# Ansauville

> commune in Meurthe-et-Moselle, France

**Wikidata**: [Q473079](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q473079)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansauville)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ansauville

## Summary

Ansauville is a commune located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in the Grand Est region of northeastern France. It sits at coordinates 48.8222°N latitude and 5.8272°E longitude, and is part of the canton of Domèvre-en-Haye within the arrondissement of Toul. As a French commune, Ansauville operates as a territorial subdivision under the French administrative system.

## Key Facts

- **Location**: Meurthe-et-Moselle department, Grand Est region, northeastern France
- **Coordinates**: 48.8222°N latitude, 5.8272°E longitude
- **Administrative status**: Commune (municipality) in France
- **Canton**: Domèvre-en-Haye
- **Arrondissement**: Toul
- **Department**: Meurthe-et-Moselle (inception: September 7, 1871)
- **Historical region**: Lorraine
- **Country**: France
- **Population**: Approximately 76-85 residents (based on historical census data spanning multiple years)
- **Wikipedia title**: Ansauville
- **Wikidata description**: commune in Meurthe-et-Moselle, France

## FAQs

**What region is Ansauville located in?**

Ansauville is located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in the Grand Est region of northeastern France. The department was officially established on September 7, 1871, following the Franco-Prussian War, which resulted in the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine by Germany.

**What administrative divisions does Ansauville belong to?**

Ansauville is part of the canton of Domèvre-en-Haye and the arrondissement of Toul. As a commune, it is the lowest-level administrative division in France, a system that originated in 1789 during the French Revolution.

**What is the geographic position of Ansauville?**

The commune is situated at approximately 48.8222 degrees north latitude and 5.8272 degrees east longitude, placing it in the northeastern part of France in the historical region of Lorraine.

**What type of administrative entity is a commune in France?**

A commune is the smallest territorial subdivision for administrative purposes in France, similar to a municipality in other countries. There are over 34,000 communes in France, each with its own local government, though many small communes like Ansauville share resources and administrative services.

## Why It Matters

Ansauville, while a small commune, represents the foundational unit of French territorial administration. As one of the thousands of communes that make up the French administrative structure, it embodies the decentralized governance model that characterizes France's political system. Small communes like Ansauville are essential to understanding how France manages its rural territories, provides local services, and maintains civic infrastructure outside major urban centers.

The commune's location in Meurthe-et-Moselle places it in a region with significant historical importance. The department was created in 1871 following the Treaty of Frankfurt, which ended the Franco-Prussian War and transferred Alsace-Lorraine to the German Empire. The current department represents the portion of historical Lorraine that remained French.

For researchers and those studying French administrative geography, Ansauville serves as an example of how the commune system functions at the most local level, connecting citizens to departmental and regional governance structures.

## Notable For

- Part of the canton of Domèvre-en-Haye, one of the administrative subdivisions of Meurthe-et-Moselle
- Located in the arrondissement of Toul, a historical administrative division in Lorraine
- Represents the French commune system at its most fundamental level of local governance

## Body

### Geography and Location

Ansauville is situated in northeastern France within the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, which is part of the Grand Est region. The commune's precise coordinates are 48.8222°N latitude and 5.8272°E longitude, positioning it in the historical and cultural region of Lorraine. This area of France is characterized by its rolling hills, forests, and agricultural lands, typical of the Lorraine plateau.

The commune lies within the canton of Domèvre-en-Haye, which serves as an intermediate administrative level between the commune and the department. The arrondissement of Toul, to which Ansauville belongs, is one of the administrative divisions responsible for coordinating local services and representing state authority at the sub-departmental level.

### Administrative History

Meurthe-et-Moselle was established as a department on September 7, 1871, following the end of the Franco-Prussian War. The department was formed from the western portion of the former Meurthe department that remained French after Germany annexed the eastern portion (which became part of Alsace-Lorraine). The historical region of Lorraine has changed hands multiple times throughout European history, with its current French administrative boundaries relatively recent in historical terms.

