , with 262 million passengers in 2015 . Paris is especially known for its museums and architectural landmarks : the Louvre was among most visited art museums in the world in 2019 , with 9.6 million visitors . The Musée d'Orsay , Musée Marmottan Monet , and Musée de l'Orangerie are noted for their collections of French Impressionist art , the Pompidou Centre Musée National d'Art Moderne has the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe , and the Musée Rodin and Musée Picasso exhibit the works of the two noted Parisians . The historical district along the Seine in the city centre is classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site , and popular landmarks in the city centre included the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris , now closed for renovation after the 15 April 2019 fire .
Île-de-France ( /ˌiːl də ˈfrɒ̃s/ , French : [ il də fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ; literally Island of France ) is the most populous of the 18 regions of France . It is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the région parisienne ( Paris Region ) because it includes the city of Paris . Île-de-France is densely populated and economically important : it covers only 12,012 square kilometres ( 4,638 square miles ) , about 2% of France 's territory , but has an official estimated population of 12,213,364 ( 18.2% of the population of France ) and accounts for nearly 30% of the French Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) . The region is made up of eight administrative departments : Paris , Essonne , Hauts-de-Seine , Seine-Saint-Denis , Seine-et-Marne , Val-de-Marne , Val-d'Oise and Yvelines . It was created as the District of the Paris Region in 1961 and renamed in 1976 after the historic province of Île-de-France , when its status was aligned with the other French administrative regions created in 1972 . Residents are sometimes referred to as Franciliens , an administrative word created in the 1980s . The GDP of the region in 2016 was €681 billion ( or US $ 850 billion at market exchange rates ) . It has the highest per-capita GDP among regions in France and the third-highest of regions in the European Union . In 2018 , almost all of the twenty-eight French companies listed in the Fortune Global 500 had their headquarters in the Paris Region . Besides the landmarks of Paris , the region has many important historic sites , including the Palace of Versailles and the Palace of Fontainebleau , as well as the most-visited tourist attraction in France , Disneyland Paris . The poverty rate in Île-de-France was 15.9% in 2015 , compared with 12.3% in 2006 . The region is also increasingly unequal .
Marseille ( /mɑːrˈseɪ/ mar-SAY , also spelled in English as Marseilles ; French : [ maʁsɛj ] ( listen ) , locally [ maʁˈsɛjə ] ( listen ) ; Occitan : Marselha [ maʀˈsejɔ , -ˈsijɔ ] ) is the prefecture of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur . It is located on the Mediterranean coast near the mouth of the Rhône . The city covers an area of 241 km2 ( 93 sq mi ) and had a population of 870,018 in 2016 . Its metropolitan area , which extends over 3,173 km2 ( 1,225 sq mi ) is the third-largest in France after those of Paris and Lyon , with a population of 1,831,500 as of 2010 . Known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as Massalia ( Greek : Μασσαλία , romanized : Massalía ) , Marseille was an important European trading centre and remains the main commercial port of the French Republic . Marseille is now France 's largest city on the Mediterranean coast and the largest port for commerce , freight and cruise ships . The city was European Capital of Culture in 2013 and European Capital of Sport in 2017 ; it hosted matches at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2016 . It is home to Aix-Marseille University .
Bouches-du-Rhône ( French pronunciation : ​ [ buʃ dy ʁon ] , locally [ buʃə dy ʁonə ] ) ; Occitan : Bocas de Ròse , pronounced [ ˈbukɔz de ˈʁɔze ] ; literally Mouths of the Rhône ) is a department in Southern France named after the mouth of the river Rhône . It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region with 2,019,717 inhabitants in 2016 ; it has an area of 5,087 km2 ( 1,964 sq mi ) . Its INSEE and postal code is 13 . Marseille is Bouches-du-Rhône 's largest city and prefecture .
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ( French : [ pʁɔvɑ̃s‿alp kot d‿azyʁ ] ; Occitan : Provença-Aups-Còsta d'Azur ; Italian : Provenza-Alpi-Costa Azzurra ; Région Sud ) is one of the 18 administrative regions of France , the far southeastern on the mainland . Its capital is Marseille . The region is roughly coterminous with the former French province of Provence , with the addition of the following adjacent areas : the former papal territory of Avignon , known as Comtat Venaissin ; the former Sardinian-Piedmontese county of Nice , whose coastline is known in English as the French Riviera , and in French as the Côte d'Azur ; and the southeastern part of the former French province of Dauphiné , in the French Alps . Previously known by the acronym PACA , the region adopted the name Région Sud as a commercial name or nickname in December 2017 . 5,007,977 people live in the region according to the 2015 census . It encompasses six departments in Southeastern France : Alpes-de-Haute-Provence , Alpes-Maritimes , Bouches-du-Rhône , Hautes-Alpes , Var and Vaucluse . It is bounded to the east by the France-Italy border , to the south by the Mediterranean Sea and by the Principality of Monaco , to the north by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes , and to the west by Occitanie , with the Rhône river marking its westernmost border . The region logotype displays the coat of arms created in the 1990s and which combines the coats of arms of the old provinces making up Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur . Economically , the region is the third most important in France , just behind Île-de-France and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes . Its GDP in 2012 was €142.4 billion ( US $ 183.1 billion ) while its per capita GDP was €28,861 ( $ US 37,121 ) .
