Département de Vaucluse
Coat of Arms
Information
Number	84
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Prefecture	Avignon
Subprefecture	Apt Carpentras
Population - Total (1999) - Density	Ranked 50th 501,925 (source : INSEE) 140 pers/km²
Area	3,567 km²
Arrondissements	3
Cantons	24
Communes	151
President of the general council	Claude Haut
Location

For other uses of the name Vaucluse, see Vaucluse (disambiguation)

Vaucluse is a département in the south of France.

History

The Vaucluse département was created on December 8, 1793 out of parts of the Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme and Basses-Alpes (later renamed Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) départements.

Geography

The Vaucluse is bordered on the West by the Rhône river and by the Durance on its southern border. Mountains cover a significant surface of the territory in the East, with the Mont Ventoux (also called "Giant of Provence") its highest point at 1,912 m, which dominates the natural landscape over the most fertile plain for fruits and vegetables in Southern France.

The Vaucluse includes a number of important mountain ranges, notably the Dentelles de Montmirail, Mont Ventoux and the Luberon.

Other important cities include: Orange, Avignon.

Economy

Demographics

• Urban population: 416,301 (83%)
• Rural population: 83,384 (17%)

Culture

Miscellaneous topics

External links

• Conseil Général's (département's governing body) website: http://www.cg84.fr/