Auvergne (region)

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Region of France
Auvergne in France.svg
Country  France
Prefecture Clermont-Ferrand
 • President René Souchon (PS)
 • Total 26,013 km2 (10,044 sq mi)
Population (2008-01-01)
 • Total 1,341,000
 • Density 52/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code FR-C
GDP (2012)[1] Ranked 19th
Total €33.8 billion (US$43.4 bn)
Per capita €24,920 (US$32,052)
NUTS Region FR7

Auvergne (French pronunciation: [ovɛʁɲ] ( ); Occitan: Auvèrnhe / Auvèrnha) is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the four departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.







Auvergne terrain map









Auvergne has been settled by humans since 10,000 B.C, but around 3000 B.C. the Celts and Arverni, whom the region was named after, settled Auvergne. The leader of the Arverni was Vercingetorix who defended Gallic independence against the Romans. As the most powerful Gallic tribe at the time they resisted Roman conquest from 52 B.C. to 53 B.C. When the Arverni lost to the Romans it marked the end of Gallic independence. After the collapse of the western Roman empire the region was divided among feuding vassals. In 1213, King Philippe-Auguste added Auvergne to the royal territory. The area was hit hard by the French Wars of Religion in the 16th century and endured diseases and food shortages in the 17th century. In the 18th century the economy could not support the population so many people living in Auvergne were forced to migrate to other regions of France. In 1858 a railway was built between Clermont-Ferrand and Paris which boosted the economy tremendously. During World War II the French used the 1,497-metre (4,911 ft) peak of Mont Mouchet as a fortress against German conquest. In June 1944 there was a fierce battle around the French stronghold which lead to 4000 casualties on both sides.



Major communities[edit]









The Auvergne is also one of the premier research areas in France with > 8,000 researchers in the fields of chemistry, tire, steel, medical and pharmaceutical sciences in agricultural research (INRA's laboratories and Limagrain's laboratories), in biotechnology, seismology, meteorology, etc.



External links[edit]

  • Auvergne at DMOZ (English)
  • Auvergne-tourism (French)
