Most of them group together some communes (the lowest administrative division of the French Republic), although larger communes may comprise several cantons, since the cantons are intended to be roughly equal in population – unlike the communes, which range from more than two million inhabitants (Paris) to just one person (Rochefourchat).
Kebanyakan dari mereka membentuk sejumlah komune (pembagian administratif terendah di Republik Prancis), meskipun komune besar dapat meliputi beberapa kanton, sejak kanton ditetapkan sama dalam jumlah penduduk – tidak seperti komune yang bervariasi dari dua juta penduduk (Paris) hingga satu penduduk (Rochefourchat).