28 articles
Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Ain (department 01, prefecture Bourg-en-Bresse) in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, between Lyon and Geneva; 679,344 inhabitants in 2023, France's most industrialized department, highest point Crêt de la Neige at 1,720 m.
Aisne
Aisne (code 02) is a French department in Hauts-de-France, created in 1790 from Champagne, Île-de-France, and Picardy, prefecture Laon (chosen over Soissons 411–37), 797 communes, 523,342 inhabitants in 2023, and the Chemin des Dames First World War battlefield.
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin (code 67) is a French department in Grand Est, northeastern France, prefecture Strasbourg, 514 communes, 1,163,810 inhabitants (2023); since 2021 part of the Collectivité européenne d'Alsace with Haut-Rhin.
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône (13), French department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, prefecture Marseille; created 4 March 1790 from Provence and Orange; 5,087 km², 2.09 million inhabitants (2023), third most populous in France.
Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime (17), a Nouvelle-Aquitaine department on France's Atlantic coast, prefecture La Rochelle; 672,279 inhabitants (2023), 6,864 km², 470 km of coast, islands Ré and Oléron, leading French oyster-farming department.
Départements of French Algeria
The départements of French Algeria were the territorial divisions through which France administered Algeria as part of France itself, from 1848 until Algerian independence in 1962.
Doubs
Doubs (department 25) is an eastern French department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté with prefecture Besançon, 547,163 inhabitants in 2023, a 170 km Swiss border, PSA Sochaux industry, and Comté cheese.
Eure
Eure (27) is a Normandy department in northwestern France, prefecture Évreux, bordering Île-de-France; about 602,700 inhabitants in 2023, 6,040 km², the most wooded Normandy department.
Gard
Gard (department 30), southern France, Occitanie; prefecture Nîmes. 770,940 inhabitants (2023), 5,853 km², 350 communes; created 1790 from dioceses of Nîmes, Alès, Uzès; migration-driven growth, high poverty and tourism.
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine (92), French department in Île-de-France west of Paris; 36 communes, prefecture Nanterre; created 1964, effective 1 January 1968 from Seine and Seine-et-Oise; 1.65 million inhabitants, La Défense business district.
Îles du Vent
Îles du Vent (Windward Islands) is the eastern group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia: Tahiti, Moorea, Maiao, Mehetia, and Tetiaroa. Its State administrative subdivision, chef-lieu Papeete, has 13 communes and 209,980 inhabitants (2022), about 75% of French Polynesia's population. The name also denotes the Caribbean Windward Islands.
Ille-et-Vilaine
Ille-et-Vilaine (department 35) is a department of Brittany, northwestern France, prefecture Rennes, named for the Ille and Vilaine rivers. Most populous Breton department with 1,120,666 inhabitants (2023), 333 communes, and Brittany's leading economy.
Indre-et-Loire
Indre-et-Loire (37), French department in Centre-Val de Loire created 4 March 1790 from Touraine, prefecture Tours. 619,362 inhabitants (2023), growth driven by migration, rivers Loire, Cher, Indre, Vienne.
Isère
Isère, French department 38 in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with prefecture Grenoble, created 1790 from Dauphiné, named for the Isère river; 512 communes, alpine tourism economy, 1.7 billion euro 2025 budget.
Loiret
Loiret (45) is a French department in Centre-Val de Loire, created 4 March 1790, prefecture Orléans. 691,268 inhabitants (2023), 6,775 km², 325 communes, named after the Loiret river.
Manche
Manche (50) is a Normandy department in northwestern France, named after the English Channel (La Manche). Prefecture Saint-Lô; 497,522 inhabitants (2023); Cotentin peninsula, Mont-Saint-Michel, Utah Beach, Cherbourg port.
Oise
Oise, department 60 in Hauts-de-France, France; created 27 June 1790 from Île-de-France and Picardie lands, named for the Oise river, prefecture Beauvais, 5,860 km², 679 communes, about 829,900 inhabitants.
Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire (department 71, prefecture Mâcon), Bourgogne-Franche-Comté's most populous department with 550,310 inhabitants in 2023; a transport crossroads (A6, TGV, canal du Centre) with above-average industrial and agricultural employment and an aging population.
Sarthe
Sarthe (INSEE 72) is a department in western France, Pays de la Loire region, prefecture Le Mans; 566,733 inhabitants in 2023 across 352 communes, with 9.8 million tourist overnight stays in 2024 anchored by the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Seine-Maritime
Seine-Maritime (76), formerly Seine-Inférieure until the 1955 renaming, is Normandy's most populous French department: 1,260,964 inhabitants in 2023, 6,278 km², prefecture Rouen, ports of Le Havre and Rouen, first in French flax growing.
Somme
Somme (department 80), northern France, Hauts-de-France; prefecture Amiens; 565,413 inhabitants (2023), 6,172 km², borders five departments, Baie de Somme nature reserve, agriculture-led economy.
Upper Garonne
Upper Garonne (Haute-Garonne), French department 31 in Occitanie with prefecture Toulouse; 586 communes, 1,471,468 inhabitants in 2023, fastest-growing in Occitanie, dominated by the aerospace industry.
Upper Savoy
Upper Savoy (Haute-Savoie, dept. 74), a French department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes bordering Switzerland and Italy; prefecture Annecy; 861,158 inhabitants in 2023, strong growth, Geneva cross-border work, bar turning industry, and Alpine tourism.
Val d'Oise
Val-d'Oise is a department in the Île-de-France region of northern France, north of Paris, created in 1968 from the division of Seine-et-Oise and administered from its prefecture, Pontoise.
Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne, department 94 in Île-de-France, France, created 1 January 1968 from the former Seine department; prefecture Créteil; 47 communes; about 1.43 million inhabitants on 245 km².
Var
Var (83), French department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, created 1790, prefecture Toulon. 1,119,307 inhabitants (2023), fastest-growing department of its region, major tourism economy with 30,000 tourist jobs.
Vaucluse
Vaucluse (department 84), a department of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in southeastern France, prefecture Avignon, created 12 August 1792; 572,056 inhabitants (2023), 3,567 km², Mont Ventoux 1,912 m, major fruit, wine, and lavender producer.
Vienne
Vienne: name of a French department (86, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, prefecture Poitiers, 438,897 inhabitants in 2023) and of a Rhône city in Isère, 30 km south of Lyon, a former Roman capital of the Allobroges.