View source for Departments of France

{{Short description|Administrative subdivision in France}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| name              = Departments of France<br />{{small|{{native name|fr|Départements de France}}}}
| alt_name          = 
| map               = [[File:France maximale.svg|300px]]
| category          = 
| territory         = [[France]]
| upper_unit        = [[Regions of France|Regions]]
| start_date        = 
| legislation_begin = 
| legislation_end   = 
| end_date          = 
| current_number    = 101 (not including [[Metropolis of Lyon]])
| number_date       = January 2021
| type              = [[Metropolitan France|Metropolitan Departments]]
| type1             = [[Overseas departments and regions of France|Overseas Departments]]
| population_range  = Largest: [[Nord (French department)|Nord]], [[Hauts-de-France]]—2,613,000 (2022 census)<br />Smallest: [[Lozère]], [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]]—83,000 (2022 census)
| area_range        = Largest: [[French Guiana]]—{{convert|83,533.9|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}<br />Smallest: [[Paris]], [[Île-de-France]]—{{convert|105.4|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| density_range     = Largest: [[Paris]], [[Île-de-France]]—{{convert|20,755|PD/km2|PD/sqmi|abbr=on}}<br />Smallest: [[French Guiana]]—{{convert|3.5|PD/km2|PD/sqmi|abbr=on}}
| government        = [[Departmental council (France)|Departmental council]]
| government1       = 
| government2       = 
| government3       = 
| government4       = 
| subdivision       = [[Arrondissements of France|Arrondissements]]
| subdivision1      = [[Cantons of France|Cantons]]
| subdivision2      = [[Communes of France|Communes]]
| subdivision3      = 
| subdivision4      = 
}}
{{Administrative divisions of France}}
{{Politics of France}}

In the [[administrative divisions of France]], the '''department''' ({{langx|fr|département}}, {{IPA|fr|depaʁtəmɑ̃|pron|LL-Q150 (fra)-Poslovitch-département.wav}}) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("[[territorial collectivity|territorial collectivities]]"), between the [[Regions of France|administrative regions]] and the [[Communes of France|communes]]. There are a total of 101 departments, consisting of ninety-six departments in [[metropolitan France]], and five [[Overseas department and region|overseas departments]], which are also classified as overseas regions. Departments are further subdivided into 333 [[Arrondissements of France|arrondissements]] and 2,054 [[Cantons of France|cantons]] (as of 2023).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Code officiel géographique au 1er janvier 2021 {{!}} Insee|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/5057840|access-date=2021-11-09|website=insee.fr}}</ref> These last two levels of government have no political autonomy, instead serving as the administrative basis for the local organisation of police, fire departments, and, in certain cases, elections.

Each department is administered by an elected body called a [[departmental council (France)|departmental council]] ({{singular}} {{lang|fr|conseil départemental}}, {{plural form}} {{lang|fr|conseils départementaux}}). From 1800 to April 2015, these were called general councils ({{singular}} {{lang|fr|conseil général}}, {{plural form}} {{lang|fr|conseils généraux}}).<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Presse/Dossiers-de-presse/Dossier-de-presse-des-elections-departementales-2015/Les-elections-departementales-comprendre-ce-qui-change|title=Les élections départementales : comprendre ce qui change|author=Ministère de l'intérieur|access-date=2015-07-30|language=fr|archive-date=10 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810133431/http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Presse/Dossiers-de-presse/Dossier-de-presse-des-elections-departementales-2015/Les-elections-departementales-comprendre-ce-qui-change|url-status=dead}}</ref> Each council has a president. Their main areas of responsibility include the management of a number of social and welfare allowances, of [[secondary education in France#Collège|junior high school ({{lang|fr|collège|nocat=y}})]] buildings and technical staff, and local roads and school and rural buses, and a contribution to municipal infrastructures.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Quelles sont les compétences des départements ?|url=https://www.vie-publique.fr/fiches/19620-quelles-sont-les-competences-exercees-par-les-departements|access-date=2021-11-05|website=Vie publique.fr|language=fr}}</ref> Local services of the state administration are traditionally organised at departmental level, where the [[prefect (France)|prefect]] represents the government; however, regions have gained importance since the 2000s, with some department-level services merged into region-level services.

The departments were created in 1790 as a rational replacement of [[Ancien Régime]] [[Provinces of France|provinces]] with a view to strengthen national unity;<ref>{{Citation|title=83 départements sont créés en France|url=https://www.gouvernement.fr/partage/9898-83-departements|language=fr|access-date=2021-11-05}}</ref> the title "department" is used to mean a part of a larger whole.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rey|first=Alain|url=|title=Dictionnaire Historique de la langue française|date=2011-10-25|publisher=NATHAN|isbn=978-2-321-00013-6|language=fr}}</ref> Almost all of them were named after physical geographical features (rivers, mountains, or coasts), rather than after historical or cultural territories, which could have their own loyalties, or after their own administrative seats. The division of France into departments was a project particularly identified with the French revolutionary leader the [[Abbé Sieyès]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sous le Sénat de l'Empire – Personnalités – Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès – Sénat|url=https://www.senat.fr/evenement/archives/D30/sieyes.html|access-date=2021-11-05|website=senat.fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Création du département|publisher=Archives départementales du Puy-de-Dôme|url=https://www.archivesdepartementales.puy-de-dome.fr/n/creation-du-departement/n:27|access-date=2021-11-05|language=fr-fr}}</ref> although it had already been frequently discussed and written about by many politicians and thinkers. The earliest known suggestion of it is from 1665 in the writings of [[René Louis de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson|d'Argenson]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Carte de France à la révolution: création des départements|url=http://www.cartesfrance.fr/histoire/cartes-france-revolution/carte-france-revolution.html|access-date=2021-11-05|website=cartesfrance.fr}}</ref> They have inspired similar divisions in many countries, some of them former French colonies. The [[1822 territorial division of Spain]] (reverted due to the [[Hundred Thousand Sons of Saint Louis|1823 French intervention]] ending the [[trienio liberal]]) and the [[1833 territorial division of Spain]], which forms the basis of the present day [[provinces of Spain]] with minor modifications, are also based on the French model of departments of roughly equal size.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Turchetti|first=Mario|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FWdfvXdUf5kC&q=d%C3%A9partement+francais+modele+division+territoriale+de+l'Espagne|title=La Suisse de la Médiation dans l'Europe napoléonienne (1803–1814): actes du colloque de Fribourg (journée du 10 octobre 2003)|date=2005|publisher=Saint-Paul|isbn=978-2-8271-0983-8|pages=46|language=fr}}</ref>

Most French departments are assigned a two-digit number, the Official Geographical Code, allocated by the {{lang|fr|[[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (France)|Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques]]}} ({{lang|fr|Insée}}).<ref>{{Cite web|title=🔎 Code INSEE : définition et explications|url=https://www.techno-science.net/definition/5937.html|access-date=2021-11-05|website=Techno-Science.net|language=fr-FR}}</ref> Overseas departments have a three-digit number. The number is used, for example, in the [[postal codes in France|postal code]] and was, until the introduction of the [[Vehicle_registration_plates_of_France#SIV|SIV scheme]] in 2009, part of the [[vehicle registration plates of France|vehicle registration plate]] number. Residents commonly use the numbers to refer to their own department or a neighbouring one, for example inhabitants of [[Loiret]] may refer to their department as "the 45". More distant departments are generally referred to by their names, as few people know the numbers of all the departments.

In 2014, President [[François Hollande]] proposed abolishing departmental councils by 2020, which would have maintained the departments as administrative divisions, and transferring their powers to other levels of governance.<ref>{{Cite web|title=François Hollande fixe les régions à 14 et la fin des départements à 2020|url=https://www.lagazettedescommunes.com/236705/francois-hollande-fixe-les-regions-a-14-et-la-fin-des-departements-a-2020/|access-date=2021-11-05|website=La Gazette des Communes|language=fr-FR}}</ref> This reform project has since been scrapped.

