# Laval-Morency

> commune in Ardennes, France

**Wikidata**: [Q1158329](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1158329)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laval-Morency)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/laval-morency

## Summary

Laval-Morency is a commune located in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northeastern France. It is situated within the arrondissement of Charleville-Mézières and operates as a subdivision of the French territorial system, which was established in 1789. The commune is characterized by its small population and position within the French administrative structure.

## Key Facts

- **Official Name**: Laval-Morency
- **Alias**: Laval
- **Type**: Commune in Ardennes, France
- **Department**: Ardennes (Grand Est region)
- **Arrondissement**: Charleville-Mézières
- **Country**: France
- **Administrative Structure**: Commune of France (territorial subdivision for municipalities, established 1789)
- **Coordinates**: Latitude 49.833055555556, Longitude 4.4913888888889
- **Population**: Approximately 231–276 residents across recorded years
- **Wikipedia Title**: Laval-Morency
- **Wikidata Description**: "commune in Ardennes, France"
- **Sitelink Count**: 43
- **Image**: City limit sign depicting the commune entrance
- **Image Artist**: Havang(nl)
- **Image License**: CC0 (public domain)
- **Image Source**: Wikimedia Commons

## FAQs

**What type of administrative area is Laval-Morency?**

Laval-Morency is a commune, which is the smallest administrative territorial subdivision in France for municipalities. The French commune system was established in 1789 during the French Revolution and serves as the fundamental unit of local government in France.

**Where is Laval-Morency located?**

Laval-Morency is located in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northeastern France. It falls within the arrondissement of Charleville-Mézières. The commune sits at coordinates 49.833055555556° latitude and 4.4913888888889° longitude.

**What is the population of Laval-Morency?**

Laval-Morency is a small commune with a population that has fluctuated between approximately 231 and 276 residents across recent recorded years, reflecting its status as a modest rural municipality in the French Ardennes.

**What administrative entities is Laval-Morency part of?**

Laval-Morency is part of a hierarchical French administrative structure: it is a commune within the Ardennes department, which is part of the Grand Est region, and it is administered under the arrondissement of Charleville-Mézières. France itself is a unitary semi-presidential republic and a founding member of the European Union.

## Why It Matters

Laval-Morency represents the foundational unit of French local government, embodying the decentralized administrative structure that characterizes France's governance system. As one of the approximately 34,970 communes in France, Laval-Morency participates in the country's extensive network of local administration that dates back to the revolutionary period of 1789. While small in population, such communes form the backbone of French civic organization, providing local services, maintaining municipal records, and representing residents at the most immediate level of government. The commune's location in the Ardennes—a department known for its forested hills, the Meuse River valley, and historical significance from both World Wars—connects it to a region that has played notable roles in European history. Understanding Laval-Morency offers insight into how France manages its territorial organization through a system that balances central state authority with meaningful local autonomy.

## Notable For

- **Administrative Significance**: Part of the French commune system, the smallest territorial subdivision in France
- **Regional Location**: Situated in the Ardennes department, a region bordering Belgium and Luxembourg in northeastern France
- **Historical Administrative Structure**: Operates under the commune system established during the French Revolution in 1789
- **Arrondissement Affiliation**: Belongs to the arrondissement of Charleville-Mézières, the prefecture of the Ardennes department

## Body

### Geography and Location

Laval-Morency is positioned in the Ardennes department located in the Grand Est region of northeastern France. The commune's precise geographic coordinates are 49.833055555556° latitude and 4.4913888888889° longitude. This positioning places it within the forested and hilly terrain that characterizes the Ardennes region, which shares its eastern border with Belgium and extends toward Luxembourg. The area is known for its natural landscapes, including the Ardennes forest and the Meuse River, which flows through the department. The region's geography has historically provided both natural resources and strategic importance, influencing settlement patterns and local development throughout history.

### Administrative Structure

Laval-Morency functions as a commune, which represents the lowest level of administrative territorial organization in France. The French commune system was institutionalized during the French Revolution in 1789, replacing the previous feudal and seigniorial divisions with a uniform municipal structure. As a commune, Laval-Morency serves as the fundamental unit for local governance, responsible for municipal administration, local services, and civic representation for its residents. The commune operates under the broader hierarchical structure of French administration: it belongs to the Ardennes department, which is itself part of the Grand Est region, and it falls within the administrative jurisdiction of the arrondissement of Charleville-Mézières. This arrondissement serves as an intermediate administrative division between the department and its constituent communes.

### Demographics and Community

As a small French commune, Laval-Morency maintains a modest population that has been recorded at various levels across different years, with figures ranging from approximately 231 to 276 residents. This population size is consistent with the many rural communes that dot the French landscape, particularly in regions like the Ardennes where agricultural activity and small-scale settlement patterns have historically predominated. The commune serves as a residential community for its inhabitants, providing local governance and maintaining the social fabric of rural life in northeastern France. The population figures reflect the demographic trends common to rural areas in developed European nations, where smaller municipalities often experience population fluctuations based on economic opportunities, migration patterns, and quality of life factors.

### Cultural and Visual Identity

Laval-Morency maintains a visual identity through civic signage and municipal imagery. The commune features a city limit sign that marks its boundary, a common feature across French communes that serves both practical and symbolic purposes in identifying municipal territories. This visual marker was created by the contributor Havang(nl) and is available under a CC0 public domain license via Wikimedia Commons. Such municipal signage represents the visible expression of local identity and administrative boundaries in France, where each commune—regardless of size—maintains its distinct territorial identity. The image of the city limit sign has been documented and shared through Wikimedia Commons, contributing to the digital preservation of French municipal visual heritage.

### Relationship to Higher Administrative Units

Laval-Morency's administrative position is defined through its relationships with higher-level territorial entities. It is part of the Ardennes department, one of the 101 departments in metropolitan France, known for its capital city Charleville-Mézières. The department takes its name from the Ardennes mountain range and forest that dominate the landscape. At the regional level, Laval-Morency belongs to Grand Est, a region formed in 2016 through the merger of Champagne-Ardenne, Alsace, and Lorraine. This regional consolidation reflects contemporary French administrative reorganization aimed at improving efficiency and coordination across former regional boundaries. At the arrondissement level, the commune falls under Charleville-Mézières, which serves as the administrative center for the surrounding area and houses prefecture functions.

### Historical Context of French Communes

The existence of Laval-Morency as a commune connects it to a significant historical development in French governance. The commune system was established in 1789 during the French Revolution, replacing the previous system of parishes, towns, and cities with a standardized territorial structure based on municipal boundaries. This revolutionary transformation aimed to create equal administrative units across the French territory, eliminating the privileged positions of certain towns and establishing uniform local governance. Over two centuries later, the commune remains the basic building block of French territorial organization, with approximately 34,970 communes in metropolitan France and overseas territories. Each commune, regardless of population size, maintains legal personality and administrative autonomy within the framework of French law.

### Connection to Broader French Institutional Framework

As a French commune, Laval-Morency exists within the broader institutional framework of the French Republic. France operates as a unitary semi-presidential republic with a constitution established in 1958 founding the Fifth Republic. The country is a founding member of the European Union and maintains significant international influence through its permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. At the local level, this national framework provides the legal and administrative context within which communes like Laval-Morency operate, offering services to residents while adhering to national standards and regulations. The commune system exemplifies France's approach to balancing centralized state authority with meaningful local self-governance, allowing municipalities to manage their affairs while remaining integrated into the national administrative hierarchy.

## References

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