List of countries where French is the only official language: In many countries, French is used as a co-official language alongside one or more other languages. The commune ( French pronunciation: [kmyn] ( listen)) is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. ), 8.06% (2021 est. Communes are based on historical geographic communities or villages and are vested with significant powers to manage the populations and land of the geographic area covered. )8.01% (2020 est. )investment in inventories: 0.9% (2017 est. "new communes"). Alsace ( rgion) Colmar Haguenau Mulhouse Ribeauvill Strasbourg Aquitaine ( rgion) Agen Bayonne Bergerac Biarritz Bordeaux Dax Lacq Libourne Mont-de-Marsan Pau Prigueux Pessac [17], These impressive results however may hide a murkier reality. ), Number of operational nuclear reactors: 56 (2023)Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 1Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 61.37GW (2021)Percent of total electricity production: 70% (2021)Percent of total energy produced: 77% (2021)Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 6, production: 2.312 million metric tons (2020 est. ), 11.56 births/1,000 population (2023 est. Their objective is to develop a new global financial system so the most vulnerable countries will be better equipped to combat both poverty and climate change. Omissions? France was the most populous country in Europe at this time, with a population of approximately 25 million inhabitants in the late 18th century (England in contrast had only 6 million inhabitants), which accounts for the large number of parishes. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The median area of metropolitan France's communes at the 1999 census was even smaller, at 10.73 square kilometres (4.14sqmi). What European Countries Use the Franc? As of January 2021, there were 35,083 communes in France, of which 34,836 in metropolitan France, 129 in the overseas departments and 83 in the overseas collectivities and New Caledonia. In terms of population however, on the eve of World War II, France and her colonial possessions totaled only 150 million inhabitants, compared with 330 million for British India alone. However, for certain purposes there was one chevin or consul ranking above the others, a sort of mayor, although not with the same authority and executive powers as a modern mayor. French lawmakers having long been aware of the inadequacy of the communal structure inherited from the French Revolution for dealing with a number of practical matters, the so-called Chevnement law of 12 July 1999 is the most recent and most thoroughgoing measure aimed at strengthening and simplifying this principle. Alsace Aquitaine Auvergne Basse Normandie Bourgogne Bretagne Centre Champagne-Ardenne Corse Franche-Comt Haute Normandie Ile-de-France Languedoc-Roussillon Limousin Lorraine Midi-Pyrnes Nord-Pas-de-Calais Pays de la Loire Picardie Poitou-Charentes Mayotte Runion Saint Pierre And Miquelon French Guiana Map of French Guiana. Even so, this centralist tendency is often at odds with another long-standing theme of the French nation: the insistence on the supremacy of the individual. On 14 December 1789, the National Assembly (Assemble Nationale) passed a law creating the commune,[dubious discuss] designed to be the lowest level of administrative division in France, thus endorsing these independently created communes, but also creating communes of its own. French population by region 2023 | Statista Paris summit aims to overhaul global financial system for 'climate As . How Many Countries Speak French In The World? (And How - AutoLingual In metropolitan France 57 percent of the 36,683 communes[4] have fewer than 500 inhabitants and, with 4,638,000 inhabitants, these smaller communes constitute just 7.7 percent of the total population. In many areas, rich communes have joined with other rich communes and have refused to let in poorer communes, for fear that their citizens would be overtaxed to the benefit of poorer suburbs. )proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est. the former regions. List of countries where French is a co-official language: List of countries and dependencies that grant certain constitutional rights to the French language: French is an official language, mostly in conjunction with English, of 36 international organisations. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. This article related to geography of France is a stub. In areas where languages other than French are or were spoken, most place-names have been translated into a French spelling and pronunciation, such as Dunkerque (Duinkerke in Dutch), Toulouse (Tolosa in Occitan), Strasbourg (Straburg in German), Perpignan (Perpiny in Catalan), and many place names derived from Gaulish or Latin. In addition, the territories of France border an additional 5 countries and territories. France - The World Factbook (See also city and urban planning.). United States of America (50 states and DC) . )consumption: 472.699 billion kWh (2020 est. In other words, just 8 percent of the French population live in 57 percent of its communes, whilst 92 percent are concentrated in the remaining 43 percent. The capital and by far the most important city of France is Paris, one of the worlds preeminent cultural and commercial centres. Outline Map Key Facts Flag France, a Western European country that includes several overseas territories and regions, has 640,679 km2 (247,368 sq mi). [2] This is a considerably higher total than that of any other European country, because French communes still largely reflect the division of France into villages or parishes at the time of the French Revolution. The French people look to the state as the primary guardian of liberty, and the state in turn provides a generous program of amenities for its citizens, from free education to health care and pension plans. [5] List Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic. There are two different versions of the African franc, with 14 countries using the CFA and six African countries using their own version of the franc, which are directly tied to the French franc. These abrupt changes profoundly alienated devout Catholics, and France soon was plunged into the throes of civil war, with the fervently religious regions of western France at its center. The rights and obligations of communes are governed by the Code gnral des collectivits territoriales (CGCT) which replaced the Code des communes (except for personnel matters) with the passage of the law of 21 February 1996 for legislation and decree number 2000-318 of 7 April 2000 for regulations.