The Var ( 83 ) is a department French of the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure, which owes its name with the coastal river which constituted formerly the Eastern limit of the department but does not sprinkle it today any more. The inhabitants of the Var are called the Varois .

Geography

The VAr belongs to the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure. It is bordering on the departments of the Rhone delta in the west, the Vaucluse (on a few hundred meters hardly), of the Alp-of-High-Provence in north, the the Alpes-Maritimes in the east, and is bathed by the Mediterranean in the south.

The department of the VAr is formed starting from the Comté of Provence and constitutes a surface of 6032 km ² with 420 km of littoral (islands included). It extended to the river éponyme, which was a border separating France from the Comté of Nice. Today the limit between the VAr and the Alpes-Maritimes is in the solid mass of Esterel. It is cut out in nine districts.

The VAr is a department of which 56% of the surface are wooded is 341.000 ha. The VAr has a relief varied with two parts geologically different: the calcareous part on all the west of an axis Toulon-Draguignan, and a crystalline part in the east.

The principal coastal solid masses are:

• the Moors (culminating point to 771 m) and Estérel (culminating point 618 m) which are of crystalline ground.
  
• In the west of the department is the Massif Holy-Balsam (culminating point 1.147 m).
  
• In the North-East of the department, the Montagne of Lachens (1 715 m) is the culminating point of the département.
  
• the plans in the north of the department whose Plan of Canjuers rise gradually from 500 to 1000 Mr. In the south and the west of other plates like that of Siou Blanc in the north of Toulon, are with an average from 400 to 700 m of altitude.

Climate

With a Mediterranean Climate, the VAr is accustomed to strong heats, however in 2003 at the time of the Canicule and in July /août 2005, the peaks of heats were such as many fires were declared, in particular carrying most of the vegetation of the Massif of the Moors. the Guard-Freinet and the Plan of the Tower were very severely touched. So certain fires were accidental, other firings were voluntary in several places of the area. Toulon is statistically the town of the Metropolitan France hottest and sunniest.

History

Leitartikel: History of the VAr

The department was created with the French revolution, the March 4th 1790 (decree of February 26th, 1790) pursuant to the law of the December 22nd 1789, starting from part of the province of Provence.

Its chief town, initially fixed at Toulon, was moved to punish the Residents of Toulon to have delivered their city to the Britanniques in 1793. Grasse became chief town then, replaced in its turn by Brignoles in 1795 then Draguignan in 1797. Finally Toulon is become again chief town of the department in 1974.

As from 1795, in each department an central administration and, in each canton, a local government are founded.

In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte reforms in-depth the organization of the State. The administration of the department is entrusted to the prefect. The Railroad arrives to Toulon in 1859.

During the creation of the the Alpes-Maritimes in 1860, after the annexation in France of the County of Nice, the VAr is amputee of its Eastern part, which constituted the district of Grasse in the new department. The Var does not run today any more in the department to which it devoted its name following this modification.

In 1884, the Cholera endeuille Toulon. Man of all the challenges and doctor, Georges Clémenceau faces the epidemic. Then appointed of the Seine, he pleads the cause of the VAr to the Room. Immediately adopted by the Of the department of Var one, he is the deputy of 1888 to 1893 and senator of 1902 to 1920.

At the 20th century, the war of 1914-1918 stimulates the industrial production interesting national defense, but it strikes in particular food industries.

The war of 1939-1945 directly reached the VAr: in 1942, the German army invades the southern zone, and occupies the Top and the Means-VAr in 1944. August 15th of this year, in the night, of the French commandos unload with the Cape Nègre, Trayas, Saint-Tropez, Holy-Maxime or with Saint-Raphaël (see Débarquement of Provence). The fleet returns to Toulon on September 13rd.

The VAr was a land of welcome for the repatriates of Algeria (approximately 100.000), which were completely integrated in this Mediterranean department.

Economy

The independent source of incomes is tourism.

The VAr now takes a new route, the cultivated ground is exclusively devoted to the following productions: Fleur S, Fruit S, Early products and Wine.

Demography

Culture

Tourism

The VAr (as the majority of the departments of the Mediterranean coast) is an important tourist destination. One can in particular there visit the cellars and the vineyards of Bandol, see the perched villages of the country of Fayence (Montauroux, Fayence, Callian, Seillans, Tourrettes, Saint-Paul-in-Forest, Mons, Tanneron), make an excursion in the Massif of Esterel, the Planche to veil on the Presqu'île of Giens, or take a boat for the island of Porquerolles or the underwater natural park of the island of Port-Cross-country race. The beach of Cavalaire-on-Sea is also the longest sand beach of the coast. The town of Saint-Tropez is also located in the VAr. Not to forget the north of the department either: the High-VAr and its villages perched in the hills, with the majestic sites of the Gorges of the Verdon and the Lake of Holy-Cross.

Policy

• List of the deputies of the VAr

• List of the senators of the VAr
• List of the general advisers of the VAr

Administration

See too

Articles of Wikipédia

• List of the prefects of the VAr
• Common of the VAr
• Old communes of the VAr

External bonds

• Prefecture (var.pref.gouv.fr)
• General advice (cg83.fr)
• digitized Departmental records (archives.var.fr)
• Departmental committee of tourism (TourismeVar.com)
• the VAr, ground of contrasts (VAr-passion.com)