Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a

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, ...

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 ...

. It borders Vaucluse to the north,

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Var Var or VAR may refer to: Places * Var (department), a department of France * Var (river), France * Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran * Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...

to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

and largest city is Marseille; other important cities include

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...

, Arles, Martigues and

Aubagne Aubagne (, ''Aubanha'' in Occitan language, Occitan according to the classic norm or ''Aubagno'' according to the Mistralian norm) is a Commune in France, commune in the southern French Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône. In ...

. Marseille, France's second-largest city, has one of the largest container ports in the country. It prizes itself as France's oldest city, founded by Greek settlers from Phocaea around 600 BC. Bouches-du-Rhône is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, with 2,043,110 inhabitants as of 2019.Populations légales 2019: 13 Bouches-du-Rhône
INSEE It has an area of . Its INSEE and postal code is 13.

History

The history of the area is closely linked to that of Provence. Marseille has been an important harbour since before

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

's conquest of Gaul. The Roman presence left numerous monuments across the department. Notable people born in the area include Romantic painter

Camille Roqueplan Camille Joseph Etienne Roqueplan (18 February 1802/03, Mallemort - 29 September 1855, Paris) was a French Romantic painter of landscapes, genre and historical scenes. Biography From an early age, he displayed an aptitude for drawing, and would ...

and his brother, journalist and theatre director Nestor Roqueplan. Bouches-du-Rhône is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the western part of the former province of Provence and the principalities of Orange, Martigues and Lambesc. It lost part of its territory in 1793, including Orange and

Apt Apt. is an abbreviation for apartment. Apt may also refer to: Places * Apt Cathedral, a former cathedral, and national monument of France, in the town of Apt in Provence * Apt, Vaucluse, a commune of the Vaucluse département of France * A ...

, when the Vaucluse department was created. Following its creation, the department strongly supported the French Revolution, containing 90

Jacobin Club , logo = JacobinVignette03.jpg , logo_size = 180px , logo_caption = Seal of the Jacobin Club (1792–1794) , motto = "Live free or die"(french: Vivre libre ou mourir) , successor = Pa ...

s by 1794. It was also noteworthy that more than 50% of the priests in the department accepted the Civil Constitution of the Clergy which in effect subordinated the church to the government.Albert Ceccarelli, ''La Révolution...'', p. 30. During the ascendancy of the French Communist Party in the twentieth century, election results showed that support for left-wing politics remained relatively strong there, especially in the northern suburbs of Marseille.

Geography

Natural regions

The department is part of the current region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It is surrounded by the departments of Gard on the west, Vaucluse on the north, and Var on the east, and by the Mediterranean Sea on the south. The Rhône river delta forms a vast swampy wetlands area called the Camargue in the southwestern part of the department. Bouches-du-Rhône is bordered by the Rhône to the west and the

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Arles; the area between forms the Camargue, a large wetland. The principal mountains of the department are the Sainte-Baume massif (1,042 metres – 3,418 feet), Mont Sainte-Victoire (1,011 metres – 3,316 feet), the Garlaban massif and Alpilles massif.

Seismic activity

The department of Bouches-du-Rhône is also known for its seismic activity: the zone II ("average seismic activity") townships of Lambesc Peyrolles-en-Provence and Salon-de-Provence are the most exposed. Areas Ib ("low seismic activity") including the cantons of Aix-en-Provence, Trets Eyguières, Orgon, Berre-Pond, Istres, Istres-North and South, and Ia areas ("very low seismic activity") including the other cantons in the district of Aix-en-Provence, Arles-East, Châteaurenard, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Marignane, Martigues-East and Roquevaire-West, are least exposed. Zone 0 ("negligible seismic activity") includes the rest of the department.

Climate

The department has a Mediterranean climate, with contrasting temperatures within a range of 15 degrees. Precipitation is irregular, with only 65 days per year where rain falls in excess of 1 mm. However it falls in sudden downpours, with an average of annually. This mainly happens in the spring and autumn; summer is very hot, winter mild. Violent winds are common, especially the famed mistral, which blows 100 days per year with a maximum of . The coast is drier, especially along the Côte Bleue, the

Calanques A calanque (, "inlet"; co, calanca, plural ''calanche'' or ''calanchi''; oc, calanca, plural ''calancas'') is a narrow, steep-walled inlet that is developed in limestone, dolomite, or other carbonate strata and found along the Mediterranean c ...

and the bay of La Ciotat, which include some of the driest areas in France, with only of rain per year. Higher areas receive more precipitation and lower temperatures. The

Arc ARC may refer to: Business * Aircraft Radio Corporation, a major avionics manufacturer from the 1920s to the '50s * Airlines Reporting Corporation, an airline-owned company that provides ticket distribution, reporting, and settlement services * ...

region in the interior is much colder than other areas, with heavy frosts in winter.

