Ariège department

Ariège
region	Occitania
prefecture	Foix
Sub-prefecture (s)	Pamiers Saint-Girons
Residents	153,153 (Jan. 1, 2017)
Population density	31 inhabitants per km²
surface	4,889.92 km²
Arrondissements	3
Community associations	8th
Cantons	13
Communities	327
President of the Department Council	Augustin Bonrepaux
ISO-3166-2 code	FR-09
Location of the Ariège department in the Occitanie region

The Ariège [ aˈʀjɛʒ ] department is the French department with the serial number 09. It is located in the southwest of the country in the Occitanie region on the border with Spain and Andorra and was named after the Ariège river . The main town of the department is Foix .

geography

Ariège is located in the Pyrenees . The highest mountain, the Pica d'Estats , reaches a height of 3143  m .

See also : List of mountains in the Pyrenees

The department is rich in lakes and rivers. Vegetation and fauna are typical of high mountains and are similar to that of the Alps .

coat of arms

Description: Three red posts in gold , on which there is a blue coat of arms with a silver bell .

history

The department was formed on March 4, 1790 mainly from the county Foix , the Gascognischen vice-county Couserans and a small part of the Languedoc (around Mirepoix). When it was founded, it was divided into the three districts of Saint-Girons, Mirepoix and Tarascon with 28 cantons, the administration was divided between the places Foix, Pamiers and Saint-Girons, which was abolished in 1794 when Foix was designated as the sole administrative seat. On February 17, 1800, the three arrondissements of Foix, Pamiers and Saint-Girons were formed by redistributing the cantons. The Arrondissement Pamiers, abolished on September 10, 1926, was re-established on June 1, 1942.

It belonged to the Midi-Pyrénées region from 1960 to 2015 , which was added to the Occitania region in 2016 .

Administrative division

Communes and arrondissements in the Ariège department

Arrondissement	Cantons	Communities	Residents January 1, 2017	Area km²	Density of population / km²	Code INSEE
Foix	6th	115	47,448	1,818.50	26th	091
Pamiers	5	91	65,028	1,052.16	62	092
Saint-Girons	4th	121	40,677	2,019.26	20th	093
Ariège department	13	327	153.153	6,925.22	22nd	09

See also:

• List of communes in the Ariège department
• List of cantons in the Ariège department
• List of associations of municipalities in the Ariège department

Economy and tourism

In addition to tourism, the region lives mainly from aluminum , talc and fabrics .

There are also enough hotels, gîtes or campsites in the main travel season (winter and summer) . In addition to the many amusements in the great outdoors and the sights mentioned above, you can also visit the many small markets in the towns where products from the region are offered (e.g. in Foix on Wednesdays and Fridays). The cheese (e.g. Bethmale ), honey, foie gras and cassoulet deserve special mention.

Furthermore, in the summer months there is a play performed by amateur actors in Foix with an annually changing theme. There is an open-air theater right next to the castle, which also u. a. is built into the pieces during fireworks .

You can also book several days of accompanied riding holidays. On the little Pyrenees horses, the Mérens , you ride through forests and take a break. a. at the numerous ruins. A vehicle then brings tents and food to agreed places.

In the summer months, festivals with live music and medieval markets take place in many villages. In September there is the fête de Foix with a large fireworks display. The castle is "set on fire" high above the unlit town. The echo of the individual rockets is amplified many times over by the surrounding mountains.

Attractions

Numerous mainly medieval buildings have been preserved - Cathar fortresses , Romanesque churches, so-called bastide cities, etc. Further sights are:

• the place Saint-Lizier with its Gallo-Roman settlement and the cathedral of Saint-Lizier
• the Foix Castle as the headquarters of the Counts of Foix , whose most famous Count was Gaston Phebus .
• the castle of Montségur , which was considered the last fortress of the Cathars and was said to be one of the hiding places of the Holy Grail .
• the Rivière Souterraine in Labouiche, a navigable water grotto.
• the Roquefixade castle
• the Parc de l´art préhistorique in Tarascon-sur-Ariège
• the Pont de Diable between Foix and Tarascon
• the village of Mirepoix with medieval city walls and painted cascades and the Vals chapel carved into the rock.
• the caves of Niaux , Mas d'Azil , Lombrives and Bédeilhac.
• the Fontaine de Fontestorbes at the foot of the Montsegur .
• the ski areas Mont d´Olmes , Ax 3 Domaines and Plateau de Beille .
• the village of Ax-les-Thermes
• the village of Albiès with the annual jousting

Sports

Rugby is mainly played by the locals . In addition to cycling (Ariège regularly takes part in the Tour de France with spectacular mountain finishes in the Pyrenees ), football is of course also played. The best-known "export" is probably the goalkeeper Fabien Barthez from Lavelanet , who was in the goal of the Equipe tricolore from 1994 to 2006 . In addition to hiking, skiing, water skiing, kayaking and canoeing, the department is also an insider tip for paragliders . High above the roofs of the capital Foix, you can soar into the air on the Prat d'Albis . The 18-hole course of the Golf Club de l'Ariége near la Bastide-de-Serou is located on a small plateau.

Web links

Commons : Département Ariège  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• General Council of the Ariège Department (French)
• Prefecture of the Ariège department (French)
• Website of the Ariège Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.cg09.fr/v2/index_conseil.asp accessed on August 19, 2012
2. ^ Site sur la Population et les Limites Administratives de la France (Le SPLAF) . Retrieved August 3, 2011.

Coordinates: 42 ° 57 '  N , 1 ° 32'  E