title: Anti-nuclear movement

paragraphs: Many people who are anti-nuclear, are against the use of nuclear power for electricity generation, since they think nuclear power is dangerous. They consider the risk of a nuclear accident unacceptable and generally believe that radioactive waste cannot be disposed of safely. Many also see uranium mining and nuclear reprocessing as bad, because of the environmental risks of these activities. The 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents have "revived anti-nuclear passions worldwide, putting governments on the defensive and undermining the nuclear power industry's recent renaissance".

paragraphs: Anti-nuclear groups believe that nuclear power is a risk to people and the environment. These include health risks and environmental damage from uranium mining, processing and transport, the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation, the unsolved problem of nuclear waste, and the possibility of further serious accidents. Anti-nuclear critics see nuclear power as a dangerous, expensive way to boil water to generate electricity.

paragraphs: Opponents of nuclear energy make connections between the international export and development of nuclear power technologies and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. The facilities and expertise to produce nuclear power can be readily adapted to produce nuclear weapons. Greenpeace suggests that nuclear power and nuclear weapons have grown up like Siamese twins.

paragraphs: Nuclear power plants are very expensive. Making reliable cost estimates is difficult, and estimates for new reactors in the USA range from $5 billion to $10 billion per unit. Building nuclear plants is seen to be "a risky business", according to several notable credit rating agencies and investment analysts.

paragraphs: Nuclear accidents are often cited by anti-nuclear groups as evidence of the inherent danger of nuclear power. The most well-known nuclear accident, a mishandled safety test at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 in Kiev, Ukraine, "killed at least 4056 people and damaged almost $7 billion of property". Radioactive fallout from the accident concentrated near Belarus, Ukraine and Russia and at least 350,000 people were forcibly resettled away from these areas. After the accident, "traces of radioactive deposits unique to Chernobyl were found in nearly every country in the northern hemisphere". Other serious nuclear accidents include the Mayak disaster, Soviet submarine K-431 accident, Soviet submarine K-19 accident, Chalk River accidents, Windscale fire, Church Rock Uranium Mill Spill and the SL-1 accident. The Fukushima nuclear disaster occured in 2011. Clean-up from the Fukushima nuclear disaster is expected to cost over 12 trillion yen ($100 billion) and take 30 to 40 years.

paragraphs: Especially since the September 11 attacks, people have become concerned that terrorists or criminals could bomb a nuclear plant and release radioactive material. Building more plants would create more targets to protect.

paragraphs: There is an international consensus that spent nuclear fuel should be stored in deep geological disposal sites. However, no country has opened such a site yet. The demise of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada leaves the USA with no plan for the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel.

paragraphs: Anti-nuclear groups generally claim that reliance on nuclear energy can be reduced by adopting energy conservation and energy efficiency measures. Energy efficiency can reduce the consumption of energy while providing the same level of energy "services".

paragraphs: Anti-nuclear groups also favour the use of renewable energy, such as wind power, solar power, geothermal energy and biofuel. According to the International Energy Agency, renewable energy technologies are essential contributors to the energy supply portfolio, as they contribute to world energy security and provide opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gases.

paragraphs: Australia has no nuclear power stations and the current Gillard Labor government is opposed to nuclear power for Australia, as are the Greens, the party with the current balance of power in the upper house. However, Australia does have a small research reactor (OPAL) in Sydney, and it does export uranium. Australia has 40% of the world's known uranium deposits as well as similar deposits of the other potential fission reactor fuel thorium, and sells uranium to members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

paragraphs: Uranium mining and export and nuclear issues have often been the subject of public debate, and the anti-nuclear movement in Australia has a long history. It all began with the 1972–73 debate over French nuclear testing in the Pacific, which involved several groups, and the 1976–77 debate about uranium mining in Australia.

paragraphs: In the 1970s, an anti-nuclear movement in France, consisting of citizens' groups and political action committees, emerged. There were many large anti-nuclear protests and demonstrations. More recently, targeted campaigns have been conducted, mainly by Greenpeace, and Sortir du nucléaire (France) has called for an official safety inspection of Areva facilities.

paragraphs: The anti-nuclear movement in Germany has a long history dating back to the early 1970s, when large demonstrations prevented the construction of a nuclear plant at Wyhl. Anti-nuclear success at Wyhl inspired nuclear opposition throughout Germany, in other parts of Europe, and in North America.

paragraphs: In January 2008 the UK government announced plans to build new nuclear power stations, and the anti-nuclear movement in the United Kingdom has voiced concerns. There are also public concerns about the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Many different groups and individuals have been involved in demonstrations and protests over the years.

paragraphs: For many years the anti-nuclear movement in the United States succeeded in delaying or halting commitments to build some new nuclear plants. Anti-nuclear campaigns that captured national public attention in the 1970s involved the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant, Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant, and the Three Mile Island accident. More recent targeted campaigning has related to the Indian Point Energy Center, Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, Pilgrim Nuclear Generating Station, Salem Nuclear Power Plant, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, Idaho National Laboratory, proposed Yucca Mountain waste repository, the Hanford Site, the Nevada Test Site, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and transportation of nuclear waste from the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Many different groups have been involved in various protests and demonstrations over the years.

paragraphs: More than fifty anti-nuclear groups are operating, or have operated, in the United States. These include: Abalone Alliance, Clamshell Alliance, Greenpeace USA, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Musicians United for Safe Energy, Nevada Desert Experience, Nuclear Control Institute, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Public Citizen Energy Program, Shad Alliance, and the Sierra Club.

paragraphs: Many well-known scientists and engineers have expressed reservations about nuclear power. These people include: Barry Commoner, S. David Freeman, John Gofman, Amory Lovins, Arjun Makhijani, Gregory Minor and Joseph Romm.

paragraphs: Beginning in the 1960s, anti-nuclear ideas received coverage in the popular media with novels such as "Fail-Safe" and feature films such as "" (1964), "The China Syndrome" (1979), "Silkwood" (1983), and "The Rainbow Warrior" (1992).

paragraphs: On 21 April 2010, a dozen environmental groups called on the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission to investigate possible problems in the AP1000 reactor design.

paragraphs: On 24 April 2010, about 120,000 people built a human chain (KETTENreAKTION!) between the nuclear plants at Krümmel and Brunsbüttel. In this way they were protesting against the plans of the German government to extend the period of producing nuclear power.

paragraphs: In May 2010, some 25,000 people, including members of peace organizations and 1945 atomic bomb survivors, marched for about two kilometers from downtown New York to a square in front of United Nations headquarters, calling for the end to nuclear weapons.

paragraphs: In September 2010, German government policy shifted back toward nuclear energy, and this created some new anti-nuclear sentiment in Berlin and beyond. On 18 September 2010, tens of thousands of Germans surrounded Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office in an anti-nuclear demonstration that organisers said was the biggest of its kind since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

paragraphs: In October 2010, tens of thousands of people protested in Munich against the nuclear power policy of Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government. The action was the biggest anti-nuclear event in Bavaria for more than two decades.

paragraphs: In November 2010, there were violent protests against a train carrying reprocessed nuclear waste in Germany. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Dannenberg to signal their opposition to the cargo. Around 16,000 police were mobilised to deal with the protests.

paragraphs: In December 2010, some 10,000 people (mainly fishermen, farmers and their families) turned out to oppose the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in western Maharashtra state in India, amid a heavy police presence.

paragraphs: In December 2010, five anti-nuclear weapons activists, including octogenarians and Jesuit priests, were convicted of conspiracy and trespass in Tacoma, USA. They cut fences at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in 2009 to protest submarine nuclear weapons, and reached an area near where Trident nuclear warheads are stored in bunkers. Members of the group could face up to 10 years in prison when they are sentenced.

paragraphs: In January 2011, five Japanese young people held a hunger strike for more than a week, outside the Prefectural Government offices in Yamaguchi, to protest site preparation for the planned Kaminoseki Nuclear Power Plant near the environmentally sensitive Seto Inland Sea.

paragraphs: After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accidents, anti-nuclear opposition intensified in Germany. On 12 March 2011, 60,000 Germans formed a 45-km human chain from Stuttgart to the Neckarwestheim power plant. On 14 March, 110,000 people protested in 450 other German towns, with opinion polls indicating 80% of Germans opposed the government's extension of nuclear power. On 15 March 2011, Angela Merkel said that seven nuclear power plants which went online before 1980 would be temporarily closed and the time would be used to study speedier renewable energy commercialization.

paragraphs: In March 2011, around 2,000 anti-nuclear protesters demonstrated in Taiwan for an immediate end to the construction of the island's fourth nuclear power plant. The protesters were also opposed to plans to extend the lifespan of three existing nuclear plants.

paragraphs: In March 2011, more than 200,000 people took part in anti-nuclear protests in four large German cities, on the eve of state elections. Organisers called it the biggest anti-nuclear demonstration the country has seen. Thousands of Germans demanding an end to the use of nuclear power took part in nationwide demonstrations on 2 April 2011.

