The Provinces of France reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
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Provinces of France

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The kingdom of France was organized into provinces until 1789, when the establishment of the départment system superseded provinces.

The names of the former provinces are still used by geographers to designate natural regions, and several French administrative regions carry their names.

Table of contents
1 The meaning of “province”
2 List of former provinces of France

The meaning of “province”

French départments, their names, and their borders were chosen by the central government. In contrast, the existence of provinces came from the droit coutumier (“customary law”) and was merely certified by the state. A province, also called a pays (“country”), was characterized by the laws that belonged to it. A province itself could encompass several other provinces. For example, Burgundy was a province but Bresse — another province — was nevertheless a part of Burgundy.

There is therefore no official list of provinces. The list of généralités, administrative subdivisions of the kingdom, is often presented when one wants to establish the list of provinces on the eve of the French Revolution. The list below is much larger, encompassing provinces throughout French history.

List of former provinces of France

Part of France in 1789

Not part of France in 1789