[9][10]. Another six African countries use their own version of the franc. )other alcohols: 0.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est. A new currency dubbed the eco has been proposed as the new official currency for several African countries, including those presently using the West African CFA franc. These include: This table shows the total populations of the countries, not the number of French speakers (some of these countries such as Canada have a majority that do not speak French). In the state of Baden-Wrttemberg, the number of Gemeinden or communities was reduced from 3,378 in 1968[5] to 1,108 in September 2007. )services: 78.8% (2017 est. French communes were created at the beginning of the French Revolution in 17891790. ; the Celtic settlement became the Roman town of Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii); over subsequent centuries it became Parisium and then just Paris, 18 regions (regions, singular - region); Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comte (Burgundy-Free County), Bretagne (Brittany), Centre-Val de Loire (Center-Loire Valley), Corse (Corsica), Grand Est (Grand East), Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Hauts-de-France (Upper France), Ile-de-France, Martinique, Mayotte, Normandie (Normandy), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (New Aquitaine), Occitanie (Occitania), Pays de la Loire (Lands of the Loire), Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Reunionnote: France is divided into 13 metropolitan regions (including the "collectivity" of Corse or Corsica) and 5 overseas regions (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion) and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 5 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions), Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futunanote: the US Government does not recognize claims to Antarctica; New Caledonia has been considered a "sui generis" collectivity of France since 1998, a unique status falling between that of an independent country and a French overseas department, no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic founded); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established), Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July), history: many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958amendments: proposed by the president of the republic (upon recommendation of the prime minister and Parliament) or by Parliament; proposals submitted by Parliament members require passage by both houses followed by approval in a referendum; passage of proposals submitted by the government can bypass a referendum if submitted by the president to Parliament and passed by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliaments National Assembly; amended many times, last in 2008, civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts, has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction, citizenship by birth: nocitizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Francedual citizenship recognized: yesresidency requirement for naturalization: 5 years. ), total petroleum production: 81,500 bbl/day (2021 est. https://ekosh.org/in-which-of-these-countries-is-french-an-official-language/, List of countries and territories where French is an official language, "List of countries and territories where French is an official language", Learn how and when to remove this template message, Collectivity of France with special status, Minor territory of France directly held by the government, Geographical distribution of French speakers, List of international organisations which have French as an official language, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_countries_and_territories_where_French_is_an_official_language&oldid=1160915507, This page was last edited on 19 June 2023, at 14:03. The size of the municipal council, the method of electing the municipal council, the maximum allowable pay of the mayor and deputy mayors, and municipal campaign finance limits (among other features) all depend on the population echelon into which a particular commune falls. ); approximately 100,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 75,000 National Guard (2023), the French military's inventory consists mostly of domestically produced weapons systems, including some jointly produced with other European countries; there is a limited mix of armaments from other Western countries, particularly the US; France has a large and sophisticated defense industry capable of manufacturing the full spectrum of air, land, and naval military weapons systems (2023)note: two major future acquisition programs for the French military included the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System, or FCAS (known in France as the systme combat arien du futur, or SCAF) and a next-generation tank development project with Germany known as the Main Ground Combat System, or MGCS, 18-25 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (abolished 2001); 12-month service obligation (2022)note 1: in 2019, women comprised approximately 16% of the uniformed armed forces note 2: men between the ages of 17.5 and 39.5 years of age, of any nationality, may join the French Foreign Legion; those volunteers selected for service sign five-year contractsnote 3: in 2018, Parliament passed a law that would require military service for all genders beginning in 2024; President MACRON included the measure in his platform hoping that it would reinvigorate a sense of civic duty; the service would include two components: the first would take place around age 16 and include one month of training and civic service, while the second component would last between three months and a year and be more geared towards defense and security duties; France began a pilot for the program in 2019, approximately 300 Central African Republic; approximately 1,000 Chad; 300 Comoros; approximately 900 Cote d'Ivoire; approximately 1,400 Djibouti; 300 Estonia (NATO); approximately 2,000 French Guyana; approximately 900 French Polynesia; approximately 1,000 French West Indies; 350 Gabon; approximately 500 Middle East (Iraq/Jordan/Syria); 600 Lebanon (UNIFIL); approximately 1,400 New Caledonia; approximately 1,500 Niger; approximately 1,700 Reunion Island; approximately 800 Romania (NATO); approximately 350 Senegal; approximately 650 United Arab Emirates (2023)note: in response to Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, some NATO countries, including France, have sent additional troops to the battlegroups deployed in NATO territory in eastern Europe, France