Gers 90574 223391121 2008-07-03T21:44:17Z Thumperward 545027 hatnote for nickname {{for|the football team|Rangers F.C}} {{Infobox_Department_of_France | department=Gers | number=32 | region=[[Midi-Pyrénées]] | prefecture=[[Auch]] | subprefectures=[[Condom, Gers|Condom]]<br>[[Mirande]] | population=172,335 | pop_date=1999 | pop_rank=89th | density=28 | area=6257 | area_scale=9 | arrond=3 | cantons=31 | communes=463 | president=[[Philippe Martin]] | pres_party=[[Parti socialiste (France)|PS]] | img_coa=blason32.PNG }} The '''Gers''' ([[French language|French]]: ''le Gers'', [[Occitan]]: ''Gers'') is a [[departments of France|department]] in the [[Midi-Pyrénées]] [[Regions of France|region]] in the [[South West France (wine region)| southwest of France]] named after the [[Gers River]]. ==History and culture== In the [[Middle Ages]], the [[Lordship of L'Isle-Jourdain]] was nearby. The Gers is one of the original 83 departments created during the [[French Revolution]] on [[March 4]], [[1790]]. It was created from parts of the [[provinces of France|former provinces]] of [[Guyenne]] and [[Gascony]]. The inhabitants of the department are called ''les Gersois''. The culture is largely agricultural, with great emphasis on the local [[gastronomy |gastronomical]] specialties such as: * [[Armagnac (drink)|Armagnac]] brandy, * [[Côtes de Gascogne]], * [[Floc de Gascogne]], * [[foie gras]], * and wild mushrooms. Also, some prominent cultivated crops are [[corn]], [[colza]], [[sunflowers]] and [[grain]]. The [[Gascon language]] is a dialect of [[Occitan]], but it is not widely spoken. There has been a heavy influence of waves of both British and Spanish immigrants. [[Alexandre Dumas]] created the famous Gersois [[d'Artagnan]], the fourth [[musketeer]] of ''[[The Three Musketeers]]''. A museum to d'Artagnan is found in the Gersois village of [[Lupiac]]. ==Geography and demography== Located in [[South West France (wine region) |southwestern]] France, the Gers is part of the [[Midi-Pyrénées]] region. It is surrounded by the departments of [[Hautes-Pyrénées]], [[Haute-Garonne]], [[Tarn-et-Garonne]], [[Lot-et-Garonne]], [[Landes (department)|Landes]], and [[Pyrénées-Atlantiques]]. The Gers is often referred to as amongst the least densely populated, or most rural, areas in all of [[Western Europe]]. List of the 10 most important cities of the departement: {| border="0" style="border: 1px solid #999; background-color:#FFFFFF" |- align="center" bgcolor="#CCCCCC" ! # !! Gemeente !! Aantal inwoners (1999) |- align="right" | 1 || align="left" | [[Auch]] || 21 911 |- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef" | 2 || align="left" | [[Condom%2C_Gers|Condom]] || 7 256 |- align="right" | 3 || align="left" | [[Fleurance]] || 6 279 |- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef" | 4 || align="left" | [[L'Isle-Jourdain]] || 5 557 |- align="right" | 5 || align="left" | [[Lectoure]] || 3 941 |- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef" | 6 || align="left" | [[Eauze]] || 3 888 |- align="right" | 7 || align="left" | [[Vic-Fezensac]] || 3 614 |- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef" | 8 || align="left" | [[Mirande]] || 3 564 |- align="right" | 9 || align="left" | [[Gimont]] ||2 741 |- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef" | 10 || align="left" | [[Pavie]] || 2 220 |- align="right" |} ==Climate== The annual rain varies from more than 900 mm in the south-west of the department, to less than 700 mm in the North-East ([[Auch]], [[Condom]], [[Lectoure]]). The winters vary, with often negative temperatures, but the climate remains soft all the same and dry, the department is one of sunniest of France. The summers are very hot and dry, the temperatures often is exceeding 40°. [[Auch]] is together with [[Toulouse]] and [[Millau]] one of the hottest cities of France, with often more than 300 sunny days in the year. ==Tourism== According to recent data tourism represents annually: * 610 000 tourists, * 5.900.000 nights, * 22.100 commercial beds, * 2 400 paid employment related to tourism, * the tourist represent an equivalent of 17.100 permanent inhabitants, * their estimated expenditure is 141.000.000 €. ==See also== *[[Cantons of the Gers department]] *[[Communes of the Gers department]] *[[Arrondissements of the Gers department]] ==External links== * {{fr icon}} [http://www.cg32.fr/eng/default.asp General Council website] * {{fr icon}} [http://www.gers.pref.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website] * {{fr icon}} [http://www.gascogne.fr/ Good Website on Gascony and the Gers] * {{fr icon}} http://www.gers-gascogne.com/fr/default.asp * Welcome to the Gers in Gascony http://www.tourisme-gers.com/gers-vacances/uk/home.asp * {{fr icon}} [http://gersguide.free.fr/ Gers Guide - Votre guide internet / annuaire de recherche sur le Gers et la Gascogne.] * {{fr icon}} [http://www.gers.net/ Gers net - Moteur de recherche gersois.] {{Departments of France}} [[Category:Gers|*]] {{Pyrenees-geo-stub}} [[an:Gers]] [[frp:G·èrs (dèpartement)]] [[bg:Жер (департамент)]] [[ca:Gers]] [[cv:Жер (департамент)]] [[ceb:Gers]] [[cs:Gers (departement)]] [[cy:Gers]] [[da:Gers]] [[de:Gers (Département)]] [[es:Gers (departamento)]] [[eo:Gers]] [[eu:Gers]] [[fr:Gers]] [[gl:Departamento de Gers]] [[id:Gers]] [[it:Gers]] [[pam:Gers]] [[lad:Gers]] [[la:Aegirtius (praefectura Franciae)]] [[lt:Žeras (departamentas)]] [[nl:Gers (departement)]] [[ja:ジェール県]] [[no:Gers]] [[nn:Gers]] [[oc:Gers (departament)]] [[nds:Gers]] [[pl:Gers]] [[pt:Gers]] [[ro:Gers]] [[ru:Жер (департамент)]] [[sk:Gers (departement)]] [[sl:Gers (departma)]] [[sr:Жерс]] [[fi:Gers]] [[sv:Gers]] [[tg:Департаменти Жер]] [[uk:Жер]] [[vo:Gers]] [[zh:热尔省]]