France is divided into 27 administrative regions (French: région, pronounced: ), 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity (French collectivité territoriale), but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website.[1] The mainland regions and Corsica are each further subdivided into departments, ranging in number from 2 to 8 per region for the metropolitan regions; the overseas regions technically consist of only one department each. The term region was officially created by the Law of Decentralisation (2 March 1982), which also gave regions their legal status. The first direct elections for regional representatives took place on 16 March 1986.[2]
Contents
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General characteristics 1
-
Role 2
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Regions and their capitals 3
-
Arms of the regions of France 4
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Reform and mergers of regions 5
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Hollande's proposal 5.1
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Previous proposals 5.2
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2016 Reform 5.3
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See also 6
-
References 7
-
External links 8
General characteristics
In mainland France (excluding Corsica), the median land area of a region is 25,809 km² (9,965 sq mi), which is slightly larger than the U.S. state of Vermont, 4% of the median land area of a Canadian province, or 15% larger than the median land area of a German Regierungsbezirk.
In 2004, the median population of a region in continental France was 2,329,000 inhabitants, three quarters of the median population of a German Land (state), but more than twice the median population of a Canadian province.
Role
Regions lack separate legislative authority and therefore cannot write their own statutory law. They levy their own taxes and, in return, receive a decreasing part of their budget from the central government, which gives them a portion of the taxes it levies. They also have considerable budgets managed by a regional council (conseil régional) made up of representatives voted into office in regional elections.
A region's primary responsibility is to build and furnish high schools. In March 2004, the French central government unveiled a controversial plan to transfer regulation of certain categories of non-teaching school staff to the regional authorities. Critics of this plan contended that tax revenue was insufficient to pay for the resulting costs, and that such measures would increase regional inequalities.
In addition, regions have considerable discretionary power over infrastructural spending, e.g., education, public transit, universities and research, and assistance to business owners. This has meant that the heads of wealthy regions such as Île-de-France or Rhône-Alpes can be high-profile positions.
Proposals to give regions limited legislative autonomy have met with considerable resistance; others propose transferring certain powers from the departments to their respective regions, leaving the former with limited authority.
Regional control
Number of regions controlled by each coalition since 1986.
Left
Right
Regions and their capitals
Metropolitan regions
|
Flag[3]
|
Region
|
French name
|
Other local name(s)
|
Capital
|
INSEE No.[1]
|
Derivation or etymology
|
President
|
|
Alsace
|
Alsace
|
Alsatian: Elsàss
German: Elsass
|
Strasbourg
|
42
|
Formerly a coalition of free cities in Holy Roman Empire, attached to Kingdom of France in 1648.
Annexed by Germany from Franco-Prussian war to the end of World War I and briefly during World War II
|
Philippe Richert (UMP)
|
|
Aquitaine
|
Aquitaine
|
Occitan: Aquitània
Basque: Akitania
Saintongeais : Aguiéne
|
Bordeaux
|
72
|
Guyenne and Gascony
|
Alain Rousset (PS)
|
|
Auvergne
|
Auvergne
|
Occitan: Auvèrnhe / Auvèrnha
|
Clermont-Ferrand
|
83
|
Former province of Auvergne
|
René Souchon (PS)
|
.svg)
|
Brittany
|
Bretagne
|
Breton: Breizh
Gallo: Bertaèyn
|
Rennes
|
53
|
Duchy of Brittany
|
Jean-Yves Le Drian (PS)
|
|
Burgundy
|
Bourgogne
|
Burgundian: Bregogne / Borgoégne
Franco-Provençal: Borgogne
|
Dijon
|
26
|
Duchy of Burgundy
|
François Patriat (PS)
|
.svg)
|
Centre
|
Centre
|
|
Orléans
|
24
|
Located in north-central France (central part of the original French language area)
|
François Bonneau (PS)
|
|