paragraphs: After the Fukushima I nuclear accidents, environmental activists at a U.N. meeting in April 2011 "urged bolder steps to tap renewable energy so the world doesn't have to choose between the dangers of nuclear power and the ravages of climate change".

paragraphs: In mid-April, 17,000 people protested at two demonstrations in Tokyo against nuclear power.

paragraphs: In India, environmentalists, local farmers and fishermen have been protesting for months over the planned Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project six-reactor complex, 420 km south of Mumbai. If built, it would be one of the world's largest nuclear power complexes. Protests have escalated in the wake of Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster and during two days of violent rallies in April 2011, a local man was killed and dozens were injured.


title: Vicente López y Portaña

paragraphs: Vicente López y Portaña (September 19, 1772, Valencia, Spain – July 22, 1850, Madrid, Spain) was a Spanish painter. He was one of the most well known portrait painters of his time. He became the court painter to Queen Isabella II. His most famous painting is a portrait of the artist Goya.


title: Théophile Gautier

paragraphs: Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier (August 30, 1811 – October 23, 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and literary critic. He was a member of the Club des Hashischins, or Hashish Club. This group of French writers experimented with hashish to get ideas.

paragraphs: Gautier wrote the 1841 ballet story for "Giselle" with Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges.


title: Anton Raphael Mengs

paragraphs: Anton Raphael Mengs (March 12, 1728 – June 29, 1779) was a German painter. He worked in Rome, Madrid, and Saxony. Mengs painted many portraits, including members of the Spanish Royal family.


title: El Escorial

paragraphs: El Escorial is a famous royal site in Spain. It was built in the late 1500s. El Escorial is a monastery, a royal palace, a museum and a school. It is located about northwest of the Spanish capital, Madrid, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Five miles from the main building is a hunting lodge called Granjilla de La Fresneda, which is also part of the Escorial.

paragraphs: The building was designed by the architect Juan Bautista de Toledo to the plans of King Philip II. El Escorial is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a very popular tourist attraction.

paragraphs: El Escorial was one of 100 finalists for the 12 Treasures of Spain in 2007.


title: City council

paragraphs: A city council is a form of local government, usually covering a city or other urban area, such as a town.


title: Fallout 3

paragraphs: Fallout 3 is an action/role-playing game computer game. It was created by Bethesda Game Studios. The game is the third in the "Fallout" series of games. It is set in a world where nuclear bombs have ruined the surface and people are fighting to survive. "Fallout 3" was released on October 28, 2008 in North America, October 30, 2008 in Australia, and October 31, 2008 in the United Kingdom.

paragraphs: The player controls a character on the screen with two different view points. One point of view is from the character's head and another is from behind the character. The player may make their character different by changing their name, gender, how they look, and using skill points to make their character better at doing certain things.

paragraphs: The character may use either close-up weapons, guns or grenades to fight enemies. These need to be repaired in order to stay good. The player can also create weapons using drawings found in the game. There are two modes of fighting. The player may either aim and shoot at enemies or use a special system, called the "Vault-tec Assisted Targeting System" (VATS), to attack an enemy's arms and legs.

paragraphs: The character has a limited number of Health Points. If these are lost due to damage, the character will die. However, the player can dress their character in armor so that the character takes less damage. The character may also get sick from radiation.

paragraphs: The character can also be good or bad, and earns "Karma points" for being good and doing nice things or loses Karma points for being mean or killing people who do not deserve it.

paragraphs: Because of the nuclear war the world was radiated very badly. The people who were not safe turned into Ghouls, living zombies. The player also has to fight against Raiders, Super Mutants and animals like radiated cockroachs, scorpions, and vicious dogs.

paragraphs: Many normal people are alive, though. For example, a city made of airplane parts, "Megaton", has normal humans, "Tenpenny Tower" has rich people and "Paradise Falls" that has slaves and slavers. There is also a city made of Ghouls called "Underworld" which is an old museum.

paragraphs: In the "Fallout" games, the world after 2050 destroyed itself because all the nations bombed each other with nuclear bombs. A few people in the United States hid underground in shelters called "Vaults". The player comes from Vault 101 in Washington, D.C. They leave the vault because their father has gone missing.

paragraphs: The game does not have a required story as the player can play any missions, called "quests", whenever they want. The main story involves the player interacting with what used to be the Army, the Brotherhood of Steel, and the evil Enclave, which used to be the government. The player has to either stop the Enclave's mission to kill all mutant people or help them.

paragraphs: Black Isle Studios, a company belonging to Interplay, was making the game. Interplay lost all of its money and sold the game to Bethesda Softworks in July 2004. Bethesda Softworks created a new version of the game. It was supposed to look like Bethesda's game before Fallout, Oblivion, but they made it much bigger. The game now has a 16-square mile game setting. In Australia, the game could not be sold because it talked about real drugs. The programmers renamed the drugs so that it could be sold in Australia.

paragraphs: "Fallout 3" has gotten very good reviews. It has a 93% mark at Metacritic and sold 110,000 more copies than another Bethesda Softworks game, .


title: Chuck Baldwin

paragraphs: Charles O. "Chuck" Baldwin (born May 3, 1952) is a founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida, and 2008 presidential nominee of the Constitution Party. He was also the Constitution Party nominee for Vice President in 2004.


title: Darrell Castle

paragraphs: Darrell Castle (born October 11, 1948) is an American politician, activist and lawyer from Memphis, Tennessee, and the 2008 vice-presidential candidate of the Constitution Party. He was the party's presidential nominee for the 2016 presidential election.


title: United States Electoral College

paragraphs: The United States Electoral College is a name used to describe the official 538 Presidential electors who come together every four years during the presidential election to give their official votes for President and Vice President of the United States.

paragraphs: The number of electors each state has is determined by the number of representatives a state has, plus its two senators. No state can have fewer than three electors. There are 435 representatives in total and 100 senators. The 23rd Amendment to the Constitution awarded Washington, D.C. three electors. Combined, there is a total of 538 electors.

paragraphs: Electors usually vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state. In some states, they vote depending on the popular vote in each congressional district. The Constitution leaves states to decide how electors will vote. Faithless electors are electors that vote against the popular vote, although there is a fine for this in some states.

paragraphs: The Electoral College was created as the Founding Fathers were afraid the popular vote would be easily swayed. Because congressional representatives is determined by population, electors are assigned based on representatives. More populous states have more electors. Because most states have a winner-take-all system, where the winner of the popular vote in a state gains all of the electors, several presidents have lost the popular vote and won the electoral vote. A candidate needs to win a majority of electors, or 270, to become the candidate elect.

paragraphs: Originally, electors voted for two candidates and the people with the two highest vote totals would be elected President and Vice-President. That did not work very well, so today the President and Vice-President are elected on separate ballots.

paragraphs: The Electoral College plays a very important role in today's elections. It is the subject of a lot of controversy as some people approve of the system, but for various reasons, many don't.


title: Gard

paragraphs: Gard is a French department in southern France in the Occitanie region and named after the Gardon river. Its prefecture is Nîmes.

paragraphs: Gard is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. It was divided in 8 districts: Alais, Beaucaire, Nîmes, Pont-Saint-Esprit, Saint-Hippolyte, Sommières, Uzès and Le Vigan. The capital was Nîmes alternating with Alais and Uzès. In 1794, Nîmes became the only capital.

paragraphs: With the creation of the "arrondissements", the 8 districts became four "arrondissements": Nîmes, Alais, Uzès and Le Vigan. In 1926, the "arrondissement" of Uzès was eliminated.

paragraphs: Gard is part of the Occitanie region, in southern France, with an area of .

paragraphs: The department borders with 6 other departments in 3 regions:

paragraphs: The department has a long coast along the Mediterranean Sea.

paragraphs: The highest point in the department is "Mont Aigoual", () that is high it is in the "Cévennes" mountains, on the border with the Lozère department.

paragraphs: The main river of Gard is the Gardon (or "Gard"), a right tributary of the Rhone. The Rhone flows through the eastern border of the department.

paragraphs: The climate of the Gard department, in the city of Nîmes, is subtropical with dry-summer, Csa (Mediterranean Climate) in the Köppen climate classification.

