Pyrénées-Orientales (; ; ; ), also known as

Northern Catalonia Northern Catalonia, North Catalonia or French Catalonia is the Catalan language, Catalan-speaking and cultural territory ceded to France by Spain through the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 in exchange for France's effective renu ...

, is a department of 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 ...

Occitania Occitania is the historical region in Southern Europe where the Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes used as a second language. This cultural area roughly encompasses much of the southern third of France (except ...

Southern France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

, adjacent to the northern

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

frontier and 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 east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

. It borders the departments of Ariège to the northwest and

Aude Aude ( ; ) is a Departments of France, department in Southern France, located in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region and named after the river Aude (river), Aude. The departmental council also calls it " ...

to the north, the

to the east and the Spanish

province of Girona The Province of Girona ( ; ) is a Provinces of Spain, province in the northeastern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. It is bordered on the northwest by the province of Lleida, on the southwest ...

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

to the south and the country of

Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...

to the west. It also surrounds the tiny Spanish

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 ...

Llívia Llívia (; ) is a town in the '' comarca'' of Cerdanya, province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a Spanish exclave surrounded by the French '' département'' of Pyrénées-Orientales. It is named after Livia, the wife of Augustus and matr ...

, and thus has two distinct borders with Spain. In 2019, it had a population of 479,979.Populations légales 2019: 66 Pyrénées-Orientales
INSEE Some parts of the Pyrénées-Orientales (like the

Cerdagne Cerdanya (; , ; , ) or often La Cerdanya is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it was one of the counties of Catalonia. Cerdanya has a land area of , divided almost ev ...

) are part of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

. It is named after the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

mountain range.

History

Prior to the

Treaty of the Pyrenees The Treaty of the Pyrenees(; ; ) was signed on 7 November 1659 and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635. Negotiations were conducted and the treaty was signed on Pheasant Island, situated in the middle of the Bidasoa River on ...

in 1659, most of the present department was part of the former

Principality of Catalonia The Principality of Catalonia (; ; ; ) was a Middle Ages, medieval and early modern state (polity), state in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. During most of its history it was in dynastic union with the Kingdom of Aragon, constituting together ...

, within the

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...

, therefore part of the

Monarchy of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish monarchy is constitu ...

, so the majority of it has historically been

Catalan-speaking Catalan () is a Western Romance language and is the official language of Andorra, and the official language of three autonomous communities in eastern Spain: Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community, where it is called ''Val ...

, and it is still referred to as

. The modern department was created early during the French Revolution on 9 February 1790 under the name of ''Roussillon'', also the name of the pre-

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

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 ...

Roussillon Roussillon ( , , ; , ; ) was a historical province of France that largely corresponded to the County of Roussillon and French Cerdagne, part of the County of Cerdagne of the former Principality of Catalonia. It is part of the region of ' ...

to which it almost exactly corresponds, although the department also includes

Fenouillèdes Fenouillèdes (; ; ) is a French comarca and a traditional Occitan-speaking area in the '' département'' of Pyrénées-Orientales. The capital of the comarca is Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet (''Sant Pau de Fenolhet''). Fenouillèdes has been part ...

, a small piece of territory which had formerly been on the southern edge of

Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (, , ; ) 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 . History ...

. The name therefore changed, on 26 February 1790, to ''Pyrénées-Orientales''. Invaded by Spain in April 1793, the area was recaptured thirteen months later during the War of the Roussillon. During the nineteenth century, Pyrénées-Orientales proved one of the most consistently republican departments in France. The intellectual and republican politician

François Arago Dominique François Jean Arago (), known simply as François Arago (; Catalan: , ; 26 February 17862 October 1853), was a French mathematician, physicist, astronomer, freemason, supporter of the Carbonari revolutionaries and politician. Early l ...

, who, during the early months of the short-lived Second Republic in 1848, was briefly de facto Head of state, came from

Estagel Estagel (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Localisation Estagel is located in the canton of La Vallée de l'Agly and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. Population Notable peop ...

in the east of the department.

