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Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the
INSEE
Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the
The department of Hérault is crossed by several rivers that originate in the southern foothills of the Massif Central and empty into the
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
of Occitania
Occitania ( oc, Occitània , , or ) is the historical region in Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe where the Occitan language, Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes still used as a second language. This ...
, Southern France
Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French language, French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi ...
. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.Populations légales 2019: 34 HéraultINSEE
History
Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc
The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France.
Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...
.
At the beginning of the 20th century, viticulture
Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...
in the wine-growing region was devastated by a slump in sales combined with disease affecting the vines. Thousands of small scale producers revolted. This revolt was suppressed very harshly by the government of Georges Clemenceau
Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (, also , ; 28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A key figure of the Independent Radicals, he was a ...
.
The catastrophic frost of the winter of 1956 damaged the olive tree
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
s, and the olive-growing regions did not recover until the late 1980s. Many of the olive-industry co-ops closed.
During the second half of the twentieth century the Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
basin saw some of the most rapid population growth in France.
Geography
Hérault is part of the ''region'' ofOccitanie Occitanie may refer to:
*Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French
*Occitania (administrative region)
Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occitània ; ca, Occitània ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...
and is surrounded by the departments of Aude, Tarn, Aveyron
Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitants ...
, Gard, and the Mediterranean (Gulf of Lion
The Gulf of Lion or Gulf of Lions (French: ''golfe du Lion'', Spanish: ''golfo de León'', Italian: ''Golfo del Leone'', Occitan: ''golf del/dau Leon'', Catalan: ''golf del Lleó'', Medieval Latin: ''sinus Leonis'', ''mare Leonis'', Classical L ...
) on the south. The department is geographically very diverse, with beaches in the south, the Cévennes
The Cévennes ( , ; oc, Cevenas) is a cultural region and range of mountains in south-central France, on the south-east edge of the Massif Central. It covers parts of the ''départements'' of Ardèche, Gard, Hérault and Lozère. Rich in geogra ...
mountains in the north, and agricultural land in between. The territory of Hérault is often described as an open amphitheater facing the sea. The geography of Hérault is marked by the diversity of its geology and its landscapes. These range from the southern foothills of the Massif Central
The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France.
Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...
, to the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
, through the areas of garrigue
Garrigue or garigue ( ), also known as phrygana ( el, φρύγανα , n. pl.), is a type of low scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.
It is found on limestone soils in southern ...
and the low plain of Languedoc wine. Hérault has a Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
.
The minimum elevation is at sea level and the highest point of the department is at an elevation of 1181m in one of the peaks of the Espinouse. The average elevation is about 227m.
The department of Hérault is crossed by several rivers that originate in the southern foothills of the Massif Central and empty into the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
, flowing more-or-less from north to south over a relatively short distance from high elevation. The main rivers flowing from east to west are the Vidourle
The Vidourle (; ''Vidorle'' in occitan) is a river in southern France that flows into the Mediterranean Sea in Le Grau-du-Roi. Its source is in the Cévennes mountains, northwest of Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, at Saint-Roman-de-Codières. It flow ...
, which marks the limit with the Gard department; the Lesz, which flows through Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
; the Hérault
Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.Orb, which flows through Béziers. To the west, the Aude, a 224 km-long river flowing from the
*The totemic animals of Herault are typical. During cultural events or local votive festivals, many towns or villages parade a totemic animal representing their municipality through the streets, often accompanied by the sound of traditional musical instruments, such as the Languedoc oboe or fife. The most well-known is the "Foal of
The vineyards of Hérault are very old, dating from before the founding of Gallia Narbonensis. Hérault is today the second French wine department, after the Gironde, representing 14% of the total area of the department. The department has a favorable climate, excellent exposure, a wide variety of soils and many varieties of grape: all these assets result in generous, sometimes robust, wines with a wide aromatic palette
*
File:34120 Pézenas, France - panoramio (2).jpg, Gambetta square in
Prefecture website
*
Departmental Council website
*
*
Official tourist office website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herault 1790 establishments in France Departments of Occitania (administrative region) Massif Central States and territories established in 1790
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
, has a course oriented west–east and marks the boundary between Hérault and the neighbouring department of Aude. These rivers as well as their tributaries take their character from the region's 'cévénol' climate, with sudden variations of flow causing sudden floods. Lagoons are found along the coast of Herault, the largest of which is the Étang de Thau
The Étang de Thau (; oc, Estanh de Taur) or Bassin de Thau is the largest of a string of lagoons (''étangs'') that stretch along the French coast from the Rhône river to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the border to Spain in the Languedoc-R ...
