Gaillard (Haute-Savoie)

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Gaillard
Coat of arms of Gaillard
Gaillard (France)
Gaillard
region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department Haute-Savoie
Arrondissement Saint-Julien-en-Genevois
Canton Gaillard (main town)
Community association Annemasse-Les Voirons-Agglomération
Coordinates 46 ° 11 ′  N , 6 ° 12 ′  E Coordinates: 46 ° 11 ′  N , 6 ° 12 ′  E
height 392-425 m
surface 4.02 km 2
Residents 10,619 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 2,642 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 74240
INSEE code
Website www.gaillard.fr

Gaillard is a French commune in the department of Haute-Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes .

geography

Gaillard is located at 420  m , about two kilometers west-southwest of Annemasse and 5 km east-southeast of the city of Geneva (as the crow flies). The municipality extends on the plateau between the valleys of the Arve in the south and the Foron in the north, on the outskirts of Annemasse, in the immediate vicinity of the border with Switzerland .

The area of ​​the community area of ​​4.02 km² includes a section in the lower Arve valley. The southern border runs along the Arve, which flows here in an approximately 1 km wide valley at the northern foot of the Salève . From the course of the river, the community area extends northward over the valley floor and a 20 m high steep slope onto the Gaillard plateau. The highest point in the community is reached here at 425  m . The northern boundary ( French-Swiss state border ) is formed by the slightly meandering Foron, which flows into the Arve at the westernmost edge of Gaillard.

In addition to the original village, Gaillard includes numerous new residential and commercial quarters as well as the Vernaz settlement ( 405  m ) on the edge of the Arve valley. Neighboring municipalities of Gaillard are Ambilly and Annemasse in the east, Étrembières in the south, and the Swiss municipalities Veyrier and Thônex in the northwest.

history

Gaillard's origins go back to Château-Gaillard, a fortified patch founded in the late 13th century by the Counts of Geneva to control eastern access to the city of Geneva. In 1444 the area came to Savoy . Following the conquest by Bern, Gaillard was temporarily the center of a bailiwick after 1536.

Until 1816 Gaillard was part of the large community of Chêne-Thônex. This community then came to the Swiss canton of Geneva, while the area southeast of the Foron was split off with Gaillard and became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Shortly afterwards, in 1818, the municipalities of Ambilly and Gaillard were merged to form the new municipality of Ambilly-Gaillard, but separated again in 1843.

population

Population development
year Residents
1962 4,568
1968 6.233
1975 9,027
1982 9,079
1990 9,592
1999 9,949
2004 11,346

With 10,619 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) Gaillard is one of the large municipalities in the Haute-Savoie department. Significant growth rates in terms of the number of inhabitants were recorded especially during the 1960s and 1970s. The settlement area of ​​Gaillard has merged seamlessly with that of Annemasse, Ambilly and Thônex.

Economy and Infrastructure

Up until the beginning of the 20th century, Gaillard was a predominantly agricultural village. Since the 1950s, it quickly developed into a residential suburb of Annemasse and Geneva. Today there are numerous small and medium-sized businesses, as well as construction and trading companies and companies in the service sector. A large industrial zone has emerged in the Arve Valley over the past 20 years. There is also arable farming and gardening in the Arve Valley.

The place is well developed in terms of traffic. It is close to the main road from Annemasse to Geneva. The next connection to the A411 motorway , which crosses the municipality, is around one kilometer away. The customs facilities are also partly on the Gaillard area.

Sports

The community has gained nationwide fame through FC Évian Thonon Gaillard , which was promoted to the highest French football league in 2011 and currently plays in Ligue 2 , but has not played its games in Gaillard since 2005.

Web links

Commons : Gaillard  - collection of images, videos and audio files