Lyon or Lyons ( UK : /ˈliːɒ̃/ , US : /liˈoʊn/ , [ c ] French : [ ljɔ̃ ] ( listen ) ; Arpitan : Liyon , pronounced [ ʎjɔ̃ ] ; Italian : Lione , pronounced [ liˈone ] ) is the third-largest city and second-largest urban area of France . It is located in the country 's east-central part at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône , about 470 km ( 292 mi ) south of Paris , 320 km ( 199 mi ) north of Marseille and 56 km ( 35 mi ) northeast of Saint-Étienne . Inhabitants of the city are called Lyonnais . Lyon had a population of 513,275 in 2015 . It is the capital of the Metropolis of Lyon and the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes . The Lyon metropolitan area had a population of 2,265,375 in 2014 . The city is known for its cuisine and gastronomy , and historical and architectural landmarks ; part of it is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site . Lyon was historically an important area for the production and weaving of silk . Lyon played a significant role in the history of cinema : it is where Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph . It is also known for its light festival , the Fête des Lumières , which begins every 8 December and lasts for four days , earning Lyon the title of Capital of Lights . Economically , Lyon is a major centre for banking , as well as for the chemical , pharmaceutical , and biotech industries . The city contains a significant software industry with a particular focus on video games , and in recent years has fostered a growing local start-up sector .
Rhône ( French pronunciation : ​ [ ʁon ] ; Arpitan : Rôno ) is a department of east-central France , located in the central-southeastern region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes . It is named after the river Rhône .
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ( ARA ; French : [ ovɛʁɲ ʁon‿alp ] ( listen ) ; Arpitan : Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes ; Occitan : Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups ; Italian : Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi ) is a region in southeast-central France created by the territorial reform of French Regions in 2015 ; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes . The new region came into effect on 1 January 2016 , after the regional elections in December 2015 . The region covers an area of more than 69,711 km2 ( 26,916 sq mi ) , making it the third largest in metropolitan France , and has a population of 7,877,698 , second only to Île-de-France . It consists of 12 departments and one territorial collectivity . Lyon is the chef-lieu of the region . This new region combines diverse geographical , sociological , economic , and cultural regions , which was already true of Rhône-Alpes , as well as Auvergne , to a lesser extent . While the old Rhône-Alpes and Auvergne regions each enjoyed a unity defined by axes of communication and the pull of their respective metropoles , [ Note 1 ] the new combination is heterogeneous , and sustained lively opposition from some local officials after its creation .
Toulouse ( /tuːˈluːz/ , too-LOOZ ; French : [ tuluz ] ( listen ) ; Occitan : Tolosa [ tuˈluzo ] ; Latin : Tolosa ) is the capital of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the region of Occitanie . The city is on the banks of the River Garonne , 150 kilometres ( 93 miles ) from the Mediterranean Sea , 230 km ( 143 mi ) from the Atlantic Ocean and 680 km ( 420 mi ) from Paris . It is the fourth-largest city in France , with 466,297 inhabitants as of January 2014 . In France , Toulouse is called the Pink City ( La Ville Rose ) . The Toulouse Metro area , with 1,312,304 inhabitants as of 2014 , is France 's fourth-largest metropolitan area , after Paris , Lyon and Marseille , and ahead of Lille and Bordeaux . Toulouse is the centre of the European aerospace industry , with the headquarters of Airbus ( formerly EADS ) , the SPOT satellite system , ATR and the Aerospace Valley . It also hosts the European headquarters of Intel and CNES 's Toulouse Space Centre ( CST ) , the largest space centre in Europe . Thales Alenia Space , ATR , SAFRAN , Liebherr-Aerospace and Airbus Defence and Space also have a significant presence in Toulouse . The University of Toulouse is one of the oldest in Europe ( founded in 1229 ) and , with more than 103,000 students , it is the fourth-largest university campus in France , after the universities of Paris , Lyon and Lille . The air route between Toulouse-Blagnac and Paris Orly is the busiest in Europe , transporting 2.4 million passengers in 2014 . According to the rankings of L'Express and Challenges , Toulouse is the most dynamic French city . The city was the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom in the 5th century and the capital of the province of Languedoc in the Late Middle Ages and early modern period ( provinces were abolished during the French Revolution ) , making it the unofficial capital of the cultural region of Occitania ( Southern France ) .
Haute-Garonne ( French pronunciation : ​ [ otɡaʁɔn ] ; Occitan : Nauta Garona ; English : Upper Garonne ) is a department in the Occitanie region of Southwest France . Named after the Garonne , its prefecture and main city is Toulouse , the fourth-largest city in France . In 2016 , it had a population of 1,348,183 .
Occitanie ( French : [ ɔksitani ] ( listen ) ; Occitan : Occitània [ utsiˈtanjɔ ] ; Catalan : Occitània [ uksiˈtaniə ] ) or Occitania is the southernmost administrative region of metropolitan France excluding Corsica , created on 1 January 2016 from the former regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées . The Conseil d'État approved Occitanie as the new name of the region on 28 September 2016 , coming into effect on 30 September 2016 . The modern administrative region is named after the larger cultural and historical region of Occitania , which corresponds with the southern third of France . The region Occitanie as it is today covers a territory similar to that ruled by the Counts of Toulouse in the 12th and 13th centuries . The banner of arms of the Counts of Toulouse , known colloquially as the Occitan cross , is used by the modern region and is also a popular cultural symbol .
