France is divided into 26 régions. Of these regions, 21 regions are in the continental part of metropolitan France. The régions of mainland France are further subdivided into 1 to 8 departements. Régions are divisions that have no legislative autonomy. They issue their own distinct taxes.
Some 26 régions of France are Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Basse-Normandie, Bourgogne, Bretagne, Centre, Champagne- Ardenne, Corse, Franche-Comte, Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Limousin, Lorraine, Midi-Pyrenees, Nord-Pas de Calais, Pays de la Loire, Picardie, Poitou-Charentes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur (PACA), Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana and Reunion.
Nord-Pas de Calais is one of the 26 regions of France. This region covers the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. The region includes the historical provinces of Artois and Flanders. This region in very densely populated and there are about 4 million inhabitants. Nord-Pas de Calais is the fourth most populaous region in the country. Lille is the administrative center of the region. Some major towns of the region are Valenciennes, Lens, Douai, Bethune, Dunkirk, Maubeuge, Calais, Boulogne-sur-Mer and Arras. The regional assemblies manage considerable budgets.
Picardie is located in northern France. Normandy is also located in Northern France. Upper Normandy is made up of French departments of Seine-Maritime and Eure. Lower Normandy comprises of the departments of Orne, Calvados and Manche. Mont Saint-Michel is one of the famous symbols of Normandy. Brittany, an important region of France, is a former independent kingdom and duchy. It is also one of the Celtic Nations. The region of Brittany occupies a large peninsula in northwest France. The peninsula lies between the English Channel on the North and Bay of Biscay on the south.
Regions such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Reunion are four régions of France, which also function as départements d'outre-mer (DOM). DOMs are overseas departments.
As far as landscapes are concerned, France is blessed with a wide variety of landscapes. There are coastal plains in the North and West France. South-East France is blessed with mountain ranges such as the Alps and Pyrenees. Extensive River systems that form a part of France are the Loire, the Rhône, the Garonne and the Seine.
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