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Val-de-Marne
View on WikipediaVal-de-Marne (French pronunciation: [val də maʁn] ⓘ, "Vale of the Marne") is a department of France located in the Île-de-France region. Named after the river Marne, it is situated in the Grand Paris metropolis to the southeast of Paris’ city centre. In 2019, Val-de-Marne had a population of 1,407,124.[4]
Key Information
Its INSEE and postcode number is 94.
Geography
[edit]Val-de-Marne is, together with Seine-Saint-Denis and Hauts-de-Seine, one of three small departments in Île-de-France that form a ring around Paris, known as the Petite Couronne ("inner ring"). Since 1 January 2016, Val-de-Marne is included in the Métropole du Grand Paris.
Principal towns
[edit]The most populous commune is Vitry-sur-Seine; the prefecture Créteil is the second-most populous. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 60,000 inhabitants:[4]
| Commune | Population (2019) |
|---|---|
| Vitry-sur-Seine | 95,510 |
| Créteil | 93,246 |
| Champigny-sur-Marne | 76,990 |
| Saint-Maur-des-Fossés | 74,976 |
| Ivry-sur-Seine | 63,748 |
Administration
[edit]Val-de-Marne is made up of 3 departmental arrondissements and 47 communes:
History
[edit]Val-de-Marne was created in January 1968, through the implementation of a law passed in July 1964. Positioned to the south-east of the Paris ring road (and the line of the old city walls), it was formed from the southern-eastern part of the (previously much larger) Seine department, together with a small portion taken from the broken-up department of Seine-et-Oise.
Demographics
[edit]Population development since 1881:
|
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| Sources:[5][6] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth of residents
[edit]| Born in metropolitan France | Born outside metropolitan France | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79.3% | 20.7% | |||
| Born in overseas France |
Born in foreign countries with French citizenship at birth1 | EU-15 immigrants2 | Non-EU-15 immigrants | |
| 2.1% | 3.3% | 4.8% | 10.5% | |
| 1 This group is made up largely of former French settlers, such as pieds-noirs in Northwest Africa, followed by former colonial citizens who had French citizenship at birth (such as was often the case for the native elite in French colonies), as well as to a lesser extent foreign-born children of French expatriates. A foreign country is understood as a country not part of France in 1999, so a person born for example in 1950 in Algeria, when Algeria was an integral part of France, is nonetheless listed as a person born in a foreign country in French statistics. 2 An immigrant is a person born in a foreign country not having French citizenship at birth. An immigrant may have acquired French citizenship since moving to France, but is still considered an immigrant in French statistics. On the other hand, persons born in France with foreign citizenship (the children of immigrants) are not listed as immigrants. | ||||
Politics
[edit]The president of the Departmental Council is Olivier Capitanio, elected in July 2021.
Presidential elections 2nd round
[edit]| Election | Winning Candidate | Party | % | 2nd Place Candidate | Party | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022[7] | Emmanuel Macron | LREM | 74.48 | Marine Le Pen | FN | 25.52 | |
| 2017[8] | Emmanuel Macron | LREM | 80.32 | Marine Le Pen | FN | 19.68 | |
| 2012 | François Hollande | PS | 56.48 | Nicolas Sarkozy | UMP | 43.52 | |
| 2007 | Ségolène Royal | PS | 50.20 | Nicolas Sarkozy | UMP | 49.80 | |
| 2002[8] | Jacques Chirac | RPR | 86.22 | Jean-Marie Le Pen | FN | 13.78 | |
| 1995[9] | Jacques Chirac | RPR | 52.99 | Lionel Jospin | PS | 47.01 | |
Current National Assembly Representatives
[edit]Tourism
[edit]-
An oddity from the Musée Fragonard d'Alfort
-
Paris Zoological Park (formerly Vincennes Zoo)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 4 May 2022.
- ^ "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
- ^ "Gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices by NUTS 3 regions". ec.europa.eu.
