# Soulaines-Dhuys

> commune in Aube, France

**Wikidata**: [Q1152885](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1152885)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulaines-Dhuys)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/soulaines-dhuys

## Summary

Soulaines-Dhuys is a commune located in the Aube department in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It serves as the administrative center of its namesake canton and falls within the arrondissement of Bar-sur-Aube. The commune sits at coordinates 48.374166666667°N latitude and 4.7333333333333°E longitude.

## Key Facts

- **Official Name**: Soulaines-Dhuys
- **Alias**: Soulaines
- **Country**: France
- **Administrative Region**: Grand Est
- **Department**: Aube (inception: March 4, 1790)
- **Canton**: Soulaines-Dhuys
- **Arrondissement**: Bar-sur-Aube
- **Commune Status**: Commune of France (inception: 1789)
- **Coordinates**: 48.374166666667°N, 4.7333333333333°E
- **Population**: Historical data shows values ranging from 253 to 420 inhabitants across multiple census periods
- **Wikipedia Title**: Soulaines-Dhuys
- **Wikidata Description**: commune in Aube, France
- **Sitelink Count**: 41

## FAQs

**What region and department is Soulaines-Dhuys located in?**

Soulaines-Dhuys is situated in the Grand Est region of north-central France, specifically within the Aube department. The commune is part of the arrondissement of Bar-sur-Aube and serves as the administrative seat of the canton of Soulaines-Dhuys.

**What is the administrative history of the Aube department?**

The Aube department was established on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution. It was created as part of the initial division of France into departments, replacing the traditional provinces. The department takes its name from the Aube River that flows through it.

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

A commune in France is the lowest level of administrative division, similar to a municipality or township. The commune of France as an administrative concept was established in 1789 during the French Revolution. There are over 35,000 communes in France, each serving as the fundamental territorial collectivity.

**What is the population of Soulaines-Dhuys?**

Historical population data for Soulaines-Dhuys shows fluctuation between 253 and 420 inhabitants across various census periods. The population has varied over time, reflecting typical demographic patterns for small rural French communes.

**What are the geographic coordinates of Soulaines-Dhuys?**

Soulaines-Dhuys is located at latitude 48.374166666667 degrees north and longitude 4.7333333333333 degrees east, placing it in the north-central part of France within the Aube department.

## Why It Matters

Soulaines-Dhuys represents a fundamental unit of French administrative organization as one of the thousands of communes that form the backbone of local governance in France. As the seat of its namesake canton, it serves as an important administrative center for the surrounding area, providing local government services and representing the interests of its residents. The commune's location within the Aube department places it in a region with historical significance, as the department was created during the foundational administrative reorganization of France following the Revolution of 1789. Understanding Soulaines-Dhuys helps illustrate how France's decentralized administrative system works through its network of communes, cantons, arrondissements, and departments, each playing specific roles in local governance and territorial organization.

## Notable For

- Administrative function as the seat of the canton of Soulaines-Dhuys
- Location within the historic Aube department established in 1790
- Part of the arrondissement of Bar-sur-Aube, maintaining traditional French administrative boundaries
- Representative of the commune system that forms the foundation of French local government since 1789

## Body

### Geography and Location

Soulaines-Dhuys is positioned in the north-central portion of France, specifically in the Aube department which is part of the Grand Est region. The commune's precise geographic coordinates are 48.374166666667 degrees north latitude and 4.7333333333333 degrees east longitude. This location places it within the administrative territory of France, a country that encompasses both metropolitan Europe and numerous overseas territories across the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. The commune sits in a region characterized by agricultural land and small rural communities, typical of the departmental structure in northern France.

### Administrative Structure

Soulaines-Dhuys occupies a specific position within France's multi-layered administrative hierarchy. As a commune, it represents the most local level of territorial administration in France, a system that traces its origins to the revolutionary period of 1789 when the traditional provincial system was replaced with a rationalized departmental structure. The commune is part of the canton of Soulaines-Dhuys, which serves as an electoral district for certain elections and as an administrative framework for local coordination. Above the canton level, the commune falls within the arrondissement of Bar-sur-Aube, which itself is subordinate to the prefecture in Troyes, the capital of the Aube department. This hierarchical structure reflects France's unitary state organization, where local divisions operate under national authority while maintaining local administrative functions.

### Historical Context

The Aube department, within which Soulaines-Dhuys is located, was created on March 4, 1790, as part of the massive administrative reorganization undertaken by the French Revolution. This reorganization replaced the old provinces of the Ancien Régime with departments named after geographic features—in this case, the Aube River. The department was formed from portions of the former province of Champagne, and its creation represented a fundamental transformation in how French territory was governed, establishing the principle of rational, uniform administration that continues to this day. The commune system itself was formalized in 1789, when the National Constituent Assembly abolished the previous municipal structures and established communes as the basic units of local administration.

### Demographics and Community

As a small French commune, Soulaines-Dhuys exemplifies the demographic patterns typical of rural areas in north-central France. Historical population figures show variation between approximately 253 and 420 inhabitants across different census periods, reflecting broader trends of rural depopulation that affected many small French communes during the twentieth century, particularly in agricultural regions. The commune serves as a residential community for its inhabitants, providing local services and maintaining the social fabric of rural life in the Aube department. The relatively small population is characteristic of the numerous communes that dot the French countryside, each functioning as an independent administrative unit despite sometimes having only modest populations.

### Relationship to Broader French Administrative Framework

Soulaines-Dhuys exists within a complex web of administrative relationships that connect it to larger governmental structures. France itself, as a country, operates as a semi-presidential republic with a unitary state structure, organized across multiple levels of local government. The commune is connected to national governance through the departmental system, with the prefecture in Troyes coordinating state activities within Aube. At the regional level, Soulaines-Dhuys is part of Grand Est, one of eighteen administrative regions in France. This multi-level system allows for both local autonomy and national coordination, a balance that characterizes French administrative governance. The commune's existence as part of the French territorial system also connects it to broader national institutions, including the various ministries, the national legislature, and the presidential system headed by the President of the French Republic.

## 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. 2017](https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/2560698)