Bouches_du_Rhône is a département in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhone River.

History

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

Marseille has been an important harbor since before Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul.

Geography

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, and by the Mediterranean Sea on the south.

Marseille is an important harbor.

Other significant cities include:

• Aix-en-Provence
• Aubagne
• Cassis
• Fos sur Mer
• Istres
• La Ciotat
• Martigues

Rivers include:

• Rhone, which forms the border with the department of Gard
• Rhone delta (la Camargue)

Mountains include:

• Alpilles mountain range
• Montagnette hills
• Sainte-Victoire mountain
• Sainte-Baume massif

Culture

The department is well represented in French art. Paul Cézanne painted numerous representations of the Mont Sainte-Victoire. Vincent van Gogh spent much of his life in Aix-en-Provence, painting many scenes in the area.

Tourism

• Cities of Marseille and Aix-en-Provence
• Roman and Romanesque monuments of Arles
• The Camargue and the city 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

Istres, fourth largest town of Bouches-du-Rhone (40 000 inhabitants)

External links

• Conseil General website (http://www.cg13.fr/) (in French)
• http://www.camargue.com.fr/ (in French)
• http://www.guideweb.com/camargue/ (in French)
• http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/camargue/ (in French)
• http://www.beyond.fr/sites/camargue.html