Flags and arms of cantons of Switzerland abandoned the use of the term "half-canton" as an official designation, so that the official number of cantons became 26 - the former half-cantons being now referred to as "cantons with half a cantonal vote" officially, even though they are still commonly referred to as" half-cantons". With the exception of Lucerne, Schwyz and Ticino, the cantonal flags are simply transposed versions of the cantonal coats of arms. In case of Lucerne and Ticino, whose flags consist of fields of different colours divided per fess (horizontally), the coats of arms are of the same colours divided per pale (vertically). The coat
Cantons of France several smaller "communes". In the latter case, administrative services, the "gendarmerie" headquarters for example, are often situated in the principal town ("chef-lieu") of the "canton", although there are exceptions, such as "cantons" and , which have in common a "chief-town" which does not belong to either "canton". For statistical (INSEE) purposes, the twenty arrondissements of Paris – the administrative subdivisions of that city – are sometimes considered "cantons", but they serve no greater electoral function. "Cantons" also form legal districts, as seats of "Tribunaux d'instance" or "Courts of First Instance" (also, ""TI""...). Historically, the "cantons" are called "justices de paix"