Auvergne

Auvergne () is a former administrative region of France. It is now part of the administrative region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is in the Massif Central in south-central France. The inhabitants of the region are known as Auvergnats.

The four departments in Auvergne were Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire, and Puy-de-Dôme. Its capital was Clermont-Ferrand.

History
The region of Auvergne was named after the Arverni, one of the most powerful Gallic tribes.

The administrative region of Auvergne was formed with the territory of the old province of Auvergne, most of the territory of the Bourbonnais and small parts of Languedoc and Lyonnais.

During World War II, Vichy (a city in the department of Allier) was the headquarters of the government of the French State.

Geography
The Auvergne region has an area of , 4.8% of France's total surface area. It was surrounded by six other former regions: Burgundy to the northeast, Rhône-Alpes to the east and to the southeast, Languedoc-Roussillon to the south, Midi-Pyrénées to the southwest, Limousin to the west and Centre-Val de Loire to the northwest.

The landscape of the region varies greatly, with valleys, mountain, meadows and forests. Much of the regions is in the Massif Central, a high region in south-central France with mountains and plateaus.

There are many dormant volcanoes (volcanoes that are not active) in Auvergne, mainly in the Monts Dore and in the Chaîne des Puys. The highest point in Auvergne is the Puy de Sancy (), at  high.

The northern part of the region (in the Allier department) is a land of small hills cut in two parts by a plain, the valley of the Allier river.

Auvergne has about 50 freshwater ponds and lakes. Some are high in the mountains and have volcanic origins. The Guéry Lake is, at  high in the Puy-de-Dôme department, the highest lake in Auvergne.

The main rivers of the region are the:
 Loire, that runs through the Haute-Loire in the southeast and then, after returning from the Rhône-Alpes region, makes the northeastern border of the Allier department; and
 Allier, that runs though the centre of the region.

Departments
The Auvergne region was formed by four departments:

DépartementPréfectureISO3166-2Population(2012)Area(km²)Density(Inh./km²)AllierMoulins FR-03 342,911  7,340 CantalAurillacFR-15147,4155,726 Haute-LoireLe Puy-en-VelayFR-43225,6864,977 Puy-de-DômeClermont-FerrandFR-63638,0927,970 

Demographics
The Auvergne region had a population, in 2012, of 1,354,104, for a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

The ten main cities in the department are:
 City Population  (2012) Départment Clermont-Ferrand  141,569  Puy-de-Dôme Montluçon  38,072  Allier Aurillac  27,074  Cantal Vichy  25,315  Allier Cournon-d'Auvergne  19,223  Puy-de-Dôme Moulins  18,959  Allier Le Puy-en-Velay  18,599  Haute-Loire Riom  18,484  Puy-de-Dôme Chamalières  17,480  Puy-de-Dôme Issoire  14,296  Puy-de-Dôme

Economy
The region is predominantly agricultural. Cattle are common and are used both for meat (beef) and for milk, which is made into a number of well-known cheeses such as Bleu d'Auvergne, Cantal, Fourme d'Ambert and Saint-Nectaire.

The main industry in Auvergne is the tyre industry, represented by Michelin, with headquarters and history in Clermont-Ferrand, and Dunlop in Montluçon.

Gallery

References

Other websites

 Regional Council of Auvergne official website  
 Visit Auvergne: Cultural, gastronomic, and literary history of Auvergne
 About-France.com: Auvergne guide and tourist attractions

Category:Former administrative regions of France
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