Arrondissements of the Loire department facts for kids
The Loire department in France has 3 main areas called arrondissements. You can think of an arrondissement like a large district or a borough. These areas help organize how the department is run.
Each arrondissement has a main town, which is like its capital. This capital town is called a subprefecture. If the main capital city of the whole Loire department is inside one of these arrondissements, then that city acts as both the department's capital and the arrondissement's capital.
Arrondissements are then split into smaller parts called communes. Communes are like small towns or villages.
The Arrondissements of Loire
The Loire department is divided into three main arrondissements. Each one has its own capital city and covers a specific area.
Here's a look at the three arrondissements in Loire:
| INSEE code |
Arrondissement | Capital City | Population (2014) |
Area (km²) |
People per km² | Number of Communes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 421 | Montbrison | Montbrison | 188,635 | 1,959.5 | 96.3 | 136 |
| 422 | Roanne | Roanne | 157,268 | 1,779.9 | 88.4 | 115 |
| 423 | Saint-Étienne | Saint-Étienne | 411,402 | 1,041.2 | 395.1 | 75 |
- INSEE code: This is a special number used to identify each arrondissement.
- Arrondissement: The name of the district.
- Capital City: The main town or city for that arrondissement.
- Population (2014): How many people lived in that area in 2014.
- Area (km²): How big the area is in square kilometers.
- People per km²: How many people live in each square kilometer. This shows how crowded or spread out the population is.
- Number of Communes: How many smaller towns or villages (communes) are within that arrondissement.
History of Loire's Arrondissements
The way the Loire department is organized has changed a few times over the years:
- 1793: The Loire department was created. It had three main districts: Montbrison, Roanne, and Saint-Étienne. The first capital city was Feurs.
- 1795: The capital city was moved from Feurs to Montbrison.
- 1800: The districts were officially named "arrondissements." So, the arrondissements of Montbrison, Roanne, and Saint-Étienne were created.
- 1855: The capital city of the department was moved again, this time from Montbrison to Saint-Étienne.
See Also
- Arrondissement of Montbrison
- Arrondissement of Roanne
- Arrondissement of Saint-Étienne
- List of arrondissements of France
Images for kids
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Map of arrondissements of the Loire department.
