Jura (department)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2023) |
Jura | |
|---|---|
     _(05).jpg)  From top down, left to right: Lac de Vouglans, Baume-les-Messieurs, Poligny, Lac de Bonlieu, Lac de l'Abbaye, Les Planches-près-Arbois, Chancia | |
.svg) Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Jura in France | |
| Coordinates: 46°40′31″N 5°33′16″E / 46.67528°N 5.55444°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté |
| Prefecture | Lons-le-Saunier |
| Subprefectures | Dole Saint-Claude |
| Government | |
| • President of the Departmental Council | Gérôme Fassenet[1] (LR) |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,999 km2 (1,930 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,200 m (3,900 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 200 m (700 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 258,555 |
| • Rank | 83rd |
| • Density | 52/km2 (130/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Department number | 39 |
| Arrondissements | 3 |
| Cantons | 17 |
| Communes | 494 |
| ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2 | |
Jura (/ˈ(d)ʒʊərə/ JOOR-ə, ZHOOR-ə, French: [ʒyʁa] ⓘ)[needs Arpitan IPA] is a department in the eastern French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The department takes its name from the Jura Mountains. Its prefecture is Lons-le-Saunier; subprefectures are Dole and Saint-Claude. In 2019, Jura had a population of 259,199.[3] Its INSEE code is 39. It has a short portion of the border of Switzerland.
History
[edit]Historically, Jura belonged to the Free County of Burgundy, known in French as the Franche-Comté. Dole was the capital until the region was conquered by Louis XIV and the capital was moved to Besançon. Dole is now a sous-préfecture, or sub-prefecture, of Jura.
As early as the 13th century, inhabitants of the southern two-thirds of Jura spoke a dialect of Arpitan language. It continued to be spoken in rural areas into the 20th century.
Jura is one of the original 83 départements of France, it being created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was established from part of the former province of Franche-Comté. The prefecture is Lons-le-Saunier.
Demographics
[edit]Population development since 1801:
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Principal towns
[edit]The most populous commune is Dole; the prefecture Lons-le-Saunier is the second-most populous. As of 2019, there are five communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants:[3]
| Commune | Population (2019) |
|---|---|
| Dole | 23,711 |
| Lons-le-Saunier | 17,189 |
| Saint-Claude | 8,985 |
| Champagnole | 8,014 |
| Hauts de Bienne | 5,275 |
Geography
[edit]Jura is one of eight départements of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region and is surrounded by the French départements of Doubs, Haute-Saône, Côte-d'Or, Saône-et-Loire, and Ain, as well as the Swiss canton of Vaud on the east.
The Jura mountains are wooded and rolling, not craggy and rocky like the Alps.
Many lakes can be found throughout the Jura, the largest natural lake being Lac de Chalain, measuring 3 km long and 1 km wide. Lac de Vouglans was formed after the building of a hydro-electric dam. It is one of the largest man-made lakes in France.
Politics
[edit]Departmental politics
[edit]The President of the Departmental Council has been Clément Pernot (miscellaneous right) since 2015.
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| • | Union for a Popular Movement | 15 |
| Socialist Party | 8 | |
| Miscellaneous left | 6 | |
| French Communist Party | 3 | |
| • | Miscellaneous right | 2 |
Members of the National Assembly
[edit]In the 2024 legislative election, Jura elected the following representatives to the National Assembly:
Climate
[edit]The climate of the Jura varies greatly by elevation. The lower valleys are temperate and pleasant, but the high mountain valleys have bitterly cold winters.
Economy
[edit]Jura is a wine-growing region. The Jura wines are very distinctive and unusual wines, such as vin jaune, which is made by a similar process to sherry, developing under a flor of yeast. This is made from the local Savagnin grape variety. Other grape varieties include Poulsard, Trousseau, and Chardonnay.
The département contains no industrial cities: the few towns function as administrative and commercial centres serving Jura's rural economy. In the absence of large-scale industrial enterprises, small artisanal businesses play an important role. The Jura CFA (Centre for apprenticeship and training) recently recorded 752 current apprenticeships in trades such as building, baking, butchery, hair dressing, car repairing, sales and other non-factory based occupations.
Tourism
[edit]The Jura mountains provide ample opportunities for hiking, skiing, as well as other winter sports.
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See also
[edit]- Cantons of the Jura department
- Communes of the Jura department
- Arrondissements of the Jura department
References
[edit]- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 4 May 2022.
- ^ "Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ a b Populations légales 2019: 39 Jura, INSEE
- ^ "Historique du Jura". Le SPLAF.
- ^ "Évolution et structure de la population en 2016". INSEE.
- ^ "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français". Assemblée nationale (in French). Retrieved 2021-03-09.
External links
[edit]
- (in French) Prefecture website
- (in French) Departmental Council website
- (in French) Tourism website
- (in English) Tourism information
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