← Back to catalogue
Published

department of France

vr.tr.department-of-france · thing-q6465

Let an agent identify a French department by number and name, explain its role between region and commune, relay responsibilities, codes and boundary history from official sources, and separate departments from regions, arrondissements and overseas collectivities.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.PLC
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Identify Which department.

Code

Code and name.

Code

Code.

  1. Which department is meant, and what are its code, chief town and region? definition
  2. Is the question about a department, a region or an arrondissement? boundary

Status

Special statuses.

Status

Status.

  1. Does the department have a special status, such as overseas or metropolis? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific department? action
Govern Institutions and powers.

Council

Departmental council.

Council

Council.

  1. What does the departmental council do, and how is it elected? provenance
  2. Which entry fits local elections? action

Prefect

State representation.

Prefect

Prefect.

  1. What does the prefect do, and how do state and department powers divide? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the prefect? action
Data Statistics and boundaries.

Statistics

Population and area.

Statistics

Statistics.

  1. What are the population and area, from INSEE? measurement
  2. Which year is cited? provenance

History

Boundary history.

History

History.

  1. How have departments been created, merged and renamed since 1790? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance
Context Use and comparison.

Use

Everyday use of codes.

Use

Use.

  1. How are department codes used in postal codes, plates and statistics? provenance
  2. Which entry fits French postal codes? action

Comparison

Comparison.

Comparison

Comparison.

  1. How does the department compare with second-level units elsewhere? provenance
  2. Which entry fits administrative divisions generally? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.PLC
Other names and narrower kinds
department of France in Algeria, United Departments, French departments of Spain

What it is Filled

The second-level administrative division of France, between the region and the commune, created in 1790; the 101 administrative departments provide a territorial framework for state administration under prefects, while departmental responsibilities such as social services, roads and lower secondary schools are exercised by elected departmental councils or, in some territories, merged or special-status authorities; departments have codes used in administration, postal addressing and vehicle registration.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent identify a French department by number and name, explain its role between region and commune, relay responsibilities, codes and boundary history from official sources, and separate departments from regions, arrondissements and overseas collectivities.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • The department is a second-level division created in 1790.
  • State administration operates through prefects, while departmental responsibilities belong to elected departmental councils or merged or special-status authorities.
  • Department codes are used across administration.
  • Overseas departments are also regions.

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Confuse departmental and regional powers when advising on services.
  • Report outdated boundaries or numbers of departments as current.
  • Impersonate a prefecture or council.

Only with a human decision

  • Contacting authorities or filing applications on a person's behalf.

May

  • Explain the role of departments, departmental councils and prefects.
  • Look up departments and their codes from official sources.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Departments run social services many vulnerable people depend on.
  • Overseas departments have distinct histories and needs.

Who is affected

  • Residents
  • People receiving social services

Owners Filled

Steward

The French state through the relevant prefect, with the elected departmental council or the merged or special-status authority exercising departmental responsibilities.

Master systems

  • Official geographic code registers record departments.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q12357832 - registry parent class
  • Q12357920 - registry parent class
  • Q192611 - registry parent class
  • Q41773366 - registry parent class
  • Q583865 - registry parent class
  • Q643589 - registry parent class

related

  • second-level administrative division - the category
  • region of France - the level above
  • General Code of Local Authorities - the law that defines it

contains

  • commune of France - the level below

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.department-of-france
  • Wikidata: Q6465 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6465)
  • department code: 01 to 95, 2A, 2B, 971 to 976 INSEE and postal use
  • ISO 3166-2: FR-xx codes for departments

Direct properties required Filled

  • departments: 101 departments - 96 in metropolitan France and 5 overseas
  • created: 1790 year

Recognition required Filled

  • Departments have two-digit or three-digit codes used in postal addressing.
  • A prefecture identifies the seat of state administration, while departmental responsibilities may be exercised by a departmental council or a merged or special-status authority.
  • Regions are above departments and communes below them, while overseas collectivities have other statuses.
  • Not a physical object; seen on maps, in postal codes and on vehicle plates.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • identify a department by code and name
  • explain its responsibilities and institutions
  • relay codes and official sources
  • distinguish it from region, arrondissement and commune

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Confusing department, region and arrondissement
  • Outdated codes after mergers such as Corsica and Lyon
  • Historical departments cited as current

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Code general des collectivites territoriales
  • Decentralisation laws of 1982 and later
  • INSEE official geographic code

Context of use required Filled

  • Organising local government and state administration in France.
  • metropolitan departments
  • overseas departments and regions
  • the Metropolis of Lyon as a special status
  • Corsica and Paris with particular arrangements
  • former departments such as those in Algeria

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q6465: department of France - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Departments of France - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should each department be a separate entry?
  • How should INSEE codes be linked by year?
  • The registry entry has merged historical aliases for Algerian and Spanish departments; should they be split off?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q6465/spec.json