Lys (; oc, Lo Lis) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlanti ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in southwestern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Geography

Hydrography

The river , a 12.5 km long tributary of the

Béez The Béez,also known as ''Béès'' or ''Bez'' is a left tributary of the Gave de Pau, in Béarn (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), in the Southwest of France. It flows into the Gave de Pau upstream from Pau, between the Ouzoum and the Luz. It is long. ...

, passes through the village Lys. Several tributaries of the Landistou (Betbeder, Bonnasserre, Chourrup, Lazerau, Lespereu) also pass through the commune. The northern part of the commune is drained by the river , a 15.2 km long tributary of the

Gave de Pau The Gave de Pau () is a river of south-western France. It takes its name from the city of Pau, through which it flows. The river is long ( including the Gaves réunis), and its source is at the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrenees mountains. The ...

, and some of its tributaries (Gest, Herran, Luz de Casalis). The southern part of the commune is drained by the stream Ruisseau de la Fontaine de Mesplé (Béez basin), and its tributary Ruisseau de Subercase.

Localities and Hamlets

* lou Boscq * Vic de Hoges de Baix * Vic de Hoges de Haut * Vic de Lis de Baix * Vic de Lis de Haut

Surrounding Communities

Sévignacq-Meyracq Sévignacq-Meyracq (; oc, Sevinhac e Meirac) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also * Ossau Valley *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 Commun ...

to the north *

Haut-de-Bosdarros Haut-de-Bosdarros is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departm ...

to the northeast *

Bruges-Capbis-Mifaget Bruges-Capbis-Mifaget is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Departments of France, department in southwestern France. People from the commune are called "brugeois"'. Geography Bruges-Capbis-Mifaget is situated on of ...

to the east *

Sainte-Colome Sainte-Colome (; oc, Senta Coloma) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also * Ossau Valley *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 Communes of Fr ...

to the southwest *

Louvie-Juzon Louvie-Juzon (; oc, Lobier de Baish) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. See also * Ossau Valley *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the ...

to the south

Toponymy

The name Lys appears as ''Lis-Sainte-Colomme'' (Lily Saint Colomme) from the 1721 census. The name comes from

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...

, and means 'flat land'.

History

Lys was formerly an annex of

until it acquired municipality status in 1858.

Administration

The current mayor is Nadège Poueymirou Bouchet, in office since 2020. The town is part of the following intercommunal structures: *

Communauté de communes A ''communauté de communes'' (, "community of communes") is a federation of municipalities (communes) in France. It forms a framework within which local tasks are carried out together. It is the least-integrated form of ''intercommunalité'' (int ...

de la Vallée d'Ossau (

Ossau Valley The Ossau Valley (French: ''Vallée d'Ossau''; Gascon: ''Aussau'' / ''la vath d'Aussau'') is a valley of the France, French Pyrénées, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''departments of France, département''. Administration 18 communes of France, ...

) * Syndicat de la perception d'Arudy * SIVU d'assainissement (sanitation) de la vallée d'Ossau *

water union * Lower Ossau electric union

Population

Economy

The town's economy is primarily oriented toward agriculture and livestock (sheep, cattle, pigs, mules).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lys, Pyrenees-Atlantiques Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques