Provinces of France: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The kingdom of France was organized into provinces until 1789, when the establishment of the départment system superceded provinces.

The names of the former provinces are still used by geographers to designate natural regions, and several French administrative regions carry their names.

The meaning of "province"

French départments, their names, and their borders were chosen by the central government. In contrast, the existence of provinces came from the droit coutumier ("customary law") and was merely certified by the state. A province, also called a pays ("country"), was characterized by the laws that belonged to it. A province itself could encompass several other provinces. For example, Burgundy was a province but Bresse — another province — was nevertheless a part of Burgundy.

There is therefore no official list of provinces. The list of généralités, administrative subdivisions of the kingdom, is often presented when one wants to establish the list of provinces on the eve of the French Revolution. The list below is much larger, encompassing provinces throughout French history.

Part of France in 1789

• Alsace
  • Basse-Alsace
  • Haute-Alsace
  • Sundgau
• Angoumois
• Anjou
  • Besugeois
  • Mauges
• Artois
  • Boulonnais
• Aunis
• Auvergne
• Basse-Navarre
• Béarn
  • Soule
• Beaujolais
• Berry
• Bourbonnais
• Burgundy
  • Autunois
  • Auxerrois
  • Auxois
  • Bassigny
  • Châlonnois
  • Charollois
  • Dijonnais
  • Mâconnais
• Bresse
  • Bugey
  • Dombes
  • Pays de Gex
  • Valromey
• Brittany
• Champagne
  • Brie champenoise
  • Perthois
  • Rhemois
  • Senonais
  • Vallage
• Corsica
• Dauphiné
  • Baronnies
  • Briançonnois
  • Champsaur
  • Diois
  • Gapençais
  • Graisivaudan
  • Embrunais
  • Valentinois
  • Viennois
• Flandre
  • Flandre maritime
  • Flandre wallonne
  • Hainaut
  • Cambresis
• Pays de Foix
  • Donnezan
• Forez
• Franche-Comté
• Gascony
  • Agenois
  • Armagnac
  • Bigorre
  • Comminges
  • Condomois
  • Couserans
  • Estarac
  • Grave
  • Lomagne
  • Marsan
  • Quatre-Vallées
• Guyenne
  • Bordelais
  • Bazadois
  • Chalosse
  • Labourd
  • Lannes
  • Périgord
  • Quercy
  • Rouergue
• Île-de-France
  • Beauvaisis
  • Brie française
  • Gâtinais français
  • Hurepoix
  • Laonnois
  • Mantois
  • Quart de Noyon
  • Soissonnois
  • Vexin français
  • Valois
• Languedoc
  • Gévaudan
  • Velay
  • Vivarais
• Limousin
• Lorraine
  • Barrois
• Lyonnais
  • Plat pays de Lyonnais
  • Lyon
  • Franc-Lyonnais
• Maine
• Marche
  • Combrailles
• Nivernais
• Normandy
  • Avranchin
  • Pays d'Auge
  • Bessin
  • Pays de Bray
  • Campagne de Caen
  • Pays de Caux
  • Cotentin
  • le Houlme
  • Lieuvin
  • Campagne de Neubourg
  • Pays d'Ouche
  • Roumois
  • Campagne de Saint-André
  • Vexin Normand
• Orléanais
  • Blésois
  • Pays chartrain
  • Dunois
  • Gâtinais orléanais
  • Vendômois
• Perche
  • Perche-Gouët
  • Thimerais
• Picardie
  • Amienois
  • Ponthieu
  • Santerre
  • Thiérache
  • Vermandois
  • Vimeu
• Poitou
• Provence
• Roussillon
  • Cerdagne
  • Conflent
• Saintonge
• Touraine
• Trois-Évêchés

Not part of France in 1789

• Avignon
• Comtat Venaissin
• Principauté d'Orange
• Comté de Nice
• Landau
• Mulhouse ville libre
• Savoie
  • Savoie propre
  • Maurienne
  • Tarentaise
  • Genevois
  • Chablais
  • Faucigny