Arrondissements of the Haut-Rhin department facts for kids
France is divided into different areas to help manage the country. One type of area is called a department. Inside each department, there are smaller areas known as arrondissements. You can think of an arrondissement like a district or a borough.
The Haut-Rhin department has 4 arrondissements. Each arrondissement has a main city, which is like its capital. This main city is called a subprefecture. If the department's main city (its prefecture) is also in an arrondissement, then that city serves as both.
Arrondissements are then split into even smaller parts called communes. These are like towns or local communities.
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Arrondissements of Haut-Rhin
The Haut-Rhin department has four main arrondissements. Each one has its own capital city and a certain number of communes. The table below shows details about each arrondissement, including its population and size.
| INSEE code |
Arrondissement | Capital | Population (2014) |
Area (km²) |
Density (Inh./km²) |
Communes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 681 | Altkirch | Altkirch | 69,645 | 663.1 | 105.0 | 108 |
| 682 | Colmar-Ribeauvillé | Colmar | 200,243 | 1,127.3 | 177.6 | 98 |
| 684 | Mulhouse | Mulhouse | 350,032 | 707.1 | 495.0 | 79 |
| 686 | Thann-Guebwiller | Thann | 140,214 | 1,027.7 | 136.4 | 81 |
History of Haut-Rhin's Arrondissements
The Haut-Rhin department has a long and interesting history. It was one of the first 83 departments created in France. This happened during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790.
At first, Haut-Rhin was divided into three districts. These were Altkirch, Belfort, and Colmar. Colmar was chosen as the capital city for the department.
Changes Over Time
In 1800, France created arrondissements. The three districts in Haut-Rhin changed into five arrondissements. These new areas were Colmar, Altkirch, Belfort, Delémont, and Porrentruy.
However, in 1814, the Delémont and Porrentruy arrondissements were removed. They became part of Switzerland. Later, in 1857, the main office for Altkirch moved to Mulhouse.
Becoming Part of Germany
In 1871, the Haut-Rhin department was removed from France. Most of its land became part of Germany. A small part of it formed a new area called the Territoire de Belfort.
Returning to France
Haut-Rhin became a French department again in 1919. This happened after World War I. At that time, it had several arrondissements: Colmar-Ville, Colmar-Campagne, Altkirch, Guebwiller, Mulhouse, Ribeauvillé, and Thann. Colmar remained its capital.
In 1934, the Colmar-Ville and Colmar-Campagne arrondissements joined together. They formed one larger arrondissement called Colmar.
Recent Changes
More recently, in 2015, some arrondissements were combined. The Guebwiller arrondissement was removed. Its area joined with Thann to create the Thann-Guebwiller arrondissement.
In the same year, the Ribeauvillé arrondissement was also removed. Its land combined with Colmar. This created the new Colmar-Ribeauvillé arrondissement. These changes helped to organize the department more efficiently.
Images for kids
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Map of arrondissements of the Haut-Rhin department.
See also
In Spanish: Distritos del Alto Rin para niños
