France - FamilySearch Wiki

France - FamilySearch Wiki: " is a community website dedicated to helping people throughout the world learn how to find their ancestors. Through the France Portal page you can learn how to find, use, and analyze French records of genealogical value. The content is variously targeted to beginners, intermediate, and expert researchers. Here you will find helpful research tools and research guidance. Please visit the help page to learn more about using the site. The French Portal Page is a work in progress, your contributions and feedback are essential! For help with specific areas in France, click here for a list of locations and topics.

Jurisdictions

Today France is divided into 96 departments plus 4 overseas departments. This number has changed over the years, in 1790 there were 83 and at the height of Napoleon's reign there were as many as 130. Records are kept on the town level, but one needs to know in which department the town is located."

and civil registration from 1792