Nice ( /niːs/ , NEESS ; French pronunciation : ​ [ nis ] ; Niçard Occitan : Niça , classical norm , or Nissa , nonstandard , pronounced [ ˈnisa ] ; Italian : Nizza [ ˈnittsa ] ; Greek : Νίκαια ; Latin : Nicaea ) is the seventh most populous urban area in France and the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department . The metropolitan area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits , with a population of about 1 million on an area of 721 km2 ( 278 sq mi ) . Located in the French Riviera , on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea , at the foot of the Alps , Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region after Marseille . Nice is approximately 13 kilometres ( 8.1 mi ) from the principality of Monaco and 30 kilometres ( 19 mi ) from the French-Italian border . Nice 's airport serves as a gateway to the region . The city is nicknamed Nice la Belle ( Nissa La Bella in Niçard ) , which means Nice the Beautiful , which is also the title of the unofficial anthem of Nice , written by Menica Rondelly in 1912 . The area of today 's Nice contains Terra Amata , an archaeological site which displays evidence of a very early use of fire 380,000 years ago . Around 350 BC , Greeks of Marseille founded a permanent settlement and called it Nikaia , after Nike , the goddess of victory . Through the ages , the town has changed hands many times . Its strategic location and port significantly contributed to its maritime strength . For centuries it was a dominion of Savoy , and was then part of France between 1792 and 1815 , when it was returned to the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia until its re-annexation by France in 1860 . The natural environment of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century , when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winters there .
Alpes-Maritimes ( French : [ alpmaʁitim ] ; Occitan : Aups Maritims ; Italian : Alpi Marittime , Maritime Alps ) is a department of France located in the extreme southeast corner of the country , on the border with Italy and on the Mediterranean coast . Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region , it had a population of 1,803,704 in 2016 . It has become in recent years one of the world 's most attractive destinations , featuring cities such as Nice , Cannes , Antibes and Grasse , and numerous alpine ski resorts . Alpes-Maritimes also entirely surrounds Monaco . The department 's inhabitants are called Maralpins or Maralpines ; it has the same flag and arms as the City of Nice .
Nantes ( /nɒ̃t/ , also US : /nænts , nɑːnt ( s ) / , French : [ nɑ̃t ] ( listen ) ; Gallo : Naunnt or Nantt [ nɑ̃ ( ː ) t ] ; Breton : Naoned [ ˈnãunət ] ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire , 50 km ( 31 mi ) from the Atlantic coast . The city is the sixth-largest in France , with a population of 303,382 in Nantes and a metropolitan area of nearly 950,000 inhabitants . With Saint-Nazaire , a seaport on the Loire estuary , Nantes forms the main north-western French metropolis . It is the administrative seat of the Loire-Atlantique department and the Pays de la Loire région , one of 18 regions of France . Nantes belongs historically and culturally to Brittany , a former duchy and province , and its omission from the modern administrative region of Brittany is controversial . Nantes was identified during classical antiquity as a port on the Loire . It was the seat of a bishopric at the end of the Roman era before it was conquered by the Bretons in 851 . Although Nantes was the primary residence of the 15th-century dukes of Brittany , Rennes became the provincial capital after the 1532 union of Brittany and France . During the 17th century , after the establishment of the French colonial empire , Nantes gradually became the largest port in France and was responsible for nearly half of the 18th-century French Atlantic slave trade . The French Revolution resulted in an economic decline , but Nantes developed robust industries after 1850 ( chiefly in shipbuilding and food processing ) . Deindustrialisation in the second half of the 20th century spurred the city to adopt a service economy . In 2012 , the Globalization and World Cities Research Network ranked Nantes as a Gamma world city .
Loire-Atlantique ( French pronunciation : ​ [ lwaʁatlɑ̃tik ] , Breton : Liger-Atlantel ; formerly Loire-Inférieure ) is a department in Bretagne on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean .
Pays de la Loire ( French pronunciation : ​ [ pe.i də la lwaʁ ] ; meaning Loire Countries ) is one of the 18 regions of France , in the west of the mainland . It is one of the regions created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital , Nantes , one of a handful of so-called balancing metropolises ( métropoles d'équilibre ) ¹ .
