Departments of France

The départements (or departments) are administrative parts of France and many French colonies, similar to English counties.  Départements are a kind of local government.

The 101 French départements are now grouped into 13 metropolitan and five overseas régions. Their capitals are called préfectures.

 French régions and préfecture 
INSEE codeArms DepartmentPrefectureRegionNamed after0122x20px|Coat of arms of department 01AinBourg-en-BresseAin (river)0222x20px|Coat of arms of department 02AisneLaonAisne (river)0322x20px|Coat of arms of department 03AllierMoulinsAllier (river)0422x20px|Coat of arms of department 04Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Digne-les-BainsAlps0522x20px|Coat of arms of department 05Hautes-AlpesGapAlps0622x20px|Coat of arms of department 06Alpes-MaritimesNiceAlps0722x20px|Coat of arms of department 07PrivasArdèche (river)0822x20px|Coat of arms of department 08ArdennesArdennes Forest0922x20px|Coat of arms of department 09FoixAriège (river)1022x20px|Coat of arms of department 10AubeTroyesAube (river)1122x20px|Coat of arms of department 11AudeCarcassonneAude (river)1222x20px|Coat of arms of department 12AveyronRodezAveyron (river)1322x20px|Coat of arms of department 13MarseilleRhône (river)1422x20px|Coat of arms of department 14CalvadosCaenCalvados rocks1522x20px|Coat of arms of department 15CantalAurillacMounts of Cantal1622x20px|Coat of arms of department 16CharenteCharente (river)1722x20px|Coat of arms of department 17Charente-Maritime La RochelleCharente (river)1822x20px|Coat of arms of department 18CherBourgesCher (river)1922x20px|Coat of arms of department 19TulleCorrèze (river)2A22x20px|Coat of arms of CorsicaCorse-du-SudAjaccioIsland of Corsica2B22x20px|Coat of arms of CorsicaHaute-CorseBastiaIsland of Corsica2122x20px|Coat of arms of department 21DijonCôte d'Or (escarpment)2222x20px|Coat of arms of department 22Saint-Brieuc Brittanycoasts of Armorica2322x20px|Coat of arms of department 23CreuseCreuse (river)2422x20px|Coat of arms of department 24DordogneDordogne (river)2522x20px|Coat of arms of department 25DoubsDoubs (river)2622x20px|Coat of arms of department 26ValenceDrôme (river)2722x20px|Coat of arms of department 27EureEure (river)2822x20px|Coat of arms of department 28Eure-et-LoirChartresEure and Loir rivers2922x20px|Coat of arms of department 29Quimper BrittanyFinis Terræ (end of earth)3022x20px|Coat of arms of department 30GardGardon (river)3122x20px|Coat of arms of department 31Haute-GaronneToulouseGaronne (river)3222x20px|Coat of arms of department 32GersAuchGers (river)3322x20px|Coat of arms of department 33Gironde BordeauxGironde (river)3422x20px|Coat of arms of department 34MontpellierHérault (river)3522x20px|Coat of arms of department 35Ille-et-VilaineRennes BrittanyIlle and Vilaine rivers3622x20px|Coat of arms of department 36IndreIndre (river)3722x20px|Coat of arms of department 37Indre-et-LoireToursIndre and Loire rivers3822x20px|Coat of arms of department 38GrenobleIsère (river)3922x20px|Coat of arms of department 39JuraLons-le-SaunierJura Mountains4022x20px|Coat of arms of department 40LandesMont-de-MarsanLandes forest4122x20px|Coat of arms of department 41Loir-et-CherBloisLoir and Cher rivers4222x20px|Coat of arms of department 42LoireLoire (river)4322x20px|Coat of arms of department 43Haute-LoireLe Puy-en-VelayLoire (river)4422x20px|Coat of arms of department 44Loire-Atlantique NantesLoire (river)4522x20px|Coat of arms of department 45LoiretLoiret (river)4622x20px|Coat of arms of department 46LotCahorsLot (river)4722x20px|Coat of arms of department 47Lot-et-GaronneAgenLot and Garonne rivers4822x20px|Coat of arms of department 48MendeMont Lozère4922x20px|Coat of arms of department 49Maine-et-Loire AngersMaine and Loire rivers5022x20px|Coat of arms of department 50MancheEnglish Channel5122x20px|Coat of arms of department 51MarneMarne (river)5222x20px|Coat of arms of department 52Haute-MarneChaumontMarne (river)5322x20px|Coat of arms of department 53MayenneLavalMayenne (river)5422x20px|Coat of arms of department 54Meurthe-et-MoselleNancyMeurthe and Moselle rivers5522x20px|Coat of arms of department 55MeuseBar-le-DucMeuse (river)5622x20px|Coat of arms of department 56MorbihanVannes BrittanyGulf of Morbihan5722x20px|Coat of arms of department 57MoselleMetzMoselle (river)5822x20px|Coat of arms of department 58NeversNièvre (river)5922x20px|Coat