Demographics

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Marseille, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 14 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants: There are 15 more communes with over 10,000 inhabitants: Châteauneuf-les-Martigues, Port-de-Bouc, Châteaurenard, Tarascon,

Fos-sur-Mer Fos-sur-Mer (, literally ''Fos on Sea''; Provençal: ''Fòs'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Geography Fos-sur-Mer is situated about north west of Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast, and to the west ...

Bouc-Bel-Air Bouc-Bel-Air (; oc, Boc) is a Communes of France, commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southern France. It is situated between Aix-en-Provence to the north, ...

Berre-l'Étang Berre-l'Étang (; oc, Bèrra) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. Population See also * Étang de Berre * Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department The followin ...

Saint-Martin-de-Crau Saint-Martin-de-Crau (; Provençal: ''Sant Martin de Crau'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Martinois''. Population Saint-Martin-de-Crau has the lowest population density of ...

, Auriol, Rognac, Plan-de-Cuques,

Septèmes-les-Vallons Septèmes-les-Vallons () is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. It is located 10.7 km (6.5 mi) north from the centre of Marseille. Population See also *Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department ...

Pélissanne Pélissanne (; oc, Peliçana) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. It is close to Aix-en-Provence and Salon-de-Provence. Population See also *Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department The following i ...

, Trets and Fuveau. File:Place Lamartine.JPG, Arles File:Martigues-4.JPG, Martigues File:Tois Istres.jpg, Istres File:Salon-de-Provence 20111112 32.jpg, Salon-de-Provence File:13600 La Ciotat, France - panoramio - 4net (6).jpg, La Ciotat

Politics

History

Since Bouches-du-Rhône is one of the most populous and diverse departments of France, it has long been the scene of particularly fierce political battles. The development of the Marseille-Fos Port, the relationship maintained between France and its colonial empire, the industry around coal mining in Provence, as well as significant immigration, especially coming from Italy, from the end the 19th century and during the period between the two world wars are all factors that led to the emergence of a large and militant working class. From the late 19th century, the socialist movement gained influence, such as in 1881 by the election of the country's first socialist MP,

Clovis Hugues Clovis Hugues (November 3, 1851 – June 11, 1907) was a French poet, journalist, dramatist, novelist, and socialist activist. He wrote some of his works in Provençal and un 1898 was elected a of the Félibrige, a society for the promotion of ...

. Rural areas, particularly in the region of Aix-en-Provence, have tended to favour the influence of right-wing parties, including monarchists and Catholics at the beginning of the French Third Republic. The interwar period and the time of the Popular Front marked the beginning of the dominance of the left in the department, first with the election of the

French Section of the Workers' International The French Section of the Workers' International (french: Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière, SFIO) was a political party in France that was founded in 1905 and succeeded in 1969 by the modern-day Socialist Party. The SFIO was found ...

(SFIO).

After the Second World War, the Marseillais right, linked to the underworld and who collaborated with the German occupation, was widely discredited. The left largely dominated the Liberation and Marseille even saw the election in 1945 of Communist Mayor

Jean Cristofol Jean Cristofol (1901–1957) was a French people, French French Communist Party, Communist politician. He was a député in the National Assembly of France from 1936 to 1940, and from 1946 to 1957, then Mayor (France), Mayor of Marseille, the seco ...

. In 1947 the SFIO led an alliance with right and centre parties against the Communists, resulting in the election of Gaston Defferre as Mayor of Marseille. The dominance of socialism was, however, challenged by deindustrialisation. The conservative success in 1995 by

Jean-Claude Gaudin Jean-Claude Gaudin (; born 8 October 1939) is a French politician for The Republicans. He served as the Mayor of Marseille from 1995 to 2020. He was a member of the National Assembly of France from Bouches-du-Rhône from 1978 to 1989 and has be ...

in Marseille is a symbol of widespread political shifts while even the communists bastions of La Ciotat and Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône voted for the right. The 1990s saw the rise of the National Front, including its victories in the municipal elections of Marignane and Vitrolles. The

President of the Departmental Council In France, the President of the Departmental Council ( French: ''Président du Conseil départemental'') is the locally elected head of the departmental council, the assembly governing a department in France. The position is elected by the depar ...

Martine Vassal Martine Vassal (née Gilles, 29 March 1962) is a French politician who has presided over the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis since 2018. A member of The Republicans (LR), she succeeded Jean-Claude Gaudin in office, who resigned to focus on his ...

of The Republicans party since 2015, after former Socialist President

Jean-Noël Guérini Jean-Noël Guérini (born 1 January 1951 in Calenzana, Corsica) is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Bouches-du-Rhône department since 1998. He was the president of the General council (''conseil général'') of Bouches-du- ...

was voted out of office and faces corruption charges. In the

2022 French presidential election The 2022 French presidential election was held on 10 and 24 April 2022. As no candidate won a majority in the first round, a runoff was held, in which Emmanuel Macron defeated Marine Le Pen and was re-elected as President of France. Macron, f ...