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Nîmes, at an altitude of , is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Nîmes is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of .

paragraphs: Gard is part of the region of Occitanie. The department is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Gard" in Nîmes.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 23 "cantons" and 353 "communes" (municipalities) in Gard.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 23 cantons of the Gard department (with their INSEE codes), in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Gard are known, in French, as "Gardois" (women: "Gardoises").

paragraphs: Gard has a population, in 2014, of 736,029, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Nîmes, with 547,598 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Alès and Le Vigan, have respectively 151,823 and 36,608 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The city with more people living in it is the capital, Nîmes (151,075). The subprefectures of Alès and Le Vigan have, respectively, 39,993 and 3,933 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The 10 most important cities in the department are:


title: Haute-Garonne

paragraphs: Haute-Garonne ("Upper Garonne"; ) is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city and prefecture of the department is Toulouse.

paragraphs: Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.

paragraphs: The department was originally larger than now because it included the district of Castelsarrasin which was transferred to the department of Tarn-et-Garonne when it was created in 1808.

paragraphs: Haute-Garonne has an area of . It is part of the Occitanie region. The department is not a historical region of France; this is an administrative division made from various pieces of Languedoc and Gascogne.

paragraphs: The department is surrounded by the departments:

paragraphs: and by Spain (provinces of Lleida and Huesca) to the south.

paragraphs: The department is crossed by the upper course of the Garonne river (hence the name) for nearly . The borders of the department follow the river. The Garonne enters France from Spain at the town of Fos, goes through Toulouse and leaves the department. Two big canals cross the department from east to west: the Canal du Midi and the Canal de Garonne.

paragraphs: There are three distinct geographical areas in the department:

paragraphs: The climate of the department is an oceanic climate with template summers, Cfb in the Köppen climate classification.

paragraphs: The department is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Haute-Garonne" in Toulouse. The Haute-Garonne is part of the region of Occitanie.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 27 "cantons" and 589 "communes" (municipalities) in the Haute-Garonne.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 27 cantons of the Haute-Garonne department (with their INSEE codes), in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Haute-Garonne are known, in French, as "Haut-Garonnais" (women: "Haut-Garonnaises").

paragraphs: Haute-Garonne has a population, in 2014, of 1,317,668, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Toulouse, with 1,024,517 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Muret and Saint-Gaudens, have respectively 215,606 and 77,545 inhabitants.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Haute-Garonne

paragraphs: The 10 cities with more people living in them in 2014 in the department are:


title: Gers

paragraphs: Gers (Gascon: "Gers") is a department in the Occitanie region in the southwest of France named after the Gers river.

paragraphs: Gers is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the old provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.

paragraphs: The new department had six districts: Auch, Lectoure, Condom, Nogaro, L'Isle-Jourdain and Mirande. The capital (now prefecture) was Auch.

paragraphs: in 1808, part of the Gers department was transferred to the new Tarn-et-Garonne department'.

paragraphs: Gers is known for its hilly landscape and bastide villages. The Pyrenees are visible to the south.

paragraphs: Gers is part of the Occitanie region, and is the 34th French department in area with .

paragraphs: The department is surrounded by six departments in two regions:

paragraphs: The main rivers of the department are the Garonne and the Gers, a left tributary of the Garonne. Other rivers are Save, Gimone, Arrats, Baïse and Osse.

paragraphs: The highest point in the department is "Mont de Chapelle Saint Roch" (), in west central Pyrénées near the border with the Hautes-Pyrénées department, with an altitude of .

paragraphs: The climate of Gers is an oceanic climate with template summers, Cfb (Marine West Coast Climate) in the Köppen climate classification.

paragraphs: The annual rainfall in the department varies from over in the southwest of the department, to less than in the northeast (Auch, Condom and Lectoure).

paragraphs: Summers are very hot and dry, the temperatures often exceed . Winters vary, often with frost, but the climate remains mild and dry.

paragraphs: The department is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Gers" in Auch. Gers is part of the region of Occitanie.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 17 "cantons" and 462 "communes" (municipalities) in Gers.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 17 cantons of the Gers department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Gers are known, in French, as "Gersois" (women: "Gersoises").

paragraphs: Gers has a population, in 2014, of 190,625, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Auch, with 87,118 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Condom and Mirande, have respectively 65,562 and 37,945 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The 10 most important cities in the department are:

paragraphs: The economy in Gers revolves primarily around agriculture and culinary tourism. The department is a producer of maize, wheat, rapeseed, sunflower.

paragraphs: Some well-known products of the region are:


title: Gironde

paragraphs: Gironde () is a department in the southwest of France. It is named after the Gironde estuary.

paragraphs: The department is in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Its prefecture is Bordeaux.

paragraphs: Gironde was formed during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with parts of the old provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.

paragraphs: From July 1793 to April 1795, the department's name was changed to Bec-d'Ambès to avoid the association with the Girondists, a French revolutionary group.

paragraphs: The department was divided into seven districts: Bordeaux, Libourne, La Réole, Bazas, Cadillac, Blaye and Lesparre. Its capital was the city of Bordeaux.

paragraphs: Gironde is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, southwestern France, and is the largest department of Metropolitan France with an area of .

paragraphs: There four main zones in the Gironde; they are:

paragraphs: The department is bordered by the departments: Charente-Maritime, Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne and Landes. The Atlantic Ocean ("Gulf of Biscay") is to the west of the department.

paragraphs: The main rivers in the department are the Dordogne and the Garonne rivers; the two rivers form, after their confluence, the Gironde estuary, the largest estuary of France.

paragraphs: The climate in Bordeaux is Marine West Coast Climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Bordeaux is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Bordeaux is . The month with the most precipitation on average is November with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of .

paragraphs: Gironde is part of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and is managed by the "Departmental Council of Gironde" in Bordeaux.

paragraphs: There are 6 "arrondissements" (districts), 33 "cantons" and 538 "communes" (municipalities) in Gironde.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 33 cantons of the Gironde department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Gironde are known, in French, as "Girondins" (women: "Girondines").

paragraphs: The department of Gironde has a population, in 2014, of 1,526,016, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Bordeaux, with 921,668 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The "arrondissements" of Blaye and Lesparre-Médoc are those with less people, with 88,115 and 86,560 inhabitants.


title: Hérault

paragraphs: Hérault () is a department in the region of Occitanie in southern France. It is named after the Hérault river.

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Hérault are known, in French, as "Héraultais" (women: "Héraultaises").

paragraphs: Hérault was created in 1790 during the French Revolution, when the whole of France was divided into departments, replacing the old provinces. Aude was formed with part of the old province of Languedoc.

paragraphs: It was divided in four districts: Montpellier, Béziers, Lodève and Saint-Pons, with Montpellier as is capital.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the four districts were changed into four "arrondissements". On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissements" of Lodève and Saint-Pons were eliminated but on 1 June 1942 Lodève became again an "arrondissement".

paragraphs: Hérault has an area of . It is surrounded by the departments of Aude, Aveyron, Tarn, and Gard, with the Gulf of Lion (Mediterranean Sea) to the east and southeast.

paragraphs: The main rivers in the department are the Orb and the Hérault which gives its name to the department.

paragraphs: The climate in Montpellier, in the northeast of the department near the Mediterranean coast, is a Mediterranean climate, a "dry-summer subtropical" climate, Csa in the Köppen climate classification.

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Montpellier is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of . There are an average of 73.4 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in December with 9.2 days and the least precipitation occurring in July with 2.3 days.

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Montpellier is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The département is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Hérault" in Montpellier. Hérault is part of the region of Occitanie.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 25 "cantons" and 343 "communes" (municipalities) in Hérault.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 25 cantons of the Hérault department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The Hérault department has a population, in 2014, of 1,107,398, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Montpellier, with 700,241 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two "arrondissements", Béziers and Lodève, have respectively 312,443 and 94,714 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The "communes" in the department with more of 10,000 inhabitants are:


title: Ille-et-Vilaine

paragraphs: Ille-et-Vilaine is a department found in the west of France in the Brittany region. Its prefecture is Rennes and its population is about 908,000 (2006 estimation). It is one of the 83 first French departments made during the French revolution.


title: Indre-et-Loire

paragraphs: Indre-et-Loire is a department in west-central France named after the Indre and the Loire rivers.

paragraphs: Indre-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Tours as is capital. It was formed with part of the former province of Touraine.

paragraphs: It was divided in seven districts: Tours, Amboise, Château-Renault, Loches, Chinon, Preuilly and Langeais.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the seven districts were changed into three "arrondissements": Chinon, Loches and Tours.

paragraphs: After the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the department was occupied by the Prussian army from June 1815 to November 1818.

paragraphs: On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Loches was eliminated but in 1943 Loches was made again an "arrondissement".

paragraphs: Indre-et-Loire is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region. It has an area of .

paragraphs: The department is surrounded by 5 departments that are part of three regions:

paragraphs: The highest point of the department is "Signal de la Ronde" () with an altitude of high.; it is in the "commune" of Céré-la-Ronde in the northeast of the department on the border with the Loir-et-Cher department.

paragraphs: The Loire river flows through the department and divides it in two parts. The Indre, Cher and Vienne rivers join the Loire river in the Indre-et-Loire department.

paragraphs: This area is characterized by climates with few extremes of temperature. The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Tours is a "Marine West Coast Climate" and of the subtype "Cfb".

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Tours is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is August with an average of .

