View source for Regions of France

{{Short description|Administrative divisions of France}}
{{Redirect|Région||Region (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| name               = Regions of France<br/>{{native name|fr|Régions}}
| alt_name           = 
| map                = {{France Regions Labelled Map}}
| category           = [[Unitary state]]
| territory          = [[France|French Republic]]
| start_date         = 
| current_number     = 18
| number_date        = 
| population_range   = 279,471 ([[Mayotte]]) – 12,997,058 ([[Île-de-France]])
| area_range         = {{Convert|376|sqkm|abbr=on}} ([[Mayotte]]) – {{Convert|84,061|sqkm|abbr=on}} ([[Nouvelle-Aquitaine]])
| government         = Regional Government, [[Government of France|National Government]]
| subdivision        = [[Departments of France|Department]]
| status             = [[Overseas department and region|Overseas region]] ({{lang|fr|région d'outre-mer}}) (5)
| exofficio          = [[Territorial collectivity]] ({{lang|fr|collectivité territoriale}})
}}France is [[Administrative divisions of France|divided]] into eighteen administrative '''regions''' ({{langx|fr|régions}}, singular {{lang|fr|région}} {{IPA|fr|ʁeʒjɔ̃|}}), of which thirteen are located in [[metropolitan France]] (in Europe), while the other five are [[Overseas departments and regions of France|overseas regions]] (not to be confused with the [[Overseas collectivity|overseas collectivities]], which have a semi-autonomous status).<ref name="INSEE">{{cite web |url=https://statistiques-locales.insee.fr/#c=indicator&view=map3 |title=Statistiques locales: France par région |publisher=[[Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques|INSEE]] |language=fr |access-date=4 July 2022}}</ref>

All of the thirteen metropolitan administrative regions (including [[Corsica]] {{as of|2019|lc=y}}) are further subdivided into two to thirteen administrative [[departments of France|departments]], with the [[prefect (France)|prefect]] of each region's administrative centre's department also acting as the regional prefect. The overseas regions administratively consist of only one department each and hence also have the status of overseas departments.

Most administrative regions also have the status of regional [[Territorial collectivity|territorial collectivities]], which comes with a [[local government]], with departmental and communal collectivities below the regional level. The exceptions are Corsica, [[French Guiana]], [[Mayotte]] and [[Martinique]], where region and department functions are managed by single local governments having consolidated jurisdiction and which are known as [[Single territorial collectivity|single territorial collectivities]].

== History ==
{{Further|Territorial evolution of France|Decentralisation in France}}

===1982–2015===
The term {{lang|fr|région}} was officially created by the [[decentralisation in France|Law of Decentralisation]] (2 March 1982), which also gave regions their legal status. The first direct elections for regional representatives took place on 16 March 1986.<ref>Jean-Marie Miossec (2009), ''Géohistoire de la régionalisation en France,'' Paris: Presses universitaires de France {{ISBN|978-2-13-056665-6}}.</ref>

Between 1982 and 2015, there were 22 regions in Metropolitan France.  Before 2011, there were four [[overseas department and region|overseas regions]] ([[French Guiana]], [[Guadeloupe]], [[Martinique]], and [[Réunion]]); in 2011 [[Mayotte]] became the fifth.

