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About how many communes (towns and villages) are there in France?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: About 35,000. France has about 35,000 communes. The territory is divided administratively into regions, departments and communes. The other levels are the department and the region. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Le territoire de la France” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “Le territoire de la France” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ About 3,500Environ 3 5003,500 is ten times too low.
- ✓ About 35,000Environ 35 000Correct answer. France has about 35,000 communes. The territory is divided administratively into regions, departments and communes. The other levels are the department and the region.
- ✗ About 350,000Environ 350 000350,000 is ten times too high.
- ✗ About 12,000Environ 12 00012,000 is far too low.
What the source says
« Nombre de communes : environ 35 000 (France métropolitaine et DROM, au 1er janvier 2025). »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Combien de communes y a-t-il environ en France ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the resident card (CR). The Ministry's wording: “Combien de communes environ existe-t-il en France ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Le territoire de la France” (French).
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