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Toulon is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: Indre-et-Loire is managed by the "Departmental Council of Ardennes" in Tours. The department is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 19 "cantons" and 273 "communes" (municipalities) in Indre-et-Loire.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 19 cantons of the Indre-et-Loire department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of the Indre-et-Loire department are known, in French, as "Tourangeaux" (women: "Tourangelles"),

paragraphs: Indre-et-Loire had a population, in 2014, of 603,924, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Tours, with 466,232 inhabitants, is the "arrondissement" with more inhabitants.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Indre-et-Loire

paragraphs: The "communes" with more than 10,000 inhabitants in the department are:


title: Isère

paragraphs: Isère is a département in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France named after the Isère river.

paragraphs: Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Moirans as its capital. It was formed from part of the former province of "Dauphiné".

paragraphs: It was divided in four districts: Grenoble, Saint-Marcellin, La Tour-du-Pin and Vienne. The capital was transfered in 1790 from Moirans to Grenoble.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the four districts were changed into four "arrondissements": Grenoble, Saint-Marcellin, La Tour-du-Pin and Vienne.

paragraphs: On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Saint-Marcellin was eliminated.

paragraphs: Isère is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It has an area of .

paragraphs: The department borders with 7 departments in 2 regions:

paragraphs: The highest mountain in the department is "Pic Lory" (); it is high.

paragraphs: The main rivers that flow through the department are the Rhône and its tributaries Isère and Bourbre.

paragraphs: The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Grenoble is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Maritime Temperate climate) and of the subtype Cfb.

paragraphs: Isère is managed by the "Departmental Council of Isère" in Grenoble. The department is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

paragraphs: There are 4 "arrondissements" (districts), 17 "cantons" and 281 "communes" (municipalities) in Isère.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 29 cantons of the Isère department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Isère are known, in French, as "Isérois" (women: "Iséroises").

paragraphs: Isère had a population, in 2014, of 1,243,597, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Grenoble, with 758,956 inhabitants, is the "arrondissement" with more inhabitants.

paragraphs: The "communes" in the department with more inhabitants are:


title: Landes

paragraphs: Landes (Gascon: "Lanas") is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. Landes is the plural of the French word "lande" (in English:"heathland"); it was named so because it was the most common habitat in the region.

paragraphs: It is well known for the "Côte d'Argent" beach that attracts many surfers to Mimizan and Hossegor each year.

paragraphs: The department was formed during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with parts of the old provinces of Guyenne and Gascony. It was divided into four districts: Dax, Mont-de-Marsan, Saint-Sever and Tartas. The capital was Mont-de-Marsan.

paragraphs: The "arrondissement" of Dax, Mont-de-Marsan and Saint-Sever were established on 17 February 1800. The "arrondissement" of Saint-Sever was dissolved on 10 September 1926 and integrated into the "arrondissements" of Dax and Mont-de-Marsan.

paragraphs: Landes is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, southwestern France, and is, after Gironde, the second largest department of Metropolitan France with an area of .

paragraphs: The department is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by the Gironde, to the northeast by Lot-et-Garonne and the south by the Pyrénées-Atlantiques; these three departments are, like Landes, of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. To the east, it borders with the Gers department of the Occitanie region.

paragraphs: The most important river is the Adour, which crosses the southern part of the department in an east-west direction; in Dax, the river turns to the southwest and is joined by the Gaves réunis before flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.

paragraphs: The forest of Landes is the largest forest in France. It covers about 67% of the department in its northern part, and also covers a large part of the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne (arrondissement of Nérac). The main species of tree is the maritime pine ("Pinus pinaster").

paragraphs: The climate in Mont-de-Marsan is Marine West Coast Climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Mont-de-Marsan is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Mont-de-Marsan is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is August with an average of .

paragraphs: The department is managed by the "Departmental Council of the Landes" in Mont-de-Marsan.

paragraphs: There are 2 "arrondissements" (districts), 15 "cantons" and 330 "communes" (municipalities) in Landes.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 15 cantons of the Landes department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Landes are known, in French, as "Landais" (women: "Landaises").

paragraphs: The department of Landes has a population, in 2014, of 400,477, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Dax has 220,656 inhabitants and the "arrondissement" of Mont-de-Marsan, where is the prefecture of the departement, has only 179,821 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The 10 main cities in the department are:


title: Loir-et-Cher

paragraphs: Loir-et-Cher is a department in the centre of France in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is named after the Loir and the Cher, two rivers that flow through the department.

paragraphs: Its prefecture is Blois and there are two subprefectures at Romorantin-Lanthenay and Vendôme.

paragraphs: The department is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. The department was created from part of the former province of Orléanais together with small parts of other provinces.

paragraphs: The new department had six districts: Blois, Vendôme, Romorantin, Mondoubleau, Mer and Saint-Aignan. The capital (now prefecture) was Blois.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the six districts were changed into three "arrondissements": Blois, Romorantin and Vendôme.

paragraphs: After the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the department was occupied by the Prussian army from June 1815 to November 1818.

paragraphs: On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Romorantin was eliminated but in 1943 it was made again an "arrondissement". In 1961, Romorantin was merged with Lanthenay and the name, of the "commune" and of the "arrondissement", was changed to Romorantin-Lanthenay.

paragraphs: Loir-et-Cher is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region. It has an area of .

paragraphs: The highest point of the department is in the "Bois des Vallèes" (), in the "commune" of Bouffry, and that is above sea level.

paragraphs: The department is bordered by the 6 departments in 2 regions:

paragraphs: The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Vendôme is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Marine West Coast Climate) and of the subtype Cfb.

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Vendôme is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of .

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Vendôme is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The department is managed by the "Departmental Council of the Loir-et-Cher" in Blois. Loir-et-Cher is part of the region of Centre-Val de Loire.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 15 "cantons" and 276 "communes" (municipalities) in Loir-et-Cher.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 13 cantons of the Loir-et-Cher department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Loir-et-Cher are known, in French, as "Loir-et-Chériens" (women: "Loir-et-Chériennes").

paragraphs: Loir-et-Cher has a population, in 2014, of 333,567, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Blois, with 173,125 inhabitants, is by far the largest.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Loir-et-Cher


title: Loire

paragraphs: Loire () is a French department in the east-central part of France in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and named after the Loire river. Its prefecture is the city of Saint-Étienne.

paragraphs: Rhône-et-Loire was one French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. The department was divided in two departments in 1793: Rhône and Loire. The department of Loire had three districts: Montbrison, Roanne and Saint-Étienne. The capital was Feurs but in 1795 the capital was moved to Montbrison.

paragraphs: With the creation of the "arrondissements", the three districts became three "arrondissements": Montbrison, Roanne and Saint-Étienne.

paragraphs: After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the department was occupied by troops from Austria from June 1815 to November 1818.

paragraphs: The capital was moved from Montbrison to Saint-Étienne in 1855.

paragraphs: Loire is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in east-central France, with an area of . From north to south, it is long but from east to west it is only wide.

paragraphs: The department borders with 7 other departments in 2 regions:

paragraphs: The department is in eastern Massif Central and there are several mountain chains; some of the chains and mountains are:

paragraphs: The climate of the Loire department, in the city of Andrézieux-Bouthéon (near Saint-Étienne and where is the Saint-Étienne-Loire Airport), is an oceanic climate, Cfb (Marine West Coast Climate) in the Köppen climate classification.

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Andrézieux-Bouthéon, at an altitude of , is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Andrézieux-Bouthéon is . The month with the most precipitation on average is December with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is April with an average of .

paragraphs: Loire is part of the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The department is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Loire" in Saint-Étienne.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 21 "cantons" and 326 "communes" (municipalities) in Loire.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 21 cantons of the Loire department (with their INSEE codes), in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Loire are known, in French, as "Ligériens" (women: "Ligériennes"). "Ligérien" comes from "Liger", the Latin name of the Loire river.

paragraphs: Loire has a population, in 2014, of 757,305, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Saint-Étienne, with 411,402 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Montbrison and Roanne, have respectively 188,635 and 157,268 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The city with more people living in it is the capital, Saint-Étienne (170,761 inhabitants). The subprefectures of Roanne and Montbrison have, respectively, 35,200 and 15,689 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The most important cities in the department are:


title: Haute-Loire

paragraphs: Haute-Loire () is a département in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. It is named after the Loire river.

paragraphs: The department of Haute-Loire was created on 4 March 1790 with three districts: Le Puy, Brioude and Yssingeaux. The capital was Le Puy. The new department was formed with territories of three historic provinces: the "Languedoc", the "Auvergne" and the "Lyonnais".

