| Var | |
|---|---|
| [[Image:|70px|Coat of Arms of Var]] | |
| Coat of arms of the Var department | |
| Location | |
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| Administration | |
| Department number: | 83 |
| Region: | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Prefecture: | Toulon |
| Subprefectures: | Brignoles Draguignan |
| Arrondissements: | 3 |
| Cantons: | 43 |
| Communes: | 153 |
| President of the General Council: | Horace Lanfranchi |
| Statistics | |
| Population | Ranked 21st |
| -1999 | 898,441 |
| Population density: | 150/km² |
| Land area¹: | 5973 km² |
| ¹ French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km². | |
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Var is a department of southeastern France.
Contents |
History
Var was originally formed in 1790 during the French Revolution from the subdivision of Provence. Then, in 1860, the district of Grasse, through which flowed the Var River, was transferred to the newly formed Alpes-Maritimes department. This is why the river, which gave its name to the department, does not flow through the department.
The Var is also famous for its wine production - the town of Bandol (at the background of the photo) in particular for its red wine.
Geography
Var is bounded on the north by the department of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (the Verdon river forming the boundary), on the east by that of the Alpes-Maritimes, on the south by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the west by the department of the Bouches-du-Rhône. The Var is a diverse region covers 5,973 km² that encompasses mountains, coast, plains, and valleys. In the north, the Canyon du Verdon is a popular place for hikers, kayakers, and nature lovers.
Agriculture
800 km² or 13% of the total area is dedicated to agriculture, through which 38,000 people depend on for their livelihoods. The department also has 10 km² of horticultural land (of which 4 km² are covered). The Var is France's largest grower of cut flowers, producing some 500 million stems a year. Livestock farming is mainly sheep (50,000 animals) and goats (4,200 animals). Vines and viticultural related activities account for 345 km² of farmland. The 450 domaines / cooperatives and the 4 AOCs (appellation d'origine controlleé) produce 150 million litres (3.3 m UK gallons) of wine a year. Other important agricultural products include olives (42 km², a quarter of all French olive groves, and some 40 mills), figs - the Var produces 80% of France's figs, and honey (800 tonnes a year). There are also 9 km² of market gardens. Agricultural profit is 610 million euros per year, of which 45% is sales of wines and 42% of horticultural products.
See also
External links
- (French) Website of the General Council - The departments governing body
- (French) Community / portal website for people living in or visiting Var - forums, housing and webcams
- (French) www.toulonnais.com - The monuments, the past, the plans of the city of Toulon. Many photographs inside