==History==
{{Main|Territorial evolution of France}}

[[File:Chassis figuratif - France.jpg|thumb|Geometrical proposition rejected]]
[[File:Départements et provinces de France.svg|thumb|French [[Provinces of France|provinces]] before 1790 (color) and today's departments (black borders)]]

The first French territorial departments were proposed in 1665 by [[Marc-René de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson (1623–1700)|Marc-René d'Argenson]] to serve as administrative areas purely for the ''[[Conseil général des ponts et chaussées|Ponts et Chaussées]]'' (Bridges and Highways) infrastructure administration.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=pbspjvZst5UC&q=argenson&pg=PA60|title= Provinces, départements, régions: L'organisation administrative de la France d'hier à demain|last= Masson|first= Jean-Louis|date= 1984|website= Google Livres (French Google Books site)|publisher= Éditions Fernand Lanore|isbn= 9782851570031|access-date= 2017-07-15}}</ref>

Before the [[French Revolution]], France gained territory gradually through the annexation of a mosaic of independent entities. By the end of the [[Ancien Régime]] it was organised into [[Provinces of France|provinces]]. During the Revolution they were dissolved, partly in order to weaken old loyalties. The [[National Constituent Assembly (France)|National Constituent Assembly]] decided to create a more uniform division into departments (''département'') and [[Arrondissements of France#History|districts]] in late 1789.<ref name="Legay">{{Cite journal |last=Legay |first=Marie-Laure |year=2003 |title=La fin du pouvoir provincial (4 août 1789-21 septembre 1791) |url=http://journals.openedition.org/ahrf/821 |journal=Annales historiques de la Révolution française |issue=332 |pages=25–53 |doi=10.4000/ahrf.821 |issn=0003-4436|doi-access=free }}</ref> The process began on 4 August 1789 with the elimination of provincial privileges, and a 22 December 1789 decree (with [[letters patent]] in January 1790) provided for the termination of the provincial governments.<ref name="Legay"/>

The modern department system, as all-purpose units of the government, was decreed on 26 February 1790 (with letters patent on 4 March 1790) by the [[National Constituent Assembly (France)|National Constituent Assembly]].<ref name="Legay"/> Their boundaries served two purposes:
* Boundaries were chosen to break up France's historical regions in an attempt to erase cultural differences and build a more homogeneous nation.
* Boundaries were set so that every settlement in the country was within a day's ride of the capital of a department. This was a security measure, intended to keep the entire national territory under close control.

[[File:France L-2 (1812)-fr.svg|thumb|Departments at the maximum extent of the [[First French Empire]] (1812)]]

The old nomenclature was carefully avoided in naming the new departments. Most were named after an area's principal river or other physical features. Even Paris was in the department of [[Seine (department)|Seine]]. [[Savoy]], during its temporary occupation, became the department of [[Mont-Blanc (department)|Mont-Blanc]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1999/12/11/le-nom-des-departements_3595298_1819218.html|title=Le nom des départements|date=11 December 1999|work=Le Monde}}</ref> The provinces continued to exist administratively until 21 September 1791.<ref name="Legay"/>

The number of departments, initially 83, had been increased to [[130 departments of the First French Empire|130]] by 1809 with the territorial gains of the Republic and of the [[First French Empire]].<ref>See [[Provinces of the Netherlands]] for the annexed Dutch departments.</ref> Following the defeats of [[Napoleon]] in 1814–1815 the [[Congress of Vienna]] returned France to its pre-war size and the number of departments was reduced to 86 (three of the original departments having been split). In 1860 France acquired the [[County of Nice]] and [[Savoy]], which led to the creation of three new departments.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=24 mars 1860 - La France reçoit Nice et la Savoie - Herodote.net|url=https://www.herodote.net/24_mars_1860-evenement-18600324.php#:~:text=Le%2024%20mars%201860,%20par,Italie%20centrale%20par%20le%20Pi%C3%A9mont.|access-date=2021-11-05|website=herodote.net}}</ref> Two were added from the new Savoyard territory, while the department of [[Alpes-Maritimes]] was created from Nice and a portion of the [[Var (department)|Var]] department.<ref name=":0" /> The 89 departments were given numbers based on the alphabetical order of their names.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Départements 1867|url=http://crohee.chez.com/departements/departements-1867.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-05|website=crohee.chez.com|archive-date=2021-11-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105083500/http://crohee.chez.com/departements/departements-1867.html}}</ref>

The department of [[Bas-Rhin]] and parts of [[Meurthe (department)|Meurthe]], [[Moselle (department)|Moselle]], [[Vosges (department)|Vosges]] and [[Haut-Rhin]] were ceded to the [[German Empire]] in 1871 following France's defeat in the [[Franco-Prussian War]]. A small part of Haut-Rhin, however, remained French and became known as the [[Territoire de Belfort]]; the remaining parts of Meurthe and Moselle were merged into a new [[Meurthe-et-Moselle]] department. When France regained the ceded departments after [[World War I]], the Territoire de Belfort was not reintegrated into Haut-Rhin. In 1922 it became France's 90th department. Likewise the Lorraine departments were not changed back to their original boundaries, and a new Moselle department was created in the regained territory, with slightly different boundaries from the pre-war department of the same name.

The reorganisation of Île-de-France in 1968 and the division of [[Corsica]] in 1975 added six more departments, raising the total in Metropolitan France to 96. By 2011, when the [[overseas collectivity]] of [[Mayotte]] became a department, joining the earlier [[overseas department and region|overseas departments]] of the Republic (all created in 1946) – [[French Guiana]], [[Guadeloupe]], [[Martinique]] and [[Réunion]] – the total number of departments in the French Republic had become 101. In 2015 the [[Urban Community of Lyon]] was split from [[Rhône (department)|Rhône]] to form the [[Lyon Metropolis|Métropole de Lyon]], a ''sui generis'' entity, with the powers of both an intercommunality and those of a department on its territory, formally classified as a "territorial collectivity with particular status" ({{langx|fr|collectivité territoriale à statut particulier}}) and as such not belonging to any department. As of 2019 [[Corse-du-Sud]] and [[Haute-Corse]] are still administrative departments, although they no longer have the status of departmental "[[Territorial collectivity|territorial collectivities]]": region and department functions have been managed by a "[[single territorial collectivity]]" since 2018.

Despite the intention to avoid the old nomenclature, often the names of pre-1790 provinces remained in use. For example, the name of [[Berry, France|Berry]], though no longer having an official status, remains in widespread use in daily life.

==General characteristics==
{{Main|Administrative divisions of France}}
{{See also|List of French departments by population}}

=== Government and administration ===
[[File:Administration territoriale française.svg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Administrative divisions of France]]

The departmental seat of government is known as the [[prefectures in France|prefecture]] ({{lang|fr|préfecture}}) or {{lang|fr|chef-lieu de département}} and is generally a town of some importance roughly at the geographical centre of the department. This was determined according to the time taken to travel on horseback from the periphery of the department. The goal was for the prefecture to be accessible on horseback from any town in the department within 24 hours. The prefecture is not necessarily the largest city in the department: for instance, in [[Saône-et-Loire]] department the capital is [[Mâcon]], but the largest city is [[Chalon-sur-Saône]]. Departments may be divided into {{lang|fr|[[arrondissements of France|arrondissements]]}}. The capital of an arrondissement is called a [[subprefectures in France|subprefecture]] ({{lang|fr|sous-préfecture}}) or {{lang|fr|chef-lieu d'arrondissement}}.

Each department is administered by a [[departmental council (France)|departmental council]] ({{lang|fr|conseil départemental}}), an assembly elected for six years by [[universal suffrage]], with the [[List of presidents of departmental councils (France)|President of the Departmental Council]] as executive of the department. Before 1982, the chief executive of the department was the [[prefect (France)|prefect]] ({{lang|fr|préfet}}), who represents the [[Government of France]] in each department and is appointed by the [[President of the French Republic]]. The prefect is assisted by one or more sub-prefects ({{lang|fr|sous-préfet}}) based in the subprefectures of the department. Since 1982, the prefect retains only the powers that are not delegated to the department councils. In practice, their role has been largely limited to preventing local policy from conflicting with national policy.

The departments are further divided into [[communes of France|communes]], governed by [[municipality|municipal councils]]. As of 2013, there were 36,681 communes in France. In the [[overseas departments and territories of France|overseas territories]], some communes play a role at departmental level. [[Paris]], the country's capital city, is a commune as well as a department.

[[File:Carte démographique de la France.svg|thumb|Population density in the departments (2007). The broken lines mark the approximate boundaries of the [[empty diagonal]]. The solid line is the Le Havre-Marseille line, to the east of which lives 60% of the French population.]]
In mainland France ([[metropolitan France]], excluding [[Corsica]]), the [[median]] land area of a department is {{convert|5965|km2|abbr=on}}, which is two-and-a-half times the median land area of the [[ceremonial counties of England]] and the [[preserved counties of Wales]] and slightly more than three-and-half times the median land area of a [[county of the United States]]. At the 2001 census, the median population of a department in continental France was 511,000 inhabitants, which is 21 times the median population of a United States county, but less than two-thirds of the median population of a ceremonial county of England and Wales. Most of the departments have an area of between 4,000 and 8,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (1500 to 3000 sq. mi), and a population between 320,000 and 1 million. The largest in area is [[Gironde]] ({{convert|10,000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}), while the smallest is the city of Paris ({{convert|105|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}). The most populous is [[Nord (French department)|Nord]] (2,550,000) and the least populous is [[Lozère]] (74,000).

=== Numbering ===

The departments are numbered: their two-digit numbers appear in [[postal code]]s, in [[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques|INSEE]] codes (including "social security numbers") and on [[Vehicle registration plates of France|vehicle number plates]]. Initially the numbers corresponded to the alphabetical order of the names of the departments, but several changed their names and some have been divided, so the correspondence became less exact. Alphanumeric codes 2A and 2B were used for [[Corsica]] while it was split but it has since reverted to 20. The two-digit code "98" is used by [[Monaco]]. Together with the [[ISO 3166-1 alpha-2]] country code FR, the numbers form the [[ISO 3166-2]] country subdivision codes for the metropolitan departments. The overseas departments have three digits.{{citation needed|date = February 2023}}

=== Relation to national government ===

Originally, the relationship between the departments and the central government was left somewhat ambiguous. While citizens in each department elected their own officials, the local governments were subordinated to the central government, becoming instruments of national integration. By 1793, however, the revolutionary government had turned the departments into transmission belts for policies enacted in Paris. With few exceptions, the departments had this role until the early 1960s.