Strasbourg ( UK : /ˈstræzbɜːrɡ/ , US : /ˈstræs- , ˈstrɑːsbʊərɡ , ˈstrɑːzbʊərɡ , -bɜːrɡ , strɑːzˈbʊər/ , French : [ stʁazbuʁ , stʁasbuʁ ] ( listen ) ; Bas Rhin Alsatian : Strossburi [ ˈʃd̥ʁɔːsb̥uʁi ] ( listen ) , Haut Rhin Alsatian : Strossburig [ ˈʃd̥ʁɔːsb̥uʁiɡ̊ ] ( listen ) ; German : Straßburg [ ˈʃtʁaːsbʊʁk ] ( listen ) ) is the capital and largest city of the Grand Est region of France and is the official seat of the European Parliament . Located at the border with Germany in the historic region of Alsace , it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin department . In 2017 , the city proper had 280,966 inhabitants and both the Eurométropole de Strasbourg ( Greater Strasbourg ) and the Arrondissement of Strasbourg had 494,089 inhabitants . Strasbourg 's metropolitan area had a population of 785,839 in 2016 ( not counting the section across the border in Germany ) , making it the ninth-largest metro area in France and home to 13% of the Grand Est region 's inhabitants . The transnational Eurodistrict Strasbourg-Ortenau had a population of 958,421 inhabitants . Strasbourg is one of the de facto three main capitals of the European Union ( alongside Brussels and Luxembourg ) , as it is the seat of several European institutions , such as the Council of Europe ( with its European Court of Human Rights , its European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines most commonly known in French as Pharmacopée Européenne its European Audiovisual Observatory ) , the Eurocorps , as well as the European Parliament and the European Ombudsman of the European Union . Together with Basel ( Bank for International Settlements ) , Geneva ( United Nations headquarters in Europe ) and New York City ( United Nations world headquarters ) , Strasbourg is among the few cities in the world not being a state capital and hosting international organisations of the first order . The city is the seat of many non-European international institutions such as the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine and the International Institute of Human Rights . It is the second city in France in terms of international congress and symposia , after Paris . Strasbourg 's historic city centre , the Grande Île ( Grand Island ) , was classified a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988 , the first time such an honour was placed on an entire city centre . Strasbourg is immersed in Franco-German culture and although violently disputed throughout history , has been a cultural bridge between France and Germany for centuries , especially through the University of Strasbourg , currently the second-largest in France , and the coexistence of Catholic and Protestant culture . It is also home to the largest Islamic place of worship in France , the Strasbourg Grand Mosque .
Bas-Rhin ( French pronunciation : ​ [ bɑ.ʁɛ̃ ] ; Alsatian : Unterelsàss , s Unterlànd or s Ingerlànd ) is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super-region of France . The name means Lower Rhine , however , geographically speaking it belongs to the Upper Rhine region . It is , with the Haut Rhin ( Upper Rhine ) , one of the two departments of the traditional Alsace region . The more populous and densely populated of the pair , it had 1,125,559 inhabitants in 2017 . The prefecture and the General Council are based in Strasbourg . The INSEE and Post Code is 67 . The inhabitants of the department are known as Bas-Rhinois or Bas-Rhinoises .
Grand Est ( Great East ; French pronunciation : [ ɡʁɑ̃t‿ɛst ] ( listen ) ; Alsatian : d ' r Grossa Oschta ; Moselle Franconian/Luxembourgish : de Grouss Osten ; Rhine Franconian : de Groß Oschte ; German : der Große Osten [ dɛɐ̯ ˈɡʁoːsɐ ˈɔstn̩ ] ) is an administrative region in northeastern France . It superseded three former administrative regions - Alsace , Champagne-Ardenne , and Lorraine - on 1 January 2016 under the provisional name of Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine ( ACAL or , less commonly , ALCA ) , as a result of territorial reform which had been passed by the French legislature back in 2014 . [ a ] The region sits astride three water basins ( Seine , Meuse and Rhine ) , spanning an area of 57,433 km2 ( 22,175 sq mi ) , the 5th largest in France , and includes two mountain ranges ( Vosges and Ardennes ) . It shares borders with Belgium , Luxemburg , Germany , and Switzerland , and stands partly within the European Megalopolis . As of 2017 , it had a population of 5,549,586 inhabitants . The administrative capital and largest city , by far , is Strasbourg . The East of France has a rich and diverse culture , being situated at a crossroads between the Latin and Germanic worlds which is reflected in the variety of languages spoken there ( Alsatian , Champenois , Lorraine Franconian etc. ) . Most of today 's Grand Est region was considered Eastern as early as the 8th century , when it constituted the southern part of the Francian territory of Austrasia . The city of Reims ( in Champagne ) , where Frankish king Clovis I had been baptized in 496 AD , would later play a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France . The Champagne fairs played a significant role in the economy of medieval Europe as well . Alsace and Lorraine thrived in the sphere of influence of the Holy Roman Empire for most of the Middle Ages and Renaissance . The region is home to distinctive traditions ( the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day , Christmas markets , or traditions involving the Easter hare in Alsace and Lorraine ) .
Montpellier ( UK : /mɒntˈpɛlieɪ/ , US : /ˌmoʊnpɛlˈjeɪ/ , French : [ mɔ̃pəlje , -pɛl- ] ( listen ) ; Occitan : Montpelhièr [ mumpeˈʎɛ ] ) is a city near the south coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea . It is the capital of the Hérault department . It is located in the Occitanie region . In 2016 , 607,896 people lived in the urban area and 281,613 in the city itself . Nearly one third of the population are students from three universities and from three higher education institutions that are outside the university framework in the city .
Hérault ( French : [ eʁo ] ; Occitan : Erau ; [ eˈɾaw ] ) is a department the Occitanie region of Southern France . Named after the Hérault River , its prefecture is Montpellier . It had a population of 1,132,481 in 2016 .
