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An arrondissement is an administrative division. In France, it can refer to a district within a large city or the largest subdivision of a French department. Each department is governed by an elected council, with a commissioner representing the national government. Departments themselves are subdivided into arrondissements, each managed by a subprefect. For example, the city of Marseille is divided into 16 arrondissements, which are then grouped into eight sectors, each with its own mayor and city hall.123

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