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Arrondissements of the Nord department facts for kids

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The Nord department in France has 6 main areas called arrondissements. You can think of an arrondissement like a district or a borough. These are smaller parts that make up a larger region.

Each arrondissement has a main city, which is like its capital. This capital city is called a subprefecture. If the main capital city of the whole Nord department is inside an arrondissement, that city also serves as the capital for that specific arrondissement.

Arrondissements are then divided into even smaller areas called communes. These are like towns or villages.

What is an Arrondissement?

An arrondissement is a way to divide up a department in France. It helps with local government and organization. Think of it as a large district within a bigger region.

The Arrondissements of Nord

The Nord department is divided into six main arrondissements. Each one has its own capital city:

History of Nord's Arrondissements

The way the Nord department is divided has changed a few times over the years.

  • 1790: The Nord department was first created. It had eight districts: Avesnes, Bergues, Cambrai, Douai, Hazebrouck, Lille, Le Quesnoy, and Valenciennes. The first capital of the department was Douai.
  • 1800: The districts were changed into six arrondissements: Avesnes, Bergues, Cambrai, Cassel, Douai, and Lille.
  • 1803: The main capital of the department moved from Douai to Lille. Also, the subprefecture of Bergues moved to Dunkirk.
  • 1824: A new arrondissement was created for Valenciennes.
  • 1857: The subprefecture of Cassel moved to Hazebrouck.
  • 1926: The arrondissement of Hazebrouck was removed.
  • 1962: The name of the commune Avesnes was changed to Avesnes-sur-Helpe.

See Also

Images for kids

  • Département Nord Arrondissement 2016

    Map of arrondissements of the Nord department.

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