Bordeaux ( French pronunciation : [ bɔʁdo ] ( listen ) ; Gascon Occitan : Bordèu [ buɾˈðɛw ] ) is a port city on the Garonne in the Gironde department in Southwestern France . The municipality ( commune ) of Bordeaux proper has a population of 257,804 ( 2019 ) . Bordeaux is the centre of the Bordeaux Métropole that has a population of 783,081 ( 2017 ) and includes its suburbs and close satellite towns . With 1,195,335 in the metropolitan area , it is the sixth-largest in France , after Paris , Marseille , Lyon , Toulouse , and Lille . It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region , as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department . Its inhabitants are called Bordelais ( for men ) or Bordelaises ( women ) . The term Bordelais may also refer to the city and its surrounding region . Being at the center of a major wine-growing and wine-producing region , Bordeaux remains a prominent powerhouse and exercises significant influence on the world wine industry although no wine production is conducted within the city limits . It is home to the world 's main wine fair , Vinexpo , and the wine economy in the metro area takes in 14.5 billion euros each year . Bordeaux wine has been produced in the region since the 8th century . The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble of the 18th century . After Paris , Bordeaux has the highest number of preserved historical buildings of any city in France .
Gironde ( /ʒɪˈrɒnd/ zhi-ROND , US usually /dʒɪˈ-/ ji- , French : [ ʒiʁɔ̃d ] ( listen ) ; Occitan : Gironda ) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwest France . It is named after the Gironde estuary , a major waterway . The Bordeaux wine region is in the Gironde .
Nouvelle-Aquitaine ( French pronunciation : ​ [ nuvɛl akitɛn ] , New Aquitaine ; Occitan : Nòva Aquitània ; Basque : Akitania Berria ; Poitevin-Saintongeais : Novéle-Aguiéne ; Spanish : Nueva Aquitania ) is the largest administrative region in France , spanning the west and southwest of the mainland . The region was created by the territorial reform of French Regions in 2014 through the merger of three regions : Aquitaine , Limousin and Poitou-Charentes . It covers 84,061 km2 ( 32,456 sq mi ) - or ​1⁄8 of the country - and has approximately 5,879,144 inhabitants . ( municipal population on 1 January 2012 ) . The new region was established on 1 January 2016 , following the regional elections in December 2015 . It is the largest region in France by area , with a territory slightly larger than that of Austria ; even French Guiana is smaller . Its largest city , Bordeaux , together with its suburbs and satellite cities , forms the 7th-largest metropolitan area of France , with 850,000 inhabitants . The region has 25 major urban areas , among which the most important after Bordeaux are Bayonne ( 288,000 inhabitants ) , Limoges ( 283,000 ) , Poitiers ( 255,000 ) , Pau ( 241,000 ) , and La Rochelle ( 206,000 ) , as well as 11 major clusters . The growth of its population , particularly marked on the coast , makes this one of the most attractive areas economically in France ; the new region outperforms the Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in demographic dynamism . After Île-de-France , New Aquitaine is the premier French region in research and innovation , with five universities ( Bordeaux , La Rochelle , Limoges , Poitiers and Pau ) and several Grandes Ecoles . The agricultural region of Europe with the greatest turnover , it is the French region with the most tourism jobs , as it has three of the four historic resorts on the French Atlantic coast : ( Arcachon , Biarritz and Royan ) , as well as several ski resorts ( e.g . Gourette ) , and is the fifth French region for business creation ( all sectors ) .
Lille ( /liːl/ LEEL ; French : [ lil ] ( listen ) ; Dutch : Rijsel [ ˈrɛisəl ] ; Picard : Lile ; West Flemish : Rysel ) is a city at the northern tip of France , in French Flanders . On the Deûle River , near France 's border with Belgium , it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region , the prefecture of the Nord department , and the main city of the European Metropolis of Lille . As of 2015 , Lille had a population of 232,741 within its administrative limits , . Lille is the first city of the Métropole Européenne de Lille with a population of 1,182,127 , making it the fourth largest urban area in France after Paris , Lyon and Marseille .
Nord ( French pronunciation : ​ [ nɔʁ ] ; English : North ; Dutch : Noorderdepartement ) is a department in the far north of France . It was created from the western halves of the historical counties of Flanders and Hainaut , and the Bishopric of Cambrai . The modern coat of arms was inherited from the County of Flanders . Nord is the country 's most populous department . It also contains the metropolitan region of Lille , the fifth-largest urban area in France after Paris , Lyon , Marseille , and Toulouse . Within the department is located the part of France where the French Flemish dialect of Dutch is still spoken ( along with French ) as a native language . Similarly , the distinct French Picard dialect , Ch'ti is spoken here .
Hauts-de-France ( French pronunciation : ​ [ o d ( ə ) fʁɑ̃s ] , Dutch : Opper-Frankrijk , meaning Upper France ) is the northernmost region of France , created by the territorial reform of French Regions in 2014 , from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy . Its capital is Lille . The new region came into existence on 1 January 2016 , after the regional elections in December 2015 . France 's Conseil d'État approved Hauts-de-France as the name of the region on 28 September 2016 , effective 30 September 2016 . With 6,009,976 inhabitants ( as of 1 January 2015 ) , and a population of 189 inhabitants/km2 , it represents the 3rd most populous region in France and the 2nd most densely populated in metropolitan France after its southern neighbor Île-de-France .