- ^ a b Populations légales 2019: 94 Val-de-Marne, INSEE
- ^ "Historique du Val-de-Marne". Le SPLAF.
- ^ "Évolution et structure de la population en 2016". INSEE.
- ^ "Les résultats du second tour de l'élection présidentielle". 19 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Présidentielles".
- ^ "Résultats de l'élection présidentielle de 1995 par département - Politiquemania".
- ^ Nationale, Assemblée. "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français". Assemblée nationale.
External links
[edit]- (in French) Prefecture
- (in French) Departemental Council Archived 2022-09-02 at the Wayback Machine
- (in French) Citizen Blog
Val-de-Marne
View on GrokipediaGeography
Location and Topography
Val-de-Marne is a department in the Île-de-France region of northern France, situated immediately southeast of central Paris as part of the petite couronne, the inner ring of Parisian suburbs.[8] It spans an area of 245 square kilometers and is bordered by Paris to the northwest, Seine-Saint-Denis to the northeast, Seine-et-Marne to the east, Essonne to the south, and Hauts-de-Seine to the west.[9] The departmental prefecture is Créteil, located at coordinates approximately 48°47′N 2°27′E.[9] The topography of Val-de-Marne consists of low-relief landscapes typical of the Paris Basin, including plateaus, hills (buttes), slopes (coteaux), and alluvial plains shaped by fluvial erosion.[10] Elevations range from about 25 meters above sea level along the Seine River in the north to around 110 meters in the southern plateaus, with an average height of approximately 70 meters.[11] The Seine River flows through the northwestern portion, while the Marne River delineates much of the eastern boundary, contributing to the department's valley features and associated wetlands. Wooded areas, such as the eastern extension of the Bois de Vincennes, provide limited natural elevation variations amid predominantly urbanized terrain.[12]Climate and Natural Features
Val-de-Marne experiences a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb), characterized by mild winters, cool summers, and moderate year-round precipitation typical of the Île-de-France region. The average annual temperature is 12.8°C, with January means around 5°C and July around 20°C; extremes rarely drop below -4°C or exceed 31°C.[13] Winters feature occasional frost and light snow, while summers bring average highs of 25°C but infrequent heatwaves. Annual precipitation totals approximately 600 mm, distributed across 110-115 rainy days, with December often the wettest month at about 50 mm.[14] The department's topography consists of low-lying alluvial plains and river valleys shaped by the Seine and Marne rivers, which define its eastern and southern boundaries and lend the area its name. Elevations average 70 meters, ranging from 30 meters along the waterways to 110 meters on peripheral plateaus, resulting in a generally flat to gently rolling terrain conducive to urban development but prone to flooding historically. Natural features include meandering riverbanks supporting riparian vegetation, though much has been altered by infrastructure; remaining habitats feature wetlands and floodplains critical for biodiversity.[11]Urbanization has reduced wild landscapes, yet Val-de-Marne retains over 2,500 hectares of woodlands and extensive green spaces, including parks like the Roseraie du Val-de-Marne and interdepartmental nature areas along the Marne, functioning as urban lungs and recreational zones. These sites host diverse flora, from native oaks and willows to cultivated gardens, and support wildlife corridors amid the Paris suburbs; the Marne valley preserves semi-natural meadows and forests that mitigate heat islands and provide flood buffers. Proximity to the adjacent Bois de Vincennes enhances regional connectivity for ecosystems and trails.[6][2]
History
Origins and Early Development
The territory comprising present-day Val-de-Marne exhibits evidence of human settlement from prehistoric times, with archaeological discoveries including remains over 4,000 years old unearthed in Ivry-sur-Seine.[15] Additional prehistoric artifacts have been identified at sites in Vitry-sur-Seine and Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, indicating early habitation along the Seine River valley.[2] In the Gallo-Roman period, the region supported villas, farms, and infrastructure such as the Paris-to-Sens road tracing the Seine's course, alongside preserved elements like the aqueduct remnants in Cachan.