===Political party preferences===
These maps cannot be used as a useful resource of voter preferences, because Departmental Councils are elected on a two-round system, which drastically limits the chances of fringe parties, if they are not supported on one of the two rounds by a moderate party. After the 1992 election, the left had a majority in only 21 of the 100 departments; after the 2011 election, the left dominated 61 of the 100 departments. (Mayotte only became a department after the election.)
<gallery>
File:Cantonales_1998(dom).png|Party affiliation of the General Council Presidents of the various departments in the cantonal elections of 1998
File:Cantonales 2001.svg|Party affiliation of the General Council Presidents of the various departments in the elections of 2001
File:Cantonales 2004.svg|Party affiliation of the General Council Presidents of the various departments in the elections of 2004
File:Conseils généraux 2008.svg|Party affiliation of the General Council Presidents of the various departments in the elections of 2008
File:Conseils généraux 2011.png|Party affiliation of the General Council Presidents of the various departments in the elections of 2011
File:Presidents of French departments current.svg|Party affiliation of the General Council Presidents of the various departments in the elections of 2015
</gallery>
Key to the parties:
* [[Centrism|Divers Centre]] = Independents of the centre or [[Democratic Movement (France)|Democratic Movement]] (Mouvement démocrate)
* Divers Droite (DVD) = Independent conservatives
* Divers Gauche (DVG) = [[Miscellaneous Left|Independent left-wing politicians]]
* MPF = [[Movement for France]] (Mouvement pour la France) (right)
* Nouveau Centre = [[New Centre]] (centre or centre-right)
* PCF = [[French Communist Party]] (Parti communiste français)
* PRG = [[Radical Party of the Left]] (Parti radical de gauche)
* PS = [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] (Parti socialiste)
* UDF = [[Union for French Democracy]] (Union pour la démocratie française) succeeded by Democratic Movement
* UMP = [[Union for a Popular Movement]] (Union pour un mouvement populaire)

==Future==
The removal of one or more levels of local government has been discussed for some years; in particular, the option of removing the departmental level. [[Frédéric Lefebvre]], spokesman for the [[Union for a Popular Movement|UMP]], said in December 2008 that the fusion of the departments with the regions was a matter to be dealt with soon. This was soon refuted by [[Édouard Balladur]] and [[Gérard Longuet]], members of the committee for the reform of local authorities, known as the Balladur Committee.<ref name="Lexpress">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/la-fusion-departement-region-n-est-pas-a-l-ordre-du-jour_728648.html | title=La fusion département-région n'est pas à l'ordre du jour | magazine=L'Express | access-date=2011-07-21}}</ref>

In January 2008, the [[Jacques Attali#"Attali Commission"|Attali Commission]] recommended that the departmental level of government should be eliminated within ten years.<ref>[http://www.la-croix.com/illustrations/Multimedia/Actu/2008/1/23/attali.pdf Report of the ''Attali Commission'']{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} "Decision 260", p. 197 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

Nevertheless, the Balladur Committee has not retained this proposition and does not advocate the disappearance of the departments, but simply "favors the voluntary grouping of departments", which it suggests also for the regions, with the aim of reducing the number of regions to 15.<ref name="Balladur">{{cite web|url=http://reformedescollectiviteslocales.fr/actualites/index.php?id=75|title=Les 20 propositions du Comité (20 propositions of the Committee)|publisher=Committee for the reform of local authorities|language=fr|access-date=2009-11-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721020232/http://reformedescollectiviteslocales.fr/actualites/index.php?id=75|archive-date=21 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> This committee advocates, on the contrary, the suppression of the cantons.<ref name="Balladur"/>

