Vaucluse

The department of Vaucluse (84) is a department French of the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure.

Its inhabitants is called the Vauclusiens .

Geography

The department of Vaucluse belongs to the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure. It is bordering on the departments of the Gard and the Ardèche in the west, of the Drome in north, the Alp-of-High-Provence in the east, the Var (on a few hundred meters hardly) and of the Rhone delta in the south.

Relief

The relief of Vaucluse presents an alternation of mountains (the Massif of Baronnies and its Dentelles of Montmirail, the Massif of Luberon, the Monts of Vaucluse), plates and plains strewn with hills.

Most important of these plains, located at the south and the west of the Mount Ventoux, is the plain of Comtat, within which a majority of the population is concentrated. She extends between the the Rhone in the west, the Durance in the south and the Monts of Vaucluse in the east. The zone is extremely fertile and shelters most of the early product French culture. The plain of Comtat is bordered in the North-East by reliefs limestones which are the prolongation of the alpine solid mass in its extreme south-west. The Mount Ventoux, the “Giant of Provence” which culminates to 1.912 m, dominates the landscape vauclusien. Its particular flora (Flora of the mount Ventoux) and its Biodiversité led UNESCO to register it like " Reserve of biosphere " in 1990. The solid masses shelter a vegetation primarily coniferous tree. The Luberon in the south shelter a diversified ecosystem, which in particular led to the creation of the Regional natural park of Luberon.

Hydrography

In spite of dry summers and plans of drynesses which return chaques years, water is rather present in the department.

The the Rhone in the West and the Durance in the South delimit the department.

Climate

See also: Climate of Vaucluse

The Département of Vaucluse is subjected to various types of climates. Indeed, are particular geographical site places it at a point of meeting between three of the four major climates of France: the Mediterranean Climate for its southern part, the mountain Climate for its north-eastern part with the high relief of the Mounts of Vaucluse and the Massive of Baronnies and finally a quite relative influence of the semi-continental Climate for its north-western part. However, this proximity of the three great types of climate with for effect to level them with a certain prevalence of the Mediterranean climate. This is why for the part in the North-West one speaks about climate " Mediterranean with semi-continentale" influence;.

Denomination

The official designation is “department of Vaucluse”. Indeed the department holds its name of the village of the same name, Vaucluse , which is called today Fountain-of-Vaucluse. The village itself owes its name with a deep very picturesque valley, Vaucluse (étymologiquement closed valley : Vallis Clausa in Latin).

Remark : in everyday usage one says: the Vaucluse, or the department of the Vaucluse.

History

See also: History of Vaucluse

Previously pontifical possessions, Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin were attached to France the September 14th 1791. The March 28th 1792, these territories formed two new districts, Avignon in the Rhone delta and Carpentras in the Drome. Then, the August 12th 1793 was created the department of Vaucluse, made up of the districts of Avignon and Carpentras, but also of those of Apt and Orange, which belonged to the Rhone delta, as well as Canton of Sault, which belonged to the the Low-Alps. In 1800, a last modification of the departmental limits attached Suze-the-Russet-red to the Drome, which resulted in to entirely wedge the canton vauclusien Valréas in the Drome.

Before-Vaucluse

The history of the territory of the department of Vaucluse is rather old with many traces of prehistoric occupations, then of the Roman occupation (ancient Théâtre of Orange…), of wars (massacre of the Of Vaud of Luberon…) and of religion (Papacy of Avignon…). This history mingles with that with the Provence, the Comtat Venaissin and the Orange county (founded by Charlemagne, it will become Principauté of Orange in 1181).

Its history is also strongly related to the development of the cultures of which the Sériciculture or culture of the garance, with the exploitation of mines and careers (mines ocrières, stone quarries, etc).

The communes are numerous and have to all them blazon.

Popes of Avignon

Clement V, Jean {{XXII}}, Benoit {{XII}}, Clement {{VI}}, Innocent {{VI}}, Urbain {{V}} and Gregoire {{XI}}.

Demography

The inhabitants of Vaucluse are the Vauclusiens .

A half million people live the Vaucluse whose great majority is concentrated around the urban and economic pole which is the agglomeration of Avignon.

Distribution by geographical sector:

In 2005, INSEE estimated at 529.000 the number of inhabitants in Vaucluse.

For several decades, the population has increased much: between 1975 and 1999, it passed from 381.912 to 499.685 inhabitants, that is to say a rise of 31%. This increase was done mainly by the migratory flux, and - always in 1999 - 97.821 Vauclusiens came from another department or another country. This growth slows down.

Employment

Nearly 43% of the population vauclusienne is active.

Schooling

" Thirty thousand Vauclusiens young people joined this year one of the 53 colleges of the département".

Economy

See also: Saving in Vaucluse

Vaucluse today, it is more than 15.000 trade, industrial companies and of service, more than 10.000 craftsmen and more than 8.000 farms.

Vaucluse was a long time a deeply rural department, whose economy was marked by pastoral agriculture and the industry centered on the transformation of the agricultural produce. The existence of the fertile zone is historically a catalyst of local development, with the persistence of a still dynamic market-gardening sector, since it provides the essence of the French production out of fruits (melons, cherries, strawberries, table grapes…) and vegetables (tomatos…). However, the sector is subjected to problems of competitiveness involved in the competition of Spain in particular.