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the three districts were changed into three "arrondissements": Le Puy, Brioude and Yssingeaux.

paragraphs: On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Yssingeaux was eliminated but became again an arrondissement in 1942.

paragraphs: On 18 March 1988, the name of Le Puy was changed to Le Puy-en-Velay.

paragraphs: The Haute-Loire is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It has an area of .

paragraphs: The department is surrounded by 5 departments in 2 regions:

paragraphs: The highest point in the department is "Mont Mézenc" (); it is high. It is in the southeast of the department, on the border with the Ardèche department.

paragraphs: The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Le Puy-en-Velay is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Maritime Temperate climate) and of the subtype Cfb.

paragraphs: Haute-Loire is managed by the "Departmental Council of Haute-Loire" in Le Puy-en-Velay. The department is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 19 "cantons" and 257 "communes" (municipalities) in Haute-Loire.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 19 cantons of the Haute-Loire department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Haute-Loire are known, in French, as "Altiligériens" (women: "Altiligériennes").

paragraphs: Haute-Loire had a population, in 2014, of 226,565, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Le Puy-en-Velay, with 96,041 inhabitants, is the "arrondissement" with more inhabitants.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Haute-Loire

paragraphs: The "communes" in the department with more inhabitants are:


title: Loiret

paragraphs: Loiret is a department in north-central France in the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is named after the Loiret river, a tributary of Loire that is completely within the department.

paragraphs: Its prefecture is Orléans and there are two subprefectures: Montargis and Pithiviers.

paragraphs: The department is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. The department was created from part of the former province of Orléanais.

paragraphs: The new department had seven districts: Orléans, Beaugency, Neuville, Pithiviers, Montargis, Gien and Boiscommun. The capital (now prefecture) was Orléans.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the seven districts were changed into four "arrondissements": Orléans, Gien, Montargis and Pithiviers.

paragraphs: After the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the department was occupied by the Bavarian army from June 1815 to November 1818.

paragraphs: On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Gien and Pithiviers were eliminated but in 1942 Pithiviers became again an "arrondissement" of the department.

paragraphs: Loiret is part of the Centre-Val de Loire region. It has an area of .

paragraphs: The department is bordered by the 7 departments in 3 regions:

paragraphs: The highest point of the department is in the place called "Col des Étourneaux" (), in the "commune" of Pierrefitte-ès-Bois, and that is above sea level; it is in northwestern Massif Central.

paragraphs: There are several natural regions in the Loiret department:

paragraphs: The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Orléans is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Marine West Coast Climate) and of the subtype Cfb.

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Orléans is . The month with the most precipitation on average is August with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is March with an average of .

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Orléans is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The department is managed by the "Departmental Council of the Loiret" in Orléans. Loiret is part of the region of Centre-Val de Loire.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 21 "cantons" and 326 "communes" (municipalities) in Loiret.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 21 cantons of the Loir-et-Cher department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Loiret are known, in French, as "Loiretains" (women: "Loiretaines").

paragraphs: Loiret has a population, in 2014, of 669,737, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Orléans, with 435,676 inhabitants, is by far the largest.


title: Lot (department)

paragraphs: Lot () is a French department in the Occitanie region of southern France named after the Lot river. Its prefecture and largest city is Cahors.

paragraphs: Lot is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the old province of Quercy.

paragraphs: The new department had six districts: Cahors, Martel, Gourdon, Figeac, Montauban and Lazorte. The capital (now prefecture) was Cahors.

paragraphs: In 1808, some of the original southeastern cantons were separated from it to form the department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It originally extended much farther to the south and included the city of Montauban.

paragraphs: Lot is part of the Occitanie region and has an area of .

paragraphs: The department borders with 6 other departments in 3 regions:

paragraphs: The Lot river crosses the department from east to west with numerous meanders. The Dordogne river flows through the northern part of the department.

paragraphs: There are seven natural regions in the department:

paragraphs: The climate in Gourdon, in the north of the department at an altitude of above sea level, is an oceanic climate with relatively hot summers, mild winters and abundant rainfall, Cfb in the Köppen climate classification.

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Gourdon is . The month with the most precipitation on average is May with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of . There are an average of 168.0 days of precipitation, with the most precipitation occurring in January with 17.0 days and the least precipitation occurring in July with 10.0 days.

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Gourdon is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The department is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Lot" in Cahors. Lot is part of the Occitanie region.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 17 "cantons" and 326 "communes" (municipalities) in Lot.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 17 cantons of the Lot department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Lot are known, in French, as "Lotois" (women: "Lotoises").

paragraphs: Lot has a population, in 2014, of 173,648, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Cahors, with 76,216 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Figeac and Gourdon, have respectively 54,060 and 43,372 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The city with more people living in it is the capital, Cahors (19,630). The subprefectures of Figeac and Gourdon have, respectively, 9,820 and 4,297 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The cities in the department with more of 2,000 inhabitants are:


title: Lot-et-Garonne

paragraphs: Lot-et-Garonne () is a department in the southwest of France named after the Lot and Garonne rivers.

paragraphs: Lot-et-Garonne was formed during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with parts of the old provinces of Guyenne and Gascony. It was divided into nine districts: Agen, Nérac, Marmande, Tonneins, Villeneuve, Lauzun, Monflanquin, Casteljaloux and Valence.

paragraphs: Agen and Aiguillon were alternatively the capital of the department but in 1791 it was decided that only Agen would be the capital.

paragraphs: Several of the original southeastern cantons in the arrondissements of Agen and Villeneuve-sur-Lot were separated from it in 1808 to become a part of the newly created department of Tarn-et-Garonne.

paragraphs: Lot-et-Garonne is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, southwestern France, with an area of .

paragraphs: The departement is surrounded by two regions and six departments:

paragraphs: The main rivers in the Lot-et-Garonne are the Garonne river that flows through the south central part of the department, and the Lot river that flows through the northern regions of the department before joining, as a right tributary, the Garonne near the Aiguillon "commune".

paragraphs: Other river is the Baïse, a left tributary of the Garonne.

paragraphs: In the west of the department, mainly in the arrondissement of Nérac, there is a forest of maritime pine like in the Landes department.

paragraphs: The climate of Estillac, where is the Agen La Garenne Airport, is Marine West Coast Climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), with mild winters and warm summers.

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Estillac is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Estillac is . The month with the most precipitation on average is December with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is April with an average of .

paragraphs: The department is managed by the "Departamental Council of Lot-et-Garonne" in Agen. Lot-et-Garonne is part of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

paragraphs: There are 4 "arrondissements" (districts), 21 "cantons" and 319 "communes" (municipalities) in Lot-et-Garonne.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 21 cantons of the Lot-et-Garonne department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Lot-et-Garonne are known, in French, as "Lot-et-Garonnais" (women: "Lot-et-Garonnaises").

paragraphs: The department of Lot-et-Garonne has a population, in 2014, of 333,234, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Agen, with 120,235 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other three, Marmande, Villeneuve-sur-Lot and Nérac, have respectively 83,245, 90,527 and 39,227 inhabitants.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Lot-et-Garonne

paragraphs: The 10 main cities in the department are:


title: Lozère

paragraphs: Lozère () is a department in the region of Occitanie in southern France near the Massif Central. It is named after Mont Lozère.

paragraphs: Lozère was created in 1790 during the French Revolution, when the whole of France was divided into departments, replacing the old provinces. Lozère was formed with part of the old province of Languedoc.

paragraphs: Les Sources and Hautes-Cèvennes were two other names proposed for this department but they were not accepted.

paragraphs: Lozère has an area of . It is surrounded by 5 departments belonging to 2 regions:

paragraphs: The Lozère is divided into four natural regions, covering four mountain ranges:

paragraphs: Three important rivers start in the department:

paragraphs: The département is managed by the "Departamental Council of Lozère" in Mende. Lozère is part of the region of Occitanie.

paragraphs: There are 2 "arrondissements" (districts), 13 "cantons" and 176 "communes" (municipalities) in Lozère.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 13 cantons of the Lozère department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Lozère are known, in French, as "Lozériens" (women: "Lozériennes").

paragraphs: Lozère is the least populated French department. It has a population, in 2014, of 76,360, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Mende, with 63,047 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other arrondissement, Florac, have 13,313 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The only important city is Mende with 11,542 people living there in 2014. The subprefecture, Florac Trois Rivières, has 2,107 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The cities with more than 2,000 inhabitants in the department are:


title: Maine-et-Loire

paragraphs: Maine-et-Loire is a department found in the west of France in the Pays de la Loire region. Its prefecture is Angers and its population is about 810,000 (2015 estimation). It is one of the 83 first French departments made during the French revolution.


title: Manche

paragraphs: Manche is a department found in the west of France in the Normandy region. Its prefecture is Saint-Lô. Its population is about 486,000 (2006 estimation). It is one of the 83 first French departments made during the French revolution.


title: Marne

paragraphs: Marne is a department in northeastern France named after the river Marne which flows through the department. The prefecture (capital) of Marne is Châlons-en-Champagne (formerly known as Châlons-sur-Marne).

paragraphs: The Champagne vineyards producing the world-famous sparkling wine are located within Marne.

