Online Encyclopedia
Auvergne
Auvergne Region | |
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Details |
|
Information | |
Capital | Clermont-Ferrand |
Population
- Density |
50 /km² |
Area | 26,013 km² |
Censored pages | 14 |
Cantons | 158 |
Communes | 1,310 |
President of the regional council |
Pierre-Joël Bonté (since April 2004) |
Départements | |
Location | |
Auvergne is an administrative région of central France, consisting of the départements of Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Haute-Loire and Allier.
Contents |
History
Auvergne was also historically a province of France, deriving its name from Averni, a Gallic tribe who once occupied the area. In 1790, the historical province was divided into the modern-day départements, although Haute-Loire and Allier also include some land from the historical provinces of Bourbonnais , Lyonnais and Languedoc.
See also Rulers of Auvergne
Geography
The principal town of Auvergne is Clermont-Ferrand. A large part of the Auvergne region is covered by the volcanic Massif Central mountain range, which stretches over nearly one-sixth of France's total area.
Economy
The region is famed for its cheeses, exports of mineral waters, and tires. It is also the site of a number of major hydroelectric projects, mainly located on the Tarn, Dordogne, Cère , Lot, and Truyère rivers.
Culture
The Auvergnat language was historically spoken in Auvergne.
The composer Joseph Canteloube based his well known piece Songs of the Auvergne (1930; for voice and orchestra) on folk music and songs from Auvergne.
The writer Clark Ashton Smith wrote a series of short stories based in the mythical region of Averoigne, a fictional counterpart to this region.
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