was one of the original 12 countries to sign the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty), which created NATO in 1949; in 1966, President Charles DE GAULLE decided to withdraw France from NATOs integrated military structure, reflecting his desire for greater military independence, particularly vis--vis the US, and the refusal to integrate Frances nuclear deterrent or accept any form of control over its armed forces; it did, however, sign agreements with NATO setting out procedures in the event of Soviet aggression; beginning with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, France distanced itself from the 1966 decision and has regularly contributed troops to NATOs military operations, being one of the largest troop-contributing states; in 2009 it officially announced its decision to fully participate in NATO structuresin 2010, France and the UK signed a declaration on defense and security cooperation that included greater military interoperability and a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), a deployable, combined Anglo-French military force for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, up to and including high intensity combat operations; the CJEF has no standing forces, but would be available at short notice for French-UK bilateral, NATO, EU, UN, or other operations; combined training exercises began in 2011; as of 2020, the CJEF was assessed as having full operating capacity with the ability to rapidly deploy over 10,000 personnel capable of high intensity operations, peacekeeping, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance the French Foreign Legion, established in 1831, is a military force that is open to foreign recruits willing to serve in the French military for service in France and abroad; the Foreign Legion is an integrated part of the French Army and is comprised of approximately 8,000 personnel; its combat units are a mix of armored cavalry and airborne, light, mechanized, and motorized infantry regiments (2023), Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'idanote: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T, Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia, refugees (country of origin): 55,681 (Afghanistan), 39,091 (Syria), 33,834 (Sri Lanka), 33,148 (Russia), 31,935 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 24,223 (Sudan), 21,225 (Guinea), 18,008 (Serbia and Kosovo), 17,032 (Turkey), 13,974 (Iraq), 12,286 (Cote d'Ivoire), 11,489 (Eritrea), 11,012 (Cambodia), 10,543 (China), 10,236 (Albania), 10,210 (Somalia), 8,858 (Bangladesh), 8,124 (Mauritania), 8,101 (Mali), 7,991 (Vietnam), 6,913 (Bosnia and Herzegovina), 6,910 (Haiti), 6,808 (Angola), 6,498 (Laos), 6,417 (Armenia), 6,111 (Nigeria), 5,896 (Georgia) (mid-year 2022); 118,994 (Ukraine) (as of 31 October 2022)stateless persons: 3,633 (2022). These structures have been left untouched by the Chevnement law, and they are on the decline. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. t. e. In the United States, a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic region with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. This is a list of selected cities, towns, and other populated places in France, ordered alphabetically by administrative unit. It would take Napoleon I to re-establish peace in France, stabilize the new administrative system, and make it generally accepted by the population. [15] A commune nouvelle can be created by merger of a number of communes at the request of the municipal councils of all the communes or at the initiative of the state representative in the department (the prefect). Regions of France - Wikipedia Each commune is governed by a mayor (maire) elected for a 6-year term. France is among the globes oldest nations, the product of an alliance of duchies and principalities under a single ruler in the Middle Ages. Priests were forced to surrender their centuries-old baptism, marriage, and burial books, which were deposited in the mairies. True Sovereignty? )from petroleum and other liquids: 225.865 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est. Alsace, with an area of 8,280km2 (3,200sqmi), and now part of the Rgion Grand Est, used to be the smallest of the regions of metropolitan France, and still has no fewer than 904 communes. Of the 22 countries using the franc, 20 are located in Africa, and the three territories are part of the French Republic. Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est. Another theory suggests the term is a variation of the French word franc, which can mean either "straightforward" or "free", depending upon the context. metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics; French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe; Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe, total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030, Children under the age of 5 years underweight, School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education), International law organization participation, Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income, Household income or consumption by percentage share, Civil aircraft registration country code prefix, Military and security service personnel strengths, Military equipment inventories and acquisitions, Refugees and internally displaced persons, Center for the Study of Intelligence (CSI). [11] Although in the Middle Ages the provosts of the merchants symbolized the independence of Paris and even had openly rebelled against King Charles V, their office had been suppressed by the king, then reinstated but with strict control from the king, and so they had ended up being viewed by the people as yet another representative of the king, no longer the embodiment of a free municipality. The lengths of the borders France shares with different countries and territories are listed below. It also includes overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, [XII] giving it one of the largest discontiguous exclusive . Therefore, when they created the communes, they deprived them of any legal "personality" (as they did with the dpartements), with only the central state having legal "personality." Capital cities are shown in parentheses. ), some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff, party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements, particulate matter emissions: 11.64 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est. )investment in fixed capital: 22.5% (2017 est. )consumption: 10.712 million metric tons (2020 est. )refined petroleum consumption: 1,688,500 bbl/day (2019 est. The following is a list of all countries that were part of the French colonial empires in the last 500 years, either entirely or in part, either under French sovereignty or as mandate. Countries that Use Francs 2023 - World Population Review ), total: 11.