paragraphs: Marne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Châlons-sur-Marne as is capital. It was formed with part of the former province of Champagne.

paragraphs: It was divided in six districts: Châlons-sur-Marne, Reims, Épernay, Sézanne, Sainte-Menehould and Vitry-le-François.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the six districts were changed into five "arrondissements": Châlons-sur-Marne, Épernay, Reims, Sainte-Menehould and Vitry-le-François.

paragraphs: After the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the department was occupied by the Austrian army from June 1815 to November 1818.

paragraphs: On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Sainte-Menehould was eliminated but in 1940 Sainte-Menehould was made again an "arrondissement".

paragraphs: In 1995, the name of Châlons-sur-Marne was changed to Châlons-en-Champagne but it was rejected in 1997. But, finally, this change was accepted in 1998.

paragraphs: The Marne department is in the Grand Est region after being part of the Champagne-Ardenne region till 2016. It is surrounded by 6 departments in 3 regions:

paragraphs: Marne has an area of , the 7th largest department of the Metropolitan France. The department is long from Villeneuve-la-Lionne to Trois-Fontaines-l'Abbaye, and wide from Cormicy to Clesles.

paragraphs: There are three geographic regions in the department:

paragraphs: The Marne river flows through the department from the southeast to the west.

paragraphs: This area is characterized by climates with few extremes of temperature. The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Châlons-en-Champagne is a "Marine West Coast Climate" and of the subtype "Cfb".

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Châlons-en-Champagne is . The month with the most precipitation on average is July with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of .

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Châlons-en-Champagne is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of

paragraphs: Marne is managed by the "Departmental Council of Marne" in Châlons-en-Champagne. The department is part of the Grand Est region.

paragraphs: There are 5 "arrondissements" (districts), 23 "cantons" and 616 "communes" (municipalities) in Marne.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 23 cantons of the Marne department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of the Marne department are known, in French, as "Marnais" (women: "Marnaises"),

paragraphs: Marne had a population, in 2014, of 570,817, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Reims, with 296,374 inhabitants, is the "arrondissement" with more inhabitants.

paragraphs: The 10 "communes" with more inhabitants in the Marne department are:


title: Haute-Marne

paragraphs: Haute-Marne is a department in the northeast of France named after the Marner river. It is in the Grand Est region and its prefecture (capital) is the city of Chaumont.

paragraphs: Charles de Gaulle lived until his death in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises.

paragraphs: Haute-Marne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Chaumont as is capital. It was formed with parts of the former provinces of Champagne, Burgundy, Lorraine and Franche-Comté.

paragraphs: It was divided in six districts: Bourbonne, Bourmont, Chaumont, Joinville, Langres and Saint-Dizier.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the six districts were changed into three "arrondissements": Chaumont, Langres and Wassy.

paragraphs: On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Wassy was eliminated but in 1940 Wassy was made again an "arrondissement" but the subprefecture was moved to Saint-Dizier.

paragraphs: The Haute-Marne department is in the Grand Est region. It is bordered by 6 departments in two regions:

paragraphs: Haute-Marne has an area of , and its highest point is in the "Bois de Baissey" in the commune "Baissey" in the southern part of the department; it is high (), and is in the "Langres" plateau.

paragraphs: The main river is the Marne river; it starts in the Langres plateau and flows through in the department.

paragraphs: This area is characterized by climates with few extremes of temperature. The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Saint-Dizier is a "Marine West Coast Climate" and of the subtype "Cfb".

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Saint-Dizier is . The month with the most precipitation on average is November with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of .

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Saint-Dizier is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of

paragraphs: Haute-Marne is managed by the "Departmental Council of Haute-Marne" in Chaumont. The department is part of the Grand Est region.

paragraphs: There are 5 "arrondissements" (districts), 23 "cantons" and 427 "communes" (municipalities) in Haute-Marne.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 17 cantons of the Haute-Marne department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of the Haute-Marne department are known, in French, as "Haut-Marnais" (women: "Haut-Marnaises"),

paragraphs: Haute-Marne had a population, in 2014, of 180,673, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Saint-Dizier, with 71,371 inhabitants, is the "arrondissement" with more inhabitants.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Haute-Marne

paragraphs: The "communes" with more inhabitants in the Haute-Marne department are:


title: Meurthe-et-Moselle

paragraphs: Meurthe-et-Moselle is a department in the Grand Est region of France, named after the Meurthe and Moselle rivers. The prefecture (capital) of Meurthe-et-Moselle is Nancy.

paragraphs: Meurthe-et-Moselle was created in 1871 at the end of the Franco-Prussian War from the parts of the former departments of Moselle and Meurthe that were left to France with Nancy as is capital. It was divided in 4 "arrondissements": Briey, Lunéville, Toul and Nancy.

paragraphs: The current boundary between Meurthe-et-Moselle and Moselle was the border between France and Germany from 1871 to 1919 and again between 1940 and 1944.

paragraphs: On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissements" of Toul were eliminated but it was made again, in 1943, an "arrondissement".

paragraphs: The Meurthe-et-Moselle department is in the Grand Est region. It is bordered by 4 departments, all in the same region. To the northwest, the department borders Belgium and Luxembourg.

paragraphs: Meurthe-et-Moselle has an area of ; it is from north to south and is wide, forming a panhandle in the north of the department.

paragraphs: Its highest point is in the Roc de Taurupt () between the "communes" Bionville and Raon-sur-Plaine (Vosges) in the western part of the department; it is high.

paragraphs: The main rivers in the department are the Meurthe and the Moselle; the department is named after this two rivers. Other rivers are the Chiers (tributary of the Meuse) and the Vezouze (a tributary of the Meurthe).

paragraphs: The area around Nancy, at an altitude of about , is characterized by climates with few extremes of temperature. The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Troyes is a "Marine West Coast Climate" and of the subtype "Cfb".

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Nancy is . The month with the most precipitation on average is June with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of .

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Nancy is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of

paragraphs: Meurthe-et-Moselle is managed by the "Departmental Council of Meurthe-et-Moselle" in Nancy. The department is part of the Grand Est region.

paragraphs: There are 4 "arrondissements" (districts), 23 "cantons" and 594 "communes" (municipalities) in Meurthe-et-Moselle.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 23 cantons of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department are known, in French, as "Meurthois" or "Meurthe-et-Mosellans" (women: "Meurthoises" or "Meurthe-et-Mosellanes"),

paragraphs: Meurthe-et-Moselle had a population, in 2013, of 731,004, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Nancy, with 417,430 inhabitants, is the "arrondissement" with more inhabitants.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Meurthe-et-Moselle

paragraphs: The 10 "communes" with more inhabitants in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department are:

paragraphs: The economy was highly dependent on mining until the 1960s. There are iron, salt, and lime mines. The urban area around Nancy has a very active economy based largely on services, research, and higher education.


title: Meuse (department)

paragraphs: Meuse is a department found in the east of France in the Grand Est region. Its prefecture is Bar-le-Duc. Its population is about 193,000 (2006 estimation). It is one of the 83 first French departments made during the French revolution.


title: Morbihan

paragraphs: Morbihan (; , ) is a department found in the west of France in the Brittany region. Its prefecture is Vannes and its population is about 677,000 (2006 estimation). It is one of the 83 first French departments made during the French revolution.

paragraphs: Morbihan has also two subprefectures: Lorient and Pontivy.


title: Nièvre

paragraphs: Nièvre is a department in the centre of France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. It is named after the Nièvre river, a tributary of the Loire. Its prefecture and largest city is Nevers.

paragraphs: Nièvre is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Nevers as its capital. It was formed from part of the old province of "Nivernais" and its name was written at first as Nyèvre.

paragraphs: It was divided in nine districts: Nevers, Saint-Pierre-le-Moutier, Decize, Moulins-Engilbert, Château-Chinon, Corbigny, Clamecy, Cosne and La Charité.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the nine districts were changed into four "arrondissements": Nevers, Château-Chinon, Clamecy and Cosne.

paragraphs: On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Cosne was eliminated but in 1943 it became again an "arrondissement" of the department.

paragraphs: Nièvre is part of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. It has an area of . The highest point of the department is Mont Préneley (), high; it is in the "commune" Glux-en-Glenne.

paragraphs: The department borders with six departments in three regions:

paragraphs: There are three main geographical zones in the department:

paragraphs: The main rivers in the department are the Loire, that makes most of the western border, with its tributaries Allier and Aron; and the Yonne, with its tributary Cure.

paragraphs: The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Nevers is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Maritime Temperate climate) and of the subtype "Cfb".

paragraphs: It rains in all seasons but precipitations are more important in the eastern zone, in the Morvan, and weaker in the Loire valley.

paragraphs: Nièvre is managed by the "Departmental Council of Nièvre" in Nevers. The department is part of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.