== Maps and tables ==

===Current departments===
Each department has a [[coat of arms]] and a [[flag]] with which it is commonly associated, though not all are officially recognised or used.
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|-valign="top"
|
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"|[[INSEE code]]
!scope="col"|[[Coat of arms|Arms]] {{ref|1|1}}
!scope="col"|Date of establishment
!scope="col"|Department
!scope="col"|Capital
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Named after
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|01
|[[File:Blason département fr Ain.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 01]]
| rowspan="19" |26 February 1790
|[[Ain]]
|[[Bourg-en-Bresse]]
|{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
|[[Ain (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|02
|[[File:Blason département fr Aisne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 02]]
|[[Aisne]]
|[[Laon]]
|{{flag|Hauts-de-France}}
|[[Aisne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|03
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Allier.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 03]]
|[[Allier]]
|[[Moulins, Allier|Moulins]]
|{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
|[[Allier (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|04
|[[File:Blason departement Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 04]]
|[[Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]] {{ref|2|2}}
|[[Digne-les-Bains]]
| rowspan="3" |{{flag|Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur}}
|[[Alps]] mountains and [[Provence]] region
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|05
|[[File:Blason dpt fr HautesAlpes.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 05]]
|[[Hautes-Alpes]]
|[[Gap, Hautes-Alpes|Gap]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Alps]] mountains 
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|06
|[[File:Nice Arms.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 06]]
|[[Alpes-Maritimes]]
|[[Nice]] 
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|07
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Ardeche.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 07]]
|{{sort|Ardeche|[[Ardèche]]}}
|[[Privas]]
|{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
|[[Ardèche (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|08
|[[File:Blason département fr Ardennes.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 08]]
|[[Ardennes (department)|Ardennes]]
|{{sort|Charleville-Mezieres|[[Charleville-Mézières]]}}
|{{flag|Grand Est}}
|[[Ardennes Forest]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|09
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Ariège.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 09]]
|{{sort|Ariege|[[Ariège (department)|Ariège]]}}
|[[Foix]]
|{{flag|Occitanie}}
|[[Ariège (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|10
|[[File:Blason département fr Aube.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 10]]
|[[Aube]]
|[[Troyes]]
|{{flag|Grand Est}}
|[[Aube (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|11
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Aude.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 11]]
|[[Aude]]
|[[Carcassonne]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Occitanie}}
|[[Aude (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|12
|[[File:Blason comtes de Rodez.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 12]]
|[[Aveyron]]
|[[Rodez]]
|[[Aveyron (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|13
|[[File:Blason département fr Bouches-du-Rhône.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 13]]
|{{sort|Bouches-Du-Rhone|[[Bouches-du-Rhône]]}}
|[[Marseille]]
|{{flag|Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur}}
|[[Rhône (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|14
|[[File:Blason département fr Calvados.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 14]]
|[[Calvados (department)|Calvados]]
|[[Caen]]
|{{flag|Normandy}}
|Latin {{lang|la|calva dorsa}} ("bare backs"), referring to two offshore rocks
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|15
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Cantal.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 15]]
|[[Cantal]]
|[[Aurillac]]
|{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
|[[Mounts of Cantal]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|16
|[[File:Blason département fr Charente.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 16]]
|[[Charente]]
|{{sort|Angouleme|[[Angoulême]]}}
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Nouvelle-Aquitaine}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Charente (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|17
|[[File:Blason département fr Charente-Maritime.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 17]]
|[[Charente-Maritime]] {{ref|3|3}}
|[[La Rochelle]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|18
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Cher.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 18]]
|[[Cher (department)|Cher]]
|[[Bourges]]
|{{flag|Centre-Val de Loire}}
|[[Cher (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|19
|[[File:Blason département fr Corrèze.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 19]]
|{{sort|Correze|[[Corrèze]]}}
|[[Tulle]]
|{{flag|Nouvelle-Aquitaine}}
|[[Corrèze (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;" data-sort-value=2A|2A
| rowspan="2" |[[File:Blason de Corse.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 2A]]
| rowspan="2" |1 January 1979
|[[Corse-du-Sud]] {{ref|19|19}}
|[[Ajaccio]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Corsica}}
|Island of [[Corsica]] and [[South]] cardinal direction
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;" data-sort-value=2B|2B
|[[Haute-Corse]] {{ref|19|19}}
|[[Bastia]]
|Island of [[Corsica]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|21
|[[File:Blason département fr Côte-d'Or.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 21]]
| rowspan="21" |26 February 1790
|{{sort|Cote-Dor|[[Côte-d'Or]]}}
|[[Dijon]]
|{{flag|Bourgogne-Franche-Comté}}
| [[Côte d'Or (escarpment)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|22
|[[File:Blason département fr Côtes-d'Armor.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 22]]
|{{sort|Cotes-Darmor|[[Côtes-d'Armor]] {{ref|4|4}}}}
|[[Saint-Brieuc]]
|{{flagicon|Brittany}} [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]]
|coasts of [[Armorica]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|23
|[[File:Blason Bourbon-La Marche.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 23]]
|[[Creuse]]
|{{sort|Gueret|[[Guéret]]}}
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Nouvelle-Aquitaine}}
|[[Creuse (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|24
|[[File:Blason Dordogne 1.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 24]]
|[[Dordogne]]
|{{sort|Perigueux|[[Périgueux]]}}
|[[Dordogne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|25
|[[File:Blason département fr Doubs.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 25]]
|[[Doubs]]
|{{sort|Besancon|[[Besançon]]}}
|{{flag|Bourgogne-Franche-Comté}}
|[[Doubs (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|26
|[[File:Blason département fr Drôme.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 26]]
|{{sort|Drome|[[Drôme]]}}
|[[Valence, Drôme|Valence]]
|{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
|[[Drôme (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|27
|[[File:Blason département fr Eure.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 27]]
|[[Eure]]
|{{sort|Evreux|[[Évreux]]}}
|{{flag|Normandy}}
|[[Eure (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|28
|[[File:Blason département fr Eure-et-Loir.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 28]]
|[[Eure-et-Loir]]
|[[Chartres]]
|{{flag|Centre-Val de Loire}}
|[[Eure (river)|Eure]] and [[Loir]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|29
|[[File:Blason département fr Finistère.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 29]]
|{{sort|Finistere|[[Finistère]]}}
|[[Quimper, Finistère|Quimper]]
|{{flagicon|Brittany}} [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]]
|Latin {{lang|la|Finis Terrae}} ("end of earth")
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|30
|[[File:Blason département fr Gard.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 30]]
|[[Gard]]
|{{sort|Nimes|[[Nîmes]]}}
| rowspan="3" |{{flag|Occitanie}}
|Occitan name for [[Gardon]] river
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|31
|[[File:Blason département fr Haute-Garonne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 31]]
|[[Haute-Garonne]]
|[[Toulouse]]
|[[Garonne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|32
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Gers.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 32]]
|[[Gers]]
|[[Auch]]
|[[Gers (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|33
|[[File:Blason département fr Gironde.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 33]]
|[[Gironde]] {{ref|5|5}}
|[[Bordeaux]]
|{{flag|Nouvelle-Aquitaine}}
|[[Gironde estuary]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|34
|[[File:Blason département fr Hérault.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 34]]
|{{sort|Herault|[[Hérault]]}}
|[[Montpellier]]
|{{flag|Occitanie}}
|[[Hérault (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|35
|[[File:Blason département fr Ille-et-Vilaine.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 35]]
|[[Ille-et-Vilaine]]
|[[Rennes]]
|{{flagicon|Brittany}} [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]]
|[[Ille]] and [[Vilaine]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|36
|[[File:Blason département fr Indre.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 36]]
|[[Indre]]
|{{sort|Chateauroux|[[Châteauroux]]}}
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Centre-Val de Loire}}
|[[Indre (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|37
|[[File:Blason département fr Indre-et-Loire.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 37]]
|[[Indre-et-Loire]]
|[[Tours]]
|[[Indre (river)|Indre]] and [[Loire]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|38
|[[File:Blason departement Isere.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 38]]
|{{sort|Isere|[[Isère]]}}
|[[Grenoble]]
|{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
|[[Isère (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|39
|[[File:Blason département fr Jura.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 39]]
|[[Jura (department)|Jura]]
|[[Lons-le-Saunier]]
|{{flag|Bourgogne-Franche-Comté}}
|[[Jura Mountains]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|40
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Landes.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 40]]
|[[Landes (department)|Landes]]
|[[Mont-de-Marsan]]
|{{flag|Nouvelle-Aquitaine}}
|[[Heath]]lands (''lande'') that dominated the region at the time
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|41
|[[File:Blason département fr Loir-et-Cher.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 41]]
|[[Loir-et-Cher]]
|[[Blois]]
|{{flag|Centre-Val de Loire}}
|[[Loir]] and [[Cher (river)|Cher]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|42
|[[File:Blason departement Loire.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 42]]
|12 August 1793
|[[Loire (department)|Loire]]
|{{sort|Saint-Etienne|[[Saint-Étienne]]}}
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Loire (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|43
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Haute-Loire.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 43]]
| rowspan="11" |26 February 1790
|[[Haute-Loire]]
|[[Le Puy-en-Velay]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|44
|[[File:Blason dpt fr LoireAtlantique dapres Robert Louis.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 44]]
|[[Loire-Atlantique]] {{ref|6|6}}
|[[Nantes]]
|{{flag|Pays de la Loire}}
|[[Loire (river)]] and Atlantic Ocean
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|45
|[[File:Blason département fr Loiret.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 45]]
|[[Loiret]]
|{{sort|Orleans|[[Orléans]]}}
|{{flag|Centre-Val de Loire}}
|[[Loiret (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|46
|[[File:Blason département fr Lot.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 46]]
|[[Lot (department)|Lot]]
|[[Cahors]]
|{{flag|Occitanie}}
|[[Lot (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|47
|[[File:Blason département fr Lot-et-Garonne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 47]]
|[[Lot-et-Garonne]]
|[[Agen]]
|{{flag|Nouvelle-Aquitaine}}
|[[Lot (river)|Lot]] and [[Garonne]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|48
|[[File:Blason département fr Lozère.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 48]]
|{{sort|Lozere|[[Lozère]]}}
|[[Mende, Lozère|Mende]]
|{{flag|Occitanie}}
|[[Mont Lozère]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|49
|[[File:Blason departement Maine-et-Loire.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 49]]
|[[Maine-et-Loire]] {{ref|7|7}}
|[[Angers]]
|{{flag|Pays de la Loire}}
|[[Maine (river)|Maine]] and [[Loire]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|50
|[[File:Blason département fr Manche.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 50]]
|[[Manche]]
|{{sort|Saint-Lo|[[Saint-Lô]]}}
|{{flag|Normandy}}
|[[English Channel]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|51
|[[File:Blason departement Marne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 51]]
|[[Marne (department)|Marne]]
|{{sort|Chalons-en-Champagne|[[Châlons-en-Champagne]]}}
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Grand Est}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Marne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|52
|[[File:Blason département fr Haute-Marne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 52]]
|[[Haute-Marne]]
|[[Chaumont, Haute-Marne|Chaumont]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|53
|[[File:Blason département fr Mayenne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 53]]
|[[Mayenne]]
|[[Laval, Mayenne|Laval]]
|{{flag|Pays de la Loire}}
|[[Mayenne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|54
|[[File:Blason Meurthe-et-Moselle.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 54]]
|7 September 1871
|[[Meurthe-et-Moselle]]
|[[Nancy, France|Nancy]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Grand Est}}
|[[Meurthe (river)|Meurthe]] and [[Moselle]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|55
|[[File:Blason Meuse.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 55]]
| rowspan="14" |26 February 1790
|[[Meuse (department)|Meuse]]
|[[Bar-le-Duc]]
|[[Meuse (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|56
|[[File:Blason departement Morbihan.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 56]]
|[[Morbihan]]
|[[Vannes]]
|{{flagicon|Brittany}} [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]]
|[[Gulf of Morbihan]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|57
