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Gironde

Coordinates: 44°50′N 0°40′W / 44.833°N 0.667°W / 44.833; -0.667
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For other uses, see Gironde (disambiguation).
Gironde
Department
Prefecture building of the Gironde department, in Bordeaux
Prefecture building of the Gironde department, in Bordeaux
Flag of Gironde
Flag
Coat of arms of Gironde
Coat of arms
Location of Gironde in France
Location of Gironde in France
Coordinates: 44°50′N 0°40′W / 44.833°N 0.667°W / 44.833; -0.667
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
PrefectureBordeaux
SubprefecturesArcachon
Blaye
Langon
Lesparre-Médoc
Libourne
Government
 • President of the General CouncilJean-Luc Gleyze
Area
1
 • Total10,000 km2 (4,000 sq mi)
Population
 (2013)
 • Total1,505,517
 • Rank7th
 • Density150/km2 (390/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number33
Arrondissements6
Cantons33
Communes538
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km².

Gironde (French pronunciation: [ʒiʁɔ̃d]; in Occitan Gironda) is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwest France. It is named for the Gironde estuary, a major waterway. The Bordeaux wine region is in the Gironde.

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 revolutionary party, the Girondists.

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. 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.[1]

Politics

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

Party seats
style="background-color: Template:Socialist Party (France)/meta/color" |• Socialist Party 45
style="background-color: Template:The Republicans (France)/meta/color" | The Republicans 12
style="background-color: Template:French Communist Party/meta/color" |• French Communist Party 3
style="background-color: Template:Miscellaneous Right/meta/color" | Miscellaneous Right 1
style="background-color: Template:Democratic Movement (France)/meta/color" | MoDem 1
style="background-color: Template:Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Traditions/meta/color" | Hunting, Fishing, Nature, Tradition 1

Tourism

See also

References

  1. ^ C.G. (14 August 2009). Les Adresses de Mathilde Seigner et Fabien Onteniente. Le Figaro Magazine. Template:Fr icon
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