{| style="border-spacing: 0; margin: 1em auto;"
|- style="vertical-align: top;"
| style="vertical-align: top;" | {{France Regions Labelled Map from 2015}} 
|+'''Regions of France between 2011 and 2015'''
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" border="1" style="font-size:90%; border-spacing: 0; margin: 1em auto;"
|+{{nowrap|Regions in Metropolitan France between 1982 and 2015}}
|-
! Region
! French name
! class="unsortable"|Other local name(s)
! [[INSEE]] No.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/2560563#titre-bloc-29|title=Code officiel géographique au 1er janvier 2014: Liste des régions|publisher=INSEE}}</ref>
! Capital
! class="unsortable"|[[Placename etymology|Derivation or etymology]]
|-
| [[Alsace]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Alsace|Alsace]]}}
| [[Alsatian language|Alsatian]]: {{lang|gsw|Elsàss}}<br/>{{langx|de|Elsass}}
| align="center" | 42
| [[Strasbourg]]
| Formerly a [[Décapole|coalition of free cities]] in [[Holy Roman Empire]], attached to [[Kingdom of France]] in 1648; annexed by Germany from [[Franco-Prussian war]] to the end of [[World War I]] and briefly during [[World War II]]
|-
| [[Aquitaine]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Aquitaine (ancienne région)|Aquitaine]]}}
| {{langx|oc|Aquitània}}<br/>{{langx|eu|Akitania}}<br/>[[Saintongeais]] : ''Aguiéne''
| align="center" | 72
| [[Bordeaux]]
| [[Guyenne]] and [[Gascony]]
|-
| [[Auvergne]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Auvergne|Auvergne]]}}
| {{langx|oc|Auvèrnhe / Auvèrnha}}
| align="center" | 83
| [[Clermont-Ferrand]]
| Former [[Auvergne (province)|province of Auvergne]]
|-
| [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Région Bretagne|Bretagne]]}}
| {{langx|br|Breizh}}<br/>[[Gallo language|Gallo]]: {{lang|fr-gallo|Bertaèyn}}
| align="center" | 53
| [[Rennes]]
| [[Duchy of Brittany]]
|-
| [[Burgundy]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Bourgogne (ancienne région administrative)|Bourgogne]]}}
| [[Burgundian language (Oïl)|Burgundian]]: ''Bregogne''{{\}}''Borgoégne''<br/>{{langx|frp|Borgogne}}
| align="center" | 26
| [[Dijon]]
| [[Duchy of Burgundy]]
|-
| [[Centre-Val de Loire]]<ref name="ReferenceA">New name as of 17 January 2015; formerly named {{lang|fr|Centre}}.</ref>
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Centre-Val de Loire|Centre-Val de Loire]]}}
| 
| align="center" | 24
| [[Orléans]]
| Located in [[Geography of France|north-central France]]; straddles the middle of the [[Loire Valley]]
|-
| [[Champagne-Ardenne]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Champagne-Ardenne|Champagne-Ardenne]]}}
| 
| align="center" | 21
| [[Châlons-en-Champagne|Châlons-en-<br/>Champagne]]
| Former [[province of Champagne]]
|-
| [[Corsica]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Corse|Corse]]}}
|
| align="center" | 94
| [[Ajaccio]]
|
|-
| [[Franche-Comté]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Franche-Comté|Franche-Comté]]}}
| [[Frainc-Comtou dialect|Franc-Comtois]]: ''Fràntche-Comté''<br/>{{langx|frp|Franche-Comtât}}
| align="center" | 43
| [[Besançon]]
| [[Free County of Burgundy]] (''Franche-Comté'')
|-
| [[Île-de-France]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Île-de-France|Île-de-France]]}}
| 
| align="center" | 11
| [[Paris]]
| [[Île-de-France|Province of Île-de-France]] and parts of the former [[Champagne (province)|province of Champagne]]
|-
| [[Languedoc-Roussillon]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Languedoc-Roussillon|Languedoc-Roussillon]]}}
