Landes
Encyclopedia : L : LA : LAN : Landes
| Landes | |
|---|---|
|
Details | |
| Information | |
| Number | 40 |
| Region | Aquitaine |
| Prefecture | Mont-de-Marsan |
| Subprefectures | Dax |
| -1999 -Population density>Density | Ranked 68th 327,334 35/km² |
| Area | 9243 km² |
| Arrondissements | 2 |
| Cantons | 30 |
| Communes | 331 |
| President of the General Council | Henri Emmanuelli |
| Location | |
| |
Landes is a département in southern France.
History
Historically, Landes was part of Gascony. It was one of the original 83 départements created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.
Geography
Landes is part of the current région of Aquitaine and is surrounded by the départements of Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, and Pyrénées-Atlantiques, as well as the Atlantic Ocean on the west. With an area streching over more than 9000 km², Landes is, after Gironde, the second largest department of the metropolitan french territory.
It is well known for the Côte d'Argent beach which is Europes longest, and attracts many surfers to Mimizan and Hossegor each year.
Economics
In terms of agriculture, Landes is known for its large pine forests which are the raw material for a timber and resin industries in the region. The forests were planted in the early nineteenth century to prevent erosion of the region's sandy soil by the sea.
See also
- Cantons of the Landes département
- Communes of the Landes département
- Arrondissements of the Landes département
External links
- [Prefecture website] (in French)
- [Conseil Général website] (in French)
- [Information on Gascony]
- [Protecting the forests from sand dunes]
Landes is also the name of a commune in the Charente-Maritime département, in France.
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