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Metropolitan
France
As of January 1, 2008, metropolitan France is divided
into:[1]
- 22 regions (including Corsica, although strictly speaking Corsica is
designated as a "territorial collectivity", not a region, but it is
most often called a region in common speech and grouped with the
other regions)
- the regions are subdivided into 96 departments
- the departments are in turn divided into 330 arrondissements
- the arrondissements are then divided into 3,883 cantons
- the cantons are subdivided into 36,569 communes (although some of the larger
communes actually are composed of several cantons)
- 3 communes (Paris, Marseille, and Lyon) are further divided into 45 municipal
arrondissements
- there also exist 730 associated communes (as
of January 2006), formerly independent communes which were merged
with larger communes but have retained some limited degree of
autonomy (e.g. the commune of Lomme which was absorbed by Lille in 2000
and transformed into an "associated commune" inside the commune of
Lille)
Furthermore, as of January 1, 2009, there exist 2,585 intercommunal structures grouping 34,077
communes (93.2% of all the communes of metropolitan France), with
87.4% of the population of metropolitan France living in them.[2]
These intercommunal structures are:
Overseas
The French Republic is further made up of the following overseas
administrative divisions:
-
-
- each overseas regions is coextensive with an overseas
department (département d'outre-mer, or DOM), again
with the same status as departments in metropolitan France. The
four overseas departments were created in 1946 and preceded the
four overseas regions. The dual structure overseas region/overseas
department, with two separate assemblies administering the same
territory, results from the extension of the regional scheme to the
overseas departments in the 1970s. Each overseas region/department
may transform into a single structure, with the merger of the
regional and departmental assemblies, but voters in Martinique and
Guadeloupe rejected this in two referendums in 2003. In Réunion the
creation of a second department for the southern part of the island
has been debated for some time.
- the overseas departments are subdivided into 12
arrondissements
- the 12 arrondissements are further subdivided into 153
cantons
- the 153 cantons are composed of 112 communes (in the 4 DOM,
there are more cantons than communes, unlike in metropolitan
France, because many communes are divided into several cantons,
whereas in metropolitan France in general cantons are made up of
several communes, except in large communes like Toulouse or Lille
which are divided into several cantons)
- Furthermore, as of January 1, 2009, there exist 16
intercommunal structures in the overseas departments, grouping 89
communes (79.5% of all the communes of the overseas departments),
with 83.2% of the population of the overseas departments living in
them intercommunal structures.[2]
These intercommunal structures are:
-
- 7 Agglomeration communities
- 9 Commune communities
-
-
- French
Polynesia (designated as an "overseas country", French:
pays d'outre-mer) is divided into 5 administrative
subdivisions (subdivisions administratives). For elections
it is divided into 6 electoral districts (circonscriptions
électorales) which differ slightly from the 5 administrative
subdivisions. The 5 administrative subdivisions are divided into 48
communes. There also exist some associated communes as in
metropolitan France.
- Mayotte (designated as a
"departmental collectivity", French: collectivité
départementale) is divided into 17 communes with no
arrondissements. There are also 19 cantons matching exactly the
communes except in the case of the commune of Mamoudzou which is divided into three
cantons.
- Saint-Barthélemy (designated as a
"collectivity", French: collectivité) is a new overseas
collectivity created on February 22, 2007. It was previously a
commune inside the Guadeloupe department. The commune structure was
abolished and Saint-Barthélemy is now one of only three permanently
inhabited territories of the French Republic with no commune
structure. There are no cantons and arrondissements either.
- Saint-Martin (designated as a
"collectivity", French: collectivité) is also a new
overseas collectivity created on February 22, 2007. It was also
previously a commune inside the Guadeloupe department. The commune
structure was abolished and Saint-Martin is now one of only three
permanently inhabited territories of the French Republic with no commune
structure. There are no cantons and arrondissements either.
- Saint-Pierre
and Miquelon (designated as a "territorial collectivity",
French: collectivité territoriale, the same designation as
Corsica which is a region and
not an overseas collectivity) is divided into 2 communes with no
arrondissements or cantons.
- Wallis
and Futuna (designated as a "territory", French:
territoire) is divided into 3 districts
(circonscriptions territoriales) which exactly match the
three traditional chiefdoms (royaumes coutumiers) with
their traditional kings still at their head, the only kings
currently recognized in the French Republic. These 3 districts are:
Uvea, Sigave, and Alo. Uvea is the most populous
and is further divided into 3 wards (districts in French):
Hahake, Mua,
and Hihifo. Wallis and Futuna
is one of only three permanently inhabited territories of the
French Republic with no communes (the others being Saint-Barthélemy
and Saint-Martin). It also has no arrondissements or cantons.
- 1 sui generis
collectivity (collectivité sui generis): New Caledonia,
whose status is unique in the French Republic: it is the only
French local government which is not a territorial collectivity
(although its subdivisions are territorial collectivities). A
self-determination referendum is scheduled for 2014 to decide the
future status of the New Caledonia.
-
-
- It is divided into 3 provinces
- the provinces are subdivided into 33 communes
-
-
- the French Southern and Antarctic Lands are divided into 5
districts (districts in French):
- 1. Kerguelen Islands
- 2. Crozet
Islands
- 3. Amsterdam Island and Saint Paul
Island
- 4. Adelie Land.
- 5. the Scattered Islands
(îles Éparses), a collection of six non permanently
inhabited islands in the Indian Ocean: Banc du Geyser, Bassas da
India, Europa, Juan de Nova, Glorioso, and
Tromelin.
These were previously administered separately but they have been
joined with the French Southern and Antarctic Lands since February
2007.
- Uninhabited island which belongs directly to the central State
public land:
-
-
- Clipperton Island: uninhabited island
in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico which is directly under the authority of
the Minister of Overseas France
in Paris (until February 2007 it
was administered by the high-commissioner of the French Republic in
French Polynesia). Since the Scattered Islands were joined with the
French Southern and Antarctic Lands also in February 2007,
Clipperton Island is now the only island left in this
category.
Territorial
collectivities
French administrative subdivisions that have a (limited) freedom
of administration are called territorial collectivities. Among them are
regions, departments, communes, overseas collectivities, provinces
(New Caledonia) and the territorial collectivity of Corsica which
belongs to no category (but is close to regions). New Caledonia is
unique as it is not a territorial collectivity.
General
rules
Citizens from all parts of France, including the overseas
administrative divisions, vote in national elections (presidential, legislative), and all of the collectivities
are represented in the Senate.
List of departments by
region
Regions and departments of France.
Historical
divisions
In the Medieval period, the territory of modern metropolitan
France was occupied by a complex mosaic of more or less independent
entities. Their gradual incorporation into France may be followed
in the article Territorial formation of
France.
Historically, France was divided into provinces; see Provinces
of France.
See also
References
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