| {{langx|oc|Lengadòc-Rosselhon}}<br/>{{langx|ca|Llenguadoc-Rosselló}}
| align="center" | 91
| [[Montpellier]]
| Former provinces of [[Languedoc]] and [[Roussillon]]
|-
| [[Limousin]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Limousin|Limousin]]}}
| {{langx|oc|Lemosin}}
| align="center" | 74
| [[Limoges]]
| Former [[Limousin (province)|province of Limousin]] and parts of [[Marches#France|Marche]], [[Berry (province)|Berry]], [[Auvergne (province)|Auvergne]], [[Poitou]] and [[Angoumois]]
|-
| [[Lorraine]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Lorraine (ancienne région administrative)|Lorraine]]}}
| {{langx|de|Lothringen}}<br/>[[Lorraine Franconian]]: {{lang|gmw|Lottringe}}
| align="center" | 41
| [[Metz]]
| Named for [[Charlemagne]]'s son [[Lothair I]], the kingdom of [[Lotharingia]] is etymologically the source for the name [[Lorraine (duchy)]], {{native name|de|Lothringen}}, {{lang|gmw|Lottringe}} ([[Lorraine Franconian]]) 
|-
| [[Lower Normandy]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Basse-Normandie|Basse-Normandie]]}}
| [[Norman language|Norman]]: {{lang|nrf|Basse-Normaundie}}<br/>{{langx|br|Normandi-Izel}}
| align="center" | 25
| [[Caen]]
|Western half of former province of [[Normandy]] 
|-
| [[Midi-Pyrénées]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Midi-Pyrénées|Midi-Pyrénées]]}}
| {{langx|oc|Miègjorn-Pirenèus}}<br/>{{langx|oc|Mieidia-Pirenèus}}
| align="center" | 73
| [[Toulouse]]
| None; created for [[Toulouse]]
|-
| [[Nord-Pas-de-Calais]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Nord-Pas-de-Calais|Nord-Pas-de-Calais]]}}
|[[Picard language|Picard]]: ''Nord-Pas-Calés''
| align="center" | 31
| [[Lille]]
| [[Nord (French department)|Nord]] and [[Pas-de-Calais]] departments
|-
| [[Pays de la Loire]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Pays de la Loire|Pays de la Loire]]}}
| {{langx|br|Broioù al Liger}}
| align="center" | 52
| [[Nantes]]
| None; created for [[Nantes]]
|-
| [[Picardy]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Picardie (ancienne région administrative)|Picardie]]}}
| 
| align="center" | 22
| [[Amiens]]
| Former province of Picardy
|-
| [[Poitou-Charentes]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Poitou-Charentes|Poitou-Charentes]]}}
| {{langx|oc|Peitau-Charantas}}<br/>[[Poitevin dialect|Poitevin]] and [[Saintongeais]] : ''Poetou-Chérentes''
| align="center" | 54
| [[Poitiers]]
| Former provinces of [[Angoumois]], [[Aunis]], [[Poitou]] and [[County of Saintonge|Saintonge]]
|-
| [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]] (PACA)
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur|Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]}} (PACA)
|style="white-space:nowrap;"| [[Provençal dialect|Provençal]]: {{lang|oc-provenc|Provença-Aups-Còsta d'Azur}}<br />({{lang|oc-provenc|Prouvènço-Aup-Costo d'Azur}})
| align="center" | 93
| [[Marseille]]
| Former historical province of [[Provence]] and [[County of Nice]] annexed by France in 1860. 
|-
| [[Rhône-Alpes]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Rhône-Alpes|Rhône-Alpes]]}}
| {{langx|frp|Rôno-Arpes}}<br/>{{langx|oc|Ròse Aups}}
| align="center" | 82
| [[Lyon]]
| Created for [[Lyon]] from [[Dauphiné]] and [[Lyonnais]] provinces and [[Savoy]]
|-
| [[Upper Normandy]]
| {{lang|fr|[[:fr:Haute-Normandie|Haute-Normandie]]}}
| [[Norman language|Norman]]: {{lang|nrf|Ĥâote-Normaundie}}<br/>{{langx|br|Normandi-Uhel}}
| align="center" | 23
| [[Rouen]]
| Eastern half of former province of [[Normandy]]
|}