The commune system in France dates to 1789, when the French Revolution abolished the previous feudal administrative divisions and established communes as the fundamental units of local governance. This system has continued through various political regimes, making it one of the oldest continuous administrative systems in Europe.

### Population and Demographics

Based on the available census data, Ansauville has maintained a small population typically ranging between 74 and 85 residents across various census periods. This population size is consistent with many rural communes in the Grand Est region, where population decline has been a persistent challenge in recent decades due to rural flight and aging populations.

The commune represents the most local level of French citizenship, where residents participate in local elections, access municipal services, and engage with their elected officials. Small communes often share administrative resources through structures like communauté de communes (intercommunality) to provide services that individual small municipalities cannot support independently.

### Administrative Structure

As a French commune, Ansauville is governed by a municipal council headed by a mayor. The mayor and council members are elected by residents during municipal elections, which occur every six years in France. The commune operates within a hierarchical administrative structure that includes:

- **Commune level**: Local governance, municipal services, urban planning
- **Canton level**: Electoral district for certain elections, social assistance coordination
- **Arrondissement level**: Sub-prefectural administration, state representative functions
- **Department level**: Social services, infrastructure, prefecture
- **Region level**: Economic development, transportation planning, education

### Relationship to Connected Entities

Ansauville is connected to several larger administrative and geographic entities:

**France**: The commune is an integral part of the French Republic, a semi-presidential unitary state founded on the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. France operates as a founding member of the European Union and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

**Meurthe-et-Moselle**: The department serves as the primary administrative unit above the commune. Established in 1871, it encompasses the French portion of historical Lorraine and is part of the Grand Est region.

**Meurthe (former department)**: The historical Meurthe department existed before 1871 and was divided when Alsace-Lorraine was annexed. The current Meurthe-et-Moselle represents part of this historical territory.

**Commune of France**: As a commune, Ansauville belongs to this category of French territorial subdivisions, which number over 34,000 and represent the most local level of administrative organization in France.

**Canton of Domèvre-en-Haye**: The canton serves as an electoral district and administrative coordination unit for Ansauville and neighboring communes.

**Arrondissement of Toul**: The arrondissement provides another layer of administrative organization, coordinating state services and representing governmental authority at the sub-departmental level.

### Economic and Social Context

Small communes in Meurthe-et-Moselle typically feature agricultural activity, small-scale commerce, and residential functions. The region's economy has historically been tied to agriculture, with some industrial activity concentrated in the larger towns and cities. The proximity to larger urban centers like Nancy, the prefecture of Meurthe-et-Moselle, provides opportunities for commuting and access to additional services.

The commune participates in intercommunal structures that allow smaller municipalities to pool resources for functions such as waste management, public transportation, economic development, and social services. These associations help address the challenges faced by small rural communes in maintaining services and infrastructure.

## References

1. BnF authorities
2. dataset of postal codes in France. 2018
3. INSEE code
4. répertoire géographique des communes
5. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
6. Annuaire de service-public.fr
7. Recensement de la population 2015. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 2017
8. Populations légales 2016
9. Populations légales 2017
10. Populations légales 2018
11. [Populations légales communales depuis 1968. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies](https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2522602)
12. Populations légales 2019
13. Populations légales 2020
14. Populations légales 2021
15. Populations de référence 2022
16. Populations de référence 2023
17. [Code officiel géographique](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/3363419)
18. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies
19. GeoNames
20. [répertoire géographique des communes. 2015](https://wxs-telechargement.ign.fr/83edtfdyqte031y0ra49d2e3/telechargement/inspire/RGC-2015-01$RGC2015/file/RGC2015.7z)
21. [2016](https://data.geopf.fr/telechargement/download/GEOFLA/GEOFLA_2-2_COMMUNE_SHP_LAMB93_FXX_2016-06-28/GEOFLA_2-2_COMMUNE_SHP_LAMB93_FXX_2016-06-28.7z)
22. [Code officiel géographique. 2020](https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/8442dfae-a878-49c6-be4c-20689b1c337c)
23. [Code officiel géographique. 2017](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/2560698)