Gers

**Gers** (Gascon: _Gers_) is a department in the Occitanie region in the southwest of France named after the Gers river.

## History

Gers is one of the 83 French departments made during the French revolution, on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the old provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.

The new department had six districts: Auch, Lectoure, Condom, Nogaro, L'Isle-Jourdain and Mirande. The capital (now prefecture) was Auch.

in 1808, part of the Gers department was transferred to the new Tarn-et-Garonne department'.

## Geography

Gers is known for its hilly landscape and bastide villages. The Pyrenees are visible to the south.

Gers is part of the Occitanie region, and is the 34th French department in area with .

The department is surrounded by six departments in two regions:
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
    - Lot-et-Garonne (north)
    - Pyrénées-Atlantiques (southwest)
    - Landes (west)
- Occitanie region
    - Tarn-et-Garonne (northeast)
    - Haute-Garonne (east)
    - Hautes-Pyrénées (south)

The main rivers of the department are the Garonne and the Gers, a left tributary of the Garonne. Other rivers are Save, Gimone, Arrats, Baïse and Osse.

The highest point in the department is _Mont de Chapelle Saint Roch_ (), in west central Pyrénées near the border with the Hautes-Pyrénées department, with an altitude of .

### Climate

The climate of Gers is an oceanic climate with template summers, **Cfb** (Marine West Coast Climate) in the Köppen climate classification.

The annual rainfall in the department varies from over  in the southwest of the department, to less than  in the northeast (Auch, Condom and Lectoure).

Summers are very hot and dry, the temperatures often exceed . Winters vary, often with frost, but the climate remains mild and dry.

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## Administration

The department is managed by the _Departamental Council of the Gers_ in Auch. Gers is part of the region of Occitanie.

### Administrative divisions

There are 3 _arrondissements_ (districts), 17 _cantons_ and 462 _communes_ (municipalities) in Gers.

|INSEE code !! Arrondissement !! Capital !! Population <small>(2014)</small> !! width=70px | Area <small>(km²)</small> !! Density <small>(Inh./km²)</small> !! _Communes_|||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|321|Auch|Auch|87,118|2,133.9||154|
|322|Condom|Condom|65,562|2,436.8||158|
|323|Mirande|Mirande|37,945|1,686.1||150|

The following is a list of the 17 cantons of the **Gers** department (with their INSEE codes), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

1. Adour-Gersoise <small>(3201)</small>
1. Armagnac-Ténarèze <small>(3202)</small>
1. Astarac-Gimone <small>(3203)</small>
1. Auch-1 <small>(3204)</small>
1. Auch-2 <small>(3205)</small>
1. Auch-3 <small>(3206)</small>
1. Baïse-Armagnac <small>(3207)</small>
1. Fezensac <small>(3208)</small>
1. Fleurance-Lomagne <small>(3209)</small>
1. Gascogne-Auscitaine <small>(3210)</small>
1. Gimone-Arrats <small>(3211)</small>
1. Grand-Bas-Armagnac <small>(3212)</small>
1. L'Isle-Jourdain <small>(3213)</small>
1. Lectoure-Lomagne <small>(3214)</small>
1. Mirande-Astarac <small>(3215)</small>
1. Pardiac-Rivière-Basse <small>(3216)</small>
1. Val de Save <small>(3217)</small>

## Demographics

The inhabitants of Gers are known, in French, as _Gersois_ (women: _Gersoises_).

Gers has a population, in 2014, of 190,625, for a population density of  inhabitants/km<sup>2</sup>. The _arrondissement_ of Auch, with 87,118 inhabitants, is by far the largest. The other two, Condom and Mirande, have respectively 65,562 and 37,945 inhabitants.

**Evolution of the population in Gers**

The 10 most important cities in the department are:
|City|Population <small>(2014)</small>|Arrondissement|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Auch|21,807|Auch|
|L'Isle-Jourdain|8,345|Auch|
|Condom|6,835|Condom|
|Fleurance|6,292|Condom|
|Eauze|3,851|Condom|
|Lectoure|3,724|Condom|
|Mirande|3,527|Mirande|
|Vic-Fezensac|3,525|Auch|
|Gimont|2,922|Auch|
|Pavie|2,476|Auch|

## Economy

The economy in Gers revolves primarily around agriculture and culinary tourism. The department is a producer of maize, wheat, rapeseed, sunflower.

Some well-known products of the region are:
- _Armagnac_, a brandy
- _Côtes de Gascogne_, wine
- _Floc de Gascogne_, an apéritif (an alcoholic drink served before a meal)
- _Foie gras_
- Wild mushrooms

## Related pages

- Arrondissements of the Gers department
- Communes of the Gers department

## Other websites

- Departamental Council website
- Prefecture website
- Comité départemental du tourisme et des loisirs du Gers
- Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie du Gers

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Gers
- **type**: Departments of France, Department
- **image skyline**: (Auch) Façade ouest de la préfecture du Gers.jpg
- **image alt**: Prefecture building of the Gers department
- **image caption**: Prefectures in France, Prefecture building of the Gers department, in Auch
- **image flag**: Flag of Gers.svg
- **flag size**: 125px
- **flag alt**: Flag of Gers
- **image shield**: Blason département fr Gers.svg
- **shield size**: 80px
- **shield alt**: Coat of arms
- **image map**: Gers-Position.svg
- **map caption**: Location of Gers in France
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: France
- **subdivision type1**: Regions of France, Region
- **subdivision name1**: Occitanie
- **established title**: Département
- **established date**: 4 March 1790
- **seat type**: Prefectures in France, Prefecture
- **seat**: Auch
- **parts type**: Prefectures in France, Subprefectures
- **parts style**: para
- **p1**: Condom, Gers, Condom
- **p2**: Mirande
- **leader title**: President of the Departmental Council, President
- **leader name**: Philippe Martin
- **unit pref**: Metric
- **area total km2**: 6256.8
- **population total**: 190625
- **population as of**: 2014
- **population density km2**: auto
- **population demonym**: Gersois
- **blank name sec2**: Arrondissements of France, Arrondissements
- **blank info sec2**: 3
- **blank1 name sec2**: Cantons in France, Cantons
- **blank1 info sec2**: 17
- **blank2 name sec2**: Communes in France, Communes
- **blank2 info sec2**: 462
- **timezone1**: Central European Time, CET
- **utc offset1**: +1
- **timezone1 dst**: Central European Summer Time, CEST
- **utc offset1 dst**: +2
- **iso code**: FR-32
- **website**: [http://www.gers.fr/ www.gers.fr/]