Hautes-Pyrénées (; Gascon/ Occitan: ''Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus'' awts piɾeˈnɛʊs ; alts piɾiˈneʊs ) is a department in the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

of Occitania, southwestern France. The department is bordered by Pyrénées-Atlantiques to the west, Gers to the north, Haute-Garonne to the east, as well by the Spanish province of Huesca in the autonomous community of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

to the south. In 2019, its population was 229,567;Populations légales 2019: 65 Hautes-Pyrénées
, INSEE its

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''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 inter ...

is Tarbes. It is named after the Pyrenees mountain range.

History

Historically the area broadly covered by the ''département'' known as Bigorre, a territory at times independent but later part of Gascony

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

. Large parts of the area were held by the English after the Treaty of Brétigny, 1360. In the 16th century, it was part of the Huguenot domain of the monarchs of Navarre, brought to France by Henri IV. For its early history, see Bigorre and Gascony. The ''département'' of Hautes-Pyrénées was created at the time of the French Revolution, on 4 March 1790, through the influence of French politician Bertrand Barère, a member of the Convention.

Geography

Hautes-Pyrénées consists of several distinct geographical areas. The southern portion, along the border with Spain, consists of mountains such as the Vignemale, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, and the Neouvielle and Arbizon ranges. A second area consists of low-altitude rolling hills. The northern part of the '' département'' consists of largely flat agricultural land. Hautes-Pyrénées has two small territorial

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

s—a remnant from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

—located within the neighboring ''département'' of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The southern part of the department is sparsely populated and typically have higher elevations while the northern part of the department is highly urbanised and typically have lower elevations than the southern part.

Principal towns

The greater Tarbes area is the economic and administrative focus of the ''département'', while Lourdes, the second-biggest city in Hautes-Pyrénées, is dedicated almost exclusively to the religious

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

industry. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants:

Demographics

Population development since 1801:

Politics

The president of the Departmental Council is Michel Pélieu, first elected in 2011.

Current National Assembly Representatives

Tourism

The Western Pyrenees National Park covers a significant area, and includes well-known attractions such as the Cirque de Gavarnie and the Pont d'Espagne. The entire area is a favorite destination of hikers and mountain enthusiasts. The area has been known perhaps since Antiquity for its hot springs, and several towns were built around these, most notably Cauterets, Luz-Saint-Sauveur and Bagnères-de-Bigorre. A notable lake in the area is Lac Bleu d'Ilhéou, southwest of Cauterets. There are a number of popular ski resorts in Hautes-Pyrénées such as Barèges- La Mongie, Gavarnie, Luz-Ardiden, Cauterets, Hautacam, Piau-Engaly and Saint-Lary-Soulan. The area is a nearly-permanent fixture on the Tour de France's itinerary, with significantly difficult passes such as the Tourmalet, the Aubisque and the Soulor. A jazz festival is held each year in Luz-Saint-Sauveur: Jazz a Luz. Tarbes hosts an annual horse festival, Equestria, and a Tango festival, Tarbes en Tango. File:Lourdes Sanctuaires 01.jpg, Lourdes sanctuary File:Picdumidi.jpg, Pic du Midi de Bigorre File:Le Vignemale.jpg, Vignemale File:Lac du Milieu de Bastan Hautes Pyrénées 02 BLS.JPG, Middle of Lake Bastan, shortly before sunset File:Gavarnie-Cirque.JPG, Cirque de Gavarnie

References

External links

*
Departmental Council of Hautes-Pyrénées website
*
Prefecture website

Pyrenees National Park
*
Photography Panoramics 360° website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hautes-Pyrenees 1790 establishments in France Departments of Occitania (administrative region) States and territories established in 1790