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est. Which Countries Border France? - WorldAtlas In exchange for the creation of a community, the government allocates money to them based on their population, thus providing an incentive for communes to team up and form communities. From 41,000 communes at the time of the French Revolution, the number decreased to 37,963 in 1921, to 36,569 in 2008 (in metropolitan France). note: data are in current year dollars$796.353 billion (2020 est.) Its current planned release date is 2027. By way of contrast, in the German states bordering Alsace, the geo-political and administrative areas have been subject to various re-organizations from the 1960s onward. )-7.78% (2020 est. There are different variations of the franc, including the Swiss franc and the French franc. France had the second largest population in Europe in 2017. All communes have names, but not all named geographic areas or groups of people residing together are communes ("lieu dit" or "bourg"), the difference residing in the lack of administrative powers. France is divided into eighteen administrative regions (French: rgions, singular rgion), of which thirteen are located in metropolitan France (in Europe), while the other five are overseas regions (not to be confused with the overseas collectivities, which have a semi-autonomous status).. All of the thirteen metropolitan administrative regions (including Corsica as of 2019) are further . What part of France does the knights templar from Study guides European Union 19 cards How was. note: data are in current year dollars$892.016 billion (2019 est.) In recent years it has become increasingly common for communes to band together in intercommunal consortia for the provision of such services as refuse collection and water supply. )tide and wave: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est. Parishes lacked the municipal structures of post-Revolution communes. )subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 59 (2021 est. French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard); note - overseas departments: French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect)major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. This meant that Paris had less autonomy than the smallest village. One problem is that mergers reduce the number of available elected positions, and thus are not popular with local politicians. This article is about every French colonial possession in history. Most of the communes in Alsace, along with those in other regions of France, have rejected the central government's calls for mergers and rationalization. agriculture: 1.7% (2017 est. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper. This tendency toward individualism joins with a pluralist outlook and a great interest in the larger world. )biomass and waste: 2% of total installed capacity (2020 est. France territorial subdivision for municipalities, Toggle History of the French communes subsection, Communes farthest away from the capital city of France, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, French villages destroyed in the First World War, Saint-Remy-en-Bouzemont-Saint-Genest-et-Isson, Beaujeu-Saint-Vallier-Pierrejux-et-Quitteur, Institut National de la Statistique et des tudes conomiques, "Les collectivits locales en chiffres 2021", "Le code officiel gographique (COG), avant, pendant et autour (Version 3, volume 1)", "Circonscriptions administratives au 1er janvier 2015: comparaisons rgionales", "25 Jahre Gemeindereform Baden-Wrttemberg; hier: Neuordnung der Gemeinden", "The Territorial Archives will recover eight parish registers from the eighteenth century", "French Identity: The National Search for Retrospective Legitimacy and Unanimity", 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199216314.003.0002, "Statistique des communes (fin de l'Ancien Rgime et XIXe sicle)", Loi n 2010-1563 du 16 dcembre 2010 de rforme des collectivits territoriales, Direction gnrale des collectivits locales (DGCL), Ministry of the Interior, "Rpartition des EPCI fiscalit propre par dpartement au 01/01/2007", Tlchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations lgales en 2017, Le dveloppement de l'intercommunalit: la rvolution discrte, Complete lists of cities and municipalities in France, List of administrative divisions by country, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Communes_of_France&oldid=1161257615, Fifth-level administrative divisions by country, LAU statistical regions of the European Union, Articles that may contain original research from January 2015, All articles that may contain original research, Articles needing additional references from April 2020, All articles needing additional references, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Articles containing Italian-language text, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles with disputed statements from December 2022, Articles needing additional references from November 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2011, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, these municipal bodies were not democratic; they were usually in the hands of some rich bourgeois families upon whom, over time, nobility had been conferred, so they can be better labeled as. )1.84% (2019 est. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the French colonial empire was the second largest colonial empire in the world only behind the British Empire; it extended over 13,500,000km2 (5,200,000sqmi)[1][2] of land at its height in the 1920s and 1930s. These municipal arrondissements are not to be confused with the arrondissements that are subdivisions of French dpartements: French communes are considered legal entities, whereas municipal arrondissements, by contrast, have no official capacity and no budget of their own. In Italy, the median area of communes (comuni) is 22km2 (8.5sqmi); in Belgium it is 40km2 (15sqmi); in Spain it is 35km2 (14sqmi); and in Germany, the majority of Lnder have communes (Gemeinden) with a median area above 15km2 (5.8sqmi). ), 1.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Since the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterts of 1539 by Francis I, the priest in charge of the parish was also required to record baptisms, marriages, and burials.
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