Auvergne (region)

Infobox French region
native_name = Région Auvergne
common_name = Auvergne


image_flag_size =


image_logo_size = 150px
capital = Clermont-Ferrand
area = 26,013 | area_scale = 10
Regional president = René Souchon
(PS) (since 2006)
population_census = 1,308,878
population_census_year = 1999
population_estimate = 1,337,000
population_estimate_year = 2007
population_density = 51
population_density_year = 2007
population_rank = 19th
arrondissements = 14
cantons = 158
communes = 1,310
departments = Allier
Cantal
Haute-Loire
Puy-de-Dôme


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Auvergne (Occitan: "Auvèrnhe / Auvèrnha") is one of the 26 administrative regions of France.

The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not part of Auvergne. The Auvergne region is composed of the following old provinces:

* Auvergne: departments of Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, north-west of Haute-Loire, and extreme south of Allier. The province of Auvergne is entirely contained inside the Auvergne region.
* Bourbonnais: department of Allier. A small part of Bourbonnais is also contained inside the Centre region.
* Velay: center and southeast of department of Haute-Loire. Velay is entirely contained inside the Auvergne region.
* a small part of Gévaudan: extreme southwest of Haute-Loire. Gévaudan is essentially inside the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
* a small part of Vivarais: extreme southeast of Haute-Loire. Vivarais is essentially inside the Rhône-Alpes region.
* a small part of Forez: extreme northeast of Haute-Loire. Forez is essentially inside the Rhône-Alpes region.

Velay, Gévaudan, and Vivarais are often considered to be sub-provinces of the old Languedoc province. Forez is also often considered to be a sub-province of Lyonnais province. Therefore, the modern region of Auvergne is composed of the provinces of Auvergne, Bourbonnais, and parts of Languedoc and Lyonnais.

The 2002 award-winning film, "To Be and to Have (Être et avoir)", documents one year in the life of a one-teacher school in rural Saint-Étienne-sur-Usson, Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318202/ IMDB] retrieved April 22, 2008]

Major communities

*Aurillac
*Chamalières
*Clermont-Ferrand
*Cournon-d'Auvergne
*Le Puy-en-Velay
*Montluçon
*Moulins
*Riom
*Vichy

References

External links

* [http://www.cr-auvergne.fr Auvergne regional council website]
* ODP|Regional/Europe/France/Regions/Auvergne|Auvergne
* (English and French) [http://www.regordane.info Regordane Info] Independent portal for the Regordane Way or St Gilles Trail. (The Regordane Way starts in Auvergne)