town, capital of Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, Aquitaine region, southwestern France. The capital of the former province of Béarn, Pau is a spa and winter sports centre. It stands on the edge of a plateau 130 feet (40 m) above the valley of the Pau Stream, which descends from the Pyrenees. The town's boulevard des Pyrénées, more than 1 mile (1.6 km) long, is situated high above the valley and offers a magnificent panoramic view of the mountains. A castle in the town, situated on a spur above the river, was the birthplace (1553) of Henry IV of France, who reigned from 1589 to 1610.
It is now a national museum and contains a fine collection of the Gobelins tapestries. The house that was the birthplace (1763) of Marshal Jean Bernadotte, who became Charles XIV of Sweden (1818–44), is also a museum. Pau has shown considerable population growth because of recent industrialization (aeronautical equipment and shoes) and also because of its proximity to the natural gas and chemical-extraction complex at Lacq. The University of Pau and the Pays de l'Adour opened in 1970. Pop. (1982) 82,186.
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