Gascogne

Its name

Gascogne draws its name from the people Vascon, which will give the term Gascon, adaptation Gallo-Roman E of a Prononciation Germanique Waskon ; Vascon also gave the term Basque (it should be noted that in Spanish Basque says vasco ).

Contrary to other provinces (like the Brittany or the Normandy for example), the name of Gascogne disappeared with the province which it indicated and was not taken again to indicate any the departments or areas of current France.

It has tended nevertheless to make its reappearance for a few years like tourist name to indicate its Eastern historical heart limitativement: the Gers. The department of the Moors currently studies a change of denomination in Moors of Gascogne.

One finds his trace in names:

Geography

Gascogne is pressed on the mountainous buttresses of the the Pyrenees and opens on the Atlantic Ocean (the Bay of Biscay). The great mass of the Forêt of the Moors occupies a central place in the geographical space of Gascogne current. The two principal rivers are the the Garonne and the Adour.

Departments concerned

It includes/understands the departments:

of the Gers
of the Hautes-Pyrénées (old Bigorre)
of the Moors

and partly those:

of the Ariège
of the the Gironde
of the Haute-Garonne
of Lot-et-Garonne
of the Yrénées-Atlantiques (left Béarn ease, Bayonne); Rebated joint, Bidache.
of Tarn-et-Garonne.

The Valley of Aran, although pertaining to the Spain, formed part historically and linguistically of Gascogne.

Cities

The main cities are:

Auch, its historical capital (Aush)
Bagnères-with-Luchon (Banhèras)
Bayonne (basco-Gascon identity) (Baiona)
Bazas (Vasats)
Bordeaux (Bordèu)
Condom (Condom)
Dax (Dacs)
Eauze (Eusa)
Langon (Lengon)
Lectoure (Leitora)
Heavy (Lorda)
Mount-with-Marsan (Lo Mont)
Nérac (Nerac)
Oloron (Auloron)
Orthez (Ortès)
Pau (Pau)
Saint-Gaudens (Gaudenç Feels)
Tarbes (Tarba)

To note, the Country house-Clairence, Gascon enclave in Basque territory

Vernacular language

the regional language is the Gascon.

Economy

The economic main resources are:

the Sylviculture (leafy and resinous)
agriculture: Wines (Medoc, low registers, sauternes, jurançon, buzet, etc…) ; breeding ovine, bovine and poultries; Armagnac; corn, corn and barley; vegetable and fruit-bearing cultures (valleys of the Garonne and the adour).
Fishing (Atlantic facade, estuary of the Gironde) and Ostreiculture (Basin of Arcachon).
the Tourism: seaside resorts of the Coast of Money, country holidays, cultural tourism, Hydrotherapy, Heavy monks , winter sports resorts.
the hydrocarbons (gas of Lacq, oil of Parentis-in-Born), chemical industries of the basin of Pau and the of Bordeaux one.
military garrisons (Tarbes, Pau, Mount-of-Marsan…)
Aeronautical industry (Pau, Tarbes, Tarnos, Surface/Adour, Bordeaux, Marmande)
the industry of wood and packing.
Agro-alimentary industry .
metallurgical industry (Tarnos, Lannemezan, St Andre de Cubzac)

Emblematic figure

the most known Gascon throughout the world is not other than celebrates it D' Artagnan, of its true name Charles de Batz Castelmore.

Flag

The Drapeau (based on a Cross of saint Andre) reproduced here is supposed to be given by the pope at the time of the Third crusade. Actually, it circulates only on Internet and to date no proof was advanced to support its existence.

It is the raising flag of the lions and corn ears which are used today officially (on the frontages of the town halls, such Bayonne).

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