Arrondissements of the Moselle department facts for kids
There are 5 arrondissements in the Moselle department. The French departments, and in other countries, are divided into arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts (in some cases, as boroughs). The capital of an arrondissement is called a subprefecture.
If the prefecture (capital) of the department is in an arrondissement, that prefecture is the capital of the arrondissement, acting both as a prefecture and as a subprefecture.
Arrondissements are further divided into communes.
The arrondissements of Moselle are:
| INSEE code |
Arrondissement | Capital | Population (2014) |
Area (km²) |
Density (Inh./km²) |
Communes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 573 | Forbach-Boulay-Moselle | Forbach | 245,222 | 1,283.3 | 191.1 | 169 |
| 575 | Sarrebourg-Château-Salins | Sarrebourg | 93,481 | 1,966.9 | 47.5 | 230 |
| 576 | Sarreguemines | Sarreguemines | 99,772 | 935.9 | 106.6 | 83 |
| 577 | Thionville | Thionville | 264,858 | 941.5 | 281.3 | 105 |
| 579 | Metz | Metz | 341,821 | 1,088.7 | 314.0 | 140 |
History
Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was divided in nine districts: Metz, Bitche, Boulay, Briey, Longwy, Morhange, Sarreguemines, Sarrelouis and Thionville, with Metz as is capital.
In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the nine districts were changed into four arrondissements: Metz, Briey, Sarreguemines and Thionville.
The Moselle department was eliminated in 1871 when part of the territory became part of Germany; the remaining parts were combined with the Meurthe department to form Meurthe-et-Moselle.
In 1919, a new department of Moselle was formed with nine arrondissements. In 2015, four arrondissements were eliminated and their territories passed to the remaining five arrondissements: Forbach-Boulay-Moselle, Metz, Sarrebourg-Château-Salins, Sarreguemines and Thionville.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Map of arrondissements of the Moselle department.
