Historic Map : Chambers Map of France in Departments, 1845, Vintage Wall Art

This is a fine example of the 1845 Chambers map of France. The map covers France divided into departments. An inset in the lower right quadrant details Corsica.

The French Department system was established on March 4th, 1790 by the National Constituent Assembly to replace the provinces with what the Assembly deemed a more rational political structure. The new department system was intended to deliberately break up France's historical regions in an attempt to erase cultural differences and build a more homogeneous nation. Initially there were 83 departments but by 1800 that number increased to roughly 130. Many of the departments that were created in 1790 remain the administrative districts to this day.

Divided and color coded according to regions and territories, the map identifies various cities, towns, islands, rivers, and an assortment of additional topographical details. This map was drawn and engraved by J. Gellatly.