- Hautes-Alpes
Infobox_Department_of_France
department=Hautes-Alpes|number=05
region=Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
prefecture=Gap
subprefectures=Briançon
population=121,419|pop_date=1999|pop_rank=98th|density=22
area=5549|area_scale=9
arrond=2|cantons=30|communes=177
president=Jean-Yves Dusserre |pres_party=UMP
img_coa=Blason dpt fr HautesAlpes.svgHautes-Alpes (
Occitan : "Auts Aups") is a department in southeasternFrance named after theAlps mountain range.History
Hautes-Alpes is one of the original 83 departments created during the
French Revolution onMarch 4 ,1790 . It consists of the southeast of the former province ofDauphiné and the north ofProvence .Napoleon passed through Gap when he returned to reclaim France after his exile on
Elba .Geography
The department is surrounded by the following French departments:
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ,Drôme ,Isère , andSavoie . Italy borders it on the east.Hautes-Alpes is located in the
Alps mountain range. The average elevations is over 1000 m, and the highest elevation is over 4000 m. The only three sizable towns are Gap,Briançon , and Embrun, which was the subprefecture until 1926.The third highest commune in all of Europe is the village of
Saint-Véran . Gap andBriançon are the highest prefecture and subprefecture in France.The following rivers flow through the department:
*Durance
*Guisane
*Buëch
* Drac
*Clarée
*Séveraisse The
Durance has been dammed to create the largest artificial lake inEurope : theLac de Serre-Ponçon .The
Queyras valley is located in the eastern part of the department and is noted by many as being an area of outstanding beauty.Demographics
The inhabitants of the department are called "Haut-Alpins".
The extremely mountainous terrain explains the sparse population, which was originally about 120,000. It changed little during the 19th century, but fell to about 85,000 after
World War I . Thanks in large part to tourism, the population has risen from 87,436 in 1962 to 121,419 in 1999, principally in the town of Gap.Tourism
The tourist industry is largely dependent on skiing in winter. In summer the Alpine scenery and many outdoor activities attract visitors from across Europe(
sailing ,hiking ,climbing and aerial sports such asgliding ). TheTour de France passes through the department regularly. This draws many cycling fanatics to cycle the cols and watch the race.ee also
*
Cantons of the Hautes-Alpes department
*Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department
*Arrondissements of the Hautes-Alpes department External links
* [http://www.hautes-alpes.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.hautes-alpes.pref.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website]
* [http://www.cg05.fr/ General Council webstite]
* [http://www.mont-dauphin.com/ A village in the French Alps built by Vauban]
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