Rennes ( French pronunciation : [ ʁɛn ] ( listen ) ; Breton : Roazhon [ ˈrwɑːzən ] ; Gallo : Resnn ; Latin : Condate Redonum ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine . Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany , as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department . Rennes 's history goes back more than 2,000 years , at a time when it was a small Gallic village named Condate . Together with Vannes and Nantes , it was one of the major cities of the ancient Duchy of Brittany . From the early sixteenth century until the French Revolution , Rennes was a parliamentary , administrative and garrison city of the historic province of Brittany of the Kingdom of France . Since the 1950s , Rennes has grown in importance through rural flight and its modern industrial development , partly automotive . The city developed extensive building plans to accommodate upwards of 200,000 inhabitants . During the 1980s , Rennes became one of the main centres in telecommunication and high technology industry . It is now a significant digital innovation centre in France . In 2015 , the city was the tenth largest in France , with a metropolitan area of about 720,000 inhabitants . With more than 66,000 students in 2016 , it is also the eighth-largest university campus of France . The inhabitants of Rennes are called Rennais ( e ) ( es ) in French .
Ille-et-Vilaine ( French pronunciation : ​ [ ilevilɛn ] ; Breton : Il-ha-Gwilen ) is a department of France , located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country .
Brittany ( Breton : Breizh , [ ˈbrɛjs ] ; French : Bretagne , IPA : [ bʁətaɲ ] ( listen ) ) is the farthest west of the 13 regions of France . It is named after the historic and geographic region of Brittany , of which it constitutes 80% . The capital is Rennes . It is a peninsular region bathed by the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south , and its neighboring regions are Normandy to the northeast and Pays de la Loire to the southeast . Bro Gozh ma Zadoù is the anthem of Brittany . It is sung to the same tune as that of the national anthem of Wales , Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , and has similar words . As a region of France , Brittany has a Regional Council , which was most recently elected in 2015 .
Reims ( /riːmz/ REEMZ , also US : /ræ̃s/ , French : [ ʁɛ̃s ] ( listen ) ; also spelled Rheims in English ; Dutch : Riemen ) is the most populous city in the Marne department , in the Grand Est region of France . Its population in 2013 was of 182,592 in the city proper ( commune ) and 317,611 in the metropolitan area ( aire urbaine ) . The city lies 129 km ( 80 mi ) east-northeast of Paris . Its primary river , the Vesle , is a tributary of the Aisne . Founded by the Gauls , Reims became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire . Reims later played a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France . The royal anointing was performed at the Cathedral of Reims , which housed the Holy Ampulla of chrism allegedly brought by a white dove at the baptism of Frankish king Clovis I in 496 . For this reason , Reims is often referred to in French as la cité des sacres ( the Coronation City ) . The Cathedral , the Palace of Tau and the former Abbey of Saint-Remi have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991 .
Marne ( French pronunciation : ​ [ maʁn ] ) is a department in the Grand Est region of France . It is named after the river Marne which flows through it . The prefecture ( capital ) of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne ( formerly known as Châlons-sur-Marne ) . The subprefectures are Épernay , Reims , and Vitry-le-François . The Champagne vineyards producing the world-famous sparkling wine are located within Marne .
Le Havre ( /lə ˈhɑːv ( rə ) / , French : [ lə ɑvʁ ( ə ) ] ( listen ) ; Norman : Lé Hâvre ) is an urban French commune and city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northwestern France . It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux . Le Havre is the most populous commune of Upper Normandy , although the total population of the greater Le Havre conurbation is smaller than that of Rouen . After Reims , it is also the second largest subprefecture in France . The name Le Havre means the harbour or the port . Its inhabitants are known as Havrais or Havraises . The city and port were founded by King Francis I in 1517 . Economic development in the Early modern period was hampered by religious wars , conflicts with the English , epidemics , and storms . It was from the end of the 18th century that Le Havre started growing and the port took off first with the slave trade then other international trade . After the 1944 bombings the firm of Auguste Perret began to rebuild the city in concrete . The oil , chemical , and automotive industries were dynamic during the Trente Glorieuses ( postwar boom ) but the 1970s marked the end of the golden age of ocean liners and the beginning of the economic crisis : the population declined , unemployment increased and remains at a high level today . Changes in years 1990-2000 were numerous .
Seine-Maritime ( French pronunciation : ​ [ sɛn maʁitim ] ) is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France . It is situated on the northern coast of France , at the mouth of the Seine , and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre . Until 1955 it was named Seine-Inférieure .
