Adaptation

 I was asked to explain why I had likened a French 'Département' to a

province in yesteray's post. I guess it was because i was thinking of a province

in the Roman sense of the term. Gaul was a 'province' for Rome for a time.

In the Canadian context, Upper and Lower Canada were initially roman-type

provinces as well.

The French Département is part of the Ministry of the Interior and the Prefect is

appointed. There will be staff, advisors on matters such as regional developement.

The Département delivers passports and travel documents, oversees policing, looks

after aid payments to the ederly. It is the presence of the national government on the

ground. There are 101 Departements overall,  but over 500 electoral divisions 

(circonscriptions) for the National Assembly.

Fun fact, Départements carry the names of a geographical feature 

of the region, and the Departemental headquarters were initially dead center

of the Departemental region, defined such that one could reach its limits on horseback

in one day. They are an adaptation from the Ancien Régime.

                                                        *     *     *

From my bedtime reading, last night. I don't always have access to everything I

would like to read, but the 'summarize' request to AI gets me the core arguments...

https://www.getmerlin.in/chat/bf638236-9343-47f3-b432-50a7da27a72b