Bessèges
Encyclopedia
Bessèges is a commune
in the Gard
department in France
. It is situated on the Cèze
river.
. Its importance began with the opening of a coalmine in 1809, followed by an iron and steel plant in 1833, and eventually the railway
reached it in 1857. The commune was created in 1858 from several neighboring districts.
At its peak in the late 19th century, the population was over 11,000. However, during the 20th century it declined and eventually the mine was abandoned, in 1964, and the steel-works in 1987. Today its economy
is based on tourism
.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Gard
Gard
Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
department in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is situated on the Cèze
Cèze
The Cèze is a French river, a tributary of the Rhone. It runs through the departments of Lozère and Gard in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Its source is in the Cévennes mountains, near Saint-André-Capcèze...
river.
History
Historically Bessèges was a hamlet of RobiacRobiac-Rochessadoule
Robiac-Rochessadoule is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
. Its importance began with the opening of a coalmine in 1809, followed by an iron and steel plant in 1833, and eventually the railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
reached it in 1857. The commune was created in 1858 from several neighboring districts.
At its peak in the late 19th century, the population was over 11,000. However, during the 20th century it declined and eventually the mine was abandoned, in 1964, and the steel-works in 1987. Today its economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
is based on tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.