Geography

Pyrénées-Orientales has an area of 4,115 km². It consists of three river valleys in the

mountain range –from north to south, those of the

Agly The Agly (; ; ) is a river located in southern France.With a length of 79.9 km (49.6 mi), it originates in the hills of the Corbières Massif near Camps-sur-l'Agly. The river passes through various towns and villages including Saint-Paul-de-Fenoui ...

, Têt and

Tech Tech or The Tech may refer to: * An abbreviation of technology or technician A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical ...

– and the eastern Plain of Roussillon into which they converge. Most of the population and agricultural production are concentrated in the plain, with only 30% of the area. There is one water reservoir at Lac de Matemale. There is also a lake, Casteilla. It is one of the rare French departments (with the

Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes (; ; ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the France–Italy border, Italian border and Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'A ...

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon language, Gascon Occitan language, Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; ) is a Departments of France, department located in the Regions of France, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine in the southwest corner of metropolitan ...

and

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

) which allow their inhabitants and tourists to enjoy both the

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

s and the

sea A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...

. The upper Têt valley comprises the departments westernmost third, with just over a tenth of the total population. To the south-east, the Tech valley and the

Côte Vermeille The Côte Vermeille (; , meaning "vermilion coast", or traditionally ) is a region in the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales on the Mediterranean Coast near the border with Spain. The Côte Vermeille stretches from Argelès-sur-Mer to t ...

contain nearly 100,000 inhabitants. The Agly basin in the north-east has much in common with neighboring areas of Aude.

is a town of

Cerdanya Cerdanya (; , ; , ) or often La Cerdanya is a natural region, natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it was one of the Catalan counties, counties of Catalonia. Cerdanya has a ...

, province of

Girona Girona (; ) is the capital city of the Province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 106,476 in 2024, but the p ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, that forms a Spanish exclave surrounded by French territory.

Principal towns

The most populous commune is

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ; ) is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales departments of France, department in Southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Me ...

, the prefecture, home to about a quarter of the inhabitants of Pyrénées-Orientales. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants: They are followed in decreasing order by Pia,

Elne Elne (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It lies in the former province of Roussillon, of which it was the first capital, being later replaced by Perpignan. Its inhabitants are still called ''Illibéri ...

Rivesaltes Rivesaltes (; , which means the ''high shores'') is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Rivesaltes is in the canton of La Vallée de l'Agly and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. Politics and ...

Thuir Thuir (; Catalan: Tuïr, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, southern France. Geography Thuir is located southwest of Perpignan, in the canton of Les Aspres and in the arrondissement of Ceret. It is situated in a plain ...

Céret Céret (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, department in southern France. It is the capital of the historic Comarques of Catalonia, Catalan comarca of Vallespir. Geography The town lies in ...

Le Soler Le Soler (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Le Soler is located in the canton of La Vallée de la Têt and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. Population See also *Communes of the P ...

, Bompas,

Toulouges Toulouges (; , ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Toulouges is located between Thuir and Perpignan, in the canton of Perpignan-6 and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. The town covers an area ...

Canohès Canohès (; , locally ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Localisation Canohès is located in the canton of Perpignan-5 and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. It is part of the Northern ...

and Prades, each of 6–10,000 inhabitants.

Economy

Pyrénées-Orientales is a

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

-growing area and a tourist destination.

Demographics

The city of

(122,000 inhabitants) constitues more than a quarter of the department's population by itself, and more than half if one includes its suburbs. It is the only important town, and only the towns of

Canet-en-Roussillon Canet-en-Roussillon (; ; , ; , ) is a communes of France, commune and town in the France, French Departments of France, department of the Pyrénées-Orientales, regions of France, administrative region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitan ...

Saint-Estève Saint-Estève (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Saint-Estève is in the canton of Le Ribéral and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. Population See also *Communes of the Pyréné ...

, Saint-Cyprien,

Argelès-sur-Mer Argelès-sur-Mer (; ; ; ), commonly known as Argelès ( ), is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in the administrative region of Occitania, France. It is about 25 km from Perpignan. Geography Argelès-sur-Mer is located in ...