|[[File:Blason Moselle.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 57]]
|[[Moselle (department)|Moselle]]
|[[Metz]]
|{{flag|Grand Est}}
|[[Moselle (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|58
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Nievre.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 58]]
|{{sort|Nievre|[[Nièvre]]}}
|[[Nevers]]
|{{flag|Bourgogne-Franche-Comté}}
|[[Nièvre (Loire)|Nièvre]] (river)
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|59
|[[File:Blason Nord-Pas-De-Calais.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 59]]
|[[Nord (French department)|Nord]]
|[[Lille]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Hauts-de-France}}
|[[North]] cardinal direction
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|60
|[[File:Blason département fr Oise.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 60]]
|[[Oise]]
|[[Beauvais]]
|[[Oise (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|61
|[[File:Blason département fr Orne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 61]]
|[[Orne]]
|{{sort|Alencon|[[Alençon]]}}
|{{flag|Normandy}}
|[[Orne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|62
|[[File:Pas de Calais Arms.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 62]]
|[[Pas-de-Calais]]
|[[Arras]]
|{{flag|Hauts-de-France}}
|[[Strait of Dover]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|63
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Puy-de-Dome.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 63]]
|{{sort|Puy-de-Dome|[[Puy-de-Dôme]]}}
|[[Clermont-Ferrand]]
|{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
|[[Puy de Dôme]] volcano
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|64
|[[File:Blason des Pyrénées-Atlantiques.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 64]]
|{{sort|Pyrenees-Atlantiques|[[Pyrénées-Atlantiques]] {{ref|8|8}}}}
|[[Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques|Pau]]
|{{flag|Nouvelle-Aquitaine}}
|[[Pyrenees]] mountains and Atlantic Ocean
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|65
|[[File:Blason dpt fr HautesPyrenees.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 65]]
|{{sort|Hautes-Pyrenees|[[Hautes-Pyrénées]]}}
|[[Tarbes]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Occitanie}}
|[[Pyrenees]] mountains
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|66
|[[File:Arms of the Pyrénées-Orientales.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 66]]
|{{sort|Pyrenees-Orientales|[[Pyrénées-Orientales]]}}
|[[Perpignan]]
|[[Pyrenees]] mountains and [[East]] cardinal direction
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|67
|[[File:Blason département fr Bas-Rhin.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 67]]
|[[Bas-Rhin]]
|[[Strasbourg]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Grand Est}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Rhine (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|68
|[[File:Blason Haut Rhin.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 68]]
|[[Haut-Rhin]]
|[[Colmar]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|69D
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Rhone.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 69]]
|12 August 1793
|{{sort|Rhone|[[Rhône (department)|Rhône]]}}
|[[Lyon]] {{small|(provisional)}}
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
|[[Rhône (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|69M
|[[File:Blason Ville fr Lyon.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of Lyon]]
|1 January 2015
|{{sort|Lyon|[[Lyon Metropolis]]}} {{ref|18|18}}
|[[Lyon]]
|commune of [[Lyon]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|70
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Haute-Saone.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 70]]
| rowspan="3" |26 February 1790
|{{sort|Haute-Saone|[[Haute-Saône]]}}
|[[Vesoul]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Bourgogne-Franche-Comté}}
|[[Saône (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|71
|[[File:Blason département fr Saône-et-Loire.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 71]]
|{{sort|Saone-et-Loire|[[Saône-et-Loire]]}}
|{{sort|Macon|[[Mâcon]]}}
|[[Saône]] and [[Loire]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|72
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Sarthe.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 72]]
|[[Sarthe]]
|[[Le Mans]]
|{{flag|Pays de la Loire}}
|[[Sarthe (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|73
|[[File:Savoie Blason.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 73]]
| rowspan="2" |15 June 1860
|[[Savoie]]
|{{sort|Chambery|[[Chambéry]]}}
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes}}
| rowspan="2" |region of [[Savoy]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|74
|[[File:Haute Savoie blason.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 74]]
|[[Haute-Savoie]]
|[[Annecy]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|75
|[[File:Blason paris 75.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 75]]
|1 January 1968
|[[Paris]] {{ref|9|9}}
|[[Paris]]
|{{flag|Île-de-France}}
|commune of [[Paris]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|76
|[[File:Blason76.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 76]]
| rowspan="2" |26 February 1790
|[[Seine-Maritime]] {{ref|10|10}}
|[[Rouen]]
|{{flag|Normandy}}
|[[Seine (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|77
|[[File:Blason département fr Seine-et-Marne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 77]]
|[[Seine-et-Marne]]
|[[Melun]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Île-de-France}}
|[[Seine]] and [[Marne (river)|Marne]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|78
|[[File:Blason département fr Yvelines.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 78]]
|1 January 1968
|[[Yvelines]] {{ref|11|11}}
|[[Versailles, Yvelines|Versailles]]
|[[Forest of Yvelines]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|79
|[[File:Blason département fr Deux-Sèvres.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 79]]
| rowspan="3" |26 February 1790
|{{sort|Deux-Sevres|[[Deux-Sèvres]]}}
|[[Niort]]
|{{flag|Nouvelle-Aquitaine}}
|[[Sèvre Nantaise]] and [[Sèvre Niortaise]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|80
|[[File:Blason département fr Somme.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 80]]
|[[Somme (department)|Somme]]
|[[Amiens]]
|{{flag|Hauts-de-France}}
|[[Somme (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|81
|[[File:Blason dpt fr Tarn.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 81]]
|[[Tarn (department)|Tarn]]
|[[Albi]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Occitanie}}
|[[Tarn (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|82
|[[File:Blason département fr Tarn-et-Garonne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 82]]
|4 November 1808
|[[Tarn-et-Garonne]]
|[[Montauban]]
|[[Tarn (river)|Tarn]] and [[Garonne]] rivers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|83
|[[File:Blason departement Var.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 83]]
|26 February 1790
|[[Var (department)|Var]]
|[[Toulon]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur}}
|[[Var (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|84
|[[File:Blason département fr Vaucluse.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 84]]
|25 June 1793
|[[Vaucluse]]
|[[Avignon]]
|[[Fontaine de Vaucluse (spring)|Fontaine de Vaucluse]] spring
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|85
|[[File:Blason dpt fr 85 Vendée.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 85]]
| rowspan="5" |26 February 1790
|{{sort|Vendee|[[Vendée]]}}
|[[La Roche-sur-Yon]]
|{{flag|Pays de la Loire}}
|[[Vendée (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|86
|[[File:Blason département fr Vienne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 86]]
|[[Vienne (department)|Vienne]]
|[[Poitiers]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Nouvelle-Aquitaine}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Vienne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|87
|[[File:Blason département fr Haute-Vienne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 87]]
|[[Haute-Vienne]]
|[[Limoges]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|88
|[[File:Blason département fr Vosges.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 88]]
|[[Vosges (department)|Vosges]]
|{{sort|Epinal|[[Épinal]]}}
|{{flag|Grand Est}}
|[[Vosges Mountains]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|89
|[[File:Blason département fr Yonne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 89]]
|[[Yonne]]
|[[Auxerre]]
| rowspan="2" |{{flag|Bourgogne-Franche-Comté}}
|[[Yonne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|90
|[[File:Blason département fr Territoire de Belfort.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 90]]
|11 March 1922
|[[Territoire de Belfort]]
|[[Belfort]]
|commune of [[Belfort]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|91
|[[File:Blason département fr Essonne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 91]]
| rowspan="5" |1 January 1968
|[[Essonne]] {{ref|12|12}}
|[[Évry-Courcouronnes]]
| rowspan="5" |{{flag|Île-de-France}}
|[[Essonne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|92
|[[File:Blason département fr Hauts-de-Seine.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 92]]
|[[Hauts-de-Seine]] {{ref|13|13}}
|[[Nanterre]]
|[[Seine (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|93
|[[File:Blason département fr Seine-Saint-Denis.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 93]]
|[[Seine-Saint-Denis]] {{ref|14|14}}
|[[Bobigny]]
|[[Seine (river)]] and commune of [[Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis|Saint-Denis]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|94
|[[File:Blason département fr Val-de-Marne.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 94]]
|[[Val-de-Marne]]
|[[Créteil]]
|[[Marne (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|95
|[[File:Blason département fr Val-d'Oise.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of department 95]]
|[[Val-d'Oise]]
|[[Pontoise]] {{ref|15|15}}
|[[Oise (river)]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|971
|[[File:Coat of arms of Guadeloupe.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of Guadeloupe]]
| rowspan="4" |19 March 1946
|[[Guadeloupe]] {{ref|16|16}}
|[[Basse-Terre]]
|{{flag|Guadeloupe|local}}
|Island of [[Geography of Guadeloupe|Guadeloupe]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|972
|[[File:Coat of arms of Martinique.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of Martinique]]
|[[Martinique]] {{ref|16|16|noid=noid}}
|[[Fort-de-France]]
|{{flag|Martinique|local}}
|Island of [[Martinique]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|973
|[[File:Blason de la Guyane.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of Guyane]]
|[[French Guiana|Guyane]] {{ref|16|16|noid=noid}}
|[[Cayenne]]
|{{flag|French Guiana|local}}
|[[The Guianas]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|974
|[[File:Blason Réunion DOM.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of Réunion]]
|{{sort|Reunion|[[Réunion|La Réunion]] {{ref|16|16|noid=noid}}}}
|[[Saint-Denis, Réunion|Saint-Denis]]
|{{flag|Réunion|local}}
|Island of [[Réunion]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|976
|[[File:BlasonMayotte.svg|22x20px|Coat of arms of Mayotte]]
|9 August 2009<br />31 March 2011<ref>{{cite web |url=https://outre-mer.gouv.fr/mayotte-histoire |title=Mayotte - Histoire |date=25 November 2016 |publisher=Ministère des Outre-mer |access-date=20 October 2021 |archive-date=20 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020141831/https://outre-mer.gouv.fr/mayotte-histoire |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|[[Mayotte]] {{ref|17|17|noid=noid}}
|[[Mamoudzou]]
|{{flag|Mayotte|local}}
|Island of [[Geography of Mayotte|Mayotte]]
|}
{{smalldiv|1=Notes:
* {{note|1|1}} Most of the coats of arms are unofficial
* {{note|2|2}} Alpes-de-Haute-Provence was known as {{lang|fr|Basses-Alpes}} ('Lower Alps') until 1970
* {{note|3|3}} Charente-Maritime was known as {{lang|fr|Charente-Inférieure}} ('Lower [[Charente (river)|Charente]]') until 1941
* {{note|4|4}} Côtes-d'Armor was known as {{lang|fr|Côtes-du-Nord}} ('Coasts of the North') until 1990
* {{note|5|5}} Gironde was known as {{lang|fr|Bec-d'Ambès}} ('[[Bec d'Ambès|Beak of Ambès]]') from 1793 until 1795. The Convention eliminated the name to avoid recalling the outlawed [[Girondin]] political faction.
* {{note|6|6}} Loire-Atlantique was known as {{lang|fr|Loire-Inférieure}} ('Lower [[Loire]]') until 1957
* {{note|7|7}} Maine-et-Loire was known as {{lang|fr|Mayenne-et-Loire}} ([[Mayenne (river)|Mayenne]] and Loire rivers) until 1791
* {{note|8|8}} Pyrénées-Atlantiques was known as {{lang|fr|Basses-Pyrénées}} ('Lower Pyrenees') until 1969
* {{note|9|9}} Number 75 was formerly assigned to [[Seine (department)|Seine]]
* {{note|10|10}} Seine-Maritime was known as {{lang|fr|Seine-Inférieure}} ('Lower Seine') until 1955
* {{note|11|11}} Number 78 was formerly assigned to [[Seine-et-Oise]]
* {{note|12|12}} Number 91 was formerly assigned to [[Alger (department)|Alger]], in [[French Algeria]]
* {{note|13|13}} Number 92 was formerly assigned to [[Oran (department)|Oran]], in French Algeria
* {{note|14|14}} Number 93 was formerly assigned to [[Constantine (department)|Constantine]], in French Algeria
* {{note|15|15}} The prefecture of [[Val-d'Oise]] was established in [[Pontoise]] when the department was created, but moved ''de facto'' to the neighbouring commune of [[Cergy]]; currently, both part of the {{lang|fr|ville nouvelle}} of [[Cergy-Pontoise]]
* {{note|16|16}} The [[overseas department]]s each constitute a [[regions of France|region]] and enjoy a status identical to ''metropolitan'' France. They are part of France and the [[European Union]], though [[special member state territories and the European Union|special EU rules apply]] to them.
* {{note|17|17}} [[Mayotte]] became the 101st department of France on 31 March 2011. The [[INSEE code]] of Mayotte is 976 (975 is already assigned to the French [[overseas collectivities|overseas collectivity]] of [[Saint Pierre and Miquelon]])
* {{note|18|18}} Metropoles with [[territorial collectivity]] statute.
* {{note|19|19}} [[Corsica]] was divided into two departments ([[Golo (department)|Golo]] and [[Liamone]]) from 1793 to 1811, and again into two departments ([[Corse-du-Sud]], number 2A, and [[Haute-Corse]], number 2B) in 1975. As of 2019, Corse-du-Sud and Haute-Corse are still administrative departments, although they no longer have the status of departmental "[[territorial collectivity|territorial collectivities]]": region and department functions have been managed by a "[[single territorial collectivity]]" since 2018.
}}
|
[[File:Départements de France English.svg|right|thumb|Regions and departments of metropolitan France; the numbers are those of the first column (except for Corsica, which shows the division of the island until 2018, and the division of the Metropolis of Lyon from Rhône is not shown).]]
[[File:Petite couronne-2.svg|right|thumb|The departments in the immediate vicinity of Paris; the numbers are those of the first column.]]
|}

