Title: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Content: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence  is a department in the south of France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its prefecture is Digne-les-Bains. Until 1970, the department was named as Basses-Alpes. ==History== right|thumb|220px|Map of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The department of the Alpes- de-Haute-Provence, with the name of Nord-de-Provence was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 but soon its name was changed to Haute-Provence and then to Basses-Alpes. It was divided in five districts: Barcelonnette, Castellane, Digne, Forcalquier and Sisteron. with Digne as its capital. On 12 August 1793, the department of Vaucluse was created from parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes. Basses-Alpes lost the canton of Sault of Vaucluse. Seventeen years later, in 1810, the canton of Barcillonnette was transferred over to Hautes-Alpes. In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the five districts were changed into five arrondissements: Barcelonnette, Castellane, Digne, Forcalquier and Sisteron. On 10 September 1926, the arrondissements of Castellane and Sisteron were eliminated and in 1942 Castellane was made again an arrondissement of the department. During World War II, the department was occupied by the fascist Italy. The name of the capital, Digne, was changed to Digne-les-Bains in 1988 and on 13 April 1970 the department of Basses-Alpes was renamed Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. ==Geography== Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has an area of . The department is surrounded by Italy and five departments in two regions: * Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region ** Hautes-Alpes (north) ** Alpes-Maritimes (east) ** Var (south) ** Vaucluse (west) * Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region ** Drôme (northwest) The highest point is Aiguille de Chambeyron , in the "commune" of Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye, to the northeast of the Ubaye valley; it is . Other high mountains in the department are Brec de Chambeyron , Pics de la Font Sancte , Grand Bérard,  and Tête de Siguret . The main river in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is the Durance, a tributary of the Rhône river and that flows through the west of the department. Its main tributaries are the Bléone and Verdon. The Var river flows through the eastern part of the department. ===Climate=== The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at the Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban airport is an "Oceanic climate" (also known as Maritime Temperate climate) and of the subtype "Cfb". The average amount of precipitation for the year in Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is February with an average of . The average temperature for the year in Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of . ==Administration== Alpes- de-Haute-Provence is managed by the Departamental Council of Alpes-de-Haute- Provence in Digne-les-Bains. The department is part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. ===Administrative divisions=== There are 4 arrondissements (districts), 15 cantons and 198 communes (municipalities) in Alpes-de-Haute- Provence.  ==Gallery== File:Digne Gassendi et cathédrale Saint-Jérôme.jpg|Digne-les-Bains File:Vue forcalquier 2402.JPG|Forcalquier File:Sisteron (2452199561).jpg|Sisteron File:Gorges du Verdon 2010.jpg|Verdon river gorge File:Chambeyron-lac du marinet.jpg|The Aiguille de Chambeyron ==Related pages== * Arrondissements of the Alpes-de- Haute-Provence department * Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department