paragraphs: There are 4 "arrondissements" (districts), 17 "cantons" and 309 "communes" (municipalities) in Nièvre.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 17 cantons of the Nièvre department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Nièvre are known, in French, as "Nivernais" (women: "Nivernaises").

paragraphs: Nièvre had a population, in 2014, of 213,569, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Nevers, with 118,087 inhabitants, is the "arrondissement" with more inhabitants.

paragraphs: The 10 "communes" with more inhabitants in the department are:


title: Nord (department)

paragraphs: Nord is a department in the north of France, in the Hauts-de-France region. Its name is because the department is in the north of France. Its prefecture is Lille.

paragraphs: Nord is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 with Douai as is capital.

paragraphs: It was divided in eight districts: Avesnes, Bergues, Cambrai, Douai, Hazebrouck, Lille, Le Quesnoy and Valenciennes.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the eight districts were changed into six "arrondissements": Avesnes, Bergues, Cambrai, Cassel, Douai and Lille.

paragraphs: In 1803, the capital of the department was moved from Douai to Lille and the subprefecture of Bergues was moved to Dunkirk.

paragraphs: The "arrondissement" of Valenciennes was created in 1824.

paragraphs: The subprefecture of Cassel was moved to Hazebrouck in 1857. On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Hazebrouck was eliminated.

paragraphs: In 1962, the name of the "commune" Avesnes was changed to Avesnes-sur-Helpe.

paragraphs: Nord is part of the Hauts-de-France region. It has an area of .

paragraphs: The department is surrounded by the North Sea, Belgium (West Flanders and Hainaut provinces) and 3 other departments of the Hauts-de-France region:

paragraphs: The highest point in the department is in the "commune" of Anor () near the border with Belgium; it is high.

paragraphs: Several rivers flow through the department; the main rivers are the Scheldt/Escaut, the Yser, the Lys, the Scarpe, and the Sambre.

paragraphs: The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Lille is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Marine West Coast Climate) and of the subtype "Cfb".

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Lille is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of .

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Lille is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: Nord is managed by the "Departmental Council of Aisne" in Lille. The department is part of the Hauts-de-France region.

paragraphs: There are 6 "arrondissements" (districts), 41 "cantons" and 648 "communes" (municipalities) in Nord.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 41 cantons of the Nord department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Nord are known, in French, as "Nordistes".

paragraphs: Nord had a population, in 2014, of 2,603,472, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Lille, with 1,232,513 inhabitants, is the "arrondissement" with more inhabitants.

paragraphs: The 10 "communes" in the department with more inhabitants are:


title: Oise

paragraphs: Oise is a department found in the north of France in the Hauts-de-France region. Its prefecture is Beauvais. Its population is about 780,000 (2006 estimation). It is one of the 83 first French departments made during the French revolution.


title: Pas-de-Calais

paragraphs: Pas-de-Calais is a department found in the north of France in the Hauts-de-France region. Its prefecture is Arras. Its population is about 1,456,000 (2006 estimation). It is one of the 83 first French departments made during the French revolution.


title: Puy-de-Dôme

paragraphs: Puy-de-Dôme is a French department in the centre of France in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and named after the dormant volcano the Puy de Dôme. Its prefecture is the city of Clermont-Ferrand.

paragraphs: Puy-de-Dôme was created in 1790 during the French Revolution, when the whole of France was divided into departments, replacing the old provinces. Puy-de-Dôme was formed with part of the old province of Auvergne.

paragraphs: It was divided in eight districts: Ambert, Besse, Billom, Clermont-Ferrand, Issoire, Montaigu, Riom and Thiers, with Clermont-Ferrand as is capital.

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the eight districts were changed into five "arrondissements": Ambert, Clermont-Ferrand, Issoire, Riom and Thiers. On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Ambert was eliminated but, in 1942 Ambert became again an "arrondissement" of the department.

paragraphs: Puy-de-Dôme is part of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in east-central France, with an area of .

paragraphs: The department borders with 2 other departments in 2 regions:

paragraphs: The department is in the Massif Central and there are several mountain chains; some of the chains and mountains are:

paragraphs: The climate of the Puy-de-Dôme department, in the city of Clermont-Ferrand, is an oceanic climate, Cfb (Marine West Coast Climate) in the Köppen climate classification.

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Clermont-Ferrand, at an altitude of , is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Clermont-Ferrand is . The month with the most precipitation on average is May with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is January with an average of .

paragraphs: Puy-de-Dôme is part of the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The department is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Puy-de-Dôme" in Clermont-Ferrand.

paragraphs: There are 5 "arrondissements" (districts), 31 "cantons" and 467 "communes" (municipalities) in Puy-de-Dôme.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 31 cantons of the Puy-de-Dôme department (with their INSEE codes), in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Puy-de-Dôme are known, in French, as "Puydômois" (women: "Puydômoises").

paragraphs: Puy-de-Dôme has a population, in 2014, of 644,216, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Clermont-Ferrand, with 375,518 inhabitants, is by far the largest.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Puy-de-Dôme

paragraphs: The most important cities in the department are:


title: Pyrénées-Atlantiques

paragraphs: Pyrénées-Atlantiques (Gascon: "Pirenèus-Atlantics"; or ) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. It takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.

paragraphs: Pyrénées-Atlantiques is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790, with the name of Basses-Pyrénées. It was created from parts of the old provinces of Guyenne, Béarn, and Gascony.

paragraphs: The new department had six districts: Mauléon, Oloron, Orthez, Pau, Saint- Palais and Ustaritz.

paragraphs: The first prefecture was Navarrenx but then it was moved to Pau; in 1795, the prefecture was moved to Saint-Palais but in 1796 it was returned to Pau.

paragraphs: On 10 October 1969, the name of the department was changed from "Basses-Pyrénées" to "Pyrénées-Atlantiques".

paragraphs: Pyrénées-Atlantiques is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, southwestern France, and is the 10th French department in area with .

paragraphs: There are two small territorial enclaves—a remnant from the Middle Ages— that are part of the neighboring Hautes-Pyrénées department.

paragraphs: The department is surrounded by the departments:

paragraphs: and by Spain to the south and the Bay of Biscay (Atlantic Ocean) to the west.

paragraphs: The Pyrenees mountain range is found in the southern part of the department and goes, east to west, from the Col d'Aubisque, a mountain pass south of Tarbes and Pau, to the mouth of the river Bidasoa.

paragraphs: The Pic Palas (), at , is the highest point of the department and also the highest of the Aquitaine region; it is on the border with Spain.

paragraphs: The main river of the department is the Adour and all rivers in the department, except for some coastal small rivers, flow into this river. Other important rivers are the Gaves réunis, formed by the rivers Gave d'Oloron and Gave de Pau, and the Nive.

paragraphs: The climate of Pau is Marine West Coast Climate (Köppen climate classification "Cfb"), with mild winters and warm summers.

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Pau is 13.5 °C (56.3 °F). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 20.7 °C (69.3 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 6.6 °C (43.9 °F).

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Pau is . The month with the most precipitation on average is December with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of .

paragraphs: The department is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques" in Pau. Pyrénées-Atlantiques is part of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 27 "cantons" and 546 "communes" (municipalities) in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 27 cantons of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Pyrénées-Atlantiques are known, in French, as "Basques et Béarnais" (women: "Basques et Béarnaises"). The Basques live mainly in the western part of the department and the Béarnais in the eastern part. From 1790 to 1969, before the change of the name of the department, the inhabitants of this departmente were known as "Bas-Pyrénéens".

paragraphs: The Pyrénées-Atlantiques has a population, in 2014, of 667,249, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Pau, with 305,089 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Bayonne and Oloron-Sainte-Marie, have respectively 287,546 and 74,614 inhabitants.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Pyrénées-Atlantiques

paragraphs: The city with more people living in it is the capital, Pau, with 77,489 inhabitants, the of the total population of the department. The subprefectures of Bayonne and Oloron-Sainte-Marie have, respectively, 48,178 inhabitants () and 10,824 inhabitants ().


title: Hautes-Pyrénées

paragraphs: Hautes-Pyrénées () is a department in the southwest of France. It is part of the Occitanie region and its main city is Tarbes.

paragraphs: Hautes-Pyrénées is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created with parts of the former province of Gascony; these parts were the old province of Bigorre and the Pays des Quatre-Vallées.

paragraphs: Hautes-Pyrénées has an area of , or 0.81% of the country. It is part of the Occitanie region and has two small territorial exclaves—a remnant from the Middle Ages—located within the neighboring "département" of Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

paragraphs: The department is surrounded by 2 regions and 3 departments:

paragraphs: and by Spain (the province of Huesca) to the south.

paragraphs: Three natural regions can be distinguished in the department.

paragraphs: The Pyrénées, along the border with Spain, cover the southern half of the department, with 66% of the department. They form a natural barrier between France and Spain. More than 30 mountains here are over high.

paragraphs: The Pic Vignemale (), at , is the highest point of the department; it is on the border with Spain. The Vignemale is in the Pyrénées National Park.

paragraphs: The second region of the Hautes-Pyrénées, with 17% of the territory, consists of chains low hills.

paragraphs: The third region, in the northern part of the department, is the plain of the Adour river and consists of largely flat agricultural land.

paragraphs: The main river of the department is the Adour river that flows through the cities of Tarbes and Bagnères-de-Bigorre. Other rivers are the Gave de Pau and the Neste.

paragraphs: Hautes-Pyrénées has two small territorial exclaves—a remnant from the Middle Ages—within the neighboring "département" of Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

paragraphs: The climate of the department is an oceanic climate with relatively hot summers, mild winters and abundant rainfall, Cfb in the Köppen climate classification.

