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Bouches-du-Rhône
Department
Prefecture building of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, in Marseille
Prefecture building of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, in Marseille
Flag of Bouches-du-Rhône
Flag
 Coat of arms of Bouches-du-Rhône
Coat of arms
Location of Bouches-du-Rhône in France
Location of Bouches-du-Rhône in France
Country France
Region Provence-Alpes-
Côte d'Azur
Département 4 March 1790
Prefecture Marseille
Subprefectures Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Istres
Area
 • Total 5,087.5 km2 (1,964.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total 2,006,069
 • Density 394.313/km2 (1,021.267/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code FR-13
Arrondissements 4
Cantons 29
Communes 135

Bouches-du-Rhône (Occitan: Bocas de Ròse, lit. "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region with more people living in it.

History

Bouches-du-Rhône is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was made with part of the old province of Provence and was divided in six districts: Tarascon, Apt, Aix, Marseille, Salon and Arles, with Aix as is capital.

In 1800, with the creation of the arrondissements in France, the six districts were changed into three arrondissements: Marseille, Aix and Tarascon. The prefecture was moved from Aix to Marseille.

After the Battle of Waterloo (18 June 1815), the department was occupied by the Austrian army from June 1815 to November 1818.

In 1817, the subprefecture of Tarascon was moved to Arles. The arrondissement of Istres was created in 1981.

Geography

The Bouches-du-Rhône department is part of the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It has an area of 5,087.5 km2 (1,964 sq mi).

The department is surrounded by the 3 departments in 2 regions:

The Mediterranean Sea is to the south and there is 190 km (120 mi) of coast.

Gard Vaucluse
Gard Var
   Bouches-du-Rhône    
Mediterranean Sea

The highest mountain in Bouches-du-Rhône is Bertagne (43°18′44″N 05°41′21″E / 43.31222°N 5.68917°E / 43.31222; 5.68917 (Bertagne)) in the eastern part of the department, near the border with the Var department in the massif de la Sainte-Baume; it is 1,041 m (3,415 ft) high.

The department is bordered by the Rhone river to the west and the Durance river to the north. The Rhone divides into the Grand Rhone and Petit Rhone south of Arles; the area between forms the Camargue, a large wetland.

The Frioul archipelago is a group of 4 islands in the Mediterranean Sea approximately at 4 kilometres (2 miles) from Marseille.

Climate

The area around Marseille, at an altitude of about 35 m (115 ft), is characterized by climates with dry summers. The Köppen climate classification type for the climate at Marseille is a "Mediterranean climate" and of the subtype "Csa".

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Marseille is 584.2 mm (23.0 in). The month with the most precipitation on average is October with 94 mm (3.7 in) of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is July with an average of 15.2 mm (0.6 in).

The average temperature for the year in Marseille is 15 °C (59 °F). The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of 23.9 °C (75.0 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of 6.7 °C (44.1 °F).

Climate data for Marseille, France
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 10
(50)		 11
(52)		 14
(57)		 17
(63)		 21
(70)		 25
(77)		 28
(82)		 28
(82)		 25
(77)		 20
(68)		 14
(57)		 11
(52)		 19
(66)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6
(43)		 7
(45)		 10
(50)		 12
(54)		 16
(61)		 21
(70)		 23
(73)		 23
(73)		 20
(68)		 15
(59)		 10
(50)		 7
(45)		 14
(58)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2
(36)		 3
(37)		 5
(41)		 6
(43)		 12
(54)		 16
(61)		 18
(64)		 18
(64)		 15
(59)		 11
(52)		 6
(43)		 3
(37)		 10
(49)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 40
(1.6)		 40
(1.6)		 40
(1.6)		 40
(1.6)		 40
(1.6)		 20
(0.8)		 10
(0.4)		 20
(0.8)		 60
(2.4)		 90
(3.5)		 70
(2.8)		 50
(2.0)		 520
(20.7)
Source: Weatherbase.com [1]

Administration

Bouches-du-Rhône is managed by the Departmental Council of Bouches-du-Rhône in Marseille. The department is part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

Administrative divisions

There are 4 arrondissements (districts), 29 cantons and 135 communes (municipalities) in Bouches-du-Rhône.

