Vaucluse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Vaucluse | |
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| The Vaucluse coat of arms | |
| Location | |
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| Administration | |
| Département number: | 84 |
| Région: | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Préfecture: | Avignon |
| Sub-Préfectures: | Apt Carpentras |
| Arrondissements: | 3 |
| Cantons: | 24 |
| Communes: | 151 |
| Conseiller Général: | Claude Haut |
| Statistics | |
| Population | Ranked 50th |
| -1999 | 499,685 |
| Population density: | 140/km² |
| Land area¹: | 3567 km² |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km². | |
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- For other uses, see Vaucluse (disambiguation).
The Vaucluse (Provençal Occitan: Vauclusa in classical norm or Vau-Cluso in Mistralian norm) is a département in the southeast of France.
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[edit] History
The Vaucluse was created on 8 December 1793 out of parts of the départements of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes (later renamed Alpes-de-Haute-Provence).
[edit] Geography
The Vaucluse is bordered by the Rhône to the west and the River Durance to the south. Mountains occupy a significant proportion of the eastern half of the département, with Mont Ventoux (1,912 m), also known as "the Giant of Provence", dominating the landscape. Other important mountain ranges include the Dentelles de Montmirail, the Monts de Vaucluse, and the Luberon. Fruit and vegetables are cultivated in great quantities in the lower-lying parts of the département, on one of the most fertile plains in southern France. The Vaucluse département has a rather large exclave within the Drôme département, the canton of Valréas (Enclave des Papes).
Important urban centres include Avignon, Orange, Carpentras, Cavaillon, and Apt.
[edit] Demographics
- Urban population: 416,301 (83%)
- Rural population: 83,384 (17%)
[edit] See also
- Canton of Valréas/(Enclave des Papes)
- Cantons of the Vaucluse département
- Communes of the Vaucluse département
- Arrondissements of the Vaucluse département
[edit] External links
- [http://www.images-provence-gratuites.com/ Free pictures of Vaucluse
- VaucluseWebsite of the Conseil Général (governing body of the département)
- Provence-Hideaways - sights and flavours of the Provence.
- Discover the Vaucluse with pictures...
