Haute-Savoie

See also: Savoy (homonymy)

The department of Haute-Savoie is a department French belonging to the Région the Rhone-Alps.

History

Leitartikel: History of Haute-Savoie

See also: History of Savoy

The department of Haute-Savoie formed part until in 1860 of a State independent made up and controlled since the 11th century by the Maison of Savoy. This family of large feudal had based her power on the control of the roads and the collars through the the Alps, her association particularly with the Maison of Burgundy, with the Papauté, the Germanic emperors and even with the kingdom of France to which it gave several of its sons and its daughters.

Blocked in the west by the power of kings de France, the county then the duchy of Savoy, moved its center of interest towards the Piedmont and all the Italy of North, until becoming with the Royaume of Piedmont-Sardinia, the dominating element of the Italian Unité.

The department of Haute-Savoie was created in 1860, following the Traité of Turin and after the Plébiscite of fastening, starting from the northern part of the Savoy, attached to the France. It is one of the last large metropolitan territories having joined France. It however kept of its history and its frontier position to the junction of three countries, a local particularism, a rich patois and a fraternity marked with the Val of Aoste and the French-speaking Switzerland .

See the article on the Duchy of Savoy and the States of Savoy for the history former to 1860.

Geography

Leitartikel: Geography of Haute-Savoie

Haute-Savoie belongs to the Région the Rhone-Alps. It is bordering on the departments of the Ain and the Savoy, as well as Suisse and Italy. Part of the border with Switzerland is materialized by the Lac Léman.

On its territory the solid mass of the Mont Blanc is located, on the Italian border, culminating top of the Western Europe with its 4  808,45 Mr. the average altitude of the department is of 1  160 m, and its surface of 4.388 km

Its relief is determined by large elements geograhic:

  • the Massive of Mont Blanc (or the Mont Blanc), which is a crystalline solid mass whose culminating point is celebrates it Mont Blanc which culminates between 4807 and 4810 meters;
  • the Aravis which constitute the mountainous central zone of the department;
  • the pre-Alps limestones, with the Massive of Chablais, the Terminals and the Wallows;
  • the Savoyard tectonic foreland with the high-Savoyard Genevese and the Albanian.

Between its various elements the valleys are articulated, for which it is necessary to announce:

  • the Vallée of Arve which constitutes a very important European axis of circulation of Geneva to the Tunnel of Mont Blanc
  • the cluse of Annecy in which coils the Lac of Annecy and which joined by Ugine and Albertville, the Vallée of Tarentaise and the Vallée of Maurienne.

Its natural resources include/understand:

  • Lakes: lake Léman 52  200 ha of which 21  400 ha in Haute-Savoie, Lake Annecy 2  700 ha.
  • River: 3  500 km.
  • Forests: 170  000 ha.
  • Natural reserves: 20  000 ha (first French department).

Haute-Savoie accommodates nine natural reserves: Red needles, Carlaveyron, Small valley of Bérard, Contaminate-Montjoie Them, Passy, Sixt-Passy, Roc of Expensive, Bout of the lake, Delta of Dranse.

Countries and agglomerations

Seismic activity

Haute-Savoie is marked by a particular seismic activity and the department is classified in “considerable zone of seismicity” being able to go until the destruction of buildings with seisms of magnitude 6 (even 6,5 or even 7).

Today in mountainous area, the territory was at the secondary era under the sea in a vast gulf. The formation of the alpine Arc thus left on its passage several active faults. The Alps are a young mountain of a point of the geological sight and continue their rise.

Several seisms were listed during the modern time:

  • In the area of Annecy, because of fault of Vuache: in August 1839 (intensity VII), in August 1936 (intensity VII), on May 29th, 1975 (magnitude 4,2), on July 15th, 1996 (magnitude 5,3).

Fauna and flora

The natural vegetation is staged according to altitude and of the exposure: the meadow, the forest then mountain pastures, before reaching the nival stage.

Fauna is that of the moderate countries of mountain and an significant effort of repopulation was made (chamois, ibexes, large raptors) within the framework of natural reserves, which currently represent a surface of 180 km ², placing Haute-Savoie with the 1st rank of the French departments for the creation of natural reserves. (Regional natural park of the Wallows)

Climate

Leitartikel: Climate of Haute-Savoie

Haute-Savoie has a moderated climate, tinted continental characteristics, but also some time of Mediterranean influences. The winter there is rather cold, but knows also many sunny days. The temperatures are determined by altitude and especially the exposure

The rainy season is mainly at spring and the autumn. Precipitations are abundant on the Préalpes and are marked on the high mountainous solid masses of the extreme Is territory, whose altitude allows an important snowing up of until April December.

