Vaucluse

French depairtment

The Vaucluse (French pronunciation: ​[vokˈlyz]; Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm) is a depairtment in the sootheast o Fraunce, namit efter the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.

Vaucluse
Coat of airms o Vaucluse
Coat airms
Location o Vaucluse in Fraunce
Location o Vaucluse in Fraunce
Coordinates: 44°00′N 05°10′E / 44.000°N 5.167°E / 44.000; 5.167
KintraFraunce
RegionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
PrefecturAvignon
SubprefectursApt
Carpentras
Govrenment
 • Preses o the General CooncilClaude Haut
Area
 • Total3567 km2 (1,377 sq mi)
Population
 (2007)
 • Total538,541
 • Rank48t
 • Density150/km2 (390/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Depairtment number84
Arrondissements3
Cantons24
Communes151
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, an lakes, ponds, an glaciers lairger than 1 km2

History eedit

Vaucluse wis creatit on 12 August 1793 oot o pairts o the depairtments o Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes (later renamed Alpes-de-Haute-Provence). The then rural depairtment wis, like the nearbi ceety o Lyon, a hotbed o the French Resistance in Warld War II.

Geography eedit

Vaucluse is bordered bi the Rhône tae the wast an the River Durance tae the sooth. Muntains occupy a significant proportion o the eastren hauf o the depairtment, wi Mont Ventoux (1,912 m), kent as "the Giant of Provence" an aw, dominatin the landscape. Ither important muntain ranges include the Dentelles de Montmirail, the Monts de Vaucluse, an the Luberon. Fruit an vegetables are cultivatit in great quantities in the lawer-lyin pairts o the depairtment, on ane o the maist fertile plains in soothren Fraunce. The Vaucluse département haes a rather muckle exclave athin the Drôme depairtment, the canton o Valréas (Enclave des Papes).

Important urban centres include Avignon, Orange, Carpentras, Cavaillon, an Apt.

Demographics eedit

  • Urban population: 416,301 (83%)
  • Rural population: 83,384 (17%)

See also eedit

Freemit airtins eedit