Ranked list of French regions
Encyclopedia
The following are ranked lists of French
regions
. Population figures are official January 2008 estimates.
.
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
regions
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
. Population figures are official January 2008 estimates.
By population
The total population of the 26 French regions (excluding the 7 overseas collectivities) was 63.9 million on January 1, 2008, of which 62.1 million (97.1%) lived in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
| Rank | Region Régions of France France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website... | Population Population A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals... (Jan. 2008) | % | Density Population density Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans... (Jan. 2008) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Île-de-France Île-de-France (région) Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area.... | 11,694,000 | 18.3% | 974 |
| 2 | Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris... | 6,121,000 | 9.6% | 140 |
| 3 | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin... | 4,891,000 | 7.6% | 156 |
| 4 | Nord-Pas de Calais Nord-Pas de Calais Nord-Pas de Calais , Nord for short, is one of the 27 regions of France. It consists of the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais, in the north and has a border with Belgium. Most of the region was once part of the Southern Netherlands, within the Low Countries, and gradually became part of France... | 4,022,000 | 6.3% | 324 |
| 5 | Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire is one of the 27 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" ¹... | 3,508,000 | 5.5% | 109 |
| 6 | Aquitaine Aquitaine Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes... | 3,170,000 | 5.0% | 77 |
| 7 | Brittany | 3,139,000 | 4.9% | 115 |
| 8 | Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity... | 2,833,000 | 4.4% | 62 |
| 9 | Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is... | 2,594,000 | 4.1% | 95 |
| 10 | Centre Centre (France) Centre is one of the 27 regions of France, located towards the northwest of the actual centre of the country, around the Loire Valley. Its capital is Orléans, although its largest city is Tours.-Features:... | 2,538,000 | 4.0% | 65 |
| 11 | Lorraine Lorraine (région) Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated... | 2,337,000 | 3.7% | 99 |
| 12 | Picardy | 1,900,000 | 3.0% | 98 |
| 13 | Alsace Alsace Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²... | 1,836,000 | 2.9% | 222 |
| 14 | Upper Normandy | 1,815,000 | 2.8% | 147 |
| 15 | Poitou-Charentes Poitou-Charentes Poitou-Charentes is an administrative region in central western France comprising four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. The regional capital is Poitiers.-Politics:The regional council is composed of 56 members... | 1,743,000 | 2.7% | 68 |
| 16 | Bourgogne Bourgogne Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern... | 1,631,000 | 2.6% | 52 |
| 17 | Lower Normandy | 1,463,000 | 2.3% | 83 |
| 18 | Auvergne Auvergne (région) Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not... | 1,341,000 | 2.1% | 52 |
| 19 | Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium, and consists of four departments: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. The region is famous for its sparkling white wine . Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the... | 1,334,000 | 2.1% | 52 |
| 20 | Franche-Comté Franche-Comté Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France... | 1,159,000 | 1.8% | 72 |
| 21 | Réunion Réunion Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France... | 802,000 | 1.3% | 320 |
| 22 | Limousin Limousin (région) Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of... | 735,000 | 1.1% | 43 |
| 23 | Guadeloupe Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe... | 405,500 | 0.6% | 249 |
| 24 | Martinique Martinique Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados... | 402,000 | 0.6% | 356 |
| 25 | Corse Corsica Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia.... | 302,000 | 0.5% | 35 |
| 26 | Guyane | 221,500 | 0.3% | 3 |
| Total | 63,937,000 | 100% | 101 |
By area
The total area of France is 635,775 km², of which 543,974 km² (85.6%) is in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
| Rank | Region Régions of France France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website... | Area Area Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat... (km²) | % (total) | % (European France) | Density Population density Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guyane | 83,534 | 13.2% | 3 | |
| 2 | Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity... | 45,348 | 7.2% | 8.3% | 62 |
| 3 | Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris... | 43,698 | 6.9% | 8.0% | 140 |
| 4 | Aquitaine Aquitaine Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes... | 41,308 | 6.5% | 7.6% | 77 |
| 5 | Centre Centre (France) Centre is one of the 27 regions of France, located towards the northwest of the actual centre of the country, around the Loire Valley. Its capital is Orléans, although its largest city is Tours.-Features:... | 39,151 | 6.2% | 7.2% | 65 |
| 6 | Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire is one of the 27 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" ¹... | 32,082 | 5.1% | 5.9% | 109 |
| 7 | Bourgogne Bourgogne Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern... | 31,582 | 5.0% | 5.8% | 52 |
| 8 | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin... | 31,400 | 5.0% | 5.8% | 156 |
| 9 | Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is... | 27,376 | 4.3% | 5.0% | 95 |
| 10 | Brittany | 27,208 | 4.3% | 5.0% | 115 |
| 11 | Auvergne Auvergne (région) Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not... | 26,013 | 4.1% | 4.8% | 52 |
