Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
89867
220614944
2008-06-20T18:41:36Z
Dancingwombatsrule
4884096
svg coa
{{coor title dm|44|0|N|6|10|E}}
{{Infobox Department of France
| department = Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
| img_coa = Blason departement Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.svg
| number = 04
| region = [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]
| prefecture = [[Digne-les-Bains]]
| subprefectures = [[Barcelonnette]]<br>[[Castellane]]<br>[[Forcalquier]]
| arrond = 4
| cantons = 30
| communes = 200
| president = [[Jean-Louis Bianco]]
| pres_party = [[Socialist Party (France)|PS]]
| population = 139,561
| pop_rank = 94th
| pop_date = 1999
| density = 20
| area = 6925
| area_scale = 9
| alt mini =
| alt maxi =
| alt moy =
}}
'''Alpes-de-Haute-Provence''' ([[Occitan]]: ''Aups d'Auta Provença'') is a French [[departments of France|department]] in the south of [[France]], it was formerly part of the [[Provinces of France|province]] of [[Provence]].
== History ==
Nord-de-Provence was one of the 83 original departments created during the [[French Revolution]] on [[March 4]], [[1790]]. It was renamed Haute-Provence and Basses-Alpes.
On December 8, 1793, the department of [[Vaucluse]] was created from parts of the departments of [[Bouches-du-Rhône]], [[Drôme]], and Basses-Alpes.
On April 13, 1970, the department of Basses-Alpes was renamed Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
== Geography ==
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is a mountainous region with peaks over 8,000 feet. The climate is very dry and arid but irrigation allows for a prosperous fruit-growing industry.
It is surrounded by the French departments of [[Hautes-Alpes]], [[Alpes-Maritimes]], [[Var (département)|Var]], [[Vaucluse]], and [[Drôme]], as well as [[Italy]].
Rivers include: [[Durance]], [[Verdon River|Verdon]], [[Bléone]], [[Ubaye]], [[Var River|Var]], [[Buëch]], [[Jabron]], [[Largue]].
==Arrondissements and cantons==
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is subdivided into 4 [[Arrondissements of France|arrondissement]]s, 30 [[Cantons of France|canton]]s and 200 [[Communes of France|communes]].
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-----
! Arrondissement
! Canton
! # of communes
|-----
| rowspan="2" valign="top" | Barcelonnette
| Barcelonnette || align="center" | 11
|-----
| Le Lauzet-Ubaye || align="center" | 5
|-----
| rowspan="5" valign="top" | Castellane
| Allos-Colmars || align="center" | 6
|-----
| Annot || align="center" | 7
|-----
| Castellane || align="center" | 7
|-----
| Entrevaux || align="center" | 6
|-----
| Saint-André-les-Alpes || align="center" | 6
|-----
| rowspan="10" valign="top" | Digne-les-Bains
| Barrême || align="center" | 8
|-----
| Digne-les-Bains-Est || align="center" | 4
|-----
| Digne-les-Bains-Ouest || align="center" | 10
|-----
| La Javie || align="center" | 6
|-----
| Les Mées || align="center" | 6
|-----
| Mézel || align="center" | 8
|-----
| Moustiers-Sainte-Marie || align="center" | 3
|-----
| Riez || align="center" | 9
|-----
| Seyne || align="center" | 8
|-----
| Valensole || align="center" | 4
|-----
| rowspan="13" valign="top" | Forcalquier
| Banon || align="center" | 9
|-----
| Forcalquier || align="center" | 10
|-----
| Manosque-Nord || align="center" | 3
|-----
| Manosque-Sud-Est || align="center" | 3
|-----
| Manosque-Sud-Ouest || align="center" | 3
|-----
| La Motte-du-Caire || align="center" | 13
|-----
| Noyers-sur-Jabron || align="center" | 7
|-----
| Peyruis || align="center" | 4
|-----
| Reillanne || align="center" | 8
|-----
| Saint-Étienne-les-Orgues || align="center" | 8
|-----
| Sisteron || align="center" | 5
|-----
| Turriers || align="center" | 7
|-----
| Volonne || align="center" | 9
|}
See also: [[Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department]]
== Demographics ==
Inhabitants of this department are called ''Bas-Alpins''.
