France arrondissements, which are, in turn, subdivided into 2,054 cantons. These cantons are then divided into 36,658 communes, which are municipalities with an elected municipal council. Three communes—Paris, Lyon and Marseille—are subdivided into 45 municipal arrondissements. The regions, departments and communes are all known as territorial collectivities, meaning they possess local assemblies as well as an executive. Arrondissements and cantons are merely administrative divisions. However, this was not always the case. Until 1940, the arrondissements were territorial collectivities with an elected assembly, but these were suspended by the Vichy regime and definitely abolished by the Fourth Republic in 1946. In addition
Administrative divisions of French Polynesia Administrative divisions of French Polynesia In French Polynesia, there are two levels of administrative divisions and five administrative subdivisions (). Each of these is further divided into a total of 48 communes. Many of the communes are further subdivided into communes associées. The breakdown into administrative subdivisions was as a result of decree #72-408 of May 17, 1972, and the communes were thereafter established as a result of law #71-1028, dated December 24, 1971. Below are several lists of the divisions, according to different sorting schemes. For French administrative convenience, Clipperton Island had been attached to French Polynesia until February