Arrondissements of the Charente-Maritime department

The 5 arrondissements of the Charente-Maritime department are:
 * 1) Arrondissement of Jonzac, (subprefecture: Jonzac) with 129 communes.  The population of the arrondissement was 67,989 in 2016.
 * 2) Arrondissement of Rochefort, (subprefecture: Rochefort) with 78 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 189,875 in 2013.
 * 3) Arrondissement of La Rochelle, (prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department: La Rochelle) with 58 communes.  The population of the arrondissement was 215,707 in 2016.
 * 4) Arrondissement of Saintes, (subprefecture: Saintes) with 88 communes.  The population of the arrondissement was 116,057 in 2016.
 * 5) Arrondissement of Saint-Jean-d'Angély, (subprefecture: Saint-Jean-d'Angély) with 110 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 52,563 in 2016.

History
In 1800 the arrondissements of Saintes, Jonzac, Marennes, Rochefort, La Rochelle and Saint-Jean-d'Angély were established. La Rochelle replaced Saintes as prefecture in 1810. The arrondissements of Marennes and Saint-Jean-d'Angély were disbanded in 1926. The arrondissement of Saint-Jean-d'Angély was restored in 1943.

The borders of the arrondissements of Charente-Maritime were modified in January 2017:
 * two communes from the arrondissement of Rochefort to the arrondissement of La Rochelle
 * one commune from the arrondissement of La Rochelle to the arrondissement of Rochefort
 * 17 communes from the arrondissement of Saintes to the arrondissement of Jonzac
 * one commune from the arrondissement of Saintes to the arrondissement of Rochefort
 * three communes from the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-d'Angély to the arrondissement of Rochefort