Online Encyclopedia
Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales | |
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Details |
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Information | |
Number | 66 |
Region | Languedoc-Roussillon |
Prefecture | Perpignan |
Subprefecture | Céret Praof |
Population |
Ranked 57th
95 /km² |
Area | 4,115 km²; |
Arrondissements | 3 |
Cantons | 31 |
Communes | 226 |
President of the general council |
Christian Bourquin |
Location | |
Pyrenées-Orientales (Eastern Pyrenees) is a département of southern France adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea.
Contents |
History
Pyrénées-Orientales corresponds largely to the former province of Roussillon (French Catalonia), which it replaced in 1790. See also: Cerdanya.
For history to 1790, see Roussillon.
Invaded by Spain in April 1793, the area was recaptured thirteen months later.
Administration
Pyrenées-Orientales is grouped with neighbouring Aude and three other départements to the north-east in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon.
Geography
Pyrénées-Orientales has an area of 4115 sq. km. and a population of 400,000, of whom just over a quarter live in the capital, Perpignan (Catalan Perpinyà). Other towns include Argelès-sur-Mer , Thuir , Elne (the ancient Illiberis) and Prades (Catalan Prada de Conflent ), each of 6-10,000 inhabitants.
Pyrenées-Orientales consists of three river valleys in the Pyrenees mountain range - from north to south, those of the Agly , Têt and Tech - and the eastern Plain of Roussillon into which they converge. Most of the population and agricultural production are concentrated in the plain, with only 30% of the area.
The upper Tech valley comprises the département's westernmost third, with just over a tenth of the total population. To the south-east, the Têt valley and the Côte Vermeille contain nearly 100,000 inhabitants. The Agly basin in the north-east has much in common with neighboring areas of Aude.
Economy
Pyrénées-Orientales is a wine-growing area and a tourist destination.
Demographics
The Catalan language is estimated to be spoken by rather more than a quarter of the population and understood by more than 40%.
Culture
Places of interest include:
- Prades (Catalan Prada de Conflent) - site of the Catalan Summer University (Universitat Catalana d'Estiu).
- Banyuls-sur-Mer (Catalan Banyuls de la Marenda) famous for its Muscat wine, birth place of Aristide Maillol.
- Prats de Molló - important defensive castle of the 17th century facing south to the Pyrenees.
- Salses - important defensive castle of the 16th century, on the ancient frontier with Spain.
French départements
01|02|03|04|05|06|07|08|09|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|17|18|19|2A|2B|21|22|23|24|25
26|27|28|29|30|31|32|33|34|35|36|37|38|39|40|41|42|43|44|45|46|47|48|49|50
51|52|53|54||55|56|57|58|59|60|61|62|63|64|65|66|67|68|69|70|71|72|73|74|75
76|77|78|79|80|81|82|83|84|85|86|87|88|89|90|91|92|93|94|95
Départements d'outre-mer: 971|972|973|974
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