Normandy ( /ˈnɔːrməndi/ ; French : Normandie [ nɔʁmɑ̃di ] ( listen ) ; Norman : Normaundie ; from Old French Normanz , plural of Normant , originally from the word for northman in several Scandinavian languages ) is the northwesternmost of the 18 regions of France , roughly referring to the historical Duchy of Normandy . Normandy is divided into five administrative departments : Calvados , Eure , Manche , Orne , and Seine-Maritime . It covers 30,627 square kilometres ( 11,825 sq mi ) , comprising roughly 5% of the territory of metropolitan France . Its population of 3,322,757 accounts for around 5% of the population of France . The inhabitants of Normandy are known as Normans , and the region is the historic homeland of the Norman language . The neighboring regions are Hauts-de-France and Ile-de-France to the east , Centre-Val de Loire to the southeast , Pays de la Loire to the south , and Brittany to the southwest . The capital is Rouen . The historical region of Normandy comprised the present-day region of Normandy , as well as small areas now part of the departments of Mayenne and Sarthe . The Channel Islands ( French : Îles Anglo-Normandes ) are also historically part of Normandy ; they cover 194 km² and comprise two bailiwicks : Guernsey and Jersey , which are British Crown dependencies over which Queen Elizabeth II reigns as Duke of Normandy . Normandy 's name comes from the settlement of the territory by mainly Danish and Norwegian Vikings ( Northmen ) from the 9th century , and confirmed by treaty in the 10th century between King Charles III of France and the Viking jarl Rollo . For a century and a half following the Norman conquest of England in 1066 , Normandy and England were linked by Norman and Frankish rulers .
Saint-Étienne ( French : [ sɛ̃t‿etjɛn ] ; Arpitan : Sant-Etiève ; English : Saint Stephen ) is a city in eastern central France , in the Massif Central , 55 km ( 34 mi ) southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region , on the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon . Saint-Étienne is the capital of the Loire department and has a population of approximately 172,023 ( 2013 ) in the city itself and over 508,000 in the metropolitan area ( 2011 ) . In the last years Saint-Étienne made important transformations for transitioning from a 19th century industrial city to the 21st century European capital of design . This approach led to important urban renovations of the main districts of the city .
Loire ( French pronunciation : ​ [ lwaʁ ] ; Arpitan : Lêre ; Occitan : Léger ) is a department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes occupying the River Loire 's upper reaches .
Toulon ( UK : /ˈtuːlɒ̃/ , US : /tuːˈloʊn , -ˈlɔːn , -ˈlɒn/ , French : [ tulɔ̃ ] ; Provençal : Tolon ( classical norm ) , Touloun ( Mistralian norm ) , pronounced [ tuˈlun ] ) is a city in southern France and a large port on the Mediterranean coast , with a major French naval base . Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region , Toulon is the capital of the Var department . The Commune of Toulon has a population of 165,514 people ( 2009 ) , making it France 's 15th-largest city . It is the centre of an urban area with 559,421 inhabitants ( 2008 ) , the ninth largest in France . Toulon is the fourth-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast after Marseille , Nice and Montpellier . Toulon is an important centre for naval construction , fishing , wine making , and the manufacture of aeronautical equipment , armaments , maps , paper , tobacco , printing , shoes , and electronic equipment . The military port of Toulon is the major naval centre on France 's Mediterranean coast , home of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and her battle group . The French Mediterranean Fleet is based in Toulon .
Var ( French pronunciation : ​ [ vaʁ ] , Occitan : [ ˈbaɾ ] ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France . It takes its name from the river Var , which flowed along its eastern boundary , until the boundary was moved in 1860 . The Var department is bordered on the east by the department of Alpes-Maritimes , to the west by Bouches-du-Rhône , to the north of the river Verdon by the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and to the south by the Mediterranean Sea . Toulon is the largest city and administrative capital of Var . Other important towns in Var include Fréjus , Saint-Raphaël , Draguignan , Brignoles , Hyères and La Seyne-sur-Mer . Var is known for the harbour of Toulon , the main port of the French Navy , for its seaside resorts , the most famous of which is Saint-Tropez , for some fine examples of Romanesque and medieval architecture , such as Le Thoronet Abbey and the Fréjus Cathedral , for its wines , particularly the wines of Bandol , as well as for its motorsport race track Circuit Paul Ricard , located in Le Castellet .
Grenoble ( /ɡrəˈnoʊbəl/ grə-NOH-bəl , French : [ ɡʁənɔbl ] ( listen ) ; Arpitan : Grenoblo ) is a city in southeastern France , at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère . Located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region , Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère and is an important European scientific centre . The city advertises itself as the Capital of the Alps , due to its size and its proximity to the mountains . Grenoble 's history goes back over 2,000 years , to a time when it was a small Gallic village . It became the capital of the Dauphiné in the 11th century . Industrial development increased the prominence of Grenoble through several periods of economic expansion over the last three centuries . This started with a booming glove industry in the 18th and 19th centuries , continued with the development of a strong hydropower industry in the late 19th to early 20th centuries , and ended with a post-World War II economic boom symbolized by the holding of the X Olympic Winter Games in 1968 . The city has grown to be one of Europe 's most important research , technology , and innovation centers , with each fifth inhabitant working directly in these domains . The population of the city ( commune ) of Grenoble was 158,180 at the 2016 census , while the population of the Grenoble metropolitan area ( French : aire urbaine de Grenoble or agglomération grenobloise ) was 687,985 . The residents of the city are called Grenoblois . The many suburb communes that make up the rest of the metropolitan area include three with populations exceeding 20,000 : Saint-Martin-d'Hères , Échirolles , and Fontaine .
