Administrative division of France (Twilight of a New Era)

France is divided in regions (Metropolitan and Overseas), departments (Metropolitan and Overseas), arrondissements, cantons and communes.

The basic unit of local government is the commune that is administered by an elected Mayor (maire) and Municipal Council.

By the Constitution of 1935 France is a unitary and decentralized state. The regions are territorial collectives that do not have legislative autonomy, tough they have limited administrative and statutory powers. Each region has an elected Regional Council and a Regional Prefect (Préfet de région) named by the President of the French Republic.

____

For the political and economical association of France with its noneuropean territories in Africa, Asia and Oceania see French Union Country subdivisions (Twilight of a New Era)