 | This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (December 2008)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Saint-Gourson | |
|---|---|
 The church in Saint-Gourson | |
  Saint-Gourson  Saint-Gourson | |
| Coordinates: 45°57′07″N0°19′25″E / 45.9519°N 0.3236°E Coordinates: 45°57′07″N0°19′25″E / 45.9519°N 0.3236°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine |
| Department | Charente |
| Arrondissement | Confolens |
| Canton | Charente-Nord |
| Intercommunality | Trois Vallées |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Guy Rivalland |
| Area 1 | 10.09 km2 (3.90 sq mi) |
| Population (2016-01-01) [1] | 140 |
| • Density | 14/km2 (36/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 16325 /16700 |
| Elevation | 89–161 m (292–528 ft) (avg. 130 m or 430 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Saint-Gourson is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.
The commune is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are analogous to civil townships and incorporated municipalities in the United States and Canada, Gemeinden in Germany, comuni in Italy or ayuntamiento in Spain. The United Kingdom has no exact equivalent, as communes resemble districts in urban areas, but are closer to parishes in rural areas where districts are much larger. Communes are based on historical geographic communities or villages and are vested with significant powers to manage the populations and land of the geographic area covered. The communes are the fourth-level administrative divisions of France.
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.
In the administrative divisions of France, the department is one of the three levels of government below the national level, between the administrative regions and the commune. Ninety-six departments are in metropolitan France, and five are overseas departments, which are also classified as regions. Departments are further subdivided into 334 arrondissements, themselves divided into cantons; the last two have no autonomy, and are used for the organisation of police, fire departments, and sometimes, elections.
