Arrondissements of the Haute-Savoie department facts for kids
The Haute-Savoie department in France has four main areas called arrondissements. You can think of an arrondissement as a large district or a borough. These areas help manage the department better.
Each arrondissement has a main town called a subprefecture. If the main town of the whole department (which is called a prefecture) is in an arrondissement, then that town acts as both the prefecture and the subprefecture for that arrondissement.
Arrondissements are further divided into even smaller areas called communes. These are like small towns or villages.
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What are Arrondissements?
In France, a department is a bit like a county or a state. To help organize things, each department is split into smaller parts called arrondissements. These are administrative areas, meaning they help the government manage different services and local matters.
The main town of an arrondissement is called a subprefecture. This town is where the local government offices for that arrondissement are located. For example, if you live in an arrondissement, you might go to the subprefecture for certain official documents or services.
The very smallest local divisions in France are called communes. An arrondissement is made up of many communes. So, it's like a big puzzle: many communes fit together to make an arrondissement, and several arrondissements fit together to make a department.
Haute-Savoie's Arrondissements
The Haute-Savoie department has four arrondissements. Each one has its own capital city and a certain number of communes.
Here's a quick look at the four arrondissements in Haute-Savoie:
| INSEE code |
Arrondissement | Capital | Population (2014) |
Area (km²) |
Density (Inh./km²) |
Communes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 741 | Annecy | Annecy | 276,382 | 1,261.6 | 219.1 | 80 |
| 742 | Bonneville | Bonneville | 184,093 | 1,558.2 | 118.1 | 61 |
| 743 | Saint-Julien-en-Genevois | Saint-Julien-en-Genevois | 180,562 | 660.3 | 273.5 | 72 |
| 744 | Thonon-les-Bains | Thonon-les-Bains | 142,090 | 907.7 | 156.5 | 68 |
- INSEE code: This is a special number used to identify each arrondissement.
- Capital: This is the main town of the arrondissement.
- Population (2014): This shows how many people lived in the arrondissement in 2014.
- Area (km²): This is the size of the arrondissement in square kilometers.
- Density (Inh./km²): This tells you how many people live in each square kilometer. A higher number means more people are packed into a smaller space.
- Communes: This is the number of smaller towns and villages that make up the arrondissement.
History of Haute-Savoie's Arrondissements
The Haute-Savoie department was created in 1860. Since then, its arrondissements have mostly stayed the same.
- 1860: The department was formed from the northern part of the Duchy of Sardinia. It started with four arrondissements: Annecy, Bonneville, Saint-Julien, and Thonon. Annecy was chosen as the main capital for the entire department.
- 1926: For a short time, the arrondissement of Saint-Julien was removed.
- 1933: Saint-Julien became an arrondissement again, bringing the total back to four.
See Also
- Arrondissement of Annecy
- Arrondissement of Bonneville
- Arrondissement of Saint-Julien-en-Genevois
- Arrondissement of Thonon-les-Bains
- List of arrondissements of France
Images for kids
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Map of arrondissements of the Haute-Savoie department.
