Vaucluse

Vaucluse (French: [voklyz]; Provençal: Vauclusa (Classical norm) or Vau-Cluso (Mistralian norm)) is a department in Southeastern France, located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It had a population of 559,014 as of 2016.

For other uses, see Vaucluse (disambiguation).
Vaucluse

Vauclusa  (Occitan)
Department of France
From top down, left to right: prefecture building and Palais des Papes in Avignon, Gordes (one of the most beautiful villages of France), Sénanque Abbey, Sorgues River and Nesque River
Flag
Coat of arms
Location of Vaucluse in France
Coordinates: 44°00′N 05°10′E
CountryFrance
RegionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
PrefectureAvignon
SubprefecturesApt
Carpentras
Government
 • President of the Departmental CouncilMaurice Chabert (LR)
Area
 • Total3,567 km2 (1,377 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total559,014
 • Rank48th
 • Density160/km2 (410/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number84
Arrondissements3
Cantons17
Communes151
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2

It is named after the famous Fontaine de Vaucluse spring; the name Vaucluse itself derives from the Latin Vallis Clausa ("Closed Valley") as the valley ends in a cliff face from which emanates a spring whose origin is so far in and so deep that it remains to be defined. The department's prefecture is Avignon.

History

Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme and Basses-Alpes, later renamed Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The then rural department was, like the nearby city of Lyon, a hotbed of the French Resistance in World War II.

Geography
The Fontaine de Vaucluse is the source of the Sorgues. It is characterised by an upward movement of water from the depth of over 315 metres (1,033 ft).

Vaucluse is bordered by the Rhône to the west and the Durance to the south. Mountains occupy a significant proportion of the eastern half of the department, with Mont Ventoux (1,912 m), also known as "the Giant of Provence", dominating the landscape. Other important mountain ranges include the Dentelles de Montmirail, the Monts de Vaucluse and the Luberon. Fruit and vegetables are cultivated in great quantities in the lower-lying parts of the department, on one of the most fertile plains in Southern France. The Vaucluse department has a rather large exclave within the Drôme department, the canton of Valréas (Enclave des Papes).

Vaucluse is also known for its karst, including the karst spring Fontaine de Vaucluse after which "Vauclusian Risings" are named. Important urban centres include Avignon, Orange, Carpentras, Cavaillon and Apt.

Demographics
  • Urban population: 416,301 (83%)
  • Rural population: 83,384 (17%)


Population development since 1801:

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1801191,421—    
1806205,833+1.46%
1821224,431+0.58%
1831239,113+0.64%
1841251,080+0.49%
1851264,618+0.53%
1861268,255+0.14%
1872263,451−0.16%
1881244,149−0.84%
1891235,411−0.36%
1901236,949+0.07%
1911238,656+0.07%
1921219,602−0.83%
1931241,689+0.96%
1936245,508+0.31%
1946249,838+0.17%
1954268,318+0.90%
1962303,536+1.55%
1968353,966+2.59%
1975390,446+1.41%
1982427,343+1.30%
1990467,075+1.12%
1999499,685+0.75%
2006534,291+0.96%
2011546,630+0.46%
2016559,014+0.45%
source:[1]

Politics

Departmental Council
Departmental Council of Vaucluse
Composition since the 2015 election

Following the 2015 departmental election, Maurice Chabert of The Republicans was elected President of the Departmental Council. He succeeded Claude Haut, a member of the Socialist Party, who had held the office since 2001.

The Departmental Council of Vaucluse has 34 seats. The Left Front (FG) currently has 2 seats, the Socialist Party (PS) has 7, Europe Ecology – The Greens (EELV) has 3, the miscellaneous right (DVD) has 2, The Republicans (LR) have 10, the National Rally has 6 and a local party, the Ligue du Sud (LS), has 4.

Members of the National Assembly

During the 2017 legislative election, Vaucluse elected the following representatives to the National Assembly:[2]

ConstituencyMemberParty
Vaucluse's 1st constituency Jean-François Cesarini La République En Marche!
Vaucluse's 2nd constituency Jean-Claude Bouchet The Republicans
Vaucluse's 3rd constituency Brune Poirson La République En Marche!
Vaucluse's 4th constituency Jacques Bompard Ligue du Sud
Vaucluse's 5th constituency Julien Aubert The Republicans

On 21 July 2017, Poirson resigned from office to join the Second Philippe government as Secretary of State to the Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition. She was replaced in the National Assembly by Adrien Morenas.

Tourism
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See also

References
  1. Site sur la Population et les Limites Administratives de la France
  2. List of members for Vaucluse (in French), on www.nosdeputes.fr.
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