Isère ( US : /iːˈzɛər/ ee-ZAIR , French : [ izɛʁ ] ( listen ) ; Arpitan : Isera ; Occitan : Isèra ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France named after the river Isère .
Dijon ( UK : /ˈdiːʒɒ̃/ , US : /diːˈʒoʊn/ , French : [ diʒɔ̃ ] ( listen ) ) [ a ] is a city in Eastern France , capital of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region . The earliest archaeological finds within the city limits of Dijon date to the Neolithic period . Dijon later became a Roman settlement named Divio , located on the road from Lyon to Paris . The province was home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th centuries and Dijon was a place of tremendous wealth and power , one of the great European centres of art , learning and science . Population ( 2008 ) : 151,576 within the city limits ; 250,516 ( 2007 ) for the greater Dijon area . The city has retained varied architectural styles from many of the main periods of the past millennium , including Capetian , Gothic and Renaissance . Many still-inhabited town houses in the city 's central district date from the 18th century and earlier . Dijon architecture is distinguished by , among other things , toits bourguignons ( Burgundian polychrome roofs ) made of tiles glazed in terracotta , green , yellow and black and arranged in geometric patterns . Dijon holds an International and Gastronomic Fair every year in autumn . With over 500 exhibitors and 200,000 visitors every year , it is one of the ten most important fairs in France . Dijon is also home , every three years , to the international flower show Florissimo . Dijon is famous for Dijon mustard which originated in 1856 , when Jean Naigeon of Dijon substituted verjuice , the acidic green juice of not-quite-ripe grapes , for vinegar in the traditional mustard recipe .
Côte-d'Or ( IPA : [ kot dɔʁ ] ; literally , golden slope [ citation needed ] ) is a department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté .
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté ( French : [ buʁɡɔɲ fʁɑ̃ʃ kɔ̃te ] ( listen ) ; lit . Burgundy-Free County ) , sometimes abbreviated BFC , is a region in the east of France created by the territorial reform of French Regions in 2014 , from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté . The new region came into existence on 1 January 2016 , after the regional elections of December 2015 , electing 100 members to the regional council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté . The region covers an area of 47,784 km2 ( 18,450 sq mi ) , and has a population of 2,816,814 .
Nîmes ( /niːm/ NEEM , French : [ nim ] ( listen ) ; Occitan : Nimes [ ˈnimes ] ) is a city in the Occitanie region of southern France . It is the capital of the Gard department . Nîmes is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Cévennes mountains . The estimated population of Nîmes is 151,001 ( 2016 ) . Dubbed the most Roman city outside Italy , Nîmes has a rich history dating back to the Roman Empire when the city was a regional capital , and home to 50,000-60,000 people . Several famous monuments are in Nîmes , such as the Arena of Nîmes and the Maison Carrée . Because of this , Nîmes is often referred to as the French Rome .
Gard ( French pronunciation : ​ [ ɡaʁ ] ) is a department in Southern France , located in the Occitanie region . It had a population of 742,006 as of 2016 ; its prefecture is Nîmes . The department is named after the Gardon River ; the Occitan name of the river , Gard ( Occitan pronunciation : [ gaɾ ] ) , has been replacing the French name in recent decades , both administratively and among French speakers .
Angers ( UK : /ˈɒ̃ʒeɪ/ , US : /ɒ̃ˈʒeɪ , ˈændʒərz/ , French : [ ɑ̃ʒe ] ( listen ) ) is a city in western France , about 300 km ( 190 mi ) southwest of Paris . It is chef-lieu of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution . The inhabitants of both the city and the province are called Angevins . Not including the metropolitan area , Angers is the third most populous commune in northwestern France after Nantes and Rennes and the 17th in France . For centuries , Angers was an important stronghold in northwestern France . It was the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty and became one of the intellectual centers of Europe during the reign of René of Anjou . Angers developed at the confluence of three rivers , the Mayenne , the Sarthe , and the Loir , all coming from the north and flowing south to the Loire . Their confluence , just north of Angers , creates the Maine , a short but wide river that flows into the Loire several kilometres south . The Angers metropolitan area is a major economic centre in western France , particularly active in industry , horticulture , and tourism . Angers proper covers 42.70 square kilometers ( 16.5 sq mi ) and has a population of 147,305 inhabitants , while around 394,700 live in its metropolitan area . The Angers Loire Métropole is made up of 30 communes covering 540 square kilometers ( 208 square miles ) with 287,000 inhabitants . Angers enjoys a rich cultural life , made possible by its universities and museums .
Maine-et-Loire ( French pronunciation : ​ [ mɛn.e.lwaʁ ] ) is a department of the Loire Valley in west-central France , in the Pays de la Loire region .
Villeurbanne ( French pronunciation : ​ [ vi.lœʁ.ban ] ; Arpitan : Velorbana ) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France . It is situated northeast of Lyon , with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris . Villeurbanne is the second-largest city in the metropolitan area of Lyon and the 20th most populated in France . In 2013 , Villeurbanne was elected the city with the best administration of France , which attracts more and more people .