===Reform and mergers of regions===
In 2014, the French parliament passed a law reducing the number of metropolitan regions from 22 to 13 effective 1 January 2016.<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2014/12/17/la-carte-a-13-regions-definitivement-adoptee_4542278_823448.html La carte à 13 régions définitivement adoptée], [[Le Monde]], 17 December 2014, accessed 2 January 2015</ref>

The law gave interim names for most of the new regions by combining the names of the former regions, e.g. the region composed of [[Aquitaine]], [[Poitou-Charentes]] and [[Limousin]] was temporarily called ''Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes''.  However, the combined region of Upper and Lower Normandy was simply called "Normandy" (''Normandie'').  Permanent names were proposed by the new regional councils by 1 July 2016 and new names confirmed by the {{lang|fr|[[Conseil d'État (France)|Conseil d'État]]}} by 30 September 2016.<ref>[http://www.sudouest.fr/2014/12/04/quel-nom-pour-la-nouvelle-region-vous-avez-choisi-1755244-6058.php Quel nom pour la nouvelle région ? Vous avez choisi...], [[Sud-Ouest (newspaper)|Sud-Ouest]], 4 December 2014, accessed 2 January 2015</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.midilibre.fr/2016/06/10/nouveau-nom-de-la-region-dernier-jour-de-vote-ce-vendredi,1346798.php|title=Nouveau nom de la région : dernier jour de vote, Occitanie en tête|website=midilibre.fr}}</ref> The legislation defining the new regions also allowed the Centre region to officially change its name to "[[Centre-Val de Loire]]" with effect from January 2015.<ref>{{cite web|language=fr|title=''Journal officiel'' of 17 January 2015|url=http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jopdf/common/jo_pdf.jsp?numJO=0&dateJO=20150117&numTexte=1&pageDebut=00777&pageFin=00783|website=Légifrance|date=2015-01-17|access-date=2015-03-10}}</ref> Two regions, [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]] and [[Bourgogne-Franche-Comté]], opted to retain their interim names.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.placegrenet.fr/2016/05/31/auvergne-rhone-alpes-fini-consultation-laurent-wauquiez-a-tranche/91121|title=Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes : fini la consultation, Laurent Wauquiez a tranché |date=31 May 2016|website=Place Gre'net }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bourgognefranchecomte.fr/La-region-s-appellera-Bourgogne-Franche-Comte,|title=Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté|website=bourgognefranchecomte.fr}}{{dead link|date=June 2025}}</ref>

<gallery widths="150px" align="center" caption="Overview of merger proposals for the metropolitan territory">
File:France proposal regions (2009) map.svg | [[Édouard Balladur]]'s proposal
File:France proposal regions (2014) map.svg | [[Manuel Valls]]'s proposal A
File:France proposal regions (2014) map2.svg| [[Manuel Valls]]'s proposal B
File:France proposal regions (2014) map3.svg| President [[François Hollande]]'s proposal
File:France assembly vote.svg|Regions as instituted by the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] in 2014
</gallery>

Given below is a table of former regions and which new region they became part of.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | Former region !! colspan=2| New region
|-
! Interim name !! Final name
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background: #008B8B" | || [[Auvergne]] || rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]]
|-
| [[Rhône-Alpes]]
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background: #00CED1; width:15px;"| || [[Burgundy]] || rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[Bourgogne-Franche-Comté]]
|-
| [[Franche-Comté]]
|-
| style="background: #ff7f50; width:15px;"| || colspan=3| [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]]
|-
| style="background: #FFD700"| || colspan=3| [[Centre-Val de Loire]]
|-
| style="background: #a9a9a9"| || colspan=3| [[Corsica]]
|-
|  || colspan=3| [[French Guiana]]
|-
| rowspan="3" style="background: #86aae0"| || [[Alsace]] || rowspan="3"| Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine || rowspan="3"| [[Grand Est]]
|-
| [[Champagne-Ardenne]]
|-
| [[Lorraine]]
|-
|  || colspan=3| [[Guadeloupe]]
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background: #db7093"| || [[Nord-Pas-de-Calais]] || rowspan="2"| Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie || rowspan="2"| [[Hauts-de-France]]
|-
| [[Picardy]]
|-
| style="background: #ba55d3; width:15px;"| || colspan=3| [[Île-de-France]]
|-
|  || colspan=3| [[Martinique]]
|-
|  || colspan=3| [[Mayotte]]
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background: #b22222"| || [[Lower Normandy]] || rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[Normandy (administrative region)|Normandy]]
|-
| [[Upper Normandy]]
|-
| rowspan="3" style="background: #DEB887"| || [[Aquitaine]] || rowspan="3"| Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes || rowspan="3"| [[Nouvelle-Aquitaine]]
|-
| [[Limousin]]
|-
| [[Poitou-Charentes]]
|-
| rowspan="2" style="background: #228b22"| || [[Languedoc-Roussillon]] || rowspan="2"| Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées || rowspan="2"| [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]]
|-
| [[Midi-Pyrénées]]
|-
| style="background: #d38d5f"| || colspan=3| [[Pays de la Loire]]
|-
| style="background: #32cd32"| || colspan=3| [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]
|-
|  || colspan=3| [[Réunion]]
|}