[2] [16] These features underscore the area's integration into Roman Gaul's agrarian and transport networks within the broader Paris basin. Early medieval development centered on monastic foundations amid the Merovingian and Carolingian eras, exemplified by the Abbey of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, established in 639 by archdeacon Bildegisilus under King Clovis II with Saint Babolinus as its first abbot.[17] [18] This Benedictine institution flourished as a spiritual and scholarly hub, reflecting the Christianization of the landscape previously shaped by rural estates. By the High Middle Ages, royal interest intensified; in the late 12th century, King Louis VII erected a hunting lodge at Vincennes, which Philip II Augustus augmented into a fortified manor.[19] The 14th century saw further evolution under John II and Charles V, who enclosed the site with massive walls, towers, and a donjon, establishing it as a key royal stronghold while the environs retained their character as wooded hunting domains and agricultural holdings.[20]Creation as a Department
The department of Val-de-Marne was formed as part of a broader territorial reform of the Paris region enacted by loi n° 64-707 of 10 July 1964, aimed at alleviating administrative overload in the densely populated suburbs amid rapid post-war urbanization and population growth exceeding 8.5 million inhabitants in the Île-de-France area.[21][22] This legislation abolished the Seine department—which had encompassed Paris and its inner suburbs since 1790—and portions of Seine-et-Oise, redistributing their territories into eight new administrative units to enable more localized governance and infrastructure management.[23][24] Val-de-Marne specifically incorporated 47 communes from the southeastern quadrant of the former Seine department, spanning approximately 245 square kilometers along the Seine and Marne rivers, with Créteil designated as the prefecture due to its central location and emerging urban potential.[23] The reform responded to practical challenges, including inefficient service delivery in the expansive Seine department, which had struggled with housing shortages, transportation demands, and economic disparities between central Paris and peripheral communes.[24] Boundaries were delineated to balance urban density in areas like Vitry-sur-Seine and Ivry-sur-Seine with greener zones near Vincennes Woods, fostering targeted development policies.[23] Implementation occurred in phases, with provisional structures established by decree on 24 February 1965, but full operational status achieved on 1 January 1968 following the decree of 25 February 1968, which finalized electoral districts and administrative protocols.[23] At inception, the department housed over 1 million residents, predominantly commuters reliant on Paris, enabling streamlined responses to suburban expansion driven by industrial zones and new housing estates.[24] This creation marked a shift toward radial decentralization, prioritizing efficiency over historical precedents in departmental mapping.[22]Post-War Expansion and Urban Challenges
Following World War II, the Val-de-Marne region underwent accelerated suburbanization as part of France's broader reconstruction efforts during the Trente Glorieuses economic boom from 1945 to 1975. Rural exodus and influxes of industrial workers drove population growth, with the area that became the department recording 974,962 inhabitants in the 1962 census, rising to 1,121,319 by 1968—a 15% increase in six years fueled by housing shortages in central Paris.[25] The 1955 establishment of the Commissariat à la Construction et à l'Habitation accelerated urban development, quadrupling annual construction rates through priority urbanization zones (ZUPs) and large-scale social housing projects (HLMs), including grands ensembles in communes like Créteil and Vitry-sur-Seine.[26] Communist-dominated local governments, holding sway in much of the department since the interwar period, pursued "militant urbanism" emphasizing affordable, modern housing to provide "healthy and beautiful" living conditions for the working class, exemplified by developments like the Cité Thorez in Courbevoie-adjacent areas.[27] This expansion concentrated low-wage migrant labor, particularly from North Africa following Algerian independence in 1962, in high-density banlieues, leading to rapid demographic shifts: foreign-born residents comprised over 20% of the population by the 1970s in affected communes.[28] Deindustrialization after the 1973 oil crisis exacerbated challenges, with factory closures in sectors like automotive and chemicals displacing workers and elevating unemployment rates above the national average—reaching 12-15% in some banlieues by the 1980s, compared to France's 8-10%.