# La Tour

> commune in Alpes-Maritimes, France

**Wikidata**: [Q1018268](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1018268)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Tour,_Alpes-Maritimes)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/la-tour-q1018268-2

## Summary

La Tour is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, located at coordinates 43.946944444444°N 7.1841666666667°E. As a French commune, it serves as a territorial subdivision within the department of Alpes-Maritimes, which was established on June 23, 1860, and falls under the arrondissement of Nice. The commune is part of the historical canton of Villars-sur-Var, which existed until March 2015.

## Key Facts

- **Official Name**: La Tour (also known as La Tor)
- **Location**: Southeastern France, in the Alpes-Maritimes department
- **Geographic Coordinates**: 43.946944444444°N latitude, 7.1841666666667°E longitude
- **Administrative Status**: Commune of France (territorial subdivision for municipalities, established 1789)
- **Department**: Alpes-Maritimes (established June 23, 1860)
- **Arrondissement**: Nice
- **Former Canton**: Villars-sur-Var (until March 2015)
- **Country**: France
- **Region**: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- **Population**: Historical census data shows figures ranging from 148 to 579 inhabitants across multiple recording periods
- **Website**: https://www.latoursurtinee.fr
- **Wikipedia Title**: La Tour, Alpes-Maritimes
- **Wikidata Description**: commune in Alpes-Maritimes, France

## FAQs

**What region is La Tour located in?**

La Tour is situated in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France, specifically in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It falls within the arrondissement of Nice and was historically part of the canton of Villars-sur-Var until administrative reforms in March 2015.

**What type of administrative area is La Tour?**

La Tour is classified as a commune, which is the lowest-level territorial subdivision in France for municipalities. The French commune system was established in 1789 during the French Revolution and serves as the basic unit of local government throughout the country.

**What is the geographic position of La Tour?**

La Tour is located at coordinates 43.946944444444°N latitude and 7.1841666666667°E longitude, placing it in the southeastern portion of France near the Italian border. The Alpes-Maritimes department is known for its Mediterranean climate and proximity to the French Riviera.

**When was the Alpes-Maritimes department created?**

The Alpes-Maritimes department was officially established on June 23, 1860. This department encompasses the southeastern corner of France, including the city of Nice and numerous coastal and mountain communes like La Tour.

## Why It Matters

La Tour represents the extensive network of small communes that form the administrative backbone of France. While population figures indicate it is a small municipality, communes like La Tour are essential to France's decentralized governmental structure. These local administrative units provide essential services, maintain local infrastructure, and preserve the cultural identity of their respective regions. The Alpes-Maritimes department, where La Tour is located, is strategically important as France's gateway to Italy and the Mediterranean coast, making it significant for both tourism and cross-border relations. The commune system in France, dating back to 1789, is fundamental to the country's unitary organization, allowing for localized governance while maintaining national coherence. Understanding entities like La Tour provides insight into how France manages its diverse territorial landscape through a system of nested administrative divisions.

## Notable For

- **Historical Canton Membership**: Part of the canton of Villars-sur-Var until the 2015 administrative reorganization
- **Departmental Heritage**: Located in Alpes-Maritimes, one of France's most culturally and geographically diverse departments
- **Regional Identity**: Situated in the renowned Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region known for its Mediterranean beauty
- **Local Governance**: Represents the French commune system that has governed local territories since the Revolution

## Body

### Geography and Location

La Tour is positioned in the southeastern region of France within the Alpes-Maritimes department. The precise geographic coordinates are 43.946944444444°N latitude and 7.1841666666667°E longitude. This location places the commune in the mountainous interior of the department, away from the coastal areas that characterize much of the French Riviera but within reasonable distance of the Mediterranean shoreline. The Alpes-Maritimes department encompasses both coastal cities like Nice and Cannes as well as mountain villages in the Alpine interior, and La Tour represents the latter category of settlement.

### Administrative History

La Tour operates as a commune, which is the French term for a municipality and the smallest administrative division in France. The commune system was established in 1789 during the French Revolution, replacing the previous system of parishes and jurisdictions. This makes La Tour part of a governance tradition that has been fundamental to French administrative organization for over two centuries. Historically, La Tour was part of the canton of Villars-sur-Var until March 2015, when French administrative reforms led to the reorganization of cantonal boundaries. The commune falls under the arrondissement of Nice, which serves as the administrative center for this portion of the department.

### Departmental Context

La Tour is located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, which was created on June 23, 1860. This department is notable for its incorporation of the County of Nice, which was ceded from the Kingdom of Sardinia to France during the period of Italian unification. The department extends from the Mediterranean coast at Nice and Antibes inland to the mountainous regions near the Italian border. The prefecture (capital) of Alpes-Maritimes is Nice, while the commune also maintains connections to the regional capital of Marseille through the broader Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regional structure.

### Population and Demographics

While precise population figures for the most recent census are not specified in the source material, historical data indicates that La Tour has maintained a small but stable population. The population figures provided in the source material show variation across different census years, with numbers ranging from as low as 148 inhabitants to a high of 579 inhabitants. This fluctuation is typical of small rural communes in France, where population can be influenced by economic opportunities, migration patterns, and local birth and death rates. The relatively modest population places La Tour among the smaller municipalities in the Alpes-Maritimes department, which itself includes both densely populated coastal cities and sparsely populated mountain areas.

### Regional Significance

The commune of La Tour contributes to the administrative diversity of the Alpes-Maritimes department, which is characterized by its mix of urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. While not a major population center, La Tour participates in the departmental governance structure and represents the rural mountain character that exists alongside the more famous coastal resorts of the French Riviera. The department of Alpes-Maritimes is internationally significant due to its tourism industry, cultural festivals, and strategic position at the France-Italy border, and communes like La Tour form the territorial foundation upon which this broader regional identity is built.

### Local Administration and Services

As a French commune, La Tour operates under the municipal government system established by French law. The commune is responsible for local services including urban planning, municipal maintenance, civil registration (births, marriages, deaths), and local taxation. The municipal council, elected by residents, makes decisions affecting the local community. The commune maintains a website at https://www.latoursurtinee.fr, providing information to residents and visitors about local services, events, and administrative matters.

### Relationship to National Structure

La Tour exists within France's hierarchical administrative system, which includes the national government, regions, departments, arrondissements, cantons, and communes. At the national level, France operates as a unitary state with significant decentralization, meaning that while policy originates largely from Paris, local implementation occurs through these nested administrative divisions. The commune of La Tour connects upward through the canton system (until 2015) and arrondissement of Nice to the department of Alpes-Maritimes, which itself is part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. This structure allows for both local autonomy and national coordination in governance, taxation, and public service delivery.

## References

1. Source
2. dataset of postal codes in France. 2018
3. INSEE code
4. [Source](https://archives06.fr/archives/archives/fonds/FRAD006_E-depot144)
5. répertoire géographique des communes
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
7. Annuaire de service-public.fr
8. Recensement de la population 2015. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 2017
9. Populations légales 2016
10. Populations légales 2017
11. Populations légales 2018
12. [Populations légales communales depuis 1968. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies](https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/2522602)
13. Populations légales 2019
14. Populations légales 2020
15. Populations légales 2021
16. Populations de référence 2022
17. Populations de référence 2023
18. [Code officiel géographique](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/3363419)
19. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies
20. GeoNames
21. [répertoire géographique des communes. 2015](https://wxs-telechargement.ign.fr/83edtfdyqte031y0ra49d2e3/telechargement/inspire/RGC-2015-01$RGC2015/file/RGC2015.7z)
22. [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)
23. [Code officiel géographique. 2017](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/2560698)