Bouches-du-Rhône

History

The history of the area is closely linked to that of Provence. Marseille has been an important harbour since before Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul. The Roman presence left numerous monuments across the department. Notable people born in the area include Romantic painter Camille Roqueplan and his brother, journalist and theatre director Nestor Roqueplan.

Bouches-du-Rhône is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the western part of the former province of Provence and the principalities of Orange, Martigues and Lambesc. It lost part of its territory in 1793, including Orange and Apt, when the department of Vaucluse was created.

Following its creation, the department strongly supported the French Revolution, containing 90 Jacobin Clubs by 1794. It was also noteworthy that more than half of the priests in the department accepted the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which in effect subordinated the church to the government.

Geography

Natural regions

The department is part of the current region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It is surrounded by the departments of Gard on the west, Vaucluse on the north and Var on the east, as well as by the Mediterranean Sea on the south. The Rhône river delta forms a vast swampy wetlands area called the Camargue in the southwestern part of the department. The Rove Tunnel, the world's longest canal tunnel from Marseille to the Étang de Berre, as well as smaller canals further west, allowed for waterway transport from Marseille to the Rhône until 1963, when the Rove Tunnel closed to traffic.

Bouches-du-Rhône is bordered by the rivers Rhône to the west and Durance to the north. The Rhône divides into the Grand Rhône and Petit Rhône south of Arles; the area between forms the Camargue. The principal mountains of the department are the Sainte-Baume massif (1,042 metres – 3,418 feet), Montagne Sainte-Victoire (1,011 metres – 3,316 feet), the Garlaban and Alpilles massifs.

Seismic activity

The department of Bouches-du-Rhône is also known for its seismic activity: the zone II ("average seismic activity") townships of Lambesc Peyrolles-en-Provence and Salon-de-Provence are the most exposed.

Areas Ib ("low seismic activity") including the cantons of Aix-en-Provence, Trets Eyguières, Orgon, Berre-Pond, Istres, Istres-North and South, and Ia areas ("very low seismic activity") including the other cantons in the district of Aix-en-Provence, Arles-East, Châteaurenard, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Marignane, Martigues-East and Roquevaire-West, are least exposed. Zone 0 ("negligible seismic activity") includes the rest of the department.

Climate

The department has a Mediterranean climate, with contrasting temperatures within a range of 15 degrees. Precipitation is irregular, with only 65 days per year where rain falls in excess of 1 mm. However it falls in sudden downpours, with an average of 500 - annually. This mainly happens in the spring and autumn; summer is very hot, winter mild. Violent winds are common, especially the mistral, which blows 100 days per year with a maximum of 100 km/h. The coast is drier, especially along the Côte Bleue, the Calanques and the bay of La Ciotat, which include some of the driest areas in France, with only 450 mm of rain per year. Higher areas receive more precipitation and lower temperatures. The Arc region in the interior is much colder than other areas, with heavy frosts in winter.

Demographics

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Marseille, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 14 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:

There are 15 more communes with over 10,000 inhabitants: Châteauneuf-les-Martigues, Port-de-Bouc, Châteaurenard, Tarascon, Fos-sur-Mer, Bouc-Bel-Air, Berre-l'Étang, Saint-Martin-de-Crau, Auriol, Rognac, Plan-de-Cuques, Septèmes-les-Vallons, Pélissanne, Trets and Fuveau.

File:Place Lamartine.JPG|Arles File:Martigues-4.JPG|Martigues File:Tois Istres.jpg|Istres File:Salon-de-Provence 20111112 32.jpg|Salon-de-Provence File:13600 La Ciotat, France - panoramio - 4net (6).jpg|La Ciotat

Politics

History

Since Bouches-du-Rhône is one of the most populous and diverse departments of France, it has long been the scene of particularly fierce political battles. The development of the Marseille-Fos Port, the relationship maintained between France and its colonial empire, the industry around coal mining in Provence, as well as significant immigration, especially coming from Italy, from the end the 19th century and during the period between the two world wars are all factors that led to the emergence of a large and militant working class. From the late 19th century, the socialist movement gained influence, such as in 1881 by the election of the country's first socialist member of parliament, Clovis Hugues. Rural areas, particularly in the region of Aix-en-Provence, have tended to favour the influence of right-wing parties, including monarchists and Catholics at the beginning of the French Third Republic. The interwar period and the time of the Popular Front marked the beginning of the dominance of the left in the department, first with the election of the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO).