, with an area of about 7,500 hectares.
The hinterland of the lowlands of Bas-Languedoc is gradually hilly. It is the territory of the vineyard, olive groves, orchards and scrubland. Olive growing and viticulture symbolize an important part of the Mediterranean heritage and lifestyle.
The area of Hérault near the town of Lodève
Lodève (; oc, Lodeva ) is a commune in the département of Hérault, in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The derivation of the city's name is from Gaulish ''Luteva'', composed of lut-, swamp, ...
is the geographical antipode point of Chatham Island
Chatham Island ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) is by far the largest island of the Chatham Islands group, in the south Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is said to be "halfway bet ...
off the east coast of New Zealand.
Principal towns
The most populous commune isMontpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
, the prefecture. The least populated municipality is Romiguières with 21 inhabitants in 2019. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:
Climate
The vast majority of the department can be characterized as aMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
. However, the mountainous areas of the northwest have an oceanic influence. Some sectors of northern Herault have a temperate continental influence.
The average temperature of the summer months is close to the maximum French average. Nevertheless, the sea protects the coastal areas from the extremes of heat waves in summer, but also frosts in winter. They range from about 27 degrees Celsius on the seashore to 32 degrees Celsius inland. Mean minimum temperatures also vary, ranging from about 19 degrees Celsius on the coast to 15 degrees Celsius in the interior.
Demographics
The inhabitants of the department are called ''Héraultais''. Population development since 1791:Culture
Language
The historical language isOccitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
.
Totem animals and local festivals
*The totemic animals of Herault are typical. During cultural events or local votive festivals, many towns or villages parade a totemic animal representing their municipality through the streets, often accompanied by the sound of traditional musical instruments, such as the Languedoc oboe or fife. The most well-known is the "Foal of Pézenas
Pézenas (; Languedocien: ''Pesenàs'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Name
The name "Pézenas" is derived from the older name ''Piscenae'', probably from the Latin word ''piscenis'', meanin ...
", which UNESCO proclaimed as part of the intangible cultural heritage, being an example of the Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France
The processional giants and dragons (french: Géants et dragons processionnels) of Belgium and France are a set of folkloric manifestations involving processional giants, which have been inscribed by UNESCO on the lists of Intangible Cultural ...
.
* Béziers festivals : Fèsta d'Oc, Béziers's Feria
In the liturgy of the Catholic Church, a feria is a day of the week other than Sunday.
In more recent official liturgical texts in English, the term ''weekday'' is used instead of ''feria''.
If the feast day of a saint falls on such a day, the ...
*Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
festivals : I Love Techno Europe, Mediterranean Film Festival, Comédie du Livre, Montpellier Dance Festival, International Festival of Extreme Sports (FISE)
* Cazouls-lès-Béziers festival : Festival Piano Prestige, artistic director Jean-Bernard Pommier
Jean-Bernard Pommier (born 17 August 1944 in Beziers), is a French pianist and conductor.
Early life and education
Jean-Bernard Pommier began playing the piano at the age of four and gave his first public concert at the age of seven. He had ...
*Pézenas
Pézenas (; Languedocien: ''Pesenàs'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Name
The name "Pézenas" is derived from the older name ''Piscenae'', probably from the Latin word ''piscenis'', meanin ...
festivals : Printival Boby Lapointe
Robert Jean-François Joseph Pascal Lapointe (; 16 April 1922 – 29 June 1972), better known by his stage name Boby Lapointe (), was a French actor and singer, noted for his humorous texts, alliterationsSee the titles: ''Aubade à Lydie en do'', ...