, Cabestany and

Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, department in southern France. Geography Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque is located in the canton of La Côte Salanquaise and in ...

exceed 10,000 inhabitants. Other important towns are

, Bompas, Pia,

, Prades and

, each with between 6,500 and 10,000 inhabitants. The arrondissement of

, with 289,110 inhabitants in 2020, is the one with the most inhabitants in the department. Indeed, the other two, the arrondissements of

and Prades, have respectively 133,405 inhabitants and 60,250 inhabitants. The distribution by age groups shows a relatively high number of people aged 60 and over (29% of the population compared to 21.3% for the whole of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

). This aging of the population results in a mortality rate higher than that of births. However, the population has been increasing steadily for several decades thanks to a clearly positive migratory balance. The department particularly attracts retirees thanks to its pleasant climate, which contributes to both the increase in the population and its aging. Population development since 1793:

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

is spoken by almost the entire population. Minority languages in the region are Catalan and

Occitan 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 ...

, which between them are estimated to be spoken by 34% of the population and understood by an additional 21%. On 10 December 2007, the Departmental Council of Pyrénées-Orientales recognized Catalan as a regional language of the department, though French is still the only official language in France, according to the Constitution. The area is traditionally divided into

comarques The comarques of Catalonia (singular ''comarca'', , ), often referred to in English as counties, are an administrative division of Catalonia. Each comarca comprises a number of municipalities, roughly equivalent to a county in the United States. ...

, of which five (

French Cerdagne French Cerdagne (, ) is the northern half of Cerdanya, which came under French control as a result of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, while the southern half remained in Spain (as a part of Catalonia). Catalans often refer to French Cerdagne a ...

Capcir Capcir (; ) is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. The capital of the comarca was Formiguera, and it borders the historical comarques of Conflent and Alta Cerdanya. ...

Conflent Conflent (; ) is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. In the Middle Ages it comprised the County of Conflent. The capital of this ''pays'' is Prades (), and it bor ...

and

Vallespir Vallespir (; ) is a historical Catalan comarca in Northern Catalonia, part of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. Geography The capital of the comarca is Ceret, and it borders the comarques of Conflent, Rosselló, Alt Empordà ...

) are historically Catalan-speaking and one (

) is historically Occitan-speaking. The five Catalan-speaking comarques were historically part of the

Kingdom of Majorca The Kingdom of Majorca (, ; ; ; ) was an insular realm off the east coast of modern day Spain, which included the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The islands were conquered from the Almohad Caliphate by James I of Aragon, ...

Administration

The département is managed by the Departmental Council of Pyrénées-Orientales in

. The Pyrénées-Orientales is part of the region of Occitanie. The Departmental Council of Pyrénées-Orientales is more and more involved with the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

to create, together with the

Generalitat of Catalonia The Generalitat de Catalunya (; ; ), or the Government of Catalonia, is the institutional system by which Catalonia is Self-governance, self-governed as an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is made up of the Parli ...

and

, a

Eurodistrict A eurodistrict is a European administrative entity that contains urban agglomerations which lie across the border between two or more states. A eurodistrict offers a program for cooperation and integration of the towns or communes which it com ...

Politics

Departmental Council of Pyrénées-Orientales

The Departmental Council of Pyrénées-Orientales has 34 seats. In the 2015 departmental elections, the

Socialist 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 th ...

(PS) won 17 seats, The Republicans (LR) won 12 seats and the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (, , PCF) is a Communism, communist list of political parties in France, party in France. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its Member of the European Parliament, MEPs sit with The Left in the ...

(PCF) won 5 seats. Hermeline Malherbe-Laurent (PS) has been President of the Departmental Council since 2010.

Members of the National Assembly

Pyrénées-Orientales elected the following members of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

during the 2022 legislative election:

Cuisine

The cuisine of Pyrénées-Orientales draws naturally from the historical Catalan presence in the area, so dishes like

paella Paella (, , , , ; ) is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. ''Paella'' is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. The dish takes its name from the wide, sha ...

