Mapping The Regions of France - France Travel Notes

Groups of departments only became known as regions in 1982.

Some regions reused the names of the traditional provinces but their geographical borders may have differed from those of the former provinces.

Regions of France - 1982 to 2016

Regional France as of 1st January, 2016.

France is now divided into 18 administrative regions, including 13 metropolitan regions and 5 overseas regions.

Regions of France Prior to 2016

Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes.

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Alsace

Area of Alsace: 8,280 km².

Departments: Bas-Rhin (67), and Haut-Rhin (68).

Neighbouring Regions: Franche-Comte, Lorraine.

Neighbouring countries: Germany, Switzerland.

Regional prefecture: Strasbourg.

Aquitaine

Area of Aquitaine: 41,309 km².

Departments: Dordogne (24), Gironde (33), Landes (40), Lot-et-Garonne (47) and Pyrenees-Atlantiques (64).

Neighbouring Regions: Limousin, Midi-Pyrenees, Poitou-Charentes.

Neighbouring country: Spain.

Regional prefecture: Bordeaux.

Auvergne

Area of Auvergne: 26,013 km².

Departments: Allier (03), Cantal (15), Haute-Loire (43) and Puy-de-Dome (63).

Neighbouring Regions: Bourgogne, Centre, Limousin, Midi-Pyrenees, Rhone-Alpes.

Regional prefecture: Clermont-Ferrand.

Basse-Normandie (Lower-Normandy)

Area of Basse-Normandie: 17,589 km².

Departments: Calvados (14), Manche (50) and Orne (61).

Neighbouring Regions: Bretagne, Centre, Haute-Normandie, Pays de la Loire.

Regional prefecture: Caen.

Bourgogne (Burgundy)

Area of Bourgogne: 31,582 km².

Departments:  Cote-d'Or (21), Nievre (58), Saone-et-Loire (71) and Yonne (89).

Neighbouring Regions: Auvergne, Centre, Champagne-Ardennes, Franche-Comte, Ile-de-France, Rhone-Alpes.

Regional prefecture: Dijon.

Bretagne (Brittany)

Area of Bretagne: 27,209 km².

Departments: Cotes-d'Armor (22), Finistere (29), Ille-et-Vilaine (35) and Morbihan (56).

Neighbouring Regions: Basse-Normandie, Pays de la Loire.

Regional prefecture: Rennes.

Centre

Area of Centre: 39,151 km².

Departments: Cher (18), Eure-et-Loir (28), Indre (36), Indre-et-Loire (37), Loir-et-Cher (41) and Loiret (45).

Neighbouring Regions: Auvergne, Bourgogne, Basse-Normandie, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Limousin, Pays de la Loire, Poitou-Charentes.

Regional prefecture: Orleans.

Champagne-Ardenne

Area of Champagne-Ardenne: 25,606 km².

Departments: Ardennes (08), Aube (10), Marne (51) and Haute-Marne (52).

Neighbouring Regions: Bourgogne, Franche-Comte, Ile-de-France, Lorraine, Picardie.

Neighbouring country: Belgium.

Regional prefecture: Chalons-en-Champagne.

Corse (Corsica) - Collectivite Territoriale

Area of Corsica: 8,680 km².

Departments: Corse-du-Sud (2A) and Haute-Corse (2B).

Regional prefecture: Ajaccio.

Franche-Comte

Area of Franche-Comte: 16,202 km².

Departments: Doubs (25), Jura (39), Haute-Saone (70) and Territoire de Belfort (90).

Neighbouring Regions: Alsace, Bourgogne, Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine, Rhone-Alpes.

Neighbouring country: Switzerland.

Regional prefecture: Besancon.

Haute-Normandie (Upper-Normandy)

Area of Haute-Normandie: 12,318 km².

Departments: Eure (27) and Seine-Maritime (76).

Neighbouring Regions: Basse-Normandie, Centre, Ile-de-France, Picardie.

Regional prefecture: Rouen.

Ile-de-France

Area of Ile-de-France: 12,011 km².

Departments: Essonne (91), Hauts-de-Seine (92), Paris (75), Seine-et-Marne (77), Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Val-de-Marne (94), Val-d'Oise (95) and Yvelines (78).

Neighbouring Regions: Haute-Normandie, Bourgogne, Centre, Champagne-Ardenne, Picardie.

Regional prefecture: Paris.

Languedoc-Roussillon

Area of Languedoc-Roussillon: 27,376 km².

Departments: Aude (11), Gard (30), Herault (34), Lozere (48) and Pyrenees-Orientales (66).

Neighbouring Regions: Auvergne, Midi-Pyrenees, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur, Rhone-Alpes.

Neighbouring countries: Andorra, Spain.

Regional prefecture: Montpellier.

Limousin

Area of Limousin: 16,942 km².

Departments: Correze (19), Creuse (23) and Haute-Vienne (87).

Neighbouring Regions: Aquitaine, Auvergne, Centre, Midi-Pyrenees, Poitou-Charentes.

Regional prefecture: Limoges.

Lorraine

Area of Lorraine: 23,547 km².

Departments: Meurthe-et-Moselle (54), Meuse (55), Moselle (57) and Vosges (88).

Neighbouring Regions: Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, Franche-Comte.

Neighbouring countries: Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg.

Regional prefecture: Metz.

Midi-Pyrenees

Area of Midi-Pyrenees: 45,349 km².

Departments: Ariege (09), Aveyron (12), Haute-Garonne (31), Gers (32), Lot (46), Hautes-Pyrenees (65), Tarn (81) and Tarn-et-Garonne (82).

Neighbouring Regions: Aquitaine, Auvergne, Languedoc-Rousillon, Limousin.

Neighbouring countries: Andorra, Spain.

Regional prefecture: Toulouse.

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Area of Nord-Pas-de-Calais: 12,413 km².

Departments: Nord (59) and Pas-de-Calais (62).

Neighbouring Region: Picardie.

Neighbouring country: Belgium.

Regional prefecture: Lille.

Pays de la Loire

Area of Pays de la Loire: 32,082 km².

Departments: Loire-Atlantique (44), Maine-et-Loire (49), Mayenne (53), Sarthe (72) and Vendee (85).

Neighbouring Regions: Basse-Normandie, Bretagne, Centre, Poitou-Charentes.

Regional prefecture: Nantes.

Picardie

Area of Picardie: 19,399 km².

Departments: Aisne (02), Oise (60) and Somme (80).

Neighbouring Regions: Champagne-Ardenne, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Regional prefecture: Amiens.

Poitou-Charentes

Area of Poitou-Charentes: 25,809 km².

Departments: Charente (16), Charente-Maritime (17), Deux-Sevres (79) and Vienne (86).

Neighbouring Regions: Aquitaine, Centre, Limousin, Pays de la Loire.

Regional prefecture: Poitiers.

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur

Area of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur: 31,400 km².

Departments: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04), Hautes-Alpes (05), Alpes-Maritimes (06), Bouches-du-Rhone (13), Var (83) and Vaucluse (84).

Neighbouring Regions: Languedoc-Roussillon, Rhone-Alpes.

Neighbouring countries: Italy, Monaco.

Regional prefecture: Marseille.

Rhone-Alpes

Area of Rhone-Alpes: 43,698 km².

Departments: Ain (01), Ardeche (07), Drome (26), Isere (38), Loire (42), Rhone (69), Savoie (73) and Haute-Savoie (74).

Neighbouring Regions: Auvergne, Bourgogne, Franche-Comte, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur.

Neighbouring countries: Italy, Switzerland.

Regional prefecture: Lyon.

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