== List of administrative regions ==
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" border="1" style="font-size:90%"
! Type
! Region
! class="unsortable" | Other local name(s)
!ISO
![[INSEE]] No.<ref>{{cite web|title=La nouvelle nomenclature des codes régions|url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/methodes/default.asp?page=nomenclatures/cog/codes_regions_2016.htm|publisher=[[INSEE]]|language=fr|access-date=17 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160122212413/http://www.insee.fr/fr/methodes/default.asp?page=nomenclatures/cog/codes_regions_2016.htm |archive-date= Jan 22, 2016 }}</ref>
! Capital
! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
! Population{{efn|As of 1 January 2022}}<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/6013844?sommaire=6011075 Populations légales des régions en vigueur au 1er janvier 2022]</ref>
! Seats in <br/> [[Regional council (France)|Regional council]]
! class="unsortable" | Former regions <br/> (until 2016)
! [[President of the Regional Council (France)|President of the Regional Council]]
! class="unsortable" | Location
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" |[[Metropolitan France|Metropolitan]]
|[[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]]<br />(Auvergne-Rhône-Alps)
|{{langx|oc|Auvèrnhe-Ròse-Aups}}<br /> {{langx|frp|Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Arpes}}
|FR-ARA
| align="center" | 84
|[[Lyon]]
| align="right" | 69,711
| {{right|{{nts|8042936}}}}
|204
|[[Auvergne]]<br>[[Rhône-Alpes]]
|[[Laurent Wauquiez]] ([[The Republicans (France)|LR]])
|[[File:Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" |Metropolitan
|[[Bourgogne-Franche-Comté]]<br />(Burgundy-Free-County)
|{{langx|frp|Borgogne-Franche-Comtât}}
|FR-BFC
| align="center" | 27
|[[Besançon]] and [[Dijon]]
| align="right" | 47,784
| {{right|{{nts|2805580}}}}
|100
|[[Burgundy]]<br>[[Franche-Comté]]
|[[Marie-Guite Dufay]] ([[Socialist Party (France)|PS]])
|[[File:Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Brittany (administrative region)|Bretagne]]<br />(Brittany)
|{{langx|br|Breizh}}<br />[[Gallo language|Gallo]]: ''Bertaèyn''
|FR-BRE
| align="center" | 53
|[[Rennes]]
| align="right" | 27,208
| {{right|{{nts|3354854}}}}
|83
|''unchanged''
|[[Loïg Chesnais-Girard]] ([[Socialist Party (France)|PS]])
|[[File:Brittany in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Centre-Val de Loire]]<ref name="ReferenceA" /><br />(Central-Vale of the Loire)
| 
|FR-CVL
| align="center" | 24
|[[Orléans]]
| align="right" | 39,151
| {{right|{{nts|2573180}}}}
|77
|''unchanged''
|[[François Bonneau]] ([[Socialist Party (France)|PS]])
|[[File:Centre-Val de Loire in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Corsica|Corse]]<br />(Corsica)
|{{langx|co|Corsica}}
|FR-20R
| align="center" | 94
|[[Ajaccio]]
| align="right" | 8,680
| {{right|{{nts|340440}}}}
|63
|''unchanged''
|[[Jean-Guy Talamoni]] (CL)
|[[File:Corsica in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Grand Est]]<br />(Greater East)
|{{langx|de|Großer Osten}}
|FR-GES
| align="center" | 44
|[[Strasbourg]]
| align="right" | 57,441
| {{right|{{nts|5556219}}}}
|169
|[[Alsace]]<br>[[Champagne-Ardenne]]<br>[[Lorraine]]
|[[Jean Rottner]] ([[The Republicans (France)|LR]])
|[[File:Grand Est in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Hauts-de-France]]<br />(Heights-of-France)
| 
|FR-HDF
| align="center" | 32
|[[Lille]]
| align="right" | 31,806
| {{right|{{nts|6004947}}}}
|170
|[[Nord-Pas-de-Calais]]<br>[[Picardy]]
|[[Xavier Bertrand]] ([[The Republicans (France)|LR]])
|[[File:Hauts-de-France in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Île-de-France]]<br />(Isle-of-France)
|{{langx|br|Enez-Frañs}}
|FR-IDF
| align="center" | 11
|[[Paris]]
| align="right" | 12,011
| {{right|{{nts|12262544}}}}
|209   
|''unchanged''
|[[Valérie Pécresse]] ([[The Republicans (France)|LR]])
|[[File:Île-de-France in France 2016.svg|105px]]

