Canton of Mouthoumet

The canton of Mouthoumet is a administrative division French located in the department of the Aude and the area Languedoc-Roussillon.

Geography

This canton is organized around Mouthoumet, in the center of the triangle Carcassonne/Narbonne/Perpignan, in the solid mass of High the Corbières in the Arrondissement of Carcassonne. Its altitude varies from 190 m (Vignevieille) to 932 m (Soulatgé) for an average altitude of 403 Mr.

Zone of high plateaus and vigorous reliefs sometimes exceeding 700 and even 800 meters of altitude, the canton of Mouthoumet is extremely compartmentalized by the maze of the multiple steepsided valleys which indent the pre-Pyrenean solid mass of Corbières. Ground of transition, the canton constitutes the limit between two different climatic zones of influence formant by their contrasts two Corbières:

Corbières Western profiting from a oceanic influence.
Corbières Eastern, much more arid, profiting from a Mediterranean influence.

According to their specificities, the two zones know climatic constraints which play a selective part for agriculture: the Eastern zone combines Viticulture and breeding, whereas in the Western zone, it is the Forêt and the breeding (primarily Ovin) which prevail. The winter is moderate, though sometimes rigorous in altitude, the summer is very hot and the temperatures change brutally.

In margin of the great transportation routes, far from the great urban centres, and thus wedged in the middle same of the quadrilateral of Corbières, this moved back zone is isolated from the remainder of the solid mass by relatively high collars.

With strong amplitudes of relief, topography is very tormented. Of this fact the utilized agricultural area accounts for only 19% of the cantonal territory on average. Also, with such constraints for the agricultural development of the medium, the canton entirely classified in dry mountainous area, forms it part of the underprivileged zones of Mediterranean Europe.

History

The canton of Mouthoumet was created by the law of the 13 brumaire of year 10 (November 4th 1801). It replaced two old cantons, of Cat-like-Termenès Bouisse and .

Located at the south-east of Carcassonne and the South of Lagrasse, the canton of Mouthoumet is included/understood entire within the limits of the old viguery of Termenès, its territory depended on the old diocese of Narbonne and on the archpriest of the Corbières.

Many traces attest of a Roman occupation at the first millenium, it is easily comprehensible in the historical context, that Rome had confined its legions in what was at the time the border with the Hispanie for better preparing its invasion.

The canton is also strongly impregnated by the presence of the Cathares, from the many castles (always present nowadays) which has was used to protect them, and also by the past of Olivier de Termes like Seigneur of the area and enthusiast opposing to the Albigensian Crusade.

Other sources also testify to the establishment of commanderies templières, in particular in the commune of Laroque-of-F.

The canton at the 19th century

Some data drawn from the work “Cartulaire and Archives of the communes from the old diocese and the administrative district from Carcassonne” from Jacques-Alphonse Mahul (1795-1871):

Composition

The canton of Mouthoumet groups 18 common and counts 1 253 inhabitants (census of 1999 without double accounts).

With 27489 hectares, the canton of Mouthoumet is administratively made up of 18 rural communes, all very slightly populated (maximum 158 inhabitants with Villerouge-Termenès, minimum 20 inhabitants with Massac) with a total of 1253 inhabitants in 1999. It is thus the least populated department of the Aude, with an average density of 5 inhabitant to the km ², one of weakest of the area, France, and Europe.

|- | Albières || align=" right" | 73 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11007 |- | Auriac || align=" right" | 35 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11020 |- | Bouisse || align=" right" | 85 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11044 |- | Davejean || align=" right" | 116 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11117 |- | Dernacueillette || align=" right" | 45 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11118 |- | Cat-like-Termenès || align=" right" | 110 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11137 |- | Lairière || align=" right" | 37 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11186 |- | Lanet || align=" right" | 58 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11187 |- | Laroque-of-F || align=" right" | 144 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11191 |- | Massac || align=" right" | 20 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11224 |- | Montjoi || align=" right" | 28 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11250 |- | Mouthoumet || align=" right" | 86 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11260 |- | Palairac || align=" right" | 18 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11271 |- | Salza || align=" right" | 22 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11374 |- | Soulatgé || align=" right" | 92 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11384 |- | Terms || align=" right" | 54 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11388 |- | Vignevieille || align=" right" | 72 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11409 |- | Villerouge-Termenès || align=" right" | 158 || align=" right" | 11330 || align=" right" | 11435 |}

Administration

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