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How many departments are there in France?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: 101 departments. France has 101 departments, 5 of them overseas. Do not mix it up with the 18 regions. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Le découpage administratif de la France (3/3)” (in French). The other three choices are explained below.
Sources: Sheet “Le découpage administratif de la France (3/3)” (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
- ✗ 18 departments18 départements18 is the number of regions.
- ✓ 101 departments101 départementsCorrect answer. France has 101 departments, 5 of them overseas. Do not mix it up with the 18 regions.
- ✗ 58 departments58 départements58 is too low: there are 101.
- ✗ 150 departments150 départements150 is too high: there are 101.
What the source says
« les départements (101 dont 5 en Outre-mer) »
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 y a-t-il de départements en France ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the multi-year residence card (CSP) and on the naturalisation list (PDF read on 14 October 2026). The Ministry's wording: “Combien y a-t-il de départements en France ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Le découpage administratif de la France (3/3)” (French).
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