The population was once distributed fairly evenly across the department, both in the mountainous regions and the agricultural ones. However, near the end of the 19th century it markedly decreased due to rural exodus to the cities. It fell from about 150,000 to below 100,000 after [[World War I]]. It was not until 1960, that the population began to grow again, from 84,335 in 1968 to 139,561 in 1999. However, although the population figures are about what they were before, the distribution is very different. The population is now centered around the larger towns, Manosque and Digne-les-Bains, and the mountainous regions are very sparsely populated.
The arrondissements of Barcelonette and Castellane are the two least heavily populated of France, the only ones with under 10,000 inhabitants. The town of Castellane is the smallest subprefecture of France.
==Tourism==
The beautiful scenery provides the background to many activities and sights. Eleven villages have been classified as having special architectural character. In particular there are:
* The town of [[Sisteron]] with its ancient citadel and narrow streets
* [[Verdon Gorge|The Gorge of Verdon]] (Europe's Grand Canyon)
* [[Digne-les-Bains]] Hot-spa town
* [[Moustiers-Sainte-Marie]] Pottery
* [[Forcalquier]]
In summer many aerial sports use the surrounding mountains such as [[gliding]], [[hang gliding]] and [[paragliding]]. In winter there is extensive skiing at eleven ski resorts.
==See also==
*[[Cantons of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department]]
*[[Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department]]
*[[Arrondissements of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department]]
==External links==
<!-- please keep this link: Dmoz page holds a Wikipedia back link -->
{{ODP|Regional/Europe/France/Regions/Provence-Alpes-Cote_d%27Azur/Alpes-de-Haute-Provence/|Alpes-de-Haute-Provence}}
* {{fr icon}} [http://www.cg04.fr Conseil général website]
* [http://abbayesprovencales.free.fr Abbeys in the Alps] (fr. with translator)
* {{fr icon}} [http://www.alpes-de-haute-provence.pref.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website]
* {{en icon}} [http://uk.alpes-haute-provence.com/ Préfecture web-site in English]
* {{fr icon}} [http://splaf.free.fr/dep.php?depnum=04 Detailed information in French]
* [http://www.sisteron.com/index.php?lang=gb Sisteron guide]
* [http://www.aircross.co.uk/sisteron/ Gliding in the Alps from Sisteron]
{{Departments of France}}
{{commons|Alpes-de-Haute-Provence}}
[[Category:1790 establishments]]
[[Category:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence|*]]
[[af:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[an:Alpes d'Alta Probenza]]
[[frp:Arpes-de-Hôta-Provence]]
[[br:Alpoù-Provañs-Uhel]]
[[ca:Alps de l'Alta Provença]]
[[cv:Тури Прованс Альпĕ]]
[[ceb:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[cs:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[cy:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[da:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[de:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[es:Alpes de Alta Provenza]]
[[eo:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[eu:Proventza Garaiko Alpeak]]
[[fr:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[gl:Alpes da Alta Provenza]]
[[id:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[it:Alpi dell'Alta Provenza]]
[[pam:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[ku:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[lad:Alpes de Haute Provence]]
[[la:Alpes Provinciae]]
[[lb:Departement Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[lt:Aukštutinio Provanso Alpės]]
[[nl:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[ja:アルプ=ド=オート=プロヴァンス県]]
[[no:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[nn:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[oc:Aups d'Auta Provença]]
[[nds:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[pl:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[pt:Alpes da Alta Provença]]
[[ro:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[ru:Альпы Верхнего Прованса]]
[[simple:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[sk:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[sl:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[sr:Горњопровансалски Алпи]]
[[fi:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[sv:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[vi:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[tg:Департаменти Алп Верхнего Прованса]]
[[uk:Альпи Верхнього Провансу]]
[[vo:Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]]
[[zh:上普罗旺斯阿尔卑斯省]]