Gironde

Gironde
Missing image Blason_france_Gironde_petit.jpg Coat of Arms de la Gironde Details
Information
Number	33
Region	Aquitaine
Prefecture	Bordeaux
Subprefectures	Blaye Langon Lesparre-Médoc Libourne
Population  - Total (1999)  - Density	Ranked 9th 1,287,334 129 /km²
Area	10,000 km²
Arrondissements	5
Cantons	63
Communes	542
President of the general council
Location

Gironde is a département in the southwest of France named after the Gironde River.

History

Gironde was one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Guyenne and Gascogne.

From 1793 to 1795, the name was changed to Bec-d'Ambès to avoid the association with the revolutionary party, the Girondins.

Geography

Gironde is part of the current region of Aquitaine and is surrounded by the departments of Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Dordogne, and Charente-Maritime and the Atlantic Ocean on the west.

Miscellaneous topics

List of the communes of the Gironde département

External links

• Conseil Général website (http://www.cg33.fr/) (in French)
• Prefecture website (http://www.gironde.pref.gouv.fr/) (in French)
• http://www.tourisme-gironde.cg33.fr/ (in French)

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