Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
| |
---|---|
Country | France |
Dissolved | 1 January 2016 |
Prefecture | Lyon |
Departments | 9 (8 normal departments, and 1 metropolis)
|
Area | |
• Total | 43,698 km2 (16,872 sq mi) |
Population (1 January 2014) | |
• Total | 5,645,407 |
• Density | 130/km2 (330/sq mi) |
NUTS Region | FR7 |
Website | www |
Rhône-Alpes (French pronunciation: [ʁon alp] ⓘ)[2] was an administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.[3] It is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the river Rhône and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris. Rhône-Alpes has the sixth-largest economy of any European region.
Geography
Rhône-Alpes is located in the southeast of France. The neighboring (pre-2016) regions are
As with the rest of France, French is the only official language of the region. Until the mid-20th century,
Rhône-Alpes is made up of the following departments:
- Ain (01). Capital: Bourg-en-Bresse
- Ardèche (07). Capital: Privas
- Drôme (26). Capital: Valence
- Isère (38). Capital: Grenoble
- Loire (42). Capital: Saint-Étienne
- Rhône (69). Capital: Lyon
- Savoie (73). Capital: Chambéry
- Haute-Savoie (74). Capital: Annecy
And, since 2015, Metropolis with territorial collectivity statute:
- Metropolis of Lyon (69). Capital: Lyon
Lakes
There are six main lakes in Rhône-Alpes:
- Lac de Paladru
- Lac d'Aiguebelette
- Lac du Bourget
- Lac d'Annecy
- Lac de Nantua
- Lac Léman
Prefectures
Prefectures listed in descending order of size:
History
Although there have been people in Rhône-Alpes since pre-historic times, the earliest recorded settlers of the region were the Gauls (Celts). Cities such as Lyon were founded by them and the region traded with both northern and southern Europe. Most of the area became part of Roman territory during the invasion of Celtic Gaul led by Julius Caesar and was at various times part of the regions of Lugdunensis and Gallia. Lyon itself became a major city in the Roman Empire.
The region, excepting Savoy, was part of the Merovingian and Carolingian Kingdoms before becoming a royal territory under the Capetians. As it became a royal territory early on in French history, its cultural, political and economic influences and developments paralleled those of greater France. (See History of France.)
Transport
Rhône-Alpes is a major European transit hub, linking northern France and Europe to the
Economy
Rhône-Alpes is a prosperous region which can be seen by its per capita GDP of about €31,231 ($40,000), which is higher than the French average, and an average income of €35,910 ($50,246), its economy second in size only to
- Industry, in particular:
- Services, in particular:
- High-tech industries, nanotechnology, biotechnology especially in Grenoble with 62,300 jobs[4] in these sectors thanks to the presence of the Polygone Scientifique, Inovallée and some large companies as Schneider Electric.
- Optic and design in Saint-Étienne
- Tourism with the Alps (for skiing), Lyon and Grenoble (for culture) and the Ardèche (adventure sports/camping) particularly popular
- Education, with major universities in Lyon, Grenoble and Saint-Étienne.
In the past mining, especially coal mining was an important sector, particularly around Saint-Étienne, although this has declined since the 1970s.
The area of the region that lies close to Switzerland has an economy linked to that of Geneva. This area forms a hinterland for the Geneva hub.[5]
The Triangle of
The region has been part of Alps–Mediterranean Euroregion since 10 July 2007.
Major cities
Winter Olympics
Rhône-Alpes region has hosted the
.Tourism
Situated between Paris and the Côte d’Azur, on the border with both Switzerland and Italy, and offering access to two international airports (
Boasting eight natural parks and peerless sites such as Mont Blanc and the Gorges de l’Ardèche, Rhône-Alpes offers a wide range of different landscapes: mountains, vineyards and gentle valleys, fields of lavender and olive groves.
Every form of sport is readily available, set against a natural backdrop: skiing, hiking, mountain biking or even paragliding and canoeing. Besides hosting three
Enthusiasts of art and culture will not be disappointed by the region's Villes d’Art: Lyon, which is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, Annecy, Grenoble, Chambéry, and Saint-Étienne.
And last but not least, connoisseurs of good food and wine will be spoilt for choice by the range of local specialties available to taste along with a Beaujolais or a Côtes du Rhône, and by the sheer number of famous restaurants (with Paul Bocuse at the top of the list) in the region.
Gastronomy
Lyon is noted as a gastronomic centre of France and specialities served in its traditional
Wines in this region include
Lyon is the home of very typical and traditional restaurants: the bouchons. Bouchons are usually convivial restaurants serving local dishes, and local wines.
Lyon is famous for its morning snacks, the mâchons, made up of local
See also
References
- ^ "EU regions by GDP, Eurostat". Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- : Rodano-Alpi
- ^ Loi n° 2015-29 du 16 janvier 2015 relative à la délimitation des régions, aux élections régionales et départementales et modifiant le calendrier électoral (in French)
- ^ grenoble-isere.com, AEPI edition 2015, pages 7,8 and 9. Archived 2015-08-30 at Wikiwix (in French)
- ^ "Rhone Alpes Economy". French-property.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-09-06.
- ^ Marsh, Janine (11 September 2015). "Mont d'Or Cheese of France". The Good Life France. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
External links
- Rhône-Alpes page on france.fr- official French website (in English)
- Rhône-Alpes Tourisme Archived 2010-11-30 at the Wayback Machine- travel website