[29] Spatial segregation in HLMs fostered parallel communities, where cultural isolation, family breakdowns, and limited economic mobility correlated with rising petty crime and youth delinquency, as evidenced by police data showing disproportionate involvement of banlieue residents in urban thefts and drug-related offenses.[30] Urban policy failures compounded these issues, prioritizing physical renovation over social integration; despite billions in state subsidies for banlieue renewal since the 1980s, poverty persisted at 25-30% in affected zones—double the departmental average—due to welfare incentives discouraging employment and inadequate enforcement of assimilation norms.[29] Recurrent violence erupted, including car burnings and clashes during the 1990s and notably the 2005 riots, which spread from Seine-Saint-Denis to Val-de-Marne communes like Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, involving over 10,000 vehicles torched nationwide and exposing failures in policing and community cohesion.[31] [32] By 1990, population growth had stabilized at around 1.2 million, reflecting stalled inward migration amid these entrenched socioeconomic disparities.Administration
Departmental Governance
The Conseil départemental du Val-de-Marne serves as the primary deliberative body for departmental governance, comprising 50 conseillers départementaux elected to represent 25 cantons across the territory.[33] These councilors are chosen through a binomial uninominal majority vote system in two rounds, held every six years, with each canton electing a male-female pair to promote gender parity.[34] The assembly convenes in Créteil and holds sessions to deliberate on policies, approve budgets, and oversee departmental services.[35] Olivier Capitanio, a member of Les Républicains (LR), has presided over the council since July 1, 2021, following the departmental elections that year, which marked a shift from over four decades of communist-led administration to a right-wing majority.[36] [37] The 2021 vote saw LR-led binômes secure a controlling bloc, enabling Capitanio's election and the appointment of vice-presidents to handle sectors like finance, social affairs, and infrastructure.[38] As of 2025, the executive continues to address fiscal constraints, including asset sales to balance budgets amid inherited financial pressures.[39] The council's competencies, as defined by French departmental law, encompass social welfare (including child protection and Revenu de Solidarité Active distribution), secondary education infrastructure (collèges), road maintenance, and environmental planning, with an annual budget allocated accordingly.[3] It operates independently from regional and national authorities while coordinating on broader Île-de-France initiatives, such as transport and housing. The next elections are scheduled for 2027.[40]Key Institutions and Officials
The Conseil départemental du Val-de-Marne serves as the primary deliberative body for departmental governance, comprising 50 councilors elected by universal suffrage from 25 cantons for six-year terms.[33] It holds authority over local policies including social services, infrastructure, and education. The assembly is currently led by President Olivier Capitanio of Les Républicains, elected to the role on July 1, 2021, following a shift from long-standing left-wing control.[41] [42] The Préfecture du Val-de-Marne, representing the French central state, oversees administrative coordination, law enforcement, and implementation of national policies at the departmental level.[43] It is headed by the prefect, Étienne Stoskopf, an École Nationale d'Administration graduate appointed by presidential decree on November 6, 2024, succeeding Sophie Thibault.[44] The department features three arrondissements—Créteil (prefectoral seat), Nogent-sur-Marne, and L'Haÿ-les-Roses—each managed by a sub-prefecture to handle decentralized state functions such as civil registration and economic development.[45]Demographics
Population Dynamics
The population of Val-de-Marne, established as a department in 1964, stood at 1,121,319 inhabitants according to the 1968 census, reflecting rapid post-war urbanization in the Paris suburbs.[46] This figure grew to 1,215,713 by 1975, at an average annual rate of 1.2%, driven by housing developments and inward migration to the petite couronne.[46] Growth then stagnated amid France's broader demographic slowdown, dipping to 1,193,655 in 1982 before recovering modestly to 1,215,538 in 1990 and 1,227,250 in 1999.[46]| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 1,121,319[46] |
| 1975 | 1,215,713[46] |
| 1982 | 1,193,655[46] |
| 1990 | 1,215,538[46] |
| 1999 | 1,227,250[46] |
| 2010 | 1,327,732[46] |
| 2015 | 1,372,389[46] |
| 2021 | 1,415,367[46] |
| 2022 | 1,419,531[47] |
Immigration and Ethnic Breakdown
In 2022, immigrants—defined as individuals born abroad—comprised 22.9% of Val-de-Marne's population, significantly exceeding the national average of approximately 10.3%.[7] [51] This figure positions Val-de-Marne third among French departments for immigrant share, behind Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-d'Oise.[52] Foreign nationals, a subset of immigrants retaining non-French citizenship, accounted for about 14% of residents as of earlier 2010s data, with naturalized immigrants adding to the foreign-born total.[53] The primary countries of birth among immigrants are Algeria, Portugal, and Morocco, reflecting historical labor migration from Europe in the 1960s–1970s and post-colonial inflows from North Africa.[7] In 2018 census data, foreign-born males numbered 158,727 (11.2% of the departmental male population) and females 169,393 (11.9%), with concentrations in working-age groups (25–54 years) driving employment patterns in industry and services.[54] France's legal framework prohibits official ethnic or racial censuses, limiting breakdowns to birthplace or parental origin; thus, no direct ethnic composition data exists, though proxy indicators show North African origins predominant among recent cohorts.[55] Descendants of immigrants—French-born individuals with at least one foreign-born parent—further elevate the population of immigrant origin, estimated at over 40% in Île-de-France suburbs like Val-de-Marne based on regional studies, though department-specific figures remain approximate due to sampling constraints in surveys.[56] [57] This group, often second-generation from Maghrebi or Portuguese backgrounds, exhibits higher youth concentrations and contributes to demographic dynamism amid native French out-migration.[51] Immigration inflows have stabilized post-2010, with net migration balancing natural population decline in some communes.[58]Socioeconomic Indicators
The median fiscal reference income per household in Val-de-Marne stood at 33,718 euros annually as of the latest available data, exceeding the national average of 30,314 euros and reflecting the department's proximity to Paris and concentration of higher-wage employment sectors.[54] This figure equates to an average monthly income per fiscal household of approximately 2,809 euros, ranking Val-de-Marne among the top French departments for household earnings, though intra-departmental variations persist, with eastern suburbs like Villeneuve-Saint-Georges reporting lower medians around 20,000 euros.[59][60] The poverty rate, defined as the share of residents living below 60% of the national median income threshold, reached 16.6% in Val-de-Marne based on 2021 INSEE figures, slightly above the metropolitan France average of 14.8% at the time but below the 2023 national rate of 15.4%.[61][62] Disparities are pronounced within the department, with rates climbing to 34% in areas like Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, where poverty has risen 3.6 percentage points since 2012, correlating with higher concentrations of low-skilled immigrant populations and limited local economic opportunities.[60] In contrast, wealthier communes such as Vincennes exhibit rates under 10%, underscoring spatial segregation driven by housing costs and access to employment.[63] Educational attainment among the working-age population (15-64 years) shows 23.5% holding a higher education diploma at bac+3 or above, compared to 11.1% with bac+2 level qualifications, per 2021 INSEE data; among younger cohorts (25-34 years), 56.1% possess at least a baccalauréat plus postsecondary credentials, surpassing national averages and supporting the department's role in skilled labor markets.[47][64] However, gaps emerge along socioeconomic lines, with lower diploma rates in high-poverty zones linked to early school dropout and family structures influenced by immigration, contributing to persistent inequality despite overall upward trends in qualification levels since the 2010s.[65]| Indicator | Val-de-Marne Value | National Average | Year/Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income (annual €) | 33,718 | 30,314 | 2021/INSEE via Linternaute[54] |
| Poverty Rate (%) | 16.6 | 14.8 (2021) | 2021/INSEE via DRHL[61] |
| Higher Education (bac+3+, % of 15-64 pop.) | 23.5 | ~20 | 2021/INSEE[47] |