, caragols a la llauna and

calçot Calçot () is a type of green onion. The name ''calçot'' comes from the Catalan language. The calçot from Valls (Catalonia, Spain) is a registered EU Protected Geographical Indication. Calçots are milder and less bulbous than onions and have ...

s are prevalent in the restaurants, especially at important dates such as the various saints' feast days and cultural festivals. The area is famous for its wine with the predominantly red grape varieties grown all over the department, regional specialities such as muscat de Rivesaltes and Banyuls are sold everywhere in the department. The geography of the area leads to a distinct divide in the cuisine of P-O. The mountainous area to the south has dishes using ingredients that grow naturally there, products such as olives and goat's cheese. Fish are also very popular in the region, with

Collioure Collioure (; , ) is a commune in the southern French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. Geography The town of Collioure is on the Côte Vermeille (Vermilion Coast), in the canton of La Côte Vermeille and in the arrondissement of Céret. ...

being famous for its

anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

. However, fishing has declined due to the overall reduction of the fish stock in the Mediterranean sea.

Culture

Places of interest include: *

Banyuls-sur-Mer Banyuls-sur-Mer (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, department in southern France. Geography Location Banyuls-sur-Mer is located in the canton of La Côte Vermeille and in the arrondissemen ...

, famous for its Grenache-based Banyuls wine, birthplace of

Aristide Maillol Aristide Joseph Bonaventure Maillol (; December 8, 1861 – September 27, 1944) was a French sculptor, painter, and printmaking, printmaker.Le Normand-Romain, Antoinette . "Maillol, Aristide". ''Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online''. Oxford ...

. *

, considered to be one of the birthplaces of

cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement which began in Paris. It revolutionized painting and the visual arts, and sparked artistic innovations in music, ballet, literature, and architecture. Cubist subjects are analyzed, broke ...

, hosts several museums among which the Musée d'Art Moderne. *

, considered to be one of the famous places of

fauvism Fauvism ( ) is a style of painting and an art movement that emerged in France at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the style of (, ''the wild beasts''), a group of modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong col ...

. * Força Réal, ruined mountaintop fortress. * Prades, site of the Catalan Summer University (''Universitat Catalana d'Estiu''). * Prats de Mollo, important defensive castle of the 17th century facing south to the Pyrenees. * Salses, important defensive castle of the 16th century, on the ancient frontier with

. Pyrénées-Orientales has two notable sports teams:

USA Perpignan Union Sportive Arlequins Perpignanais, also referred to as USA Perpignan or Perpignan, is a French professional rugby union club founded in 1933 and based in Perpignan, in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. They compete in the Top 14, France' ...

(rugby union) and

Catalans Dragons The Catalans Dragons (French language, French: ''Dragons Catalans'', Catalan language, Catalan: ''Dracs Catalans'') are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. Despite being based in France the ...

(rugby league). File:090 Perpignan Le Castillet -La Porte Notre-Dame-.JPG,

File:Château royal de Collioure 09.jpg,

Château Royal de Collioure The Château Royal de Collioure ( Catalan: ''Castell Reial de Cotlliure'') is a massive French beach fortified royal castle in the town of Collioure, a few kilometers north of the Spanish border in the French ''département'' of Pyrénées-O ...

File:Salses.JPG, Fort de Salses File:Saint Martin du Canigou.jpg, Saint-Martin-du-Canigou abbey File:Saint-Michel de Cuxa.JPG,

Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa The abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa () is a Benedictine abbey located in the territory of the commune in France, commune of Codalet, in the Pyrénées-Orientales ''département in France, département'', in southwestern France. It was founded initia ...

abbey File:Les Orgues Ille-sur-Tet1.jpeg, The "organ" of

Ille-sur-Têt Ille-sur-Têt (; ; Catalan language, Catalan: ''Illa'' or ''Illa de Tet'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, département in southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Illois''. Geography Th ...

Bibliography

* *

References

External links

*
Departmental Council of Pyrénées-Orientales
*
Prefecture website
*
Photography Panoramics 360° website
*(in English
News and tourist information website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pyrenees-Orientales Northern Catalonia France–Spain relations 1790 establishments in France Departments of Occitania (administrative region) States and territories established in 1790