Arrondissements of the Vaucluse department facts for kids

The Vaucluse department in France is divided into three main areas called arrondissements. You can think of an arrondissement like a large district or a borough within a bigger region. Each arrondissement has a main town or city, which is called a subprefecture. If the main city of the whole department is in an arrondissement, that city acts as both the department's capital and the arrondissement's capital. Arrondissements are further divided into smaller areas called communes, which are like towns or villages.

The three arrondissements in Vaucluse are:

History of Vaucluse's Arrondissements

The way the Vaucluse department is divided has changed over time. Here's a quick look at its history:

• In 1793, the Vaucluse department was first created. It had four main districts: Apt, Orange, Ouvèze (which is now Carpentras), and Vaucluse (which is now Avignon). The main city, or capital, of the department was Avignon.
• By 1800, these districts were reorganized and renamed as arrondissements. At this time, there were four arrondissements: Avignon, Apt, Carpentras, and Orange.
• In 1926, the arrondissement of Orange was removed. Also, the main town (subprefecture) for the Apt arrondissement was moved to a different town called Cavaillon.
• A few years later, in 1933, the subprefecture was moved back from Cavaillon to Apt. This means Apt became the main town for its arrondissement once again.

Images for kids

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  This map shows the different arrondissements within the Vaucluse department.