View source for Arrondissements of France

{{Short description|Territorial subdivisions of France}}
{{Hatnote|The cities of [[Lyon]], [[Marseille]], and [[arrondissements of Paris|Paris]] are also divided into [[municipal arrondissements of France|municipal arrondissements]], not to be confused with the arrondissements addressed in this article.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Administrative divisions of France}}

An '''''arrondissement''''' ({{IPAc-en|lang|ə|ˈ|ɹ|ɒ|n|d|ɪ|s|m|ə|n|t}}, {{IPA|fr|aʁɔ̃dismɑ̃|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-0x010C-arrondissement.wav}})<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.asp?reg_id=99&ref_id=t_0203D |title=Circonscriptions administratives au 1er janvier 2015 : comparaisons départementales |trans-title=Administrative constituencies of 1 January 2015: departmental comparisons |language=fr |publisher=[[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques|INSEE]] |access-date=5 July 2015}}</ref> is the third level of [[Administrative divisions of France|administrative division in France]] generally corresponding to the territory overseen by a [[subprefect]]. As of 2023, the 101 French [[Departments of France|departments]] are divided into 333 arrondissements (including 13 overseas).<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/3720946/arrondissement2019-csv.zip Téléchargement - Année 2019: Liste des arrondissements]</ref>

The capital of an arrondissement is called a [[subprefectures in France|subprefecture]]. When an arrondissement contains the [[prefectures in France|prefecture]] (capital) of the department, that prefecture is the capital of the arrondissement, acting both as a prefecture and as a subprefecture. Arrondissements are further divided into [[communes of France|communes]].

The term [[arrondissement]] can be roughly translated into English as district.<ref>André de Laubadère, Jean-Claude Vénézia, Yves Gaudemet, ''Traité de droit administratif'', 12th edition, LGDJ, 1992, vol. 1, nr. 168–169.</ref>

[[Administrative divisions of Quebec#Local municipalities|Some municipalities]] in [[Quebec]] are divided into arrondissements, reflecting the province’s historical link to [[New France]].

==Role and administration==
The administration of an arrondissement is assigned to a subprefect ({{Langx|fr|sous-préfet}}) who assists the departmental prefect ({{Lang|fr|préfet}}).

Unlike French [[Regions of France|regions]], departments and communes, arrondissements do not have the status of [[Juristic person|legal entity]] in [[public law]]. In addition, unlike those other administrative divisions, they are not run by elected officials, but by political appointees, officials appointed by the [[President of the French Republic|French president]].

==History==
The concept of arrondissements was proposed several times as an administrative reform during the ''[[Ancien Régime]]'', notably by the ''[[intendant]]'' of the [[généralité]] of [[Brittany]], [[Gaspard Louis Caze de La Bove|Caze de La Bove]], in his ''Mémoire concernant les subdélégués de l'intendance de Bretagne'' in 1775.

The arrondissements were created after the [[French Revolution]] by the ''Loi du 28 [[pluviôse]]'' in the year VIII of the [[French Republican Calendar|Republican Calendar]] (17 February 1800) and replaced "districts". In certain periods in French history, they have served a role in legislative elections, especially during the [[French Third Republic|Third Republic]]. In 1926, 106 arrondissements were suppressed by the government.<ref>Nicolas Verdier, ''La réforme des arrondissements de 1926&nbsp;: un choix d'intervention entre espace et territoire'', [http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/46/77/70/PDF/Verdier_La_reforme_des_arrondissements.pdf online]</ref><ref>[http://splaf.free.fr/1926.html List of the arrondissements suppressed in 1926]</ref> While it claimed it was to achieve fiscal savings, some political analysts considered the results electoral manipulation. Some of these suppressed arrondissements were restored in 1942.

===Changes===
The most recent creations and disestablishments of arrondissements are listed in the table below.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Department
! Created arrondissement(s)
! Disbanded arrondissement(s)
|-
| 2015
| [[Moselle (department)|Moselle]]
| [[Arrondissement of Forbach-Boulay-Moselle|Forbach-Boulay-Moselle]]
| [[Arrondissement of Forbach|Forbach]], [[Arrondissement of Boulay-Moselle|Boulay-Moselle]]
|-
| 2015
| [[Moselle (department)|Moselle]]
| [[Arrondissement of Metz|Metz]]
| [[Arrondissement of Metz-Campagne|Metz-Campagne]], [[Arrondissement of Metz-Ville|Metz-Ville]]
|-
| 2015
| [[Moselle (department)|Moselle]]
| [[Arrondissement of Sarrebourg-Château-Salins|Sarrebourg-Château-Salins]]
| [[Arrondissement of Château-Salins|Château-Salins]], [[Arrondissement of Sarrebourg|Sarrebourg]]
|-
| 2015
| [[Moselle (department)|Moselle]]
| [[Arrondissement of Thionville|Thionville]]
| [[Arrondissement of Thionville-Est|Thionville-Est]], [[Arrondissement of Thionville-Ouest|Thionville-Ouest]]
|-
| 2015
| [[Bas-Rhin]]
| [[Arrondissement of Haguenau-Wissembourg|Haguenau-Wissembourg]]
| [[Arrondissement of Haguenau|Haguenau]], [[Arrondissement of Wissembourg|Wissembourg]]
|-
| 2015
| [[Bas-Rhin]]
| [[Arrondissement of Strasbourg|Strasbourg]]
| [[Arrondissement of Strasbourg-Campagne|Strasbourg-Campagne]], [[Arrondissement of Strasbourg-Ville|Strasbourg-Ville]]
|-
| 2015
| [[Haut-Rhin]]
| [[Arrondissement of Colmar-Ribeauvillé|Colmar-Ribeauvillé]]
| [[Arrondissement of Colmar|Colmar]], [[Arrondissement of Ribeauvillé|Ribeauvillé]]
|-
| 2015
| [[Haut-Rhin]]
| [[Arrondissement of Thann-Guebwiller|Thann-Guebwiller]]
| [[Arrondissement of Guebwiller|Guebwiller]], [[Arrondissement of Thann|Thann]]
|-
| 2017
| [[Loire-Atlantique]]
| [[Arrondissement of Châteaubriant-Ancenis|Châteaubriant-Ancenis]]
| [[Arrondissement of Ancenis|Ancenis]], [[Arrondissement of Châteaubriant|Châteaubriant]]
|-
| 2017
| [[Marne (department)|Marne]]
| –
| [[Arrondissement of Sainte-Menehould|Sainte-Menehould]]
|}

==Statistics==
Most departments have three or four arrondissements. The departments of [[Arrondissement of Paris|Paris]] and of the [[Territoire de Belfort]] have only one, while the department of [[Pas-de-Calais]] has seven. [[Mayotte]] has none.

==See also==
{{commons category|Arrondissements of France}}

* [[Administrative divisions of France]]
* [[Arrondissement]]
* [[Arrondissements of Paris]]
* [[List of arrondissements of France]]
* [[Municipal arrondissements of France]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Articles on third-level administrative divisions of countries}}
{{Arrondissements of France}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arrondissements Of France}}

[[Category:Arrondissements of France| ]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in Europe|France 3]]