===Former departments===

====Former departments of the current territory of France====
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Department
!scope="col"|Prefecture
!scope="col"|Dates in existence
!scope="col"|Named after
!scope="col"|Subsequent history
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|–
|[[Rhône-et-Loire]]
|[[Lyon]]
| rowspan="2" |1790–1793
|[[Rhône (river)|Rhône]] and [[Loire (river)|Loire]] rivers
|Divided into [[Rhône (department)|Rhône]] and [[Loire (department)|Loire]].
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|–
|[[Corse]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Bastia]]
|Island of [[Corsica]] 
|Divided into [[Golo (department)|Golo]] and [[Liamone]].
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|–
|[[Golo (department)|Golo]]
| rowspan="2" |1793–1811
|[[Golo (river)]]
|Reunited with [[Liamone]] into [[Corse]].
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|–
|[[Liamone]]
|[[Ajaccio]]
|[[Liamone (river)]]
|Reunited with [[Golo (department)|Golo]] into [[Corse]].
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|–
|[[Mont-Blanc (department)|Mont-Blanc]]
|[[Chambéry]]
|1792–1815
|[[Mont Blanc]] mountain
|Formed from part of the [[Duchy of Savoy]], a territory of the [[Kingdom of Sardinia|Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia]] which was restored to its former status at the [[Treaty of Paris (1815)]]. The territory returned to French rule in 1860 and it corresponds approximately to the present departments of [[Savoie]] and [[Haute-Savoie]].
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|–
|[[Léman (department)|Léman]]
|[[Geneva]]
|1798–1814
|[[Lake Geneva]]
|Formed when the Republic of Geneva was annexed into the [[French First Republic]] and added to territory taken from other departments. Corresponds to the present [[Swiss canton]] of [[Canton of Geneva|Geneva]] and parts of the current departments of [[Ain]] and [[Haute-Savoie]].
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|–
|[[Meurthe (department)|Meurthe]]
|[[Nancy, France|Nancy]]
|1790–1871
|[[Meurthe (river)]]
|Ceased to exist following the annexation of [[Alsace-Lorraine]] by the [[German Empire]] in 1871 and was not recreated after the province was restored to France by the [[Treaty of Versailles]].
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|75
|[[Seine (department)|Seine]]
|[[Paris]]
| rowspan="2" |1790–1967
|[[Seine (river)]]
|Divided into four new departments on 1 January 1968: [[Paris]], [[Hauts-de-Seine]], [[Seine-Saint-Denis]], and [[Val-de-Marne]] (the last also incorporating a small amount of territory from [[Seine-et-Oise]]).
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|78
|[[Seine-et-Oise]]
|[[Versailles, Yvelines|Versailles]]
|[[Seine (river)|Seine]] and [[Oise (river)|Oise]] rivers
|Divided into four new departments on 1 January 1968: [[Yvelines]], [[Val-d'Oise]], [[Essonne]], [[Val-de-Marne]] (the last largely comprising territory from [[Seine (department)|Seine]]).
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|20
|[[Corse]]
|[[Ajaccio]]
|1811–1975
|Island of [[Corsica]]
|Divided into [[Corse-du-Sud]] and [[Haute-Corse]].
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|975
|[[Saint Pierre and Miquelon]]
|[[Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon|Saint-Pierre]]
|1976–1985
|Islands of [[Saint Pierre Island|Saint Pierre]] and [[Miquelon Island|Miquelon]]
|Converted to an [[overseas collectivity]].
|}

====Departments of Algeria ({{lang|fr|Départements d'Algérie}})====
[[File:Algérie fr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The three Algerian departments in 1848]]
[[File:Map showing the Départements of Algeria from 1962-1968 and 1968-1974.svg|thumb|upright=1.2|Departments of French Algeria from 1957 to 1962]]
Unlike the rest of the [[List of French possessions and colonies#In Africa|French possessions in Africa]], [[French Algeria|Algeria]] was divided into departments just like Corsica or Normandy from 1848 until its independence in 1962. These departments were supposed to be "assimilated" or "integrated" to France sometime in the future.
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|-valign="top"
|
{|class="wikitable"
|+Before 1957
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Department
!scope="col"|Prefecture
!scope="col"|Dates of existence
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|91
|[[Alger (department)|Alger]]
|[[Algiers]]
| rowspan="3" |1848–1957
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|92
|[[Oran (department)|Oran]]
|[[Oran]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|93
|[[Constantine (departement)|Constantine]]
|[[Constantine (Algeria)|Constantine]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|–
|[[Bône (département)|Bône]]
|[[Annaba]]
|1955–1957
|}
|
|}

{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
|- valign="top"
|
{|class="wikitable"
|+1957–1962
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Department
!scope="col"|Prefecture
!scope="col"|Dates of existence
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|8A
|[[Oasis (department)|Oasis]]
|[[Ouargla]]
| rowspan="4" |1957–1962
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|8B
|[[Saoura (department)|Saoura]]
|[[Béchar]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9A
|[[Alger (department)|Alger]]
|Algiers
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9B
|[[Batna (département)|Batna]]
|[[Batna, Algeria|Batna]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9C
|[[Bône (département)|Bône]]
|Annaba
|1955–1962
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9D
|[[Constantine (département)|Constantine]]
|Constantine
| rowspan="9" |1957–1962
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9E
|[[Médéa (département)|Médéa]]
|[[Médéa]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9F
|[[Mostaganem (department)|Mostaganem]]
|[[Mostaganem]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9G
|Oran
|Oran
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9H
|[[Orléansville (department)|Orléansville]]
|[[Chlef]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9J
|[[Sétif (département)|Sétif]]
|[[Sétif]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9K
|[[Tiaret (department)|Tiaret]]
|[[Tiaret]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9L
|[[Tizi Ouzou (department)|Tizi Ouzou]]
|[[Tizi Ouzou]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9M
|[[Tlemcen (department)|Tlemcen]]
|[[Tlemcen]]
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9N
|[[Aumale (département)|Aumale]]
|[[Sour El-Ghozlane]]
|1958–1959
|-
! scope="row"|9P
|[[Bougie (department)|Bougie]]
|[[Béjaïa]]
| rowspan="2" |1958–1962
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align: left;"|9R
|[[Saïda (department)|Saïda]]
|[[Saïda, Algeria|Saïda]]
|}
|
|}

