Landes (department)

History

Landes is one of the original 83 departments that were created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.

During the first part of the 19th century, large parts of the department were covered with poorly drained heathland (); this is the origin of the department's name. The vegetation covered rich soil and was periodically burned off, leaving excellent pasturage for sheep, which around 1850 are thought to have numbered between 900,000 and 1,000,000 in this area. The sheep were managed by shepherds who moved around on stilts and became proficient at covering long distances in boggy conditions after rain. Most of the sheep departed during the second half of the nineteenth century when systematic development of large pine plantations transformed the landscape and the local economy.

One of the most famous individuals closely related to Landes was the 19th-century French economist Frédéric Bastiat.

The Nobel Prize–winning novelist François Mauriac set his novels in the Landes.

Geography

The Landes is part of the current region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. With an area stretching over more than 9000 km2, Landes is, after Gironde, the second largest department of the metropolitan French territory.

It is well known for the Côte d'Argent beach. Côte d'Argent is Europe's longest beach, and attracts many surfers to Mimizan and Soorts-Hossegor each year. It is also home to a château called Château de Gaujacq that was built in 1686.

Woman on sandy beach (Unsplash).jpg|A view of Soorts-Hossegor Contis vue du phare 4.jpg|The Landes forest in Contis BordLac.jpg|The Lake of Biscarrosse

Demographics

Population development since 1801:

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Mont-de-Marsan, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 5 communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants:

Politics

Departmental Council of Landes

The president of the Departmental Council has been Xavier Fortinon of the Socialist Party since 2017. He succeeded former president of the National Assembly Henri Emmanuelli upon his death.

National representation

In the 2024 legislative election, Landes elected the following members of the National Assembly:

In the Senate, Landes is represented by two members: Éric Kerrouche and Monique Lubin. Both have served since the 2017 Senate election.

Economy

Agriculture

Landes is known for its large pine forest which is the raw material for a timber and resin industries in the region. The forest was planted in the early nineteenth century to prevent erosion of the region's sandy soil by the sea.

Tourism

Landes is famous for its seaside resorts and natural spots, such as:

File:Mimizan1.jpg|Mimizan File:Confluent Mont de Marsan.JPG|Mont-de-Marsan File:Hossegor 2008 (3).jpg|Surfer in Soorts-Hossegor File:Messanges 079.jpg|Beach in Messanges File:Labastide9.JPG|Labastide-d'Armagnac File:ForetLandes.JPG|Landes forest, the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe

References

References

1. (4 May 2022). "Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux".
2. [https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep40.pdf Populations légales 2019: 40 Landes], INSEE
3. Butterworth, Philip. (2017-03-02). "European Theatre Performance Practice, 1400-1580". Routledge.
4. Roche, George. (2011-07-22). "Frederic Bastiat: A Man Alone". Ludwig von Mises Institute.
5. "Historique des Landes".
6. "Évolution et structure de la population en 2016". INSEE.
7. Nationale, Assemblée. "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français".