| 12 | Poitou-Charentes Poitou-Charentes Poitou-Charentes is an administrative region in central western France comprising four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. The regional capital is Poitiers.-Politics:The regional council is composed of 56 members... | 25,810 | 4.1% | 4.7% | 68 |
| 13 | Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium, and consists of four departments: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. The region is famous for its sparkling white wine . Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the... | 25,606 | 4.0% | 4.7% | 52 |
| 14 | Lorraine Lorraine (région) Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated... | 23,547 | 3.7% | 4.3% | 99 |
| 15 | Picardy | 19,399 | 3.1% | 3.6% | 98 |
| 16 | Lower Normandy | 17,589 | 2.8% | 3.2% | 83 |
| 17 | Limousin Limousin (région) Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of... | 16,942 | 2.7% | 3.1% | 43 |
| 18 | Franche-Comté Franche-Comté Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France... | 16,202 | 2.6% | 3.0% | 72 |
| 19 | Nord-Pas de Calais Nord-Pas de Calais Nord-Pas de Calais , Nord for short, is one of the 27 regions of France. It consists of the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais, in the north and has a border with Belgium. Most of the region was once part of the Southern Netherlands, within the Low Countries, and gradually became part of France... | 12,414 | 2.0% | 2.3% | 324 |
| 20 | Upper Normandy | 12,317 | 1.9% | 2.3% | 147 |
| 21 | Île-de-France Île-de-France (région) Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area.... | 12,012 | 1.9% | 2.2% | 974 |
| 22 | Corse Corsica Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia.... | 8,680 | 1.4% | 1.6% | 35 |
| 23 | Alsace Alsace Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²... | 8,280 | 1.3% | 1.5% | 222 |
| 24 | Réunion Réunion Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France... | 2,504 | 0.4% | 320 | |
| 25 | Guadeloupe Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe... | 1,628 | 0.3% | 249 | |
| 26 | Martinique Martinique Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados... | 1,128 | 0.2% | 356 | |
| Total | 632,760 | 100% | 101 |
By density
The population of France has a density of 94.9 people per km², including the overseas regions, and 107.8 people per km², excluding them.| Rank | Region Régions of France France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website... | Population Population A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals... | Area Area Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat... (km²) | Density Population density Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Île-de-France Île-de-France (région) Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area.... | 11,694,000 | 12,012 | 974 |
| 2 | Martinique Martinique Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados... | 402,000 | 1,128 | 356 |
| 3 | Nord-Pas de Calais Nord-Pas de Calais Nord-Pas de Calais , Nord for short, is one of the 27 regions of France. It consists of the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais, in the north and has a border with Belgium. Most of the region was once part of the Southern Netherlands, within the Low Countries, and gradually became part of France... | 4,022,000 | 12,414 | 324 |
| 4 | Réunion Réunion Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France... | 802,000 | 2,504 | 320 |
| 5 | Guadeloupe Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe... | 405,500 | 1,628 | 249 |
| 6 | Alsace Alsace Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²... | 1,836,000 | 8,280 | 222 |
| 7 | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin... | 4,891,000 | 31,400 | 156 |
| 8 | Upper Normandy | 1,815,000 | 12,317 | 147 |
| 9 | Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris... | 6,121,000 | 43,698 | 140 |
| 10 | Brittany | 3,139,000 | 27,208 | 115 |
| 11 | Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire is one of the 27 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" ¹... | 3,508,000 | 32,082 | 109 |
| 12 | Lorraine Lorraine (région) Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated... | 2,337,000 | 23,547 | 99 |
| 13 | Picardy | 1,900,000 | 19,399 | 98 |
| 14 | Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is... | 2,594,000 | 27,376 | 95 |
| 15 | Lower Normandy | 1,463,000 | 17,589 | 83 |
| 16 | Aquitaine Aquitaine Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes... | 3,170,000 | 41,308 | 77 |
| 17 | Franche-Comté Franche-Comté Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France... | 1,159,000 | 16,202 | 72 |
| 18 | Poitou-Charentes Poitou-Charentes Poitou-Charentes is an administrative region in central western France comprising four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres and Vienne. The regional capital is Poitiers.-Politics:The regional council is composed of 56 members... | 1,743,000 | 25,810 | 68 |
| 19 | Centre Centre (France) Centre is one of the 27 regions of France, located towards the northwest of the actual centre of the country, around the Loire Valley. Its capital is Orléans, although its largest city is Tours.-Features:... | 2,538,000 | 39,151 | 65 |
| 20 | Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity... | 2,833,000 | 45,348 | 62 |
| 21 | Bourgogne Bourgogne Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern... | 1,631,000 | 31,582 | 52 |
| 22 | Auvergne Auvergne (région) Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not... | 1,341,000 | 26,013 | 52 |
| 23 | Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium, and consists of four departments: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. The region is famous for its sparkling white wine . Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the... | 1,334,000 | 25,606 | 52 |
| 24 | Limousin Limousin (région) Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of... | 735,000 | 16,942 | 43 |
| 25 | Corse Corsica Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia.... | 302,000 | 8,680 | 35 |
| 26 | Guyane | 221,500 | 83,534 | 3 |
| Total | 63,937,000 | 632,760 | 101 |