====Departments in former French colonies====
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!scope="col"|Department
!scope="col"| Named after
!scope="col"|Current location
!scope="col"|Dates in existence
|-
|{{Interlanguage link|Département du Sud (Saint-Domingue)|lt=Département du Sud|fr|Département du Sud (Saint-Domingue)}}
|[[South]] cardinal direction
|[[Haiti]]
| rowspan="8" |1795–1800
|-
|{{Ill|Département d'Inganne|lt=Département d'Inganne|fr|Département d'Inganne}} 
|
|[[Dominican Republic]], [[Haiti]]
|-
|{{Ill|Département du Nord (Saint-Domingue)|lt=Département du Nord|fr|Département du Nord (Saint-Domingue)}}
|[[North]] cardinal direction
| rowspan="2" |[[Haiti]]
|-
|{{Interlanguage link|Département de l'Ouest (Saint-Domingue)|lt=Département de l'Ouest|fr|Département de l'Ouest (Saint-Domingue)}}
|[[West]] cardinal direction
|-
|{{Ill|Département de Samana|lt=Département de Samana|fr|Département de Samaná}}
|[[Samaná Bay]]
|[[Dominican Republic]]
|-
|[[Saint Lucia#French Colony|Saint Lucia]]
|Island of [[St Lucia]]
|[[Saint Lucia]], [[Tobago]]
|-
|[[Isle de France (Mauritius)|Île de France]]
|Island of [[Mauritius]]
|[[Mauritius]], [[Seychelles]]
|-
|[[French India|Indes-Orientales]]
|India and East cardinal direction 
|India: 
:[[Puducherry (union territory)|Pondicherry Union Territory]] (<small>[[Pondicherry district|Pondichéry]], [[Karikal district|Karikal]], [[Yanam district|Yanaon]], [[Mahé district|Mahé]]</small>)
: [[West Bengal]] (<small>[[Chandernagore]]</small>)
|}

====Departments of the Napoleonic Empire in Europe====
There are a number of former departments in territories conquered by France during the [[French Revolution]] and [[First French Empire|Napoleonic Empire]] that are now not part of France:

{|class="wikitable"
! scope="col" | Department
! scope="col" | Prefecture<br />([[French language|French]] name<br /> if different)
! scope="col" | Named after
! scope="col" | {{nowrap|Current location{{sup|1}}}}
! scope="col" | Contemporary location{{sup|2}}
! scope="col" | Dates in existence
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Mont-Terrible]]
| [[Porrentruy]]
| [[Mont Terri]] mountain 
| Switzerland<br />France (Doubs)
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Prince-Bishopric of Basel]]{{sup|3}}<br>[[County of Montbéliard]]
| 1793–1800
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Dyle (department)|Dyle]]
| [[Brussels]]<br />''Bruxelles''
| [[Dyle (river)]]
| Belgium
| [[Austrian Netherlands]]:
:[[Duchy of Brabant]]
:[[County of Hainaut]]
| rowspan="9" | 1795–1814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Escaut (department)|Escaut]]
| [[Ghent]] <br />''Gand''
| [[Scheldt]] river
| Belgium<br />Netherlands
| [[Austrian Netherlands]]:
:[[County of Flanders]]

[[Dutch Republic]]:
:[[Zeelandic Flanders|Flanders of the States]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Forêts]]
| [[Luxembourg City|Luxembourg]]
| [[Ardennes forest]]
| Luxembourg<br />Belgium<br />Germany
| [[Austrian Netherlands]]:
:[[Duchy of Luxembourg]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Jemmape (department)|Jemmape]]
| [[Mons, Belgium|Mons]]
|[[Battle of Jemappes]]
| rowspan="2" | Belgium
| [[Austrian Netherlands]]:
:[[County of Hainaut]]
:[[Tournai|Lordship of Tournai]]
:[[County of Namur]]

[[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Lys (department)|Lys]]
| [[Bruges]]
|[[Lys (river)]]
| [[Austrian Netherlands]]:
:[[County of Flanders]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Meuse-Inférieure]]
| [[Maastricht]] <br />''Maëstricht''
| [[Meuse]] river
| rowspan="2" | Belgium<br />Netherlands
| [[Austrian Netherlands]]:
:[[Guelders|Austrian Upper Guelders]]
:[[Duchy of Limburg]]

[[Dutch Republic]]:
:[[Staats-Oppergelre|Dutch Upper Guelders]]
:[[Staats-Overmaas|Overmaas of the States]]

[[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]]:
::[[County of Horne]]
::[[County of Loon]]
:[[Thorn Abbey]]
:[[Maastricht]]{{sup|5}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Deux-Nèthes]]
| [[Antwerp]] <br />''Anvers''
| Two branches of the [[Nete (river)]]
| [[Austrian Netherlands]]:
:[[Duchy of Brabant]]

[[Dutch Republic]]:
:[[Staats-Brabant|Brabant of the States]] {{nowrap|(after 1810)}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Ourthe (department)|Ourthe]]
| [[Liège]]
| [[Ourthe]] river 
| Belgium<br />Germany
| [[Austrian Netherlands]]:
:[[Duchy of Brabant]]
:[[Duchy of Limburg]]
:[[Duchy of Luxembourg]]
:[[County of Namur]]

[[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]]
:[[Imperial Abbey]] of [[Stavelot-Malmedy]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Sambre-et-Meuse]]
| [[Namur]]
|[[Sambre]] and [[Meuse]] rivers
| Belgium
| [[Austrian Netherlands]]:
:[[Duchy of Brabant]]
:[[Duchy of Luxembourg]]
[[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Corcyre]]
| [[Corfu]] <br />''Corfou''
| Island of Corfu <br />(archaic French form)
| rowspan="3" | Greece
| rowspan="3" | [[Ionian Islands under Venetian rule|Republic of Venice]]{{sup|4}}
| 1797–1799
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Ithaque]]
| [[Argostoli]]
| Island of [[Ithaca (island)|Ithaca]]
| rowspan="2" | 1797–1798
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Mer-Égée]]
| [[Zakynthos]]<br />''Zante''
| [[Aegean Sea]] 
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Mont-Tonnerre]]
| [[Mainz]]<br />''Mayence''
| [[Donnersberg]] mountain
| rowspan="2" | Germany
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Electorate of Mainz|Archbishopric of Mainz]]

[[Electorate of the Palatinate]]
:[[Bishopric of Speyer]]
| rowspan="4" | 1801–1814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Rhin-et-Moselle]]
| [[Koblenz]]<br />''Coblence''
| [[Rhine]] and [[Moselle (river)|Moselle]] rivers 
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Electorate of Cologne|Archbishopric of Cologne]]

[[Electorate of the Palatinate]]
:[[Electorate of Trier|Archbishopric of Trier]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Roer (department)|Roer]]
| [[Aachen]]<br />''Aix-la-Chapelle''
| [[Roer]] river
| Germany<br />Netherlands
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Free Imperial City of Aachen]]
:[[Electorate of Cologne|Archbishopric of Cologne]]
:[[Electorate of the Palatinate]]:
:[[Grand Duchy of Berg]]
:[[Duchy of Jülich]]

[[Kingdom of Prussia]]:
:[[Guelders|Prussian Guelders]]

