Administrative divisions of France (original) (raw)

As of 2003, France is divided into:

• 26 r�gions - 22 metropolitan and four overseas
• the r�gions are divided into 100 d�partements - including 4 overseas d�partements (d�partements d'outre-mer, or DOM)
• the d�partements are divided into 342 arrondissements
• the arrondissements are divided into 4,040 cantonss - including 156 overseas
• the cantons are divided into 36,679 communes

Paris is a d�partement, number 75.

There are also three "overseas territories" (French: territoires d'outre-mer, or TOM) that are part of France but not of the EU. They are: French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna and the French Southern and Antarctic Territories.

Furthermore there are three separate special status territories (French: collectivit�s territoriales), also part of France but not of the EU: Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Mayotte and New Caledonia. New Caledonia used to be a TOM.

Finally, France maintains control over a number of small islands in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.