Arrondissements of France

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(Redirected from Arrondissement in France)

This article is part of the series on Administrative divisions of France
Regional level
Région (incl. Overseas régions)
Departmental level
Département (incl. Overseas départements)
Arrondissement level
Arrondissement
Cantonal level
Canton
Intercommunal level
Communauté urbaine Communauté d'agglomération Communauté de communes
Communal level
Commune Commune associée Municipal arrondissement
Overseas
Collectivité d'outre-mer Collectivité sui generis Pays d'outre-mer Territoire d'outre-mer Scattered islands Clipperton Island

The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements.

The capital of an arrondissement is called sous-préfecture. When an arrondissement contains the préfecture (capital) of the département, that préfecture is the capital of the arrondissement, acting both as a préfecture and as a sous-préfecture.

Arrondissements are further divided into cantons and communes.

The cities of Paris, Lyon and Marseille are also divided into municipal arrondissements, not to be confused with the arrondissements dealt with in this article.

1 Role and Administration
2 History
3 Statistics
4 See also

[edit] Role and Administration

The administration of an arrondissement is confided to a subprefect ("sous-préfet") who assists the départemental prefect ("préfet").

Unlike French regions, départments and communes, arrondissements do not have the status of legal entity in public law. In addition, unlike those other administrative divisions, they are not run by elected officials, but by officials appointed by the French president.

[edit] History

The idea of arrondissements was proposed several times as an administrative reform during the Ancien Régime, notably by the intendant of the Bretagne généralité Caze de La Bove in his Mémoire concernant les subdélégués de l'intendance de Bretagne in 1775.

The arrondissements were created by the Loi du 28 pluviôse in the year VIII of the Republican Calendar (February 17, 1800) and replaced "districts". In certain periods in French history, they have served a role in legislative elections, especially during the Third French Republic. The law of September 10 1926, which eliminated 106 arrondissements for fiscal reasons, was considered electoral manipulation by many.

[edit] Statistics

Most départements only have three or four arrondissements. The départements of Paris and of the Territory of Belfort have only one, while the Moselle département has nine.