[[Imperial Free City]] of [[Wesel]] (after 1805)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Sarre (department)|Sarre]]
| [[Trier]]<br />''Trèves''
| [[Saar (river)]]
| Belgium<br />Germany
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Electorate of the Palatinate]]:
::[[County of Veldenz]]
:[[Palatine Zweibrücken|Duchy of Zweibrücken]]
:[[Electorate of Trier|Archbishopric of Trier]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Doire (department)|Doire]]
| [[Ivrea]] <br />''Ivrée''
| [[Dora Baltea]] river
| rowspan="15" | Italy
| rowspan="6" | [[Kingdom of Sardinia|Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia]]:
:[[Duchy of Savoy]]
| rowspan="5" | 1802–1814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Marengo (department)|Marengo]]
| [[Alessandria]]<br />''Alexandrie''
| [[Battle of Marengo]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Pô (department)|Pô]]
| [[Turin]]
|[[Po (river)]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Sésia]]
| [[Vercelli]]<br />''Verceil''
| [[Sesia]] river
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Stura]]
| [[Cuneo]]<br />''Coni''
| [[Stura di Demonte]] river
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Tanaro (department)|Tanaro]]{{sup|6}}
| [[Asti]]
| [[Tanaro (river)]]
| 1802–1805
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Apennins]]
| [[Chiavari]]
|[[Apennine mountains]]
| rowspan="3" | [[Republic of Genoa]]{{sup|7}}
| rowspan="3" | 1805–1814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Gênes]]
| [[Genoa]]<br />''Gênes''
| City of Genoa
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Montenotte Department|Montenotte]]
| [[Savona]]<br />''Savone''
| [[Battle of Montenotte]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Arno (department)|Arno]]
| [[Florence]]
| [[Arno (river)]]
| rowspan="3" | [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]]{{sup|8}}
| rowspan="4" | 1808–1814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Méditerranée]]
| [[Livorno]]<br />''Livourne''
| [[Mediterranean Sea]] 
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Ombrone (department)|Ombrone]]
| [[Siena]]<br />''Sienne''
| [[Ombrone]] river
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Taro (department)|Taro]]
| [[Parma]]<br />''Parme''
| [[Taro (river)]]
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Duchy of Parma|Duchy of Parma & Piacenza]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Rome (department)|Rome]]{{sup|9}}
|  [[Rome]]
| City of Rome
| rowspan="2" | [[Papal States]]
| rowspan="2" | 1809–1814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Trasimène]]
| [[Spoleto]]<br />''Spolète''
| [[Lake Trasimeno]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Bouches-du-Rhin]]
| [['s-Hertogenbosch]]<br />''Bois-le-Duc''
| [[Rhine]] river
| rowspan="2" | Netherlands
| [[Dutch Republic]]:{{sup|10}}
:[[Staats-Brabant|Batavian Brabant]] {{nowrap|(Brabant of the States)}}
:[[Guelders|Dutch Guelders]]
| rowspan="3" | 1810–1814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Bouches-de-l'Escaut]]
| [[Middelburg, Zeeland|Middelburg]]<br />''Middelbourg''
| [[Scheldt]] river
| [[Dutch Republic]]:{{sup|10}}
:[[County of Zeeland]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Simplon (department)|Simplon]]
| [[Sion, Switzerland|Sion]]
|[[Simplon Pass]]
| Switzerland
| [[République des Sept-Dizains]]{{sup|11}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Bouches-de-la-Meuse]]
| [[The Hague]]<br />''La Haye''
| [[Meuse]] river
| rowspan="2" | Netherlands
| [[Dutch Republic]]:{{sup|10}}
:[[County of Holland]]
| rowspan="11" | 1811–1814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Bouches-de-l'Yssel]]
| [[Zwolle]]
| [[IJssel]] river
| [[Dutch Republic]]:{{sup|10}}
:[[Overijssel]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Ems-Occidental]]
| [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]]<br />''Groningue''
| rowspan="2" | [[Ems (river)]]
| Netherlands<br />Germany
| [[Dutch Republic]]:{{sup|10}}
:[[Staats-Oppergelre|Dutch Upper Guelders]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Ems-Oriental]]
| [[Aurich]]
| Germany
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Kingdom of Prussia]]:
::[[East Frisia|County of East Frisia]]{{sup|10}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Frise (department)|Frise]]
| [[Leeuwarden]]<br />''Leuwarden''
| [[Friesland]] region
| rowspan="3" | Netherlands
| [[Dutch Republic]]:{{sup|10}}
:[[Friesland]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Yssel-Supérieur]]
| [[Arnhem]]
| [[IJssel]] river
| [[Dutch Republic]]:{{sup|10}}
:[[Staats-Oppergelre|Dutch Upper Guelders]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Zuyderzée]]
| [[Amsterdam]]
| [[Zuiderzee]] inlet 
| [[Dutch Republic]]:{{sup|10}}
:[[County of Holland]]
:[[Utrecht (province)|Lordship of Utrecht]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Bouches-de-l'Elbe]]
| [[Hamburg]]<br /> ''Hambourg''
| [[Elbe]] river
| rowspan="4" | Germany
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Imperial Free City|Free]] [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] City of [[Hamburg]]
:[[Electorate of Hanover]]
:[[Imperial Free City|Free]] [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] City of [[Lübeck]]{{Clear}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Bouches-du-Weser]]
| [[Bremen (city)|Bremen]]<br />''Brême''
| [[Weser]] river
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Imperial Free City|Free]] [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] City of [[Bremen]]
:[[Electorate of Hanover]]
:[[Duchy of Oldenburg]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Ems-Supérieur]]
| [[Osnabrück]]
| [[Ems (river)]]
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Electorate of Hanover]]
:[[Bishopric of Osnabrück]]
:[[Kingdom of Prussia]]:
::[[Lingen|Town and County of Lingen]]
:[[Bishopric of Minden|Principality of Minden]]
:[[County of Ravensberg]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Lippe (department)|Lippe]]{{sup|12}}
| [[Münster]]<br />''Munster''
| [[Lippe (river)]]
| [[Holy Roman Empire]]:
:[[Bishopric of Münster]]
:[[Electorate of the Palatinate]]:
:[[Grand Duchy of Berg]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Bouches-de-l'Èbre]]
| [[Lleida]]<br />''Lérida''
| [[River Ebro|Ebro river]]
| rowspan="4" | Spain
| rowspan="4" | [[Spanish Empire|Kingdom of Spain]]:
:[[Catalonia]]
| rowspan="4" | 1812–1813
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Montserrat (department)|Montserrat]]
| [[Barcelona]]<br />''Barcelone''
| [[Montserrat (mountain)]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Sègre (department)|Sègre]]
| [[Puigcerdà]]<br />''Puigcerda''
| [[Segre (river)]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Ter (department)|Ter]]
| [[Girona]]<br />''Gérone''
| [[Ter (river)]]
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Bouches-de-l'Èbre-Montserrat]]
| [[Barcelona]]<br />''Barcelone''
| Ebro river and Montserrat mountain
| colspan="2" |''Previously the departments of Bouches-de-l'Èbre and Montserrat''
| rowspan="2" | 1813–1814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | [[Sègre-Ter]]
| [[Girona]]<br />''Gérone''
| Segre and Ter rivers 
| colspan="2" |''Previously the departments of Sègre and Ter''
|}

Notes for Table 7:
# Where a Napoleonic department was composed of parts from more than one country, the nation-state containing the prefecture is listed. Please expand this table to list all countries containing significant parts of the department.
# Territories that were a part of [[Southern Netherlands|Austrian Netherlands]] were also a part of [[Holy Roman Empire]].
# The [[Bishopric of Basel]] was a German [[Prince-Bishop]]ric, not to be confused with the adjacent [[Old Swiss Confederacy|Swiss]] [[Basel (canton)|Canton of Basel]].
# The [[Ionian Islands]] were annexed by France after the [[Fall of the Republic of Venice]]. They were lost to France, becoming the [[Septinsular Republic]], a Russo-Ottoman vassal state, from 1800 to 1807, before reverting to France at the [[Treaty of Tilsit]]. The [[Imperial French rule in the Ionian Islands|second period of French rule]] lasted until 1810/14, after which these territories became a [[Great Britain|British]] protectorate, as the [[United States of the Ionian Islands]]
# [[Maastricht]] was a [[condominium (international law)|condominium]] of the [[Dutch Republic]] and the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]].
# On 6 June 1805, as a result of the annexation of the [[Ligurian Republic]] (the [[puppet state|puppet]] [[successor state]] to the [[Republic of Genoa]]), [[Tanaro (department)|Tanaro]] was abolished and its territory divided between the departments of [[Marengo (department)|Marengo]], [[Montenotte Department|Montenotte]] and [[Stura]].
# Before becoming the department of [[Apennins]], the [[Republic of Genoa]] was converted to a [[puppet state|puppet]] [[successor state]], the [[Ligurian Republic]].
# Before becoming the department of [[Arno (department)|Arno]], the [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]] was converted to a [[puppet state|puppet]] [[successor state]], the [[Kingdom of Etruria]].
# [[Rome (department)|Rome]] was known as the {{lang|fr|department du Tibre}} until 1810.
# Before becoming the departments of [[Bouches-du-Rhin]], [[Bouches-de-l'Escaut]], [[Bouches-de-la-Meuse]], [[Bouches-de-l'Yssel]], [[Ems-Occidental]], [[Frise (department)|Frise]], [[Yssel-Supérieur]] and [[Zuyderzée]], these territories of the [[Dutch Republic]] were converted to a [[puppet state|puppet]] [[successor state]], the [[Batavian Republic]] (1795–1806), then those territories that had not already been annexed (all except the first two departments here), along with the [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] [[East Frisia|County of East Frisia]], were converted to another puppet state, the [[Kingdom of Holland]].
# Before becoming the department of [[Simplon (department)|Simplon]], the {{lang|fr|[[Valais|République des Sept Dizains]]}} was converted to a revolutionary {{lang|fr|République du Valais}} (16 March 1798) which was swiftly incorporated (1 May 1798) into the [[puppet state|puppet]] [[Helvetic Republic]] until 1802 when it became the independent Rhodanic Republic.
# In the months before [[Lippe (department)|Lippe]] was formed, the [[arrondissements]] of [[Rees, Germany|Rees]] and [[Münster]] were part of [[Yssel-Supérieur]], the arrondissement of [[Steinfurt]] was part of [[Bouches-de-l'Yssel]] and the arrondissement of [[Neuenhaus]] was part of [[Ems-Occidental]].

==See also==
{{commons category|Departments of France}}
* [[ISO 3166-2:FR]]
* [[List of French departments by population|List of French departments by population, area and population density]]
* [[Overseas departments and regions of France]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Departments of France}}
{{Articles on second-level administrative divisions of European countries}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Departments of France| ]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in Europe|France 2]]
[[Category:Lists of subdivisions of France|Departments]]
[[Category:Second-level administrative divisions by country|Departments, France]]