The tertiary sector is most dynamic by far in the department: on the basis of important production of early products in Vaucluse, the M.I.N became the structuring pole of the marketing activity in the department, taking the step on the local markets (in particular that of Carpentras). In the years 1980-1990, the development of the trade in goods between North and the South of Europe reinforced the position of Avignon like crossroads logistic, and supported the creation of storage and haulage companies in clothing and the food one.

The retail business on the model of large distribution developed and imposed in all the medium-sized cities (Orange, Cavaillon, Carpentras…), with an important concentration on the agglomeration inhabitant of Avignon.

Agriculture

See also: Agriculture of Vaucluse

Production of fruit and vegetables : Olive S, melon S, Cherry S, strawberry S, Pear S, Apple S, grape (of table or for wines of which several AOC)…

The wine sector enjoys a good reputation thanks to the Côtes of the Rhone produced mainly on the slopes of Châteauneuf-of-Pope, Gigondas or Vacqueyras…). The wines of the Luberon and the Ventoux tend to develop on a widened product range (rosy), more associated with the provençaux wines.

The breeding, which was a long time the base of a mountain saving in subsistence on the slopes of the reliefs, is a marginal activity.

The specialized cultures (Lavender on the plates of the Mounts of Vaucluse, aromatic herbs…) develop thanks to an expanding market.

Industry

The industrial sector, historically founded on the transformation of the agricultural production, knew an extension towards sectors more specialized during the XIXe century (manufactures of garance). In spite of the installation at the XXe century of major poles of production, in particular in the north of the agglomeration inhabitant of Avignon (Electro-Refractory - become in turn SEPR, then Saint-Gobain -, powder mill SNPE, Orange Isover etc), the industrial fabric remains not very dense, also undergoing waves of the important reductions of manpower starting from the Années 1980.

The local industrial grid remains thus assured by SME, often family and of historical establishment, in the agricultural processing sectors. Construction remains an important provider of employee job and craft industry, taking into account the dynamism of the residential sector (under the double effect of the arrival of migrants and the tourist pressure).

Tourism

See also: Tourism in Vaucluse

The department accommodates some 3.500.000 tourists each year. Avignon (quoted of the Popes, festival…), the Luberon (rest, excursions, festivals…) and the Mount Ventoux (cycling…) are the principal destinations.

The French are majority and in progression (83% of the nights in 2003 compared with 69% in 1997) but international tourism progresses.

The principal destinations are the Luberon with 27,5% of the nights, Avignon with 26% of the nights and the sector of the Mont Ventoux with 15,4% of the nights. The remainder distributed more or less on all Vaucluse.

According to the official site, tourism generates an annual turnover of more than 610 million euros.

Infrastructures

Road equipment

Vaucluse counts (Figure 2005):

  • 69 km of highway A7, with a 51.284 vehicles/day flow for 32.925 vehicles/day with the national plan.
  • 124 km of trunk roads (RN7, RN100, RN542…), with a 15.077 vehicles/day flow for 12.009 vehicles/day with the national plan.
  • 1.737 km of secondary roads (RD943, RD956, RD974,…) with a 3.219 vehicles/day for 1.621 vehicles/day flow with the national plan

Stations and railways

The stations Avignon TGV and Avignon Centers, the Gare of Orange

LGV the Mediterranean

Airports and aerodromes

The Avignon - Caumont, Carpentras, Valréas - Visan, Saint-Christol,…

Habitat and town planning

Many houses and of grounds were repurchased by people in search of a second home or for their retirement. A real passion was spread since the years 1970, initially for the Luberon, then for the remainder of the department, attracting wearied investors of the estival overpopulation and bétonnement of the Riviera. In particular Europeans like the Swiss ones, Germans, Belgians, Dutchmen and British. For a few years the area has attracted also many North-Americans. It is today difficult to acquire there the least residence and the prices of the transactions are with the endorsement.

Mediate and communication

In 2006,98% of the population vauclusienne can-to have access to a connection high banc among the ADSL, the cable, the satellite, the radio local loop (BLR) or Wi-fi.

Policy

The department is divided into 3 districts and 24 cantons.

  • elected officials of Vaucluse : List of the deputies of Vaucluse, List of the senators of Vaucluse, List of the general advisers of Vaucluse.

  • Districts of Vaucluse : First, second, third and fourth.

Administration

  • communities of agglomeration : of Large Avignon, Ventoux-Comtat Venaissin, of the Country of Aix

  • communities of communes: of the country of Apt, Aygues Ouvèze in Provence, Sorgues of Comtat, of Coustellet, of the Enclave of the Popes, the Luberon-Durance, of Rousset Foot in Luberon, Provence Luberon the Durance, of the Doors of Luberon, Rhone-Lez-Provence, of the Countries of the Rhone and Ouvèze, of the Country of Sault, of the Country of Sorgues and the Mounts of Vaucluse, of the Terraces of Ventoux, of the Valley of Toulourenc, of the Country Voconces

----

Random links:Quenya | Kisame Hoshigaki | Gordon A. Craig | Hortense Dufour | Japan Golf Turn | Pinheirodontidae