The summers are in general hot and sunny, with stormy episodes which can be locally of an extreme violence.

Demography

Leitartikel: Demography of Haute-Savoie

The inhabitants of Haute-Savoie are the Top-Savoyard , 639.000 hab. according to the estimate of the year 2000, with a very considerable growth and a density of 144 hab. /km.

  • 378.550 hab. (1968)
  • 568.638 hab. (1990), growth +14% (period 1982/1990)
  • 631.547 hab. (1999), growth +11% (period 1990/2001)
  • annual Estimate of INSEE of the population of 2000 to 2004 (at January 1st):
    • 2000:638 266 hab.
    • 2001:648 250 hab.
    • 2002:657 905 hab.
    • 2003:666 688 hab.
    • 2004:676 484 hab.
    • 2005:686 000 hab.
If these estimates appear exact and if the population growth of the Haute-Savoie remained stable, the department exceeded the threshold of the 700  000  inhabitants courant  2006.

Structure of age of the population (1999):
  • 0/24 years: 33,9%
  • 25/39 years: 24,6%
  • 40/59 years: 25,5%
  • 60 years and more: 16%

Housing

The principal agglomerations are:

  • Agglomeration of Annecy: 136.815 hab. (1999)
  • agglomeration of Annemasse: 80.973 hab. (1999)
  • Agglomeration of Thonon-the-Baths (with Évian-the-Baths): 58.834 hab. (1999)
  • Agglomeration of Cluses: 59.906 hab. (1999)

Dwellings:

  • main homes: 253.813 (1999)
  • second home: 99.092 (1999)
  • social rental residences: 29.609 (2000) with a progression of 33,30% (period 1990/1999)

Administration

Leitartikel: Administration of Haute-Savoie

The department is divided administratively into:

Haute-Savoie depends on the Court of Appeal of Chambéry and on the academy of Grenoble.

  • List of the prefects of Haute-Savoie

Economy

Leitartikel: Economy of Haute-Savoie

Tourism

Leitartikel: Tourism in Haute-Savoie Mont Blanc is very visited, as much for its rise, that Tour of Mont Blanc celebrates it, with horse on the three countries: Switzerland, Italy and France.

Culture

Leitartikel: Culture in Haute-Savoie

Sport

detailed Article: Sporting emblematic of Haute-Savoie

Policy

Leitartikel: Political in Haute-Savoie

294 communes and 34 cantons

  • List of the deputies of Haute-Savoie

  • List of the senators of Haute-Savoie
  • List of the general advisers of Haute-Savoie

Haute-Savoie is a department very on the right. It is the only French department not to have never elected a deputy of left (except for the legislature with proportional of 1986).

Transport

  • Roads:

    • highways (A40 and A41): 180 km
      • Since January 1st 2006, the State transferred to the departments management from the Trunk roads.
    • trunk roads: 20 km on the N205 between Fayet (fine of A40) and the Tunnel of Mont Blanc, as well as the future fast laison with 2x2 ways between Annemasse and Thonon-the-Baths. (392km before January 1st 2006).
    • secondary roads: 2.865km (2 493 km before January 1st 2006).
  • Airports:
    • in Haute-Savoie: Annecy (national) - Annemasse - Megève (aerodrome)
    • in the vicinity: Geneva-Cointrin - Lyon-Saint-Exupéry - airport of Chambéry
  • Trains
    • large stations: Annecy - Annemasse
    • other important stations: The Roche-sur-Foron - Bonneville - Cluses - Sallanches - Fayet - Rumilly - Seyssel - Thonon-the-Baths

Accidents

In 2002, 88 people found death on the roads of the department what classified it with the 28e national row, the record of 110 had died in the year 2000. Figures of distribution:

  • Age: 25-64 years 55,2%,18-24 years 7,8%
  • head-on Collisions: 22,25%
  • Night and weekend: 40%
  • 19% of the killed drivers were in a state of blood alcohol content.
  • Roads: secondary roads 42,2%, main roads 32,8%, agglomerations 15,8%, highways 4,5%

See too

  • Province of Haute-Savoie
  • Savoy
  • Common House of Savoy
  • of Haute-Savoie
  • Intercommunalités of Haute-Savoie

External bonds

  • Prefecture
  • General advice
  • Haute-Savoie on Wikitravel
  • Departmental records of Savoy (Much historical information)

Random links:Toshio Furukawa | Lemma of Ogden | Unit polynomial | Bertrand Collomb | Growth of the child | L'avionique