Gironde

For other uses, see Gironde (disambiguation).
Gironde
Department

Prefecture building of the Gironde department, in Bordeaux

Flag
Coat of arms

Location of Gironde in France
Coordinates: 44°50′N 0°40′W / 44.833°N 0.667°W / 44.833; -0.667Coordinates: 44°50′N 0°40′W / 44.833°N 0.667°W / 44.833; -0.667
Country France
Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Prefecture Bordeaux
Subprefectures Arcachon
Blaye
Langon
Lesparre-Médoc
Libourne
Government
 • President of the General Council Jean-Luc Gleyze
Area1
 • Total 10,000 km2 (4,000 sq mi)
Population (2013)
 • Total 1,505,517
 • Rank 7th
 • Density 150/km2 (390/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Department number 33
Arrondissements 6
Cantons 33
Communes 540
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude 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 Guyane.

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
• Socialist Party 45
The Republicans 12
• French Communist Party 3
Miscellaneous Right 1
MoDem 1
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. (French)
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