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France: urban areas and metropolisation
This sheet links geography and the economy. Most people in France live in towns, in urban areas (aires urbaines): about 9 people out of 10.
Key points of the sheet
- An urban area has 3 parts: the city centre, the suburbs and the outer ring (couronne périurbaine). People in the outer ring travel to the city every day for work.
- A metropolis is a large city at the head of a vast urban area. It groups together command functions.
- These functions are economic, political, cultural and logistical. For example: head offices, prefectures (préfectures), universities, airports.
- Population, the main economic activities, jobs, wealth and services are concentrated in the metropolises. This is called metropolisation.
- Large cities grow and spread further and further towards the countryside. This changes landscapes and raises issues of mobility and sustainable development.
- The Métropole du Grand Paris is the largest, with 7 million inhabitants. Next come Aix-Marseille-Provence and Grand Lyon.
- The 10 largest metropolises also include Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Nantes.
- The Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole and the Eurométropole de Strasbourg complete the list of 10.
Words to know
- urban area (aire urbaine)
- It is an area made of 3 parts where about 9 people out of 10 in France live.
- city centre (ville-centre)
- It groups the heart of economic, administrative and cultural activities.
- suburbs (banlieue)
- It is the part of the urban area that surrounds the city centre.
- outer ring (couronne périurbaine)
- It is made of more rural municipalities whose inhabitants travel to the city every day for work.
- metropolis (métropole)
- It is a large city at the head of a vast urban area, with command functions.
- metropolisation (métropolisation)
- It is the concentration of population, the main economic activities, jobs, wealth and services in the metropolises.
- command functions (fonctions de commandement)
- They are economic, political, cultural and logistical functions grouped in the metropolises.
Test yourself: 3 questions
In France, how many people live in an urban area?
In French, the language of the exam: En France, combien de personnes vivent dans une aire urbaine ?
The sheet says that about 9 people out of 10 live in an urban area in France.
Which part of the urban area is made of more rural municipalities?
In French, the language of the exam: Quelle partie de l'aire urbaine est composée de communes plus rurales ?
The outer ring is made of more rural municipalities. Its inhabitants travel to the city every day for work.
What is the largest French metropolis?
In French, the language of the exam: Quelle est la plus grande métropole française ?
The Métropole du Grand Paris is first in the list, with 130 municipalities and 7 million inhabitants.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
- Where are the main economic activities in France?
- Which French city is among the 10 biggest metropolises in the country?
More in this topic (Atlas of France)
Source
Sheet “La France : aire urbaine et métropolisation” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.