Historical provinces of France

The Kingdom of **France** was organized into **provinces** until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the *departments* abolished the existing provinces. The change was an attempt to eradicate local loyalty based on feudal land ownership and to concentrate all loyalty in the central government of Paris.

The names of the ancient provinces are still used by geographers to designate natural regions, and many French administrative regions bear their names.

## The meaning of "province" 
The French *departments*, their names, and boundaries were decided by the central government. On the contrary, the existence of the provinces came from the *droit coutumier* (" Customary law "), which was simply certified by the state. A province, also called *pays* ("country"), was characterized by the laws that belonged to it. One province could include many other provinces. For example, Burgundy was a province, but Bresse - another province - was still a part of Burgundy.

Therefore, an official list of provinces is missing. The list of *generalities*, administrative subdivisions of the kingdom, is often presented when the list of provinces is established on the eve of the French Revolution. The list that appears below is much broader, including provinces that were created throughout French history.

## List of historical provinces of France 
### *Provinces* 
### Parts of France in 
* Alsazia
** Basse-Alsace
** Haute-Alsace
** Sundgau
* Angoumois
* Anjou
** Besugeois
** Mauges
* Artois
** Boulonnais
* Aunis
* Auvergne
* Basse-Navarre
* Béarn
** Soule
* Beaujolais
* Berry
* Bourbonnais
* Burgundy
** Autunois
** Auxerrois
** Auxois
** Bassigny
** Châlonnois
** Charollois
** Dijonnais
** Mâconnais
** Bresse
*** Bugey
*** Dombes
*** Pays de Gex
*** Valromey
* Bretagna
* Champagne
** Brie champenoise
** Perthois
** Rhemois
** Senonais
** Vallage
* Corsica
* Dauphiné
** Baronnies
** Briançonnois
** Champsaur
** Diois
** Gapençais
** Graisivaudan
** Embrunais
** Valentinois
** Viennois
* Flanders and Hainaut
** Flandre maritime
** Flandre wallonne
** Hainaut
** Cambresis
* Pays de Foix
** Donnezan
* Forez
* Franche-Comté
* Guascogna
** Agenois
** Armagnac
** Bigorre
** Comminges
** Condomois
** Couserans
** Estarac
** Grave
** Lomagne
** Marsan
** Nébouzan
** Quatre-Vallées
* Guyenne
** Bordelais
** Bazadois
** Chalosse
** Lapurdi
** Lannes
** Périgord
** Quercy
** Rouergue
* Île-de-France
** Beauvaisis
** Brie française
** Gâtinais français
** Hurepoix
** Laonnois
** Mantois
** Multien
** Noyonnais
** Omois
** Parisis
** Pays de France
** Quart de Noyon
** Soissonnois
** Vexin français
** Valois
* Languedoc
** Gévaudan
** Principauté d'Orange
** Velay
** Vivarais
* Landau (Łibera sità inperiałe ocupà in tel 1680, restitui a ła Baviera in tel 1815)
* Limousin
* Lorena
** Barrois
* Lyonnais
** Plat pays de Lyonnais
** Lyon
** Franc-Lyonnais
* Maine
* Marche
** Combrailles
* Nivernais
* Normandie
** Avranchin
** Pays d'Auge
** Bessin
** Pays de Bray
** Campagne de Caen
** Pays de Caux
** Cotentin
** Le Houlme
** Lieuvin
** Campagne de Neubourg
** Pays d'Ouche
** Roumois
** Campagne de Saint-André
** Vexin Normand
* Orléanais
** Blésois
** Pays chartrain
** Dunois
** Gâtinais orléanais
** Vendômois
* Perche
** Perche-Gouët
** Thimerais
* Picardy
** Amienois
** Ponthieu
** Santerre
** Thiérache
** Vermandois
** Vimeu
* Poitou
* Provensa
* Roussillon
** Roussillon
** Cerdagne
** Conflent
** Vallespir
** Capcir
* Saintonge
* Touraine
* Trois-Évêchés

### Provinces that were not part of France in 
* Avignon and the County of Venaissin, belonging to the Pope, were incorporated in
* Montbeliard was incorporated in 1793 as part of the French Republic, to which it belonged for a short time.
* Mulhouse, a free imperial city allied to Switzerland, was incorporated in
* Savoy and Nice had been temporarily annexed to France in the period 1792 - 1815, but were returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia by the Congress of Vienna Only in 1860 was it annexed again to France.
* Many other territories along the northern border of Alsace and Lorraine were incorporated during the French Revolution.