Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The administrative divisions of France are concerned with the institutional and territorial organization of French territory. These territories are located in many parts of the world.
France is divided into eighteen administrative regions (French: régions, singular région), of which thirteen are located in metropolitan France (in Europe), while the other five are overseas regions (not to be confused with the overseas collectivities, which have a semi-autonomous status).
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (French: département, pronounced [depaʁtəmɑ̃] ⓘ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes.
A small number of local governments, known as collectivités territoriales à statut particulier (“territorial collectivities with special status”), have slightly different administrative frameworks; among these are the island of Corsica and the large cities of Paris, Lyon, and Marseille.
France is administratively divided into 18 administrative regions. Out of these 18 regions, 13 regions form a part of Metropolitan France in the European continent, while the other five regions are overseas regions.
Mainland France comprises 13 administrative regions which are in turn subdivided into départements. The regions were created by the Law of Decentralisation (2 March 1982) with legal status. Originally the country was divided into 22 regions before the implementation of a major reorganisation of French regions.
Département, largest unit of local government in France and in some former French colonies. The départements were originally created in 1790. Each département is governed by an elected general council, which holds responsibility for local services, laws, and budget; an officer called a commissioner.