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Normandy (Normandie)
Normandy is a region in the north-west of France. It is bordered by the Channel (la Manche). It is close to Île-de-France and the United Kingdom.
Key points of the sheet
- Normandy has 5 départements: Calvados, Eure, Manche, Orne and Seine-Maritime.
- Its main cities are Rouen, Caen, Le Havre, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Évreux and Alençon. Rouen is the prefecture (préfecture).
- Normandy has about 3.5 million inhabitants. The population is ageing and grows little, but port and university cities are dynamic.
- The economy relies on industry (cars, aeronautics, energy), logistics (ports), farming, livestock and fishing. There is also tourism and marine energy.
- Tourism is linked to the memory of the Second World War, to heritage and to the coast.
- The unemployment rate is close to the national average. The main business centres are Caen, Le Havre and Rouen.
Words to know
- the Channel (la Manche)
- Normandy is bordered by the Channel (la Manche). Manche is also the name of one of its 5 départements.
- prefecture (préfecture)
- Rouen is the prefecture of Normandy.
- port and university cities (villes portuaires et universitaires)
- In Normandy, these cities are dynamic, even if the population is ageing.
- remembrance tourism (tourisme de mémoire)
- In Normandy, this tourism is linked to the Second World War.
- unemployment rate (taux de chômage)
- In Normandy, it is close to the national average.
- main business centres (pôles d’activités majeurs)
- In Normandy, they are Caen, Le Havre and Rouen.
Test yourself: 3 questions
Where is Normandy located?
In French, the language of the exam: Où est située la Normandie ?
Normandy is in the north-west of France and is bordered by the Channel.
Which city is the prefecture of Normandy?
In French, the language of the exam: Quelle ville est la préfecture de la Normandie ?
Among the main cities of Normandy, Rouen is the prefecture.
About how many inhabitants does Normandy have?
In French, the language of the exam: Combien d'habitants compte environ la Normandie ?
Normandy has about 3.5 million inhabitants.
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More in this topic (The regions of France)
Source
Sheet “Normandie” 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.