GIRONDE, a department in the south-west of France, created out of the ancient principality of Guienne. It is bounded on the north and north-east by the department of the Lower Charente, on the east by those of Dordogne and of Lot-Garonne, on the south by the Landes, and on the west by the ocean. It comprehends 3428 square miles, or, according to the Statistique de la France, 975,100 hectares. The civil divisions are six arrondissements, forty-eight cantons, and543communes, which in 1836 contained a population of 555,809 persons. The whole department is a fine level plain, excepting that on the eastern side there are some gentle elevations. That division consists of a soil composed of broken tuffstein, fertile sand, and calcareous matter, and is well cultivated and highly productive; on the western side, and especially towards the south of the department, the land is either a morass or barren sands, where, for leagues together, no human habitation is visible, and nothing to be seen but a few wandering sheep, some corktrees, and numerous fir-trees. The latter seem to flourish, and to yield large quantities of turpentine, pitch, and tar.

None of the departments of France is better watered than the Gironde; most of the streams, which are numerous, discharge their water into that river which gives its name to this division of the country. Several of these rivers are navigable, and by their means fuel is conveyed from the woods, which cover one tenth of the surface, to the several cities whose consumption requires it. The chief object of cultivation is the vine; the wine is chiefly red, known by the names of Medoc, Haut-Brion, St Emil-han, Latour, Lafitte, and Chateaux-Margaux, but by the generic names of Bordeaux or claret. The most valued white win.es are known as Carbonnieux, Serons, Graves, Barsac, Prignac, Sauterne, Baume, and Sainte-Croix-duMont, The management of the grapes, as well as of the wine, is well understood; and the produce of the vineyards, besides wine, is very considerable in brandy, liqueurs, spirits of wine, and vinegar.

The corn of the department is insufficient for the consumption; and large quantities, chiefly of rye, are brought from other districts for the maintenance of the poor. There are few horses bred or kept, and the plough is for the most part worked by oxen, which, as well as the cows, are of an indifferent race. The sheep are not numerous, and commonly afford meat and wool of an inferior quality. Besides grapes, the other fruits are abundant, especially chestnuts, almonds, and figs. The other products of the soil are cork, stone coal, turf, hemp, and flax. There are no mines except those of iron, which yield but little. Table salt is made on the coast, sufficient for the consumption in the oeillets of St Vivian, which produce 1200 tons annually. The manufacturing industry is extensive as to the number of articles fabricated, but confined chiefly to the city of Bordeaux, the capital. The principal goods are linens and cottons, snuff, glass, china and earthen ware, dyestuffs, leather, ironmongery, cordage, and sailcloth. The commerce exclusively from Bordeaux is extensive, as well t0 t ** e t r ^ r >ch colonies as to other parts of the world, to which native commodities are exported, and the productions of such countries returned.