Misplaced Pages

Alpes-Maritimes: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 17:56, 25 June 2004 editOlivier (talk | contribs)Administrators98,448 editsmNo edit summary← Previous edit Latest revision as of 22:04, 20 December 2024 edit undoErtyloide (talk | contribs)222 edits Update of the MPsTag: Visual edit 
(527 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France}}
<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right">
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Advert|date=July 2024}}
{{about|the department|the mountain range after which it is named|Maritime Alps}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name = Alpes-Maritimes
| native_name = {{native name|oc|Aups Maritims}}
| native_name_lang = fr<!-- ISO 639-2 code e.g. "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} instead -->
| type = ]
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage|position=center
| photo1a = Roquebrune.jpg
| photo3b = Palais des rois de Sardaigne 02.jpg
| photo3a = Saint-Dalmas.jpg
| photo2a = Panoramique Île Saint-Honorat (2014).JPG
| photo4a = Valberg panorama.jpg
| size = 270
| spacing = 2
| color = #FFFFFF
| border = 0
| foot_montage = }}
| image_alt =
| image_caption = '''Clockwise from top''': a view on the Mediterranean from ]; ] on ]; ]; prefecture building in ]; and ]
| image_flag = Comte de Nice flag.svg
| flag_alt =
| image_shield = Arms of Nice.svg
| shield_alt =
| nickname =
| motto =
| image_map = Alpes-Maritimes-Position.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Alpes-Maritimes in France
| pushpin_map =
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|43|50|N|7|10|E|region:FR_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint =
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type = ]
| subdivision_name = ]
| subdivision_type1 = ]
| subdivision_name1 = ]
| established_title =
| established_date =
| founder =
| seat_type = ]
| seat = ]
| parts_type = ]
| parts_style = para
| p1 = ]
| government_footnotes =
| leader_party = ]
| leader_title = ]
| leader_name = ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/601ef073-d986-4582-8e1a-ed14dc857fba|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=4 May 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
| unit_pref = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_magnitude =
| area_footnotes = {{ref|area|1}}
| area_total_km2 = 4299
| area_note =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| elevation_min_m =
| elevation_max_m =
| population_total = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
| population_as_of = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
| population_footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes2}}
| population_rank = ]
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym =
| population_note =
| blank_name_sec1 = ]
| blank_info_sec1 = 06
| blank_name_sec2 = ]
| blank_info_sec2 = ]
| blank1_name_sec2 = ]
| blank1_info_sec2 = ]
| blank2_name_sec2 = ]
| blank2_info_sec2 = ]
| timezone1 = ]
| utc_offset1 = +1
| timezone1_DST = ]
| utc_offset1_DST = +2
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type =
| area_code =
| iso_code =
| website =
| footnotes = {{note|area|1}} French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>
}}


]
<tr><th colspan="2" bgcolor="#66CCFF">Alpes-Maritimes
'''Alpes-Maritimes''' ({{IPA|fr|alp(ə)maʁitim|lang}}; {{langx|oc|Aups Maritims}}; {{langx|it|Alpi Marittime}}; {{literally|Maritime Alps}}) is a ] located in the country's southeast corner, on the ] and ] coast. Part of the ] ], it encompasses the ] alongside neighbouring ]. Alpes-Maritimes had a population of 1,094,283 in 2019.<ref name=pop2019>, INSEE</ref> Its ] (and largest city) is ], with ] as the sole ].
<tr><td colspan="2" align=center>]<br>]</td></tr>
<tr><th colspan="2" bgcolor="#66CCFF">Information
<TR><TD>]</td><td>06</td></tr>
<TR><TD>]</td><td>]</td></tr>
<TR><TD>]</td><td>]</td></tr>
<TR><TD>]</td><td>]</td></tr>
<tr><td>Population
<br>&nbsp;- Total <small>''(])''</small>
<br>&nbsp;- ]
<td>]
<br> 1,011,326
<br>235 /km²</td></tr>
<tr><td>Area</td><td>]</td></tr>
<tr><td>]s</td><td>]</td></tr>
<tr><td>]</td><td>]</td></tr>
<tr><td>]</td><td>]</td></tr>
<tr><td>]</td><td>]</td></tr>
<tr><th colspan="2" bgcolor="#66CCFF">Location
<tr><td colspan="2" align=center>]</td></tr>
</table>