|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Normandy (administrative region)|Normandie]]<br />(Normandy)
|[[Norman language|Norman]]: ''Normaundie''<br />{{langx|br|Normandi}}
|FR-NOR
| align="center" | 28
|[[Caen]] and [[Rouen]]
| align="right" | 29,907
| {{right|{{nts|3325032}}}}
|102
|[[Upper Normandy]]<br>[[Lower Normandy]]
|[[Hervé Morin]] ([[The Centrists|LC]])
|[[File:Normandy in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Nouvelle-Aquitaine]]<br />(New Aquitaine)
|{{langx|oc|Nòva Aquitània / Nava Aquitània / Novela Aquitània}}<br />{{langx|eu|Akitania Berria}}<br />
|FR-NAQ
| align="center" | 75
|[[Bordeaux]]
| align="right" | 84,036
| {{right|{{nts|6010289}}}}
|183
|[[Aquitaine]]<br>[[Limousin]]<br>[[Poitou-Charentes]]
|[[Alain Rousset]] ([[Socialist Party (France)|PS]])
|[[File:Nouvelle-Aquitaine in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]]
(Occitania)
|{{langx|oc|Occitània}}<br />{{langx|ca|Occitània}}
|FR-OCC
| align="center" | 76
|[[Toulouse]]
| align="right" | 72,724
| {{right|{{nts|5933185}}}}
|158
|[[Languedoc-Roussillon]]<br>[[Midi-Pyrénées]]
|[[Carole Delga]] ([[Socialist Party (France)|PS]])
|[[File:Occitanie in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Pays de la Loire]]<br />(Lands of the Loire)
|{{langx|br|Broioù al Liger}}
|FR-PDL
| align="center" | 52
|[[Nantes]]
| align="right" | 32,082
| {{right|{{nts|3806461}}}}
|93
|''unchanged''
|[[Christelle Morançais]] ([[The Republicans (France)|LR]])
|[[File:Pays de la Loire in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="lightgray" | Metropolitan
|[[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]<br />(Provence-Alps-Azure Coast)
|[[Provençal dialect|Provençal]]: ''Provença-Aups-Còsta d'Azur''<br />(''Prouvènço-Aup-Costo d'Azur'')
|FR-PAC
| align="center" | 93
|[[Marseille]]
| align="right" | 31,400
| {{right|{{nts|5081101}}}}
|123
|''unchanged''
|[[Renaud Muselier]] ([[The Republicans (France)|LR]])
|[[File:Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="cyan" |[[Overseas departments and regions of France|Overseas]]
|[[Guadeloupe]]
|[[Antillean Creole]]: ''Gwadloup''
|GP
| align="center" | 01
|[[Basse-Terre]]
| align="right" | 1,628
| {{right|{{nts|384239}}}}
|41
|''unchanged''
|[[Ary Chalus]] ([[United Guadeloupe, Socialism and Realities|GUSR]])
|[[File:Guadeloupe in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="cyan" | Overseas
|[[French Guiana|Guyane]]<br />(French Guiana)
|[[French Guianese Creole]]: ''Lagwiyann'' or ''Gwiyann''
|GF
| align="center" | 03
|[[Cayenne]]
| align="right" | 83,534<ref>{{cite web |url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/DYB2013/Table03.pdf |title= Population by sex, annual rate of population increase, surface area and density |website=untstats.un.org |page=5}}</ref>
| {{right|{{nts|281678}}}}
|51
|''unchanged''
|[[Rodolphe Alexandre]] ([[Guianese Socialist Party|PSG]])
|[[File:French Guiana in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="cyan" | Overseas
|[[Réunion|La Réunion]]<br />(Réunion)
|[[Reunion Creole]]: ''La Rényon''
|RE
| align="center" | 04
|[[Saint-Denis, Réunion|Saint-Denis]]
| align="right" | 2,504
| {{right|{{nts|861210}}}}
|45
|''unchanged''
|[[Didier Robert]] ([[The Republicans (France)|LR]])
|[[File:Département 974 in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="cyan" | Overseas
|[[Martinique]]
|[[Antillean Creole]]: ''Matinik''
|MQ
| align="center" | 02
|[[Fort-de-France]]
| align="right" | 1,128
| {{right|{{nts|364508}}}}
|51
|''unchanged''
|[[Claude Lise]] (RDM)
|[[File:Martinique in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
| bgcolor="cyan" | Overseas
|[[Mayotte]]
|[[Shimaore dialect|Shimaore]]: ''Maore''<br />[[Malagasy language|Malagasy]]: ''Mahori''
|YT
| align="center" | 06
|[[Mamoudzou]]
| align="right" | 374
| {{right|{{nts|262895}}{{efn|As of 2017}}<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/3291775?sommaire=2120838 Populations légales des communes de Mayotte en 2017]</ref>}}
|26
|''unchanged''
|[[Soibahadine Ibrahim Ramadani]] (LR)
|[[File:Mayotte in France 2016.svg|105px]]
|-
!
!
!
!
!
!
!632,734
!68,035,000
!1,910
!
!
!
|}

