Before 1789, France had provinces. They had been there since feudal history. Many are similar to today’s regions. At the revolution, these provinces disappeared. France became the country of 83 departments.
The administrative division has changed a lot since then. For example, it went from 22 to 13 regions in 2016. The regions manage important matters. Such as land planning, economic development, and transportation.
Now, the regions are like states. They are considered important communities. The same goes for the department and the municipality.
Discover France at a glance with our detailed map
Our detailed map comes from OpenStreetMap, an open source. It shows cities, roads, and more. You can see each region and the information of the cities.
The information is recent, and we must credit OpenStreetMap. Every act of sharing helps others.
The map of France with prefectures is useful at different sizes. You can use it when driving or walking. It is important to know how to read a map to navigate well.
On these maps, sizes are noted in fractions. This helps measure distances. The contour lines show whether the terrain is flat or mountainous.
These maps also indicate important points, such as peaks. The shading helps to see the reliefs more easily. It is a method to better understand the terrain.
The administrative division of France map of France with prefecture
France has 27 regions, 22 in mainland and 5 overseas. Each region has its departments, districts, cantons, and municipalities. Since 2016, a map with 13 metropolitan regions is used. This new map gradually replaces the old ones. But we have to wait until 2021 before removing any departments. To better understand, look at the map of France with regions, departments, and prefectures.
| Statistics on the administrative division of France |
|---|
| – Before December 31, 2015, metropolitan France had 22 regions. Since January 1, 2016, there are only 13. |
| – Yes, 7 of the 12 new regions merged from two or three old ones. |
| – Thanks to the law of January 16, 2015, we went from 21 to 12 regions. |
| – This change brought together regions like Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, and Lorraine. |
| – Other regions like Brittany, Corsica, and Île-de-France did not change. |
| – The old 16 regions became seven, including Normandy and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. |
| – In metropolitan France, there are 95 departments, each with its prefecture. |
| – There have also been name and boundary changes, such as for Normandy. |
| – On September 29, 2016, the Official Journal announced the new names and seats of the regions. |
Look at the map of France with regions, departments, and prefectures for better understanding.
Visualize France in detail
We have many maps of France available for download. They show regions, cities, and more. You will also find maps of the DOM-TOM. These maps come from OpenStreetMap, a safe place.
France has 27 regions in total. This includes 22 regions in France and 5 outside of France. Each region has departments, districts, cantons, and municipalities.
Since 2016, France has 13 regions instead of 22. These maps will help you see how France is organized, and learn more about it. You will see the prefectures, major cities, and more.
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