Arrondissements of the Ain department facts for kids

The Ain department in France is divided into smaller areas called arrondissements. You can think of them as districts or boroughs. Each arrondissement has a main town or city, which is called a subprefecture. If the main city of the whole department is in an arrondissement, that city acts as both the department's capital and the arrondissement's capital.

Arrondissements are further divided into even smaller local areas called communes. The Ain department has 4 arrondissements.

What are Arrondissements?

Arrondissements help organize a department into smaller parts. This makes it easier to manage local services and administration. Each arrondissement has its own capital city. This city is important because it's where the local government for that district is located.

The Arrondissements of Ain

The Ain department has four main arrondissements. Each one is a district with its own capital city and a number of smaller communes.

• Belley: Its capital city is Belley. This arrondissement includes 115 communes.
• Bourg-en-Bresse: Its capital city is Bourg-en-Bresse. This is the largest arrondissement with 201 communes.
• Gex: Its capital city is Gex. This arrondissement has 27 communes.
• Nantua: Its capital city is Nantua. This arrondissement includes 65 communes.

History of Ain's Arrondissements

The way the Ain department is divided has changed over time. Here's a quick look at its history:

Early Divisions (1790)

• 1790: When the Ain department was first created, it was divided into nine districts. These were Pont-de-Vaux, Bourg, Nantua, Gex, Belley, Saint-Rambert, Montluel, Trévoux, and Châtillon-les-Dombes.

First Arrondissements (1800)

• 1800: The districts were reorganized into the first arrondissements. At this time, there were four: Bourg, Belley, Nantua, and Trévoux.

Changes Over Time (1815-1965)

• 1815: The arrondissement of Gex was added back.
• 1926: The arrondissements of Gex and Trévoux were removed. This meant there were fewer districts for a while.
• 1965: Gex became an arrondissement again, bringing the total back to four, which is how it remains today.

Images for kids

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  Map of arrondissements of the Ain department.