Puy-de-Dôme

History

The department was created with the French revolution, the March 4th 1790 pursuant to the law of the December 22nd 1789, starting from part of the province of Auvergne.

Leitartikel: History of the Puy-de-Dôme

With its creation in 1790, the department was to be called Mont-d'Or, but the deputy of Clermont-Ferrand Gaultier de Biauzat intervened because he thought that this name would draw the attention of the tax authorities to its fellow-citizens, he was listened and the department was called finally Puy-de-Dôme.

The current department corresponds roughly speaking to the old historical area called the Low-Auvergne .

Geography

The Puy-de-Dôme belongs to the area Auvergne. It is bordering on the departments Allier, of the the Loire, the Haute-Loire, the Cantal, the Corrèze and of the Creuse.

Leitartikel: Geography of the Puy-de-Dôme

Climate

The climate of the Puy-de-Dôme is one of most complex of France and most paradoxical taking into consideration department other. That is due to:

its central position in the middle of France which essentially places it between various oceanic and continental influences;
its relief.

Leitartikel: Climate of the Puy-de-Dôme.

Economy

Leitartikel: Economy of the Puy-de-Dôme

Demography

Leitartikel: Demography of the Puy-de-Dôme

Culture

Leitartikel: Culture in the Puy-de-Dôme

Tourism

See also: Tourism in the Puy-de-Dôme

The department of the Puy-de-Dôme is first of all characterized by its inactive volcanos, among which the puy of Dome whose top culminates with more than 1460 meters of altitude, perfect for the excursions in full nature. Moreover, the regional natural park of the volcanos is most important of the 40 French parks. Also, since 2002, Vulcania, European park of volcanicity, makes it possible to better include/understand the history and the operation of the volcanos in a ludic way. This volcanic relief offers also many lakes for fishing or others, such as the lakes Pavin and Servière. The Lake Aydat as for him is more the Sunday vacation resort of Clermontois because of its proximity with the regional prefecture. But it is also a place of practice of water sports.

The department has a very rich inheritance:

of the villages: Custom, village where the queen Margot during her exile in Auvergne placed, Saint-Floret on the edges of Couze, Orcival for its basilica, Bourboule for its thermal inheritance, etc…
of the churches of Romance style (approximately 250) in particular Notre-Dame of the Port in Clermont-Ferrand, classified with the World heritage of UNESCO, Saint-Austremoine of Issoire, the Abbaye of Mozac with its historiés capitals, etc
of the castles of the medieval period: Chazeron, Murol, Tournoël, etc
of the museums: museum of paper Richard de Bas with Ambert, etc

Certain more important cities are also to visit: Riom, which was as from the 13th century the administrative capital of the royal grounds of Auvergne, or Clermont-Ferrand and lanes of its historical center.

of the sports, with the team of Rugby ASM, of the team of basketball clermontoise or Clermont Foot Auvergne leagues of them 2 this year 2007/2008.

Policy

Department of working tradition (Michelin with Clermont-Ferrand, the Cutlery with Thiers…), the Puy-de-Dôme is a stronghold of the socialist party. The main cities of the department Clermont-Ferrand, Riom, Cournon-in Auvergne, Thiers, are currently directed by a municipality of left. The rural areas also rather tend to give their votes to the left-wing candidates, except for the west of the department (legislative district of Clermont-Mountain). On six deputies, four belong to the Socialist party, one with the Communist party and one with the UMP.

With the last presidential elections, Ségolène Royal realized in the Puy-de-Dôme, by far, its best score in Auvergne, with nearly 54% of the voices, against 46% for Nicolas Sarkozy.

The Puy-de-Dôme east thus a strongly on the left anchored department. Some sectors escape this prevalence: some rural cantons of the North-West and the west of the department, certain communes of the Limagne (sector of Lezoux in particular), as well as the crested communes of the west of the agglomeration clermontoise: Royat and especially Chamalières, stronghold of the former president of the Republic Valéry Giscard-in Estaing (his/her son Louis Giscard d'Estaing, appointed district, is besides the current mayor of the commune).

The General advice of the Puy-de-Dôme is currently directed since 2004 by the Clermontois Jean-Yves Gouttebel (Socialist party). This last had succeeded the Riom ois Pierre-Joël Bonté, elected with the area.

The seat of the departmental authority is located in the hyper-center of the prefecture, street Holy Spirit. the general advisers sat formerly in the vault of Cordeliers.

Leitartikel: Political of the Puy-de-Dôme

List of the deputies of the Puy-de-Dôme
List of the senators of the Puy-de-Dôme
List of the general advisers of the Puy-de-Dôme

Administration

Leitartikel: Administration of the Puy-de-Dôme

List of the prefects of the Puy-de-Dôme
List of the cantons of the Puy-de-Dôme
List of the communes of the Puy-de-Dôme
List of the old communes of the Puy-de-Dôme
Lists of the communities of communes of the Puy-de-Dôme

Others

The mascot of the department is the Loutre.

External bonds

Prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme
General advice of the Puy-de-Dôme
Economic Committee of Expansion of the Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme Web a directory of Internet sites of the Puy-de-Dôme

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