, Mirondela dels Arts
* Sète festivals : Sète's Jazz Festival, Documentary Photo Festival "ImageSingulieres", Poetry Festival "Vivid Voice of the Mediterranean in the Mediterranean"
Heritage
The Canal du Midi has been designated as aWorld Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
by UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
.
Economy
Agriculture
185,048 hectares (nearly 30%) of land in Hérault is used for agriculture. Viticulture is the most important, with 85,525 hectares. The cultivation of cereals uses 20,095 hectares, grazing 7,090 hectares, 4,991 hectares are left fallow, 3,788 hectares are devoted to the cultivation of vegetables, and 3,400 hectares for orchards (olives, chestnuts, walnuts, plums, apples).Viticulture
The vineyards of Hérault are very old, dating from before the founding of Gallia Narbonensis. Hérault is today the second French wine department, after the Gironde, representing 14% of the total area of the department. The department has a favorable climate, excellent exposure, a wide variety of soils and many varieties of grape: all these assets result in generous, sometimes robust, wines with a wide aromatic palette
*AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...
: Saint-Chinian
Saint-Chinian (; oc, Sanch Inhan) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. The town was the birthplace of the great tenor Agustarello Affre (1858–1931). He is commemorated by a plaque on the house ...
, Faugères, Minervois, Coteaux-du-languedoc, Clairette du Languedoc, Muscat de Frontignan
Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was ...
, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat de Mireval, Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois and Picpoul de Pinet
Piquepoul, Picpoul, or Picapoll is a variety (botany), variety of wine grape grown primarily in the Rhône (wine region), Rhone Valley and Languedoc wine, Languedoc regions of France as well as Catalonia, Spain. It exists both in dark-skinned ...
Aquaculture
In Hérault, the cultivation of shellfish produces 8,300 tons of oysters (10% of the national production) and 5,900 tons of mussels a year. TheÉtang de Thau
The Étang de Thau (; oc, Estanh de Taur) or Bassin de Thau is the largest of a string of lagoons (''étangs'') that stretch along the French coast from the Rhône river to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the border to Spain in the Languedoc-R ...
is a centre for growing mussels and oysters in the Mediterranean. At Bouzigues
Bouzigues (; ''Bosigas'' in Occitan) is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Hérault department
*Étang de Thau
The Étang de Thau (; oc, Estanh de Taur) or Bassin de Thau is th ...
, oysters are cultivated on permanently-immersed, raised breeding.
Politics
Composition of the departmental council
The president of the Departmental Council is Kléber Mesquida of theSocialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...
.
Current National Assembly Representatives
List of successive presidents
Sport
Baseball
Basketball
Beach soccer
Football
Handball
Volley-ball
Rugby
Water polo
Specific sports
There are several sports specific to Hérault:tamburello
Tamburello, named Tambass in Piedmont, is a court game invented in the northern provinces of Italy during the 16th century.
It is a modification of the ancient game of pallone col bracciale, bearing the same general relation to it as Squash do ...
(85% of players are French) and water jousting
Water jousting is a form of jousting where the adversaries, carrying a lance and protected only by a shield, stand on a platform on the stern of a boat. The aim of the sport is to send the adversary into the water whilst maintaining one's own ba ...
.
Tourism
Tourist attractions
*87 km of beaches *3World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
s : Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert Abbey
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert Abbey or Gellone Abbey is a Benedictine abbey in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Hérault in France. It was founded in 804 by an Aquitanian aristocrat of the Carolingian era, William of Gellone (c. 742-812), known in Occitan as ...
, Canal du Midi and Causses and Cévennes
*2 Great sites in France : Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert and Gorges de l'Hérault and Cirque de Navacelles
210px, Here the magnificence of the valley is shown. The river's meandering erosion is clear.
The Cirque de Navacelles is large erosional landform, an incised meander, located towards the southern edge of the Massif Central mountain range in Fran ...
*1 Regional nature park : Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park
A mouflon in the park.
Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park (french: Parc naturel régional du Haut-Languedoc) is a regional natural park in the south of the Massif Central within the Aveyron, Hérault, and Tarn departments of France. These ar ...