Marine Le Pen Marion Anne Perrine "Marine" Le Pen (; born 5 August 1968) is a French lawyer and politician who ran for the French presidency in 2012, 2017, and 2022. A member of the National Rally (RN; previously the National Front, FN), she served as its pre ...

of the

National Rally The National Rally (french: Rassemblement National, ; RN), until 2018 known as the National Front (french: link=no, Front National, ; FN), is a Far-right politics, far-rightAbridged list of reliable sources that refer to National Rally as fa ...

(formerly National Front) won a majority in Bouches-du-Rhône in the first round; incumbent

Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. ''Ex officio'', he is also one of the two Co-Princes of Andorra. Prior to his presidency, Macron served as Minister of Econ ...

La République En Marche! Renaissance (RE), previously known as La République En Marche ! (frequently abbreviated LREM, LaREM or REM; translated as "The Republic on the Move" or "Republic Forward"), or sometimes called simply En Marche ! () as its original name, is a l ...

won a majority in the second round.

Members of the National Assembly

Bouches-du-Rhône elected the following members of the National Assembly during the 2017 legislative election:

Departmental Council of Bouches-du-Rhône

Below is a list of seats won by the department's different parties after the 2015 departmental elections.

Culture

The department is well represented in French art.

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a ...

painted numerous representations of the Mont Sainte-Victoire. Vincent van Gogh spent two years in Arles, painting many scenes in the area. The department's main museums include the

Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (Mucem; French: ''Musée des Civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée'') is a national museum located in Marseille, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), i ...

, the Musée de la Faïence de Marseille and the

Marseille History Museum The Marseille History Museum (French: ''Musée d'Histoire de Marseille'') is the local historical and archaeological museum of Marseille in France. When opened in 1983, it became one of the most significant museums for urban history in France, de ...

Tourism

Main sights

Major sites of tourism include: * The cities of Marseille and

* Roman and Romanesque monuments of Arles * The Camargue and the town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer * Alphonse Daudet's windmill in Fontvieille * Les Baux-de-Provence, medieval village * Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and the ruins of the Roman city of

Glanum Glanum (Hellenistic ''Γλανόν'', as well as Glano, Calum, Clano, Clanum, Glanu, Glano) was an ancient and wealthy city which still enjoys a magnificent setting below a gorge on the flanks of the Alpilles mountains. It is located about one kil ...

* Tarascon, medieval castle and church *

Salon-de-Provence Salon-de-Provence (, ; oc, label= Provençal Occitan, Selon de Provença/Seloun de Provènço, ), commonly known as Salon, is a commune located about northwest of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d' ...

, city of Nostradamus and one of the biggest citadels in Provence:

Château de l'Empéri The Château de l'Empéri is a 9th-century castle built on the rock of Puech which dominates the immense plain of Crau in the ''commune'' of Salon-de-Provence in the Bouches-du-Rhône ''département'' of France. It is listed as a '' monument hi ...

* The Calanque de Sormiou, Marseille File:Marseille - Fort Saint-Jean 16.jpg, Fort Saint-Jean in Marseille File:Calanque near Cassis, Provence, France (6052444485).jpg, Landscape near Cassis File:Cabane en Camargue.jpg, Gardian house in the Camargue File:Calanque de Figuerolles-La Ciotat.jpg, Mediterranean coast near La Ciotat File:Calanque de Sormiou 1 1.jpg, Calanque de Sormiou

Natural landmarks

Rivers include: * The Rhône, which forms the border with the department of Gard * The

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Arc ARC may refer to: Business * Aircraft Radio Corporation, a major avionics manufacturer from the 1920s to the '50s * Airlines Reporting Corporation, an airline-owned company that provides ticket distribution, reporting, and settlement services * ...

* The Huveaune Lakes include: * Étang de Berre * Étang de Vaccarès, in the Camargue Mountains include: * Alpilles mountain range * Calanques between Marseille and La Ciotat *

Corniche des Crêtes

The Corniche des Crêtes is a picturesque ...

* Garlaban * Mont Puget *

Montagne Sainte-Victoire Montagne Sainte-Victoire ( Provençal oc, Venturi / Santa Venturi according to classical orthography and oc, Ventùri / Santo Ventùri, label=none according to Mistralian orthography) is a limestone mountain ridge in the south of France whi ...

* Sainte-Baume massif Massif du Garlaban.jpg, Garlaban 170604-Alpilles-01.jpg, Alpilles France - Marseille (30474472526).jpg, Calanques Barrage de Bimont 20130921 01.jpg,

Sources

External links

*
Prefecture website
*
Departmental Council website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bouches-Du-Rhone 1790 establishments in France Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region articles needing translation from French Wikipedia Departments of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur States and territories established in 1790