Rhône (département)
Encyclopedia
Rhône is a French department located in the central Eastern region
of Rhône-Alpes
. It is named after the Rhône River
.
was split into two departments: Rhône and Loire
.
Originally, the eastern border of Rhône was the city of Lyon
itself, so that the communes immediately east of Lyon belonged to neighboring department. With the growth of Lyon and the spilling of the urban area over the suburban communes of Lyon, the limits of the department were judged impractical as they left the suburbs of Lyon outside of Rhône . Thus, Rhône was enlarged several times to incorporate into it the suburbs of Lyon from neighboring department:
With these enlargements, the area of the Rhône department increased from 2,791 km² to the current 3,249 km² (16.4% larger). At the 1999 French census, the original Rhône department would have had only 1,071,288 inhabitants, which means that the population in the territories added in the last two centuries was 507,581 inhabitants in 1999.
and the Saône
(which joins the Rhône in Lyon).
The neighboring departments are Ain
, Isère
, Loire
and Saône-et-Loire
.
Over 75% of the population lives within the Lyon metropolitan area
. Apart from Villefranche-sur-Saône, the largest cities of the Rhône department are all part of the Urban Community of Lyon|Lyon metropolitan area (1999 census):
, who leads a coalition between centrists and the local UMP, led by Dominique Perben
.
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
of Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
. It is named after the Rhône River
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
.
History
The Rhône department was created on August 12, 1793 when the former département of Rhône-et-LoireRhône-et-Loire
Rhône-et-Loire was a département of France whose préfecture was Lyon. Created on March 4, 1790 like the other French départements, Rhône-et-Loire was abolished on August 12, 1793 when it was split into two départements: Rhône and Loire...
was split into two departments: Rhône and Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
.
Originally, the eastern border of Rhône was the city of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
itself, so that the communes immediately east of Lyon belonged to neighboring department. With the growth of Lyon and the spilling of the urban area over the suburban communes of Lyon, the limits of the department were judged impractical as they left the suburbs of Lyon outside of Rhône . Thus, Rhône was enlarged several times to incorporate into it the suburbs of Lyon from neighboring department:
- In 1852, 4 communes from IsèreIsèreIsère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
were incorporated into Rhône. - In 1967, 23 communes of Isère and 6 communes of AinAinAin is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
were incorporated into Rhône. - In 1971, 1 commune from Isère was incorporated into Rhône.
With these enlargements, the area of the Rhône department increased from 2,791 km² to the current 3,249 km² (16.4% larger). At the 1999 French census, the original Rhône department would have had only 1,071,288 inhabitants, which means that the population in the territories added in the last two centuries was 507,581 inhabitants in 1999.
Geography
Rivers include the RhôneRhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
and the Saône
Saône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
(which joins the Rhône in Lyon).
The neighboring departments are Ain
Ain
Ain is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
, Isère
Isère
Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
, Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
and Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire is a French department, named after the Saône and the Loire rivers between which it lies.-History:When it was formed during the French Revolution, as of March 4, 1790 in fulfillment of the law of December 22, 1789, the new department combined parts of the provinces of southern...
.
Over 75% of the population lives within the Lyon metropolitan area
Urban Community of Lyon
The Urban Community of Lyon , also known as Grand Lyon or by its former acronym COURLY, is the intercommunal structure gathering the city of Lyon and some of its suburbs....
. Apart from Villefranche-sur-Saône, the largest cities of the Rhône department are all part of the Urban Community of Lyon|Lyon metropolitan area (1999 census):
- LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
: 504,187 inhabitants - VilleurbanneVilleurbanneVilleurbanne is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris. Villeurbanne is the second-largest city in the department.-History:The current location of...
: 162,500 inhabitants - VénissieuxVénissieuxVénissieux is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. It is the second-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is adjacent to the southeast.-Transport:...
: 60,487 inhabitants - Caluire-et-CuireCaluire-et-CuireCaluire-et-Cuire is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and lies adjacent to its north side. It is a component commune of the metropolitan Urban Community of Lyon.-External links:...
: 46,667 inhabitants - Saint-PriestSaint-Priest, RhôneSaint-Priest is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is the fourth-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is located to its southeast side. The Gare de Saint-Priest railway station is served by local trains to Lyon, Grenoble and Chambéry....
: 45,213 inhabitants - Vaulx-en-VelinVaulx-en-VelinVaulx-en-Velin is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It is the fifth-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is located to its northeast, on the Rhône River.-Transport:*Metro line A*Tram T3...
: 42,466 inhabitants - Villefranche-sur-SaôneVillefranche-sur-SaôneVillefranche-sur-Saône is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It lies 1 mile west of the Saône River, and is around north of Lyon...
: 38,863 inhabitants - BronBronBron is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It lies east of Lyon. It is the sixth-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is adjacent to its east side. It forms part of the Urban Community of Lyon.-History:...
: 40,600 inhabitants
Politics
The President of the General Council is the independent centrist Senator Michel MercierMichel Mercier
Michel Mercier is a French politician and cabinet minister since 2009.After studying law and graduation from the Lyon IEP, he taught finance and local government law at the Faculty of Law of Lyon II....
, who leads a coalition between centrists and the local UMP, led by Dominique Perben
Dominique Perben
Dominique Perben is a French politician. Born in Lyon, he was French Minister of Transportation from 2005 to 2007. He was previously Minister of Justice , Minister of Civil Service and Administration and Minister of Overseas France .Perben has been a Deputy in the National Assembly for the fifth...
.
| Party | seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Socialist Party Socialist Party (France) The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement... |
19 | |
| • | Union for a Popular Movement Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party... |
16 |
| • | MoDem Democratic Movement (France) The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential... |
7 |
| • | Miscellaneous Right | 5 |
| • | New Centre New Centre New Centre , also known as the European Social Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in France, formed by the members of the Union for French Democracy – including a majority of former parliamentarians – who did not agree with François Bayrou's... |
3 |
| French Communist Party French Communist Party The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French... |
3 | |
| The Greens The Greens (France) The Greens were a Green political party to the centre-left of the political spectrum in France. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974... |
1 | |
| Left Radical Party Left Radical Party The Radical Party of the Left is a minor social-liberal, and in opposition to its common understanding of its name, a moderate centre-left political party in France advocating radicalism, secularism to its french extend known as laïcité, progressivism, pro-Europeanism, individual freedom and... |
1 | |
See also
- Cantons of the Rhône department
- Communes of the Rhône department
- Arrondissements of the Rhône department
- French languageFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
- Arpitan language