of arms of department 59NordLilleNorth6022x20px|Coat of arms of department 60OiseBeauvaisOise (river)6122x20px|Coat of arms of department 61OrneOrne (river)6222x20px|Coat of arms of department 62Pas-de-CalaisArrasStrait of Dover6322x20px|Coat of arms of department 63Clermont-FerrandPuy de Dôme volcano6422x20px|Coat of arms of department 64PauPyrenees6522x20px|Coat of arms of department 65TarbesPyrenees6622x20px|Coat of arms of department 66PerpignanPyrenees6722x20px|Coat of arms of department 67Bas-RhinStrasbourgRhine (river)6822x20px|Coat of arms of department 68Haut-RhinColmarRhine (river)6922x20px|Coat of arms of department 69Lyon Rhône (river)69M Lyoncommunes of Lyon7022x20px|Coat of arms of department 70VesoulSaône (river)7122x20px|Coat of arms of department 71Saône and Loire rivers7222x20px|Coat of arms of department 72SartheLe MansSarthe (river)7322x20px|Coat of arms of department 73Savoieregion of Savoy7422x20px|Coat of arms of department 74Haute-SavoieAnnecyregion of Savoy7522x20px|Coat of arms of department 75Paris Pariscity of Paris7622x20px|Coat of arms of department 76Seine-Maritime RouenSeine (river)7722x20px|Coat of arms of department 77Seine-et-MarneMelunSeine and Marne rivers7822x20px|Coat of arms of department 78Yvelines VersaillesForest of Yvelines7922x20px|Coat of arms of department 79NiortSèvre Nantaise and Sèvre Niortaise rivers8022x20px|Coat of arms of department 80SommeAmiensSomme (river)8122x20px|Coat of arms of department 81TarnAlbiTarn (river)8222x20px|Coat of arms of department 82Tarn-et-GaronneMontaubanTarn and Garonne rivers8322x20px|Coat of arms of department 83VarToulonVar (river)8422x20px|Coat of arms of department 84VaucluseAvignonFontaine-de-Vaucluse spring8522x20px|Coat of arms of department 85La Roche-sur-YonVendée (river)8622x20px|Coat of arms of department 86ViennePoitiersVienne (river)8722x20px|Coat of arms of department 87Haute-VienneLimogesVienne (river)8822x20px|Coat of arms of department 88VosgesVosges Mountains8922x20px|Coat of arms of department 89YonneAuxerreYonne (river)9022x20px|Coat of arms of department 90Territoire de BelfortBelfortcity of Belfort9122x20px|Coat of arms of department 91Essonne Essonne (river)9222x20px|Coat of arms of department 92Hauts-de-Seine NanterreSeine (river)9322x20px|Coat of arms of department 93Seine-Saint-Denis BobignySeine (river)9422x20px|Coat of arms of department 94Val-de-MarneCréteilMarne (river)9522x20px|Coat of arms of department 95Val-d'OisePontoise Oise (river)97122x20px|Coat of arms of GuadeloupeGuadeloupe Basse-Terre97222x20px|Coat of arms of MartiniqueMartinique Fort-de-France97322x20px|Coat of arms of GuyaneGuyane Cayenne97422x20px|Coat of arms of RéunionSaint-Denis97622x20px|Coat of arms of MayotteMayotte Mamoudzou
Notes:
  Most of the coats of arms are not official
  This department was known as Basses-Alpes until 1970
  This department was known as Charente-Inférieure until 1941
  This department was known as Côtes-du-Nord until 1990
  This department was known as Bec-d'Ambès from 1793 until 1795. The Convention eliminated the name to avoid recalling the outlawed Girondin political faction.
  This department was known as Loire-Inférieure until 1957
  This department was known as Mayenne-et-Loire until 1791
  This department was known as Basses-Pyrénées until 1969
  Number 75 was formerly assigned to Seine
  This department was known as Seine-Inférieure until 1955
  Number 78 was formerly assigned to Seine-et-Oise
  Number 91 was formerly assigned to Alger, in French Algeria
  Number 92 was formerly assigned to Oran, in French Algeria
  Number 93 was formerly assigned to Constantine, in French Algeria
  The prefecture of Val-d'Oise was established in Pontoise when the department was created, but moved de facto to the neighbouring commune of Cergy; currently, both part of the ville nouvelle of Cergy-Pontoise
  The overseas departments each constitute a region and enjoy a status identical to metropolitan France. They are part of France and the European Union, though special EU rules apply to them.
  Mayotte became the 101st department of France on 31 March 2011. The INSEE code of Mayotte is 976 (975 is already assigned to the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon)
  Metropoles with territorial collectivity statute.right|thumb|Regions and departments of metropolitan France; the numbers are those of the first column