Champagne-Ardenne
|
Champagne-Ardenne
|
|
Châlons-en-
Champagne
|
21
|
Former province of Champagne
|
Jean-Paul Bachy (PS)
|
|
Franche-Comté
|
Franche-Comté
|
Franc-Comtois: Fràntche-Comté
Franco-Provençal: Franche-Comtât
|
Besançon
|
43
|
Free County of Burgundy
(Franche-Comté)
|
Marie-Marguerite Dufay (PS)
|
|
Île-de-France
|
Île-de-France
|
|
Paris
|
11
|
Province of Ile-de-France and parts
of the former province of Champagne
|
Jean-Paul Huchon (PS)
|
|
Languedoc-Roussillon
|
Languedoc-Roussillon
|
Occitan: Lengadòc-Rosselhon
Catalan: Llenguadoc-Rosselló
|
Montpellier
|
91
|
Former provinces of Languedoc
and Roussillon
|
Christian Bourquin (DVG)
|
|
Limousin
|
Limousin
|
Occitan: Lemosin
|
Limoges
|
74
|
Former province of Limousin and parts
of Marche, Berry, Auvergne, Poitou
and Angoumois
|
Jean-Paul Denanot (PS)
|
|
Lorraine
|
Lorraine
|
German: Lothringen
Lorraine Franconian: Lottringe
|
Metz
|
41
|
Named for Charlemagne's son Lothair I, the kingdom of Lotharingia is etymologically
the source for the name Lorraine (duchy), Lothringen (German), Lottringe (Lorraine Franconian)
|
Jean-Pierre Masseret (PS)
|
|
Lower Normandy
|
Basse-Normandie
|
Norman: Basse-Normaundie
|
Caen
|
25
|
Western half of former province of Normandy
|
Laurent Beauvais (PS)
|
|
Midi-Pyrénées
|
Midi-Pyrénées
|
Occitan: Miègjorn-Pirenèus
Occitan: Mieidia-Pirenèus
|
Toulouse
|
73
|
None; created for Toulouse
|
Martin Malvy (PS)
|
.svg)
|
Nord-Pas-de-Calais
|
Nord-Pas-de-Calais
|
Dutch: Noord-Nauw van Kales
|
Lille
|
31
|
Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments
|
Daniel Percheron (PS)
|
|
Pays de la Loire
|
Pays de la Loire
|
Breton: Broioù al Liger
|
Nantes
|
52
|
None; created for Nantes
|
Jacques Auxiette (PS)
|
|
Picardy
|
Picardie
|
|
Amiens
|
22
|
Former province of Picardy
|
Claude Gewerc (PS)
|
|
Poitou-Charentes
|
Poitou-Charentes
|
Occitan: Peitau-Charantas
Poitevin and Saintongeais : Poetou-Chérentes
|
Poitiers
|
54
|
Former provinces of Angoumois, Aunis, Poitou and Saintonge
|
Ségolène Royal (PS)
|
|
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA)
|
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA)
|
Occitan:
Provença-Aups-Còsta d'Azur
Prouvènço-Aup-Costo d'Azur
Italian:
Provenza-Alpi-Costa Azzurra
|
Marseille
|
93
|
Provence plus the former county of
Nice, principality of Orange and Comtat Venaissin
|
Michel Vauzelle (PS)
|
|
Rhône-Alpes
|
Rhône-Alpes
|
Franco-Provençal: Rôno-Arpes
Occitan: Ròse Aups
|
Lyon
|
82
|
Created for Lyon from Dauphiné and
Lyonnais provinces
and Savoy
|
Jean-Jack Queyranne
|
|
Upper Normandy
|
Haute-Normandie
|
Norman: Ĥâote-Normaundie
|
Rouen
|
23
|
Eastern half of former province of Normandy
|
Alain Le Vern (PS)
|
|
The following region has the special status of territorial collectivity.
|
|
Corsica
|
Corse
|
Corsican: Corsica
Italian: Corsica
|
Ajaccio
|
94
|
Territorial collectivity
|
Paul Giacobbi (PRG)
|
|
The following five regions have the special status of overseas region.
|
|
French Guiana
|
Guyane
|
|
Cayenne
|
03
|
Overseas region
|
Rodolphe Alexandre (PSG)
|
.svg)
|
Guadeloupe
|
Guadeloupe
|
Antillean Creole: Gwadloup
|
Basse-Terre
|
01
|
Overseas region
|
Victorin Lurel (PS)
|
|
Martinique
|
Martinique
|
Antillean Creole: Matinik
|
Fort-de-France
|
02
|
Overseas region
|
Serge Letchimy (PPM)
|
.svg)
|
Mayotte
|
Mayotte
|
Shimaore: Maore
Malagasy: Mahori
|
Mamoudzou
|
05
|
Overseas region
|
Daniel Zaïdani (DVG)
|
|
|
Reunion
|
La Réunion
|
Reunion Creole: La Rényon
|
Saint-Denis
|
04
|
Overseas region
|
Didier Robert (UMP)
|
Arms of the regions of France[4]
Reform and mergers of regions
Hollande's proposal
On 2 June 2014, President François Hollande announced the transition from 22 to 14 Regions.
Regions to merge:
Regions remain unchanged:
Previous proposals
2016 Reform
The reformed regions from 2016 onwards.
See also
General:
References
-
^ a b "Carte des Régions" (in French).
-
^ Jean-Marie Miossec (2009), Géohistoire de la régionalisation en France, Paris: Presses universitaires de France ISBN 978-2-13-056665-6.
-
^ These flags are not official.
-
^ For most of the regions, these arms are not official.
External links
-
(English) Regions of France at DMOZ
-
Guide to the regions of France
-
Local websites by region
-
Useful information on France
-
Will 2010 regional elections lead to political shake-up? Radio France Internationale in English
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