In the administrative divisions of France, the department is one of the three levels of government under the national level, between the administrative regions and the communes. There are ninety-six departments in metropolitan France, with an additional five overseas departments, which are also classified as overseas regions. Departments are further subdivided into 333 arrondissements and 2,054 cantons. These last two levels of government have no political autonomy, instead serving as the administrative basis for the local organisation of police, fire departments as well as, in certain cases, elections.
An arrondissement is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands.
A prefecture is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international church structures, as well as in antiquity a Roman district. The term prefecture is used for the modern first-level subdivisions of the Central African Republic, Japan, and Morocco.
In France, a prefecture may be:
Jura is a department in the eastern French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The department takes its name from the Jura Mountains. Its prefecture is Lons-le-Saunier; subprefectures are Dole and Saint-Claude. In 2019, Jura had a population of 259,199. Its INSEE code is 39. It has a short portion of the border of Switzerland.
Seine-Saint-Denis is a department of France located in the Grand Paris metropolis in the Île-de-France region. In French, it is often referred to colloquially as quatre-vingt treize or neuf trois, after its official administrative number, 93. Its prefecture is Bobigny.
A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.
An arrondissement is the third level of administrative division in France generally corresponding to the territory overseen by a subprefect. As of 2023, the 101 French departments are divided into 333 arrondissements.
Dole is a commune in the eastern French department of Jura, of which it is a subprefecture (sous-préfecture).
A prefect in France is the state's representative in a department or region. Subprefects are responsible for the subdivisions of departments, known as arrondissements. The office of a prefect is known as a prefecture and that of a subprefect as a subprefecture. Regional prefects are ex officio the departmental prefects of the regional prefecture.
Minister of the Interior is a prominent position in the Government of France. The position is equivalent to the interior minister in other countries, like the Home Secretary in the United Kingdom, the Minister of Public Safety in Canada, or the Minister of Home Affairs in Australia.
The 4 arrondissements of the Ain department are:
- Arrondissement of Belley, with 104 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 124,868 in 2021.
- Arrondissement of Bourg-en-Bresse, with 199 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 342,454 in 2021.
- Arrondissement of Gex, with 27 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 102,027 in 2021.
- Arrondissement of Nantua, with 62 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 93,853 in 2021.
An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located.
The 5 arrondissements of the Charente-Maritime department are:
- Arrondissement of Jonzac, with 129 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 67,989 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Rochefort, with 78 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 189,875 in 2013.
- Arrondissement of La Rochelle, with 58 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 215,707 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Saintes, with 88 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 116,057 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Saint-Jean-d'Angély, with 110 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 52,563 in 2016.
The 3 arrondissements of the Guyane department are:
- Arrondissement of Cayenne, with 10 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 177,716 in 2019.
- Arrondissement of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, with 8 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 96,757 in 2019.
- Arrondissement of Saint-Georges, with 4 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 7,205 in 2019. This arrondissement was created by a government decree of October 26, 2022.
The four arrondissements of the Haut-Rhin department are:
- Arrondissement of Altkirch, with 108 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 69,793 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Colmar-Ribeauvillé, with 98 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 211,668 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Mulhouse, with 79 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 351,012 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Thann-Guebwiller, with 81 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 130,270 in 2016.
The 4 arrondissements of the Martinique department are:
- Arrondissement of Fort-de-France, with 4 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 157,449 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Le Marin, with 12 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 117,168 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Saint-Pierre, with 8 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 22,926 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of La Trinité, with 10 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 78,937 in 2016.
The 6 arrondissements of the Nord department are:
- Arrondissement of Avesnes-sur-Helpe, with 151 communes. Its population was 230,372 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Cambrai, with 116 communes. Its population was 162,045 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Douai, with 64 communes. Its population was 245,280 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Dunkirk (Dunkerque), with 111 communes. Its population was 377,294 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Lille, with 124 communes. Its population was 1,237,472 in 2016.
- Arrondissement of Valenciennes, with 82 communes. Its population was 351,260 in 2016.
The administrative divisions of Albania comprise 12 counties, 61 municipalities, 373 administrative units, and 2,972 villages. Since its 1912 Declaration of Independence, Albania has reorganized its domestic administrative divisions 21 times. Its internal boundaries have been enlarged or subdivided into prefectures, counties, districts, subprefectures, municipalities, communes, neighborhoods or wards, villages, and localities. The most recent changes were made in 2014 and enacted in 2015.
A subprefect is a high government official in several countries, such as Brazil and France.
