| Ain | |
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| Coat of arms of the Ain department | |
| Location | |
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| Administration | |
| Department number: | 01 |
| Region: | Rhône-Alpes |
| Prefecture: | Bourg-en-Bresse |
| Subprefectures: | Belley Gex Nantua |
| Arrondissements: | 4 |
| Cantons: | 43 |
| Communes: | 419 |
| President of the General Council: | Charles de la Verpillière |
| Statistics | |
| Population | Ranked 48th |
| -1999 | 515,270 |
| Population density: | 89/km² |
| Land area¹: | 5762 km² |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km². | |
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Ain (IPA: [ɛ̃]; Arpitan: En) is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France in the region of Rhône-Alpes (Rôno-Arpes) bordering Switzerland. The Department number of Ain is 01.
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History
The department is one of the 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from four former provinces: Bresse (Brêsse), Bugey (Bugê), Dombes (Domba) , and Gex, and part of a fifth: Franc-Lyonnais. As early as the 13th century inhabitants spoke a distinctive dialect of the Arpitan language called Bressan. It continued to be spoken frequently in rural areas of Ain into the 20th century. It is still spoken today but not on an everyday basis. The area was originally part of the ancient kingdom of Burgundy, before it was ceded to France by the dukes of Savoy in 1601. From 1798 to 1814, Gex was separated and became part of the department of Léman. Six communes of the southwest were separated from Ain in 1967 and became part of the Urban Community of Lyon.
Geography
The department is divided north-south by the Ain River. The west consists of plains and low plateaus. The east is more mountainous, consisting of the southern extension of the Jura mountains. The highest elevation in the department (and in the Jura mountains) is the Crêt de la Neige (1720 m). Ain is surrounded by the French department of Jura, Saône-et-Loire, Rhône, Isère, Savoie, and Haute-Savoie. On the east, it borders the Swiss cantons of Geneva and Vaud.
Towns
The following are the principal towns:
- Ambérieu-en-Bugey
- Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
- Belley
- Bourg-en-Bresse
- Ferney-Voltaire
- Gex
- Meximieux
- Montluel
- Nantua
- Oyonnax
Rivers
In addition to the Ain River, the following rivers flow through the department:
Demographics
The department has no large city, and the population is distributed over a network of smaller towns. The population decreased slightly in the second half of the 19th century because of urbanization, and even more markedly during World War I. It began to increase again after World War II, partly due to the expansion of the suburbs of Lyon and Geneva. From 1968 to 1999, the population increased from 339,262 to 515,270.
Tourism
Two of the major tourist attractions are Voltaire's estate at Ferney-Voltaire and the Shrine of John Vianney at Ars-sur-Formans. The department also offers great chances to explore nature, on foot, on a bicycle, or on horseback. Its rivers and lakes provide many opportunities for water sports of all kinds. The northeast of the département, the Pays de Gex has numerous ski resorts and panoramic views of the Alps, including the Mont Blanc. The Parc Naturel Régional du Haut Jura is a natural reserve with high mountain passes.
See also
- House of Savoy
- Duchy of Savoy
- Cantons of the Ain department
- Communes of the Ain department
- Arrondissements of the Ain department
External links
- (French) General Council website
- (French) Prefecture website
- (French) Tourism site