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Lourdes is . The month with the most precipitation on average is November with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of .

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Lourdes is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: The département is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Haute-Garonne" in Tarbes. The Hautes-Pyrénées is part of the region of Occitanie.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 17 "cantons" and 470 "communes" (municipalities) in the Hautes-Pyrénées.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 17 cantons of the Hautes-Pyrénées department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Hautes-Pyrénées are known, in French, as "Haut-Pyrénéens" (women: "Haut-Pyrénéennes"). They are also known as the "Bigourdans".

paragraphs: Hautes-Pyrénées has a population, in 2014, of 228,950, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Tarbes, with 143,753 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Argelès-Gazost and Bagnères-de-Bigorre, have respectively 38,813 and 46,384 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The city with more people living in it is the capital, Tarbes (40,900), followed by Lourdes (14,361). The subprefectures of Argelès-Gazost and Bagnères-de-Bigorre have, respectively, 3,020 and 7,602 inhabitants.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Hautes-Pyrénées

paragraphs: The cities with more than 4,000 inhabitants in the department are:


title: Pyrénées-Orientales

paragraphs: Pyrénées-Orientales (English: "Eastern Pyrenees"; ; ) is a department in the region of Occitanie in southern France; it is next to the northern Spanish border and the Mediterranean Sea.

paragraphs: The department is formed by the historically Catalan-speaking area of Rosillon (with its different parts: Roussillon (modern), Haute Cerdagne (or simply Cerdagne), Conflent, Vallespir and Capcir) and Fenouillèdes, an historically Occitan-speaking area.

paragraphs: Before 1659, most of the present department was part of the former Principality of Catalonia, within the Kingdom of Spain, so historically most of it has been Catalan-speaking, and it is still sometimes referred to as Northern Catalonia.

paragraphs: Pyrénées-Orientales was created in 1790 during the French Revolution, when the whole of France was divided into departments, replacing the old provinces. Pyrénées-Orientales was formed by the province of Roussillon and Fenouillèdes (), a small piece of territory which had formerly been on the southern edge of Languedoc.

paragraphs: Pyrénées-Orientales has an area of . It has the department of Aude to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, Spain to the south, and Andorra and the department of Ariège to the west.

paragraphs: The department is dominated by the Pyrenees mountain range. The highest mountain is Pic Carlit () that is high. The best known mountain in the department is Le Canigou () that is high.

paragraphs: There are three main rivers in the department: from north to south, Agly, Têt (the largest river of the department) and Tech; the Agly has its source in the Corbières hills, in the southern part of the Aude department. The other two river has their sources in the Pyrenees. The three rivers flow into the eastern Plain of Roussillon before they flow into the Mediterranean Sea.

paragraphs: Most of the population and agricultural production are concentrated in the Plain of Roussillon, with only 30% of the area.

paragraphs: Llívia is a town of Cerdanya, province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain, that forms a Spanish exclave surrounded by French territory.

paragraphs: In the department, there are three subtypes of the group C in the Köppen climate classification:

paragraphs: The département is managed by the "Departamental Council of the Pyrénées-Orientales" in Perpignan. The Pyrénées-Orientales is part of the region of Occitanie.

paragraphs: The area is traditionally divided into comarques, of which five (French Cerdagne, Capcir, Conflent, Roussillon and Vallespir) are historically Catalan-speaking and one (Fenouillèdes) is historically Occitan-speaking.

paragraphs: There are 3 "arrondissements" (districts), 17 "cantons" and 226 "communes" (municipalities) in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 17 cantons of the Pyrénées-Orientales department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: Pyrénées-Orientales has a population, in 2014, of 466,327, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Perpignan, with 349,959 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Ceret and Prades, have respectively 73,192 and 43,176 inhabitants.

paragraphs: The only important city is Perpignan with 120,605 people living there in 2012. The subprefectures Céret and Prades have 7,663 and 5,927, respectively.

paragraphs: Evolution of the population in Pyrénées-Orientales

paragraphs: The cities with more than 6,000 inhabitants in the department are:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of Pyrénées-Orientales are known, in French, as "Pyrénaliens" (women: "Pyrénaliennes") or "Catalans" (women: "Catalanes").

paragraphs: French is spoken by almost all the population. Minority languages in the region are Catalan and Occitan, which between them are estimated to be spoken by rather more than a quarter of the population and understood by more than 40%.

paragraphs: On 10 December 2007, the "Departamental Council of the Pyrénées-Orientales" recognized Catalan as a regional language of the department, though French is still the only official language in France, according to the Constitution.

paragraphs: Pyrénées-Orientales is a wine-growing area and a tourist destination.

paragraphs: The area is famous for its wine with the predominately red grape varieties grown all over the department.


title: Bas-Rhin

paragraphs: Bas-Rhin is a department in the Grand Est region of France, named after the Rhine river that flows along its eastern border. The prefecture (capital) of Bas-Rhin is Strasbourg.

paragraphs: Bas-Rhin means "Lower Rhine", however, geographically speaking it belongs to the "Upper Rhine" region. This is the last French department to have kept the term "Bas", meaning "Lower", in its name. Other departments using this word preferred to change their names.

paragraphs: Bas-Rhin is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was divided in four districts: Haguenau, Benfeld, Strasbourg and Wissembourg, with Strasbourg as is capital. Soon, the district of Sarre-Union was created and the name of the district of Benfeld was changed to Sélestat (in its origins, Schlestadt).

paragraphs: In 1800, with the creation of the "arrondissements" in France, the five districts were changed into four "arrondissements": Strasbourg, Barr, Saverne and Wissembourg. The subprefecture of Barr was moved to Schlestadt (Sélestat) in 1806.

paragraphs: The Bas-Rhin department was eliminated in 1871 when the territory became part of Germany.

paragraphs: In 1919, Bas-Rhin is again an department when the territory became part of France with the "arrondissements" Strasbourg-Ville, Strasbourg-Campagne, Erstein, Haguenau, Molsheim, Saverne, Sélestat and Wissembourg.

paragraphs: The "arrondissements" Sélestat and Erstein were combined in 1974 to form the "arrondissement" of Sélestat-Erstein.

paragraphs: In 2015, the "arrondissements" Strasbourg-Campagne and Wissembourg were eliminated and their territories passed to the remaining "arrondissements", and only 5 were kept: Haguenau-Wissembourg, Molsheim, Saverne, Sélestat-Erstein and Strasbourg.

paragraphs: The Bas-Rhin department is in the Grand Est region and borders 5 departments, all in the Grand Est region: Haut-Rhin to the south, Vosges to the southwest, Meurthe-et-Moselle to the west and Moselle to the northwest. To the north and east, the department borders Germany along the Rhine river.

paragraphs: Bas-Rhin has an area of . Its highest point is Champ de Feu () in the southwestern part of the department; it is high.

paragraphs: The main river in the department is the Rhine that forms the eastern border of the department, and of France.

paragraphs: The area around Strasbourg, at an altitude of about , is characterized by climates with few extremes of temperature. The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Strasbourg is a "Marine West Coast Climate" and of the subtype "Cfb".

paragraphs: The average amount of precipitation for the year in Strasbourg is . The month with the most precipitation on average is July with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of .

paragraphs: The average temperature for the year in Strasbourg is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

paragraphs: Bas-Rhin is managed by the "Departmental Council of Bas-Rhin" in Strasbourg. The department is part of the Grand Est region.

paragraphs: There are 5 "arrondissements" (districts), 23 "cantons" and 517 "communes" (municipalities) in Bas-Rhin.

paragraphs: The following is a list of the 23 cantons of the Bas-Rhin department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

paragraphs: The inhabitants of the Bas-Rhin department are known, in French, as "Bas-Rhinois" or (women: "Bas-Rhinoises"),

paragraphs: Bas-Rhin had a population, in 2014, of 1,112,815, for a population density of inhabitants/km. The "arrondissement" of Strasbourg, with 484,157 inhabitants, is the "arrondissement" with more inhabitants.

paragraphs: The 10 "communes" with more inhabitants in the Bas-Rhin department are: