Arrondissements of the Deux-Sèvres department

There are 3 arrondissements in the Deux-Sèvres 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 Deux-Sèvres are:[1]

INSEE
code		 Arrondissement Capital Population[2]
(2014)		 Area[3]
(km²)		 Density
(Inh./km²)		 Communes
791 Bressuire Bressuire 96,703 1,622.6 59.6 53
792 Niort Niort 212,425 2,791.6 76.1 163
793 Parthenay Parthenay 64,425 1,585.1 40.6 77

History

Since its creation, the Deux-Sèvres department has had some changes:[4]

  • 1790 : creation of the department, with six districts: Melle, Niort, Parthenay, Saint-Maixent, Thouars and Châtillon (now Mauléon). The capital of the department was Niort alternating with Parthenay and Saint-Maixent but soon was changed and Niort was kept as the only capital.
  • 1800 : creation of the arrondissements: Melle, Niort, Parthenay and Thouars. Saint-Maixent and Châtillon were left out.
  • 1804 : the subprefecture of Thouars is moved to Bressuire.
  • 1926 : the arrondissements of Bressuire and Melle were eliminated.
  • 1942 : the Bressuire was made again an arrondissement.

References

  1. ↑ "Département des Deux-Sèvres (79)". Géographie administrative et d'étude (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  2. ↑ "Régions, départements, arrondissements, cantons et communes" (PDF). Populations légales 2014 (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "Département des Deux-Sèvres (79)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "Historique des Deux-Sèvres". Le SPLAF (in French). Retrieved 21 August 2016.