*2 Towns and Lands of Art and History : Pézenas
Pézenas (; Languedocien: ''Pesenàs'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Name
The name "Pézenas" is derived from the older name ''Piscenae'', probably from the Latin word ''piscenis'', meanin ...
and Lodève
Lodève (; oc, Lodeva ) is a commune in the département of Hérault, in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The derivation of the city's name is from Gaulish ''Luteva'', composed of lut-, swamp, ...
*3 villages listed in the Most Beautiful Villages of France : Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert ( or ; oc, Sant Guilhèm dau Desèrt) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Situated where the Gellone river's narrow valley meets the steep-sided gorge of the river Hérau ...
, Olargues and Minerve
*2 coastal resorts classified Heritage of the twentieth century : La Grande-Motte
La Grande-Motte (; oc, La Mota Granda) is a commune in the Hérault département in Occitanie in southern France. It is a popular seaside resort and port, built in the 1960s and 1970s. La Grande-Motte is characterized by homogeneous architecture ...
and Cap d'Agde
Cap d'Agde () is a seaside resort on France's Mediterranean coast. It is located in the commune of Agde, in the Hérault department within the region of Occitanie. Cap d'Agde was planned by architect Jean Le Couteur as part of one of the l ...
*3 Spa town
A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits.
Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. He ...
: Balaruc-les-Bains
Balaruc-les-Bains (; oc, Los Banhs de Balaruc) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Hérault department
* Balaruc
*Étang de Thau
The Étang de Thau ( ...
, Avène and Lamalou-les-Bains
Lamalou-les-Bains (; Languedocien: ''L’Amalon'') is a commune in the Hérault département in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Geography
Lamalou-les-Bains is located 53½ miles west of Montpellier in the Orb valley of the southern ...
*19 marinas
*541 sites classified or listed as historic monuments
Part of Cap d'Agde
Cap d'Agde () is a seaside resort on France's Mediterranean coast. It is located in the commune of Agde, in the Hérault department within the region of Occitanie. Cap d'Agde was planned by architect Jean Le Couteur as part of one of the l ...
is a major nudist resort
A naturist resort or nudist resort is an establishment that provides accommodation (or at least camping space) and other amenities for guests in a context where they are invited to practise naturism – that is, a lifestyle of non-sexual socia ...
. Cruising along the Canal du Midi and walking or cycling along the tow paths is a common holiday activity.
Pézenas
Pézenas (; Languedocien: ''Pesenàs'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Name
The name "Pézenas" is derived from the older name ''Piscenae'', probably from the Latin word ''piscenis'', meanin ...
File:Houseboat Canal du Midi Poilhes-DSC 0082.jpg, Houseboat on the Canal du Midi
File:Chateau d'Eau du Peyrou.jpg, Promenade du Peyrou in Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
File:Avène.JPG, View of Avène
File:Presqu'île du Rouens, Clermont-l'Hérault 02.jpg, The "Lac du Salagou"
File:File by Alexander Baranov - (19410989012).jpg, Kayaking on the Orb
File:Crique de l'Anau, Sète, Hérault 02.jpg, Crique de l'Anau in Sète
See also
*Cantons of the Hérault department The following is a list of the 25 cantons of the Hérault department, in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:
* Agde
* Béziers-1
* Béziers-2
* Béziers-3
* Cazouls-lès-Béziers
* Clermo ...
*Communes of the Hérault department
The following is a list of the 342 Communes of France, communes of the Hérault Departments of France, department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunalities (as of 2020):
*Arrondissements of the Hérault department
The 3 arrondissements of the Hérault department are:
# Arrondissement of Béziers, (subprefecture: Béziers) with 153 communes
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of soci ...
*Castles in Hérault There are numerous castles in the Hérault départment of France. Most are little more than ruins and many are barely discernible. Castles, or their remains, can be found at the following locations (among others):
* Agel: Medieval builders in the ...
References
External links
*Prefecture website
*
Departmental Council website
*
*
Official tourist office website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herault 1790 establishments in France Departments of Occitania (administrative region) Massif Central States and territories established in 1790