The Regions of France
France is so much more than just Paris.....
► All the regions of France are or include popular tourist destinations, but there are considerable differences in culture, character and climate, from one region to are or include popular tourist destinations, but there are considerable differences in culture, character and climate, from one region to another.The number of regions was reduced from 22 to 13 in 2016, by combining some smaller regions into bigger ones.
The 13 regions of metropolitan France
- Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes
- Bretagne (Brittany)
- Bourgogne - Franche-Comté
- Corse (Corsica)
- Centre - Val de Loire
- Grand Est (Alsace, Champagne, Lorraine)
- Hauts de France ( Nord Pas-de-Calais- Picardie)
- Ile de France (Paris)
- Nouvelle Aquitaine (Aquitaine, Poitou-Charentes, Limousin)
- Normandie
- Occitanie (Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc)
- Pays de la Loire
- Provence - Cote d'Azur
New regions are indicated by colour, the old regions are indicated by name
Since 2016, Metropolitan France has been divided administratively into 13 regions; until the end of 2015, there were 22 regions.
The reduction has been obtained by mergeing certain regions together, as can be seen on the map above. Some of the new super-regions combine the names of the old regions, others like Occitanie or Grand Est are new.
Meanwhile the old regions that have been merged are likely to keep their identities, though not their institutions, for some time to come, specially those that like Limousin, Champagne or Alsace, are historic provinces or areas of France.
There are also five overseas regions. Select any region or area in the list below above, for specific regional information and main tourist attractions.
Definition:
Regions are the top tier territorial units of France. There are 13 regions in metropolitan France, i.e. continental France plus the island of Corsica. There are also five overseas regions.Merged regions are linked by colour in the map above. For example Midi Pyrenees and Languedoc Roussillon are now combined in a new region called Occitanie.
Following the 2016 regional reform, there are now nine regions in the north of France, and just three in the south of continental France.
This guide only covers France in Europe, and excludes French overseas regions such as the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Each region has its regional council, whose members are elected by universal suffrage. The council is presided over by a regional president, and has a full local administration to go with it. Regions have extensive powers in the fields of transport, infrastructure, economic development, tourism and education (provision of lycées), and since these powers were devolved to them from 1981 onwards regions have often worked hard over the years to develop a regional identity.