The Administrative divisions of France reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Administrative divisions of France

As of 2003, France is divided into:

• 26 régions - 22 metropolitan and four overseas
• the régions are divided into 100 départements - including 4 overseas départements (départements d'outre-mer, or DOM)
• the départements are divided into 342 arrondissements
• the arrondissements are divided into 4,040 cantonss - including 156 overseas
• the cantons are divided into 36,679 communes

Paris is a département, number 75.

There are also two "overseas territories" (French: territoires d'outre-mer, or TOM) that are part of France but not of the EU. They are: Wallis and Futuna and the French Southern and Antarctic Territories.

One TOM gained the status of "overseas country" (French: pays d'outre mer): French Polynesia.

Furthermore there are three separate special status territories (French: collectivités territoriales), also part of France but not of the EU: Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Mayotte and New Caledonia. New Caledonia used to be a TOM.

Finally, France maintains control over a number of small islands in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

Historically, France was divided into provinces. See: Provinces of France.

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