== Role ==
Regions lack separate legislative authority and therefore cannot write their own statutory law. They levy their own taxes and, in return, receive a decreasing{{clarify|date=October 2022}} part of their budget from the central government, which gives them a portion of the taxes it levies. They also have considerable budgets managed by a [[Regional councils of France|regional council]] ''(conseil régional)'' made up of representatives voted into office in regional elections.

A region's primary responsibility is to build and furnish high schools. In March 2004, the French central government unveiled a controversial plan to transfer regulation of certain categories of non-teaching school staff to the regional authorities. Critics of this plan contended that tax revenue was insufficient to pay for the resulting costs, and that such measures would increase regional inequalities.

In addition, regions have considerable discretionary power over infrastructural spending, e.g., education, public transit, universities and research, and assistance to business owners. This has meant that the heads of wealthy regions such as [[Île-de-France]] or [[Rhône-Alpes]] can be high-profile positions.

Proposals to give regions limited legislative autonomy have met with considerable resistance; others propose transferring certain powers from the departments to their respective regions, leaving the former with limited authority.

=== Regional control ===
Number of regions controlled by each coalition since [[1986 French regional elections|1986]].

{|class="wikitable centre" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2"| Elections
! colspan="3"| Presidencies
! rowspan="2"| Map
|-
|{{legend|red|Left}}
|{{legend|#007FCC|Right}}
|{{legend|orange|Other}}
|-
|[[1986 French regional elections|1986]]
|5
|'''21'''
| –
| [[File:French regional elections 1986.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[1992 French regional elections|1992]]
|4
|'''21'''
|1
| [[File:French regional elections 1992.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[1998 French regional elections|1998]]
|10
|'''15'''
|1
| [[File:French regional elections 1998.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[2004 French regional elections|2004]]
|'''23'''
|2
|1
| [[File:French regional elections 2004.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[2010 French regional elections|2010]]
|'''23'''
|3
| –
| [[File:French regional elections 2010.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[2015 French regional elections|2015]]
| 7
| '''8'''
| 2
| [[File:French regional elections 2015 2nd Round.svg|100px]]
|-
|[[2021 French regional elections|2021]]
| 6
| '''8'''
| 4
| [[File:French regional elections 2021.svg|100px]]
|}

== Overseas regions ==
'''Overseas region''' ({{langx|fr|Région d'outre-mer}}) is a recent designation, given to the [[overseas department]]s that have similar powers to those of the regions of [[metropolitan France]]. As integral parts of the [[France|French Republic]], they are represented in the [[French National Assembly|National Assembly]], [[French Senate|Senate]] and [[French Economic and Social Council|Economic and Social Council]], elect a Member of the [[European Parliament]] (MEP) and use the [[euro]] as their currency.

