Var (département)
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| Var | |
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| The Var coat of arms | |
| Location | |
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| Administration | |
| Département number: | 83 |
| Région: | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Préfecture: | Toulon |
| Sub-Préfectures: | Brignoles Draguignan |
| Arrondissements: | 3 |
| Cantons: | 43 |
| Communes: | 153 |
| Conseiller Général: | Horace Lanfranchi |
| Statistics | |
| Population | Ranked 21st |
| -1999 | 898,441 |
| Population density: | 150/km² |
| Land area¹: | 5973 km² |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km². | |
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Var is a département of southeastern France.
Contents |
[edit] History
Var was formed in 1790 of a part of Lower Provence, but in 1860 it was reduced by the transfer of the district of Grasse to the newly formed département of the Alpes-Maritimes, which is why the Var River does not now flow in the département to which it gives its name.
The Var is also famous for its wine production - the town of Bandol in particular for its red wine.
[edit] Geography
Var is bounded on the north by the département of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (the Verdon river forming the boundary), on the east by that of the Alpes-Maritimes, on the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the west by the département of the Bouches-du-Rhône.
Its area is 5,973 km², its greatest length is about 62 miles, and its greatest breadth about 56 miles.
The Var is a diverse region encompassing mountains, beautiful ocean, plains, and valleys. In the north, the famous "Canyon du Verdon" is a wonderful place for hikers, kayakers, and nature lovers.
[edit] Agriculture
The area dedicated to agriculture is 800 km². This is 13% of the total area of the département. 38,000 people depend on agriculture, directly or indirectly, for their livelihoods. Sales of agricultural products run at 610 million euros a year, of which 45% is sales of wines and 42% of horticultural products.
Vines and viticultural related activities account for 345 square kilometres of farmland. The 450 domaines / cooperatives and the 4 AOCs(appelation d'origine controlleé) produce 150 million litres (3.3 m UK gallons) of wine a year.
The département has 10 square kilometres of horticultural land (of which 4 km² are covered). The Var is France's largest grower of cut flowers, producing some 500 million stems a year.
Livestock farming is mainly sheep (50,000 animals) and goats (4,200 animals).
Other important agricultural products include olives (42 km², a quarter of all French olive groves, and some 40 mills), figs - the Var produces 80% of France's figs, and honey (800 tonnes a year). There are also 9 km² of market gardens.
[edit] See also
- Cantons of the Var département
- Communes of the Var département
- Arrondissements of the Var département
[edit] External links
- Website of the Conseil General - The département's governing body (in French)
- Community / portal website for people living in or visiting Var - forums, housing and webcams (in French)
- www.toulonnais.com - The monuments, the past, the plans of the city of Toulon. Many photographs inside (in French)
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