Arrondissements of the Aveyron department facts for kids

Did you know that France is divided into smaller areas to help manage everything better? One of these areas is called an arrondissement. Think of it like a big district or a borough within a larger region.

The Aveyron department in France has three main arrondissements. Each arrondissement has a special town that acts as its main office. This main office town is called a subprefecture. If the main capital city of the whole department is in an arrondissement, then that city also serves as the subprefecture for its arrondissement.

Arrondissements are further divided into even smaller parts called cantons and then into the smallest local areas called communes. Communes are like towns or villages.

What are Arrondissements?

Arrondissements are administrative divisions used in France and some other countries. They help organize the government and public services for people living in different areas.

How do Arrondissements Work?

• Each arrondissement has a main town called a subprefecture. This is where the local government offices are located.
• If the main capital city of a department (called a prefecture) is inside an arrondissement, then that city acts as both the prefecture for the whole department and the subprefecture for its own arrondissement.
• Arrondissements are made up of several cantons. Cantons are groups of communes.
• The smallest local units are communes, which are like individual towns or villages.

The Arrondissements of Aveyron

The Aveyron department has three main arrondissements:

• Arrondissement of Millau: Its subprefecture (main town) is Millau. This arrondissement includes 97 communes.
• Arrondissement of Rodez: Its main town is Rodez, which is also the capital city (prefecture) for the entire Aveyron department. This is the largest arrondissement with 127 communes.
• Arrondissement of Villefranche-de-Rouergue: Its subprefecture is Villefranche-de-Rouergue. This arrondissement has 62 communes.

A Little Bit of History

The way the Aveyron department is organized has changed a few times since it was first created.

• 1790: The Aveyron department was first created. Back then, it had nine smaller areas called districts. The capital city was Rodez.
• 1800: The system changed, and the first arrondissements were created. There were five of them: Rodez, Espalion, Millau, Saint-Affrique, and Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
• 1926: Two of the arrondissements, Espalion and Saint-Affrique, were removed. This left the three arrondissements we know today.

Images for kids

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  Map of arrondissements of the Aveyron department.