Although these territories have had these political powers since 1982, when France's [[decentralisation]] policy dictated that they be given elected [[Regional councils of France|regional councils]] along with other regional powers, the designation ''overseas regions'' dates only to the 2003 constitutional change; indeed, the new wording of the constitution aims to give no precedence to either appellation ''overseas department'' or ''overseas region'', although the second is still virtually unused by French media.

The following have overseas region status:

* in the [[Indian Ocean]] ([[Africa]]):
** '''[[Mayotte]]''' 
** '''[[Réunion]]'''
* in the [[Americas]]:
** '''[[French Guiana]]''' in [[South America]]
** '''[[Guadeloupe]]''' in the [[Antilles]] ([[Caribbean]])
** '''[[Martinique]]''' in the [[Antilles]] ([[Caribbean]])

: ^ [[Saint Pierre and Miquelon]] (located just south of Newfoundland, Canada, in North America), once an overseas department, was demoted to a [[territorial collectivity]] in 1985.

<gallery>
France-Constituent-Lands.png
Outre-mer en sans Terre Adelie.png
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Politics|France}}
* [[List of current presidents of the regional councils of France and the Corsican Assembly]]
* [[Ranked list of French regions]]
* [[Administrative divisions of France]]
* [[List of French regions and overseas collectivities by GDP]]
* [[List of French regions by Human Development Index]]
* [[List of regions of France by population]]
* [[Flags of the regions of France]]
* [[ISO 3166-2:FR]]

'''General:'''
* [[Decentralisation in France]]
* [[Budget of France]]
* [[Regional councils of France]]
* [[Administrative divisions of France]]

; Overseas
* [[Overseas France]]
** [[Clipperton Island]]
** [[Overseas collectivity]]
*** [[Overseas country of France|Overseas country]] (Outre-mer)
** [[Overseas department and region]]
** [[Overseas territory (France)|Overseas territory]]
** [[New Caledonia|Sui generis collectivity]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://about-france.com/regions.htm Guide to the regions of France]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070819075657/http://lessites.service-public.fr/cgi-bin/annusite/annusite.fcgi/loc1?lang=uk Local websites by region]
* [http://www.english.rfi.fr/france/20100319-will-regional-poll-mean-political-shake Will 2010 regional elections lead to political shake-up?] Radio France Internationale in English

'''Overseas regions'''
* [http://www.outre-mer.gouv.fr/ Ministère de l'Outre-Mer]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060929093246/http://www.vie-publique.fr/decouverte_instit/instit/instit_3_7_0_q0.htm some explanations about the past and current developments of DOMs and TOMs (in French)]

{{French overseas departments and territories}}
{{Terms for types of administrative territorial entities}}
{{Europe topic|Regions of}}
{{Regions of France}}
{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of European countries}}

[[Category:Regions of France| ]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in Europe|France 1]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|Regions, France]]
[[Category:Lists of subdivisions of France|Regions]]
[[Category:Regionalism (politics)|France]]