Alpes-Maritimes has become one of the world's most attractive tourist destinations in recent decades, featuring renowned cities and towns such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ], as well as numerous alpine ski resorts.<ref> (in French).</ref> It also entirely surrounds the ]. The department's inhabitants are called ''Maralpins'' (masculine) or ''Maralpines'' (feminine) but are more commonly referred to as "Azuréens"; its flag and arms are those of the City of Nice. In terms of politics, Alpes-Maritimes is one of France's most right-wing departments, as the majority led by ] in the ] holds all but two of the 54 seats following the ].
'''Alpes-Maritimes''' is a French '']'', located in the south of ].

== Geography ==
{{More citations needed|section|date=July 2022}}

=== Overview ===
The Alpes-Maritimes department is surrounded by the departments of ] in the southwest, ] in the northwest; ] to the north and east; and the ] to the south. It surrounds the ] on the west, north and east.

]
Its topography is very mixed. As its name suggests, most of the department is a constituent part of the overall topographic Alps – including the ] – but it also has the distinction of being a coastal district with its Mediterranean coast. The coastal area, urbanized and densely populated (shaded in red on the map), includes all the cities in an almost continuous conurbation from ] to ], while the larger but sparsely populated mountainous area (light green) is fully rural with the exception of the three large resorts of ] (created in 1936), ] (created in 1937) and ] (created in 1971).

==== Summits and passes ====
The highest point of the department is the ] ({{convert|3143|m|disp=comma}}) on the Franco-Italian border which dominates the ] further east. The summit of ] is higher at {{convert|3297|m}} above sea level, but it is located in Italy. There is also ] ({{convert|2817|m|disp=comma}}), which dominates the south of the vast ], formed of a mass more than {{convert|900|m}} thick of red mudstones deeply indented by the gorges of ] and ]. Except in winter, four passes allow passage to the north of the ] whose imposing {{convert|62|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} barrier is covered in winter snow which is visible from the coast. From the west, the ] enters the ] ({{convert|2326|m|disp=comma}}) first on the way to the Alps and the sources of the ] in the commune of ]. Then the route follows the ] – the highest pass in Europe at {{convert|2715|m}} – to connect to the valley of the ] then the Ubaye. Further east, the ] ({{convert|2350|m|disp=comma}}) above ] allows access to the shrine of Saint-Anne de ] in Italy. Finally, at its eastern end, the ] ({{convert|1871|m|disp=comma}}) links with ] in Italy.

==== Landscape and forest vegetation ====
The only region of the Alps close to Nice has an afforestation rate of 60.9%, slightly higher than the average of the department and well above the average of 39.4% for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://inventaire-forestier.ign.fr/IMG/pdf/PubDep/06-alpes-maritimes/ifn_06_3_alpes_maritimes_2002.pdf |title=Inventaire forestier départemental Alpes-Maritimes: IIIe inventaire 2002 |trans-title=Forest Inventory for the department of Alpes-Maritimes: Third Inventory 2002 |language=fr |publisher=] of France |date=2004}}</ref>

The rivers in alphabetical order are:
{{div col|colwidth=10em}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* Bouyon
* ]
* Braisse
* Braus
* ]
* Caramagne
* ]
* Castérine
* ]
* ]
* ]
* Clans
* Coulomb
* ]
* Faye
* ]
* Gorbio
* ]
* ]
* ] or Levenza
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* Nieya
* Oglione
* ] (les Paillons)
* ]
* ]
* Riou
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* Tuébi
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}

=== Climate