Hautes-Pyrénées Explained

Hautes-Pyrénées
Native Name:

Native Name Lang:fr
Type:Department of France
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:France
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Occitania
Seat Type:Prefecture
Seat:Tarbes
Parts Type:Subprefectures
Parts Style:para
P1:Argelès-Gazost
Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Leader Party:PRG
Leader Title:President of the Departmental Council
Leader Name:Michel Pélieu[1]
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:4464
Population Rank:86th
Population Density Km2:auto
Blank Name Sec1:Department number
Blank Info Sec1:65
Blank Name Sec2:Arrondissements
Blank Info Sec2:3
Blank1 Name Sec2:Cantons
Blank1 Info Sec2:17
Blank2 Name Sec2:Communes
Blank2 Info Sec2:469
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Iso Code:FR-65
Footnotes: French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Hautes-Pyrénées (in French pronounced as /ot piʁene/; Gascon/Occitan: Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus ['awts piɾeˈnɛʊs]; Spanish; Castilian: Altos Pirineos; Catalan; Valencian: Alts Pirineus ['alts piɾiˈneʊs];) is a department in the region of Occitania, southwestern France. The department is bordered by Pyrénées-Atlantiques to the west, Gers to the north, Haute-Garonne to the east, as well by the Spanish province of Huesca in the autonomous community of Aragon to the south. In 2019, its population was 229,567;[2] 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

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:[2]

CommunePopulation (2019)
Tarbes42,758
Lourdes13,132
Aureilhan7,864
Bagnères-de-Bigorre7,085
Lannemezan5,816
Bordères-sur-l'Échez5,357
Séméac5,085

Demographics

Population development since 1801:

Politics

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

Current National Assembly Representatives

ConstituencyMember[3] Party
Hautes-Pyrénées's 1st constituencyJean-Bernard SempastousLa République En Marche!
Hautes-Pyrénées's 2nd constituencyJeanine DubiéRadical 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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux . data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises . 4 May 2022 . fr . 14 July 2022 . 13 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231213042708/https://static.data.gouv.fr/resources/repertoire-national-des-elus-1/20231130-131054/elus-conseillers-departementaux-cd.csv . live .
  2. https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep65.pdf Populations légales 2019: 65 Hautes-Pyrénées
  3. Web site: Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français . Assemblée . Nationale . Assemblée nationale . 2022-05-14 . 2022-05-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220514201102/https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/ . live .