Arrondissements of the Deux-Sèvres department facts for kids
France is divided into areas called 'departments'. The Deux-Sèvres department has 3 main areas called arrondissements. You can think of an arrondissement like a district or a borough. Each arrondissement has a main city, which is called a subprefecture.
Sometimes, the main city of a whole department (called a prefecture) is also the main city of an arrondissement. In this case, it acts as both the department's capital and the arrondissement's subprefecture.
Arrondissements are further divided into smaller areas called communes.
The Arrondissements of Deux-Sèvres
The Deux-Sèvres department has three arrondissements. Each one has its own capital city, population, and area. Here's a quick look at them:
| INSEE code |
Arrondissement | Capital | Population (2014) |
Area (km²) |
Density (Inh./km²) |
Communes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 791 | Bressuire | Bressuire | 96,703 | 1,622.6 | 59.6 | 53 |
| 792 | Niort | Niort | 212,425 | 2,791.6 | 76.1 | 163 |
| 793 | Parthenay | Parthenay | 64,425 | 1,585.1 | 40.6 | 77 |
- INSEE code: This is a special number given to each area in France.
- Arrondissement: The name of the district.
- Capital: The main city of that arrondissement.
- Population (2014): How many people lived there in 2014.
- Area (km²): How big the area is in square kilometers.
- Density (Inh./km²): How many people live in each square kilometer.
- Communes: The number of smaller towns or villages within that arrondissement.
History of the Arrondissements
The way the Deux-Sèvres department is divided has changed over time. Here's a simple timeline:
- 1790: The Deux-Sèvres department was created. It had six main districts: Melle, Niort, Parthenay, Saint-Maixent, Thouars, and Châtillon (now called Mauléon). The main city of the department was supposed to switch between Niort, Parthenay, and Saint-Maixent. However, Niort soon became the only permanent capital.
- 1800: The idea of "arrondissements" was introduced. Four arrondissements were created: Melle, Niort, Parthenay, and Thouars. Saint-Maixent and Châtillon were no longer main districts.
- 1804: The subprefecture (main city) of Thouars was moved to Bressuire.
- 1926: The arrondissements of Bressuire and Melle were removed. This meant there were fewer main districts.
- 1942: Bressuire was made an arrondissement again.
See Also
Images for kids
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Map of arrondissements of the Deux-Sèvres department.