]] After the Second World War, the Marseillais right, linked to the underworld and who collaborated with the German occupation, was widely discredited. The left largely dominated the Liberation and Marseille even saw the election in 1946 of Communist Mayor Jean Cristofol. In 1947 the SFIO led an alliance with right and centre parties against the Communists, resulting six years later in the election of Gaston Defferre as Mayor of Marseille, a position he held until his death in 1986. The dominance of socialism was, however, challenged by deindustrialisation. The conservative success in 1995 by Jean-Claude Gaudin in Marseille is a symbol of widespread political shifts while even the former communists bastions of La Ciotat and Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône voted for the right. The 1990s saw the rise of the National Front, including its victories in municipal elections of Marignane and Vitrolles.

The President of the Departmental Council has been Martine Vassal of the right-wing The Republicans party since 2015, after former Socialist President Jean-Noël Guérini was voted out of office and has faced corruption charges.

In the 2022 French presidential election, just like five years prior, Marine Le Pen of the National Rally (formerly National Front) won a majority in Bouches-du-Rhône in the first round, before incumbent Emmanuel Macron of La République En Marche! won a majority in the second round.

Members of the National Assembly

Bouches-du-Rhône elected the following members of the National Assembly in the 2017 legislative election:

Departmental Council of Bouches-du-Rhône

Below is a list of seats won by the department's different parties after the 2015 departmental elections.

Culture

The department is well represented in French art. Paul Cézanne painted numerous representations of the Mont Sainte-Victoire. Vincent van Gogh spent two years in Arles, painting many scenes in the area. The department's main museums include the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations, the Musée de la Faïence de Marseille and the Marseille History Museum.

Transport

The department is served by Marseille Provence Airport which provides direct routes to other parts of France, Europe, northern Africa, Asia and northern America. Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is also fairly used by air travellers from the department.

Tourism

Main sights

Major sites of tourism include:

• The cities of Marseille and Aix-en-Provence
• Roman and Romanesque monuments of Arles
• The Camargue and the town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
• Alphonse Daudet's windmill in Fontvieille
• Les Baux-de-Provence, medieval village
• Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and the ruins of the Roman city of Glanum
• Tarascon, medieval castle and church
• Salon-de-Provence, city of Nostradamus and one of the biggest citadels in Provence: Château de l'Empéri
• The Calanque de Sormiou, Marseille

File:Marseille - Fort Saint-Jean 16.jpg|Fort Saint-Jean in Marseille File:Calanque near Cassis, Provence, France (6052444485).jpg|Landscape near Cassis File:Cabane en Camargue.jpg|Gardian house in the Camargue File:Calanque de Figuerolles-La Ciotat.jpg|Mediterranean coast near La Ciotat File:Calanque de Sormiou 1 1.jpg|Calanque de Sormiou

Natural landmarks

Rivers include:

• The Rhône, which forms the border with the department of Gard
• The Durance, which forms the border with the department of Vaucluse
• The Arc
• The Huveaune

Lakes include:

• Étang de Berre
• Étang de Vaccarès, in the Camargue

Mountains include:

• Alpilles mountain range
• Calanques between Marseille and La Ciotat
• Corniche des Crêtes
• Garlaban
• Mont Puget
• Montagne Sainte-Victoire
• Sainte-Baume massif

Massif du Garlaban.jpg|Garlaban 170604-Alpilles-01.jpg|Alpilles France - Marseille (30474472526).jpg|Calanques Barrage de Bimont 20130921 01.jpg|Montagne Sainte-Victoire

Sources

References

1. (4 May 2022). "Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux".
2. Vella, Alexandre (7 February 2022). [https://www.20minutes.fr/societe/3229543-20220207-marseille-plus-vieille-ville-france-rien-voir-o-vestiges-archeologiques "« Marseille est la plus vieille ville de France, mais il n’y a rien à voir »… Mais où sont les vestiges archéologiques ?"], ''20-minutes.fr'' (in French).
3. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep13.pdf Populations légales 2019: 13 Bouches-du-Rhône], INSEE
4. Albert Ceccarelli, ''La Révolution à l’Isle sur la Sorgue et en Vaucluse'', Éditions Scriba, 1989, 2-86736-018-8, p. 27.
5. Albert Ceccarelli, ''La Révolution...'', p. 30.
6. "Historique des Bouches-du-Rhône".
7. "Évolution et structure de la population en 2016". INSEE.
8. Nationale, Assemblée. "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français".