Arrondissements of Bouches-du-Rhône
INSEE
code		 Arrondissement Capital Population
(2014)		 Area
(km²)		 Density
(Inh./km²)		 Communes
131 Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence 429,436 1,532.4 280.2 44
132 Arles Arles 205,529 2,284.3 90.0 36
133 Marseille Marseille 1,058,615 671.6 1,576.3 37
134 Istres Istres 312,489 599.3 521.4 18

The following is a list of the 29 cantons of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:

  1. Aix-en-Provence-1 (1301)
  2. Aix-en-Provence-2 (1302)
  3. Allauch (1303)
  4. Arles (1304)
  5. Aubagne (1305)
  6. Berre-l'Étang (1306)
  7. Châteaurenard (1307)
  8. La Ciotat (1308)
  9. Gardanne (1309)
  10. Istres (1310)
  11. Marignane (1311)
  12. Marseille-1 (1312)
  13. Marseille-2 (1313)
  14. Marseille-3 (1314)
  15. Marseille-4 (1315)
  16. Marseille-5 (1316)
  17. Marseille-6 (1317)
  18. Marseille-7 (1318)
  19. Marseille-8 (1319)
  20. Marseille-9 (1320)
  21. Marseille-10 (1321)
  22. Marseille-11 (1322)
  23. Marseille-12 (1323)
  24. Martigues (1324)
  25. Pélissanne (1325)
  26. Salon-de-Provence-1 (1326)
  27. Salon-de-Provence-2 (1327)
  28. Trets (1328)
  29. Vitrolles (1329)

Demographics

The inhabitants of the Bouches-du-Rhône department are known, in French, as Buccorhodaniens or (women: Buccorhodaniennes),

Bouches-du-Rhône had a population, in 2014, of 2,006,069, for a population density of 394.3 inhabitants/km2. The arrondissement of Marseille, with 1,058,615 inhabitants, is the arrondissement with more inhabitants.

Evolution of the population in Bouches-du-Rhône

The 10 communes with more inhabitants in the Bouches-du-Rhône department are:

City Population
(2014)		 Arrondissement
Marseille 858,120 Marseille
Aix-en-Provence 142,149 Aix-en-Provence
Arles 52,697 Arles
Martigues 48,870 Istres
Aubagne 45,128 Marseille
Salon-de-Provence 44,187 Aix-en-Provence
Istres 43,463 Istres
La Ciotat 35,631 Marseille
Vitrolles 34,236 Istres
Marignane 34,154 Istres

Gallery

Related pages


Images for kids

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    Marseille, second-largest city of France and Bouches-du-Rhône's prefecture

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    TER PACA near Le Rove, on the Mediterranean coast

  • 13-Bouches-du-Rhone-Sismicité

    Seismic risk in the department

  • Paul Cézanne - Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

    Paul Cézanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire and the Viaduct of the Arc River Valley

  • Place Lamartine

    Arles

  • Martigues-4

    Martigues

  • Tois Istres

    Istres

  • Salon-de-Provence 20111112 32

    Salon-de-Provence

  • 13600 La Ciotat, France - panoramio - 4net (6)

    La Ciotat

  • Calanque near Cassis, Provence, France (6052444485)

    Landscape near Cassis

  • Cabane en Camargue

    Gardian house in the Camargue

  • Calanque de Figuerolles-La Ciotat

    Mediterranean coast near La Ciotat

  • Calanque de Sormiou 1 1

    Calanque de Sormiou

  • Massif du Garlaban

    Garlaban

  • 170604-Alpilles-01

    Alpilles

  • France - Marseille (30474472526)

    Calanques

  • Barrage de Bimont 20130921 01

    Montagne Sainte-Victoire

See also

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