In cities and villages, small towns and suburbs, young and old voted on Sunday in one of France’s most important presidential elections in memory, with the starkest of choices.

Emmanuel Macron, a onetime economy minister and investment banker, won the presidency by a decisive margin, earning 66 percent of the vote compared with 34 percent for the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, according to the official count from the Interior Ministry.

On one side, Ms. Le Pen did well in rural areas and in the strongholds of her National Front party, such as in the southeast near Nice and the economically stressed far north, around Lille.

Mr. Macron was the choice of many urban, educated voters, and was heavily favored in Paris. Voting began earlier in overseas territories and for French natives living abroad.