In France, a ''pays'' () is an area whose inhabitants share common geographical, economic, cultural, or social interests, who have a right to enter into communal planning contracts under a

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

known as the Loi Pasqua or LOADT (''Loi d'Orientation pour l'Aménagement et le Développement du Territoire''; ), which took effect on February 4, 1995. It was augmented on June 25, 1999, by the Loi Voynet or LOADDT (''Loi d'Orientation de l'Aménagement Durable du Territoire''). The LOADDT enables the citizens of a community to form a legally recognized ''pays'' after deciding to do so by mutual consent; its aim is to help bring the inhabitants of urban and neighboring rural districts into dialogue and agreement. The Council of Development in each ''pays'' assembles together the elected officials and the economic, social, and cultural actors, and their associates, into a deliberative forum to discuss the development policies which should be followed by the community. While the Council can give advice, submit proposals, and monitor development projects, it does not have the authority to make official decisions. The Charter of the ''Pays'' makes it possible to fix the stakes and the objectives of the community. Few structures are recognized as ''pays Voynet'', meaning nationwide, because the recognition criteria are sometimes far from what the ''pays'' are. Then again, several ''pays'' are recognized by the Commission Régionale d'aménagement et de développement du Territoire.

Sense of the word

In France, the contract of the ''Pays'' can be signed among the members of the ''pays'', or between the ''pays'' and its surrounding area, the department, the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

, or with the national state when the stakes are well-identified. In this context, the French term ''pays'' is not used in the modern sense of "

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

" but preserves the original meaning of the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

word from which it was derived, ''

pagus In ancient Rome, the Latin word (plural ) was an administrative term designating a rural subdivision of a tribal territory, which included individual farms, villages (), and strongholds () serving as refuges, as well as an early medieval geograp ...

'', which designated the territory controlled by a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

. The majority of ''pays'' are roughly coextensive with the old counties (e.g., county of

Comminges The Comminges (; Occitan language, Occitan/Gascon language, Gascon: ''Comenge'') is an ancient region of southern France in the foothills of the Pyrenees, corresponding approximately to the arrondissement of Saint-Gaudens in the departments of Fran ...

, county of

Ponthieu Ponthieu (; ; ) was one of six feudal counties that eventually merged to become part of the Province of Picardy, in northern France.Dunbabin.France in the Making. Ch.4. The Principalities 888-987 Its chief town is Abbeville. History Ponthieu p ...

, etc). Today ''Pays de France'' still refers to a tiny area in northwest Ile-de-France, hence city names such as ''Roissy-en-France'' or ''Tremblay-en-France''. Although this word is frequently translated into English as ''country,'' its usage can mean ''a region or territory of a nation (bounded by borders and constituting a geographical entity) considered from the point of view of a certain identity or community of interest of its inhabitants''. However, this usage is also sometimes found in English word ''country'', for example for the

constituent countries of the United Kingdom Since 1922, the United Kingdom has been made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales (which collectively make up Great Britain) and Northern Ireland ( variously described as a country, province, jurisdiction or region). The UK prime min ...

. It is held to be ''the geographical basis of the state''. The word is also used less precisely as an alternative for ''état'' (state).

''Pays'' of Brittany

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

, consisting administratively of four departments, is also subdivided into 21 ''pays''. * pays de Brest * pays de

Cornouaille Cornouaille (; , ) is a historical region on the west coast of Brittany in West France. The name is cognate with Cornwall in neighbouring Great Britain. This can be explained by the settlement of Cornouaille by migrant princes from Cornwall ...

* pays du Centre-Ouest de Bretagne * pays de

Morlaix Morlaix (; , ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. History The Battle of Morlaix, part of the Hundred Years' War, was fought near the town on 30 Septembe ...

* Pays de Trégor-Goélo * pays de

Guingamp Guingamp (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. With a population of 7,115 as of 2020, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Guin ...

* pays de

Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton language, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo language, Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. History ...

* pays de Centre-Bretagne * pays de

Pontivy Pontivy (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Morbihan Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in north-western France. It lies at the confluence of the river Blavet and the Canal de Nantes à Brest. ...

* pays de

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...

* pays d'

Auray Auray (; , or simply ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Morbihan Departments of France, department, Regions of France, administrative region of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern France. Inhabitants of Auray are cal ...

* pays de

Vannes Vannes (; , , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Morbihan, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, northwestern mainland France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic ...

* pays de Ploërmel-Coeur de Bretagne * pays de

Brocéliande Brocéliande, earlier known as Brécheliant and Brécilien, is a legendary enchanted forest that had a reputation in the medieval European imagination as a place of magic and mystery. Brocéliande is featured in several medieval texts, mostly t ...

* pays de

Dinan Dinan (; ) is a walled Brittany, Breton town and a commune in France, commune in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan. Geography Inst ...

* pays de

Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo language, Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. The Fortification, walled city on the English Channel coast had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth ...

* pays de

Fougères Fougères (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Foujerr'') is a Communes of France, commune and a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine Departments of France, department, located in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany, no ...

* pays de

Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...

* Pays de Vitré-Porte de Bretagne * pays es Vallons de Vilaine * pays de Redon et Vilaine, note this ''pays'' straddles 3 departments, including one located outside the current Brittany administrative region, the Loire Atlantique department.

''Pays'' of Franche-Comté

Franche-Comté Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou dialect, Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; ; also ; ; all ) is a cultural and Provinces of France, historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of France, departments of Doub ...

, consisting of four departments, is also subdivided into 16 pays : * pays de l'Aire Urbaine (Belfort-Montbéliard-Héricourt-Delle ) * pays du Doubs Central * pays du Haut-Doubs * pays Horloger * pays de

Loue Lison The Loue () is a river of eastern France, a left tributary of the Doubs, which it joins downstream of Dole. It is long. Its source is a karst spring in the Jura mountains near Ouhans, which at least partly receives its water from the Doubs. Th ...

* pays de Pierrefontaine Les Varans * pays des Vosges Saônoises * pays Dolois * pays du

Haut Revermont Haut may refer to: * ''Haut'' (newspaper), a newspaper published in Luxembourg * Walter Haut (1922–2005), American airman who played a role in the Roswell UFO incident See also *Haute (disambiguation) Haute may refer to: People * Nicholas ...

* pays de la Haute Vallée de l'Ain * pays des Lacs et de Petite Montagne * pays Lédonien * pays du Haut Jura * pays Graylois * pays des Sept Rivières * pays de Vesoul et du Val de Saône

References

{{Reflist Political terminology in France Government of France Former subdivisions of France Geographical, historical and cultural regions of France