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Gironde

Department of France


Department of France

FieldValue
nameGironde
native_nameoc
native_name_lang
typeDepartment of France
image_skylineBordeaux Hôtel de préfecture de la Gironde.jpg
image_captionPrefecture building in Bordeaux
image_flagFlag of Gironde.svg
image_shieldBlason département fr Gironde.svg
image_mapGironde-Position.svg
map_captionLocation of Gironde in France
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameFrance
subdivision_type1Region
subdivision_name1Nouvelle-Aquitaine
seat_typePrefecture
seatBordeaux
parts_typeSubprefectures
parts_stylepara
p1Arcachon
Blaye
Langon
Lesparre-Médoc
Libourne
leader_partyPS
leader_titlePresident of the Departmental Council
leader_nameJean-Luc Gleyze
unit_prefMetric
area_footnotes
area_total_km210725
population_total
population_as_of
population_footnotes
population_rank6th
population_density_km2auto
blank_name_sec1Department number
blank_info_sec133
blank_name_sec2Arrondissements
blank_info_sec26
blank1_name_sec2Cantons
blank1_info_sec233
blank2_name_sec2Communes
blank2_info_sec2534
timezone1CET
utc_offset1+1
timezone1_DSTCEST
utc_offset1_DST+2
postal_code_type33000
iso_codeFR-33
footnotesFrench Land Register data, which excludes estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2.

Blaye Langon Lesparre-Médoc Libourne

Gironde ( , US usually ; ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749. The famous Bordeaux wine region is in Gironde. It has six arrondissements, making it one of the departments with the most arrondissements (Nord also has six, while Pas-de-Calais has the most of any department, with seven).

History

Gironde is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.

From 1793 to 1795, the department's name was changed to Bec-d'Ambès to avoid the association with the Girondist political party of the French Revolution.

In July 2022, Gironde was affected by large wildfires.

Geography

Gironde is part of the current region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and is surrounded by the departments of Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Dordogne and Charente-Maritime and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. With an area of 10,000 km2, Gironde is the largest department in metropolitan France, and the second-largest in entire France. Its size is larger than Lebanon or the province of Banten. If overseas departments are included, however, Gironde's land area is dwarfed by the 83,846 km2 of French Guiana.

Gironde is well known for the Côte d'Argent beach which is Europe's longest, attracting many surfers to Lacanau each year. It is also the birthplace of Jacques-Yves Cousteau who studied the sea and all forms of life in water.

The Great Dune of Pyla in Arcachon Bay near Bordeaux is the tallest sand dune in Europe.

Demographics

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Bordeaux, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 30,000 inhabitants:

CommunePopulation (2019)
Bordeaux260,958
Mérignac72,197
Pessac65,245
Talence43,820
Villenave-d'Ornon36,754
Saint-Médard-en-Jalles31,808
Bègles30,642

Politics

The President of the Departmental Council is Jean-Luc Gleyze of the Socialist Party.

PartyseatsSocialist Party (France)}}"The Republicans (France)}}"French Communist Party}}"Miscellaneous Right}}"Democratic Movement (France)}}"Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Traditions}}"
Socialist Party45
The Republicans12
French Communist Party3
Miscellaneous Right1
MoDem1
Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Tradition1

Current National Assembly Representatives

ConstituencyMemberParty
En Marche!}}"Gironde's 1st constituencyDominique David
En Marche!}}"Gironde's 2nd constituencyCatherine Fabre
La France Insoumise}}"Gironde's 3rd constituencyLoïc Prud'homme
Socialist Party (France)}}"Gironde's 4th constituencyAlain David
La République En Marche!}}"Gironde's 5th constituencyBenoît Simian
La République En Marche!}}"Gironde's 6th constituencyÉric Poulliat
La République En Marche!}}"Gironde's 7th constituencyBérangère Couillard
La République En Marche!}}"Gironde's 8th constituencySophie Panonacle
Democratic Movement (France)}}"Gironde's 9th constituencySophie Mette
La République En Marche!}}"Gironde's 10th constituencyFlorent Boudié
National Rally}}"Gironde's 11th constituencyEdwige Diaz
La République En Marche!}}"Gironde's 12th constituencyChristelle Dubos

Tourism

File:Place-Bourse Bordeaux-boosted-colours.jpg|Bordeaux File:Cave Blanc Château de Rochemorin.JPG|Bordeaux wine File:Dune du pyla 2009.JPG|The Great Dune of Pyla File:Arcachon tchanquée.JPG|Arcachon Bay File:Bourg-sur-Gironde2.jpg|Bourg-sur-Gironde File:Château de La Brède en Gironde.jpg|Château de la Brède, birthplace of Montesquieu File:France - Blaye - La Gironde depuis la citadelle.jpg|The Gironde estuary seen from the citadel of Blaye File:Les Grottes de Ferrand.jpg|Grottoes of Ferrand File:Château des Freytets nouveau château d'Eck cadaujac.JPG|Château d'Eck

References

References

  1. (4 May 2022). "Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux".
  2. "Gironde". [[Oxford University Press]].
  3. "Gironde". [[HarperCollins]].
  4. {{Cite Merriam-Webster. Gironde
  5. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep33.pdf Populations légales 2019: 33 Gironde], INSEE
  6. "Wildfires in Gironde, France, burn through 10,000 hectares".
  7. C.G. (14 August 2009). Les Adresses de Mathilde Seigner et Fabien Onteniente. ''[[Le Figaro. Le Figaro Magazine]]''. {{in lang. fr
  8. "Historique de la Gironde".
  9. "Évolution et structure de la population en 2016". INSEE.
  10. Nationale, Assemblée. "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français".
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