Arrondissements of the Haute-Vienne department facts for kids
The Haute-Vienne department in France is divided into three main areas called arrondissements. You can think of an arrondissement as a bit like a district or a borough in other countries. It's a way to organize the department into smaller parts for easier management.
Each arrondissement has a main city, which is called a subprefecture. This city acts as the capital for that specific arrondissement. If the main capital city of the entire department is located within an arrondissement, then that city serves as both the department's capital (prefecture) and the arrondissement's capital (subprefecture).
Arrondissements are further divided into even smaller areas called communes. These are like local towns or villages.
Contents
The Arrondissements of Haute-Vienne
Haute-Vienne has three arrondissements. Each one has its own capital city and a certain number of communes. Here's a quick look at them:
| INSEE code |
Arrondissement | Capital | Population (2014) |
Area (km²) |
Density (Inh./km²) |
Communes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 871 | Bellac | Bellac | 39,744 | 1,779.9 | 22.3 | 62 |
| 872 | Limoges | Limoges | 298,578 | 2,944.8 | 101.4 | 108 |
| 873 | Rochechouart | Rochechouart | 37,877 | 795.4 | 1.0 | 30 |
- Bellac: Its capital city is Bellac. This arrondissement is home to 62 communes.
- Limoges: The capital city is Limoges, which is also the main capital of the entire Haute-Vienne department. It has the most communes, with 108.
- Rochechouart: Its capital city is Rochechouart. This arrondissement has 30 communes.
A Look Back: History of Arrondissements
The way departments and arrondissements are organized has changed over time. Here’s how it happened for Haute-Vienne:
- 1790: The Haute-Vienne department was first created. Back then, it was divided into six "districts" instead of arrondissements. These districts were Limoges, Le Dorat, Bellac, Saint-Junien, Saint-Yrieix, and Saint-Léonard. Limoges was chosen as the main capital of the department.
- 1800: The system changed, and arrondissements were introduced. Haute-Vienne then had four arrondissements: Bellac, Limoges, Rochechouart, and Saint-Yrieix.
- 1926: The arrondissement of Saint-Yrieix was removed, leaving the three arrondissements we see today.
See Also
- Arrondissement of Limoges
- Arrondissement of Bellac
- Arrondissement of Rochechouart
- List of arrondissements of France
Images for kids
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Map of arrondissements of the Haute-Vienne department.
