From Arles and fontana to sanctus, Joinville-le-Pont and Notre-Dame-des-Champs, this work is an alphabetical dictionary of more than 4000 placenames in France (including Corsica; and Monaco and Andorra). Natural features such as rivers, mountains and islands; administrative regions1such as historical provinces and modern departments; and inhabited centers such as cities, towns and villages are all listed.

When possible, entries include examples of the early forms of the names and cross-references are provided as appropriate. The text concludes with four appendices: "Key Elements in French Placenames," "Revolutionary Placenames," "Names of Paris Metro Stations" and "Names of Major Features in Paris."