Hautes-Pyrénées

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Hautes-Pyrénées
Hauts Pirenèus  (Occitan)
Altos Pirineos  (Spanish)
Alts Pirineus  (Catalan)
Department of France
Prefecture building in Tarbes
Prefecture building in Tarbes
Flag of Hautes-Pyrénées
Flag		 Coat of arms of Hautes-Pyrénées
Coat of arms
Location of Hautes-Pyrénées in France
Location of Hautes-Pyrénées in France
Country France
Region Occitania
Prefecture Tarbes
Subprefectures Argelès-Gazost
Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Government
 • President of the Departmental Council Michel Pélieu[1] (PRG)
Area1
 • Total 4,464 km2 (1,724 sq mi)
Population (Jan. 2018)[2]
 • Total Lua error in Module:Wd at line 405: invalid escape sequence near '"^'.
 • Rank 86th
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Department number 65
Arrondissements 3
Cantons 17
Communes 469
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Hautes-Pyrénées (French pronunciation: [ot piʁene] ( listen); Gascon/Occitan: Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus ['awts piɾeˈnɛʊs]; Spanish: Altos Pirineos; Catalan: Alts Pirineus ['alts piɾiˈneʊs]; English: Upper Pyrenees) is a department in the region of Occitania, southwestern France. In 2019, its population was 229,567;[3] its prefecture is Tarbes. It is named after the Pyrenees mountain range.

History

Historically the area broadly covered by the département known as Bigorre, a territory at times independent but later part of Gascony province. Large parts of the area were held by the English after the Treaty of Brétigny, 1360. In the 16th century, it was part of the Huguenot domain of the monarchs of Navarre, brought to France by Henri IV. For its early history, see Bigorre and Gascony.

The département of Hautes-Pyrénées was created at the time of the French Revolution, on 4 March 1790, through the influence of French politician Bertrand Barère, a member of the Convention.

Geography

Map of the Hautes-Pyrénées

Hautes-Pyrénées consists of several distinct geographical areas. The southern portion, along the border with Spain, consists of mountains such as the Vignemale, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, and the Neouvielle and Arbizon ranges. A second area consists of low-altitude rolling hills. The Northern part of the département consists of largely flat agricultural land. Hautes-Pyrénées has two small territorial exclaves—a remnant from the Middle Ages—located within the neighboring département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

Principal towns

The greater Tarbes area is the economic and administrative focus of the département, while Lourdes, the second-biggest city in Hautes-Pyrénées, is dedicated almost exclusively to the religious pilgrimage industry. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants:[3]

Commune Population (2019)
Tarbes 42,758
Lourdes 13,132
Aureilhan 7,864
Bagnères-de-Bigorre 7,085
Lannemezan 5,816
Bordères-sur-l'Échez 5,357
Séméac 5,085

Demographics

Population development since 1801:

Historical population
Year Pop. ±% p.a.
1801 174,721 —    
1806 198,763 +2.61%
1821 212,077 +0.43%
1831 233,031 +0.95%
1841 244,196 +0.47%
1851 251,285 +0.29%
1861 240,179 −0.45%
1872 235,156 −0.19%
1881 236,472 +0.06%
1891 225,861 −0.46%
1901 215,546 −0.47%
1911 206,105 −0.45%
1921 185,760 −1.03%
Year Pop. ±% p.a.
1931 189,993 +0.23%
1936 188,604 −0.15%
1946 201,954 +0.69%
1954 203,544 +0.10%
1962 211,433 +0.48%
1968 225,730 +1.10%
1975 227,222 +0.09%
1982 227,922 +0.04%
1990 224,759 −0.17%
1999 222,368 −0.12%
2006 227,736 +0.34%
2011 229,228 +0.13%
2016 227,829 −0.12%
Sources:[4][5]

Politics

The president of the Departmental Council is Michel Pélieu, first elected in 2011.

Current National Assembly Representatives

Constituency Member[6] Party
Hautes-Pyrénées's 1st constituency Jean-Bernard Sempastous La République En Marche!
Hautes-Pyrénées's 2nd constituency Jeanine Dubié Radical Party of the Left

Tourism

The Western Pyrenees National Park covers a significant area, and includes well-known attractions such as the Cirque de Gavarnie and the Pont d'Espagne. The entire area is a favorite destination of hikers and mountain enthusiasts.

The area has been known perhaps since Antiquity for its hot springs, and several towns were built around these, most notably Cauterets, Luz-Saint-Sauveur and Bagnères-de-Bigorre.

A notable lake in the area is Lac Bleu d'Ilhéou, southwest of Cauterets.

There are a number of popular ski resorts in Hautes-Pyrénées such as Barèges-La Mongie, Gavarnie, Luz-Ardiden, Cauterets, Hautacam, Piau-Engaly and Saint-Lary-Soulan.

The area is a nearly-permanent fixture on the Tour de France's itinerary, with significantly difficult passes such as the Tourmalet, the Aubisque and the Soulor.

The region's premier avant-garde jazz festival is held each year in Luz-Saint-Sauveur: Jazz a Luz. Tarbes hosts an annual horse festival, Equestria, and a Tango festival, Tarbes en Tango.

See also

References

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External links

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  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Populations légales 2019: 65 Hautes-Pyrénées, INSEE
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