Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's main cities are Digne-les-Bains (prefecture), Manosque, Sisteron, Barcelonnette, Castellane and Forcalquier. Inhabitants are called the Bas-Alpins (masculine) or Bas-Alpines (feminine) in reference to the department's former name, Basses-Alpes, which was in use until 1970. Although the prefecture is Digne-les-Bains, the largest city is Manosque. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's INSEE and postal code is 04.
The departmental can be divided into three zones depending on the terrain, climate, population and economy:
* the plateaux, hills and valleys of Haute-Provence, which comprise one-third of the area but two-thirds of the population and the most important cities of the department with almost all of the economic activity apart from mountain tourism. The valley of the Durance, the artery of the department, cuts the rest of the department into two-halves:
* the Lower Alps: an intermediate mountain area with valleys and very remote villages
* the High Alps: including the valleys of Ubaye, Blanche, and the high Verdon (upstream of Colmars-les-Alpes) where the economy is built around mountain tourism (skiing). In the Haute-Ubaye, the mountain peaks exceed 3000 m above sea level and all the passes are close to or above 2000 m in altitude. In this part of the department is one of the highest roads in Europe: the main road D64 reaches an altitude of 2802 m near the Col de la Bonette (2715 m) and connects the region of Barcelonnette to the Tinée and Vésubie valleys.
The relief of the land compartmentalises the region: the enclosed valleys are difficult to access, so dividing the country into as many local areas which communicate very little with the outside. In 1877, 55 communes only had access to trails or mule paths.
The seismic hazard is moderate (zone 3) to medium (zone 4) with different faults such as the Durance located in the department.
The main cities are Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron, Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, Oraison, Forcalquier, Les Mées, Pierrevert, Villeneuve, Sainte-Tulle, Gréoux-les-Bains, Barcelonnette and Castellane.
Map - Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Map
Country - France
Flag of France |
Inhabited since the Palaeolithic era, the territory of Metropolitan France was settled by Celtic tribes known as Gauls during the Iron Age. Rome annexed the area in 51 BC, leading to a distinct Gallo-Roman culture that laid the foundation of the French language. The Germanic Franks formed the Kingdom of Francia, which became the heartland of the Carolingian Empire. The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned the empire, with West Francia becoming the Kingdom of France in 987. In the High Middle Ages, France was a powerful but highly decentralised feudal kingdom. Philip II successfully strengthened royal power and defeated his rivals to double the size of the crown lands; by the end of his reign, France had emerged as the most powerful state in Europe. From the mid-14th to the mid-15th century, France was plunged into a series of dynastic conflicts involving England, collectively known as the Hundred Years' War, and a distinct French identity emerged as a result. The French Renaissance saw art and culture flourish, conflict with the House of Habsburg, and the establishment of a global colonial empire, which by the 20th century would become the second-largest in the world. The second half of the 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Huguenots that severely weakened the country. France again emerged as Europe's dominant power in the 17th century under Louis XIV following the Thirty Years' War. Inadequate economic policies, inequitable taxes and frequent wars (notably a defeat in the Seven Years' War and costly involvement in the American War of Independence) left the kingdom in a precarious economic situation by the end of the 18th century. This precipitated the French Revolution of 1789, which overthrew the Ancien Régime and produced the Declaration of the Rights of Man, which expresses the nation's ideals to this day.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
EUR | Euro | € | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
EU | Basque language |
BR | Breton language |
CA | Catalan language |
CO | Corsican language |
FR | French language |
OC | Occitan language |