Arrondissements of the Deux-Sèvres department

There are 3 arrondissements in the Deux-Sèvres department. The French departments, and in other countries, are divided into arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts (in some cases, as boroughs).  The capital of an arrondissement is called a subprefecture.

If the prefecture (capital) of the department is in an arrondissement, that prefecture is the capital of the arrondissement, acting both as a prefecture and as a subprefecture.

Arrondissements are further divided into communes.

The arrondissements of Deux-Sèvres are:

 INSEEcode Arrondissement  Capital  Population(2014) Area(km²)  Density(Inh./km²)  Communes 791  Bressuire  Bressuire 96,703  1,622.6    53 792  Niort  Niort  212,425  2,791.6    163 793  Parthenay  Parthenay  64,425  1,585.1    77

History
Since its creation, the Deux-Sèvres department has had some changes:
 1790 : creation of the department, with six districts: Melle, Niort, Parthenay, Saint-Maixent, Thouars and Châtillon (now Mauléon). The capital of the department was Niort alternating with Parthenay and Saint-Maixent but soon was changed and Niort was kept as the only capital.
 1800 : creation of the arrondissements: Melle, Niort, Parthenay and Thouars. Saint-Maixent and Châtillon were left out.
 1804 : the subprefecture of Thouars is moved to Bressuire.
 1926 : the arrondissements of Bressuire and Melle were eliminated.
 1942 : the Bressuire was made again an arrondissement.

Related pages
List of arrondissements of France

References

Deux-Sevres
Category:Lists of arrondissements of France