Title: Privas Content: Privas is a commune of France, capital (Prefecture) of the Ardèche department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France. It is the smallest administrative centre of any department in France. Today Privas is known for several confectionery made with chestnuts produced in the region, as the marron glacé. ==History== When the department of Ardèche was created on 4 March 1790, the capital was Privas alternating with Annonay, Aubenas, Le Bourg(-Saint-Andéol) and Tournon. In September of that year, Privas became the only capital of the department. == Geography == The commune of Privas is in the central eastern part of the Ardèche department, in the valley of the Ouvèze river, a tributary of the Rhône river. The commune of Privas is in the centre of a region known as the "Bassin Privadois". The commune has an area of , and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is . The distances from Privas to other cities are: * Paris, the national capital - ; * Lyon, the regional capital - ; * Marseille - ; * Strasbourg - ; * Reims - ; * Bordeaux - ; * Toulouse - ; * Montpellier - ; * Nice - .  Privas is surrounded by the communes: === Climate === The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Largentière is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Maritime Temperate climate) and of the subtype "Cfb". ==Population== The inhabitants of Privas are known, in French, as Privadois (women: Privadoises). With a population of 8,313, Privas has a population density of inhabitants/km2. It is the prefecture with fewest people living in it. Evolution of the population in Privas Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:500 height:373 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:30 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:12000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1200 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:600 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:a text:1968 bar:b text:1975 bar:c text:1982 bar:d text:1990 bar:e text:1999 bar:f text:2005 bar:g text:2010 bar:h text:2014 PlotData= color:barra width:30 align:left bar:a from:0 till: 10080 bar:b from:0 till: 10808 bar:c from:0 till: 10345 bar:d from:0 till: 10080 bar:e from:0 till: 9170 bar:f from:0 till: 8681 bar:g from:0 till: 8369 bar:h from:0 till: 8313 PlotData= bar:a at: 10080 fontsize:S text: 10,080 shift:(-12,5) bar:b at: 10808 fontsize:S text: 10,808 shift:(-13,5) bar:c at: 10345 fontsize:S text: 10,345 shift:(-13,5) bar:d at: 10080 fontsize:S text: 10,080 shift:(-13,5) bar:e at: 9170 fontsize:S text: 9,170 shift:(-13,5) bar:f at: 8681 fontsize:S text: 8,681 shift:(-13,5) bar:g at: 8369 fontsize:S text: 8,369 shift:(-13,5) bar:h at: 8313 fontsize:S text: 8,313 shift:(-13,5) == Administration == Privas is the prefecture of the Ardèche department since 1800. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Privas and the administrative centre  of the canton Privas, formed by 15 communes, including Privas, with 20,402 inhabitants (2014). It is part of the intercommunality Privas Centre Ardèche, officially named as Communauté d'agglomération Privas Centre Ardèche. === Sister cities === Privas is twinned with: * Tortona, Italy * Weilburg, Germany * Wetherby, United Kingdom * Zevenaar, Netherlands ==Gallery== File:Privas (Ardèche, Fr) Le Mézayon, panneau du pont.JPG|Bridge over the Mézayon stream. File:Privas (Ardèche, Fr) mairie.JPG|Town hall of Privas. File:Mairie de Privas.jpg|Town hall of Privas. File:Privas (Ardèche, Fr) une des églises.JPG|Saint-Thomas church. File:Eglise de Privas - panoramio.jpg|Privas church. File:Privas (Ardèche, Fr) un temple.JPG|Protestant temple in Privas. |Monument aux morts de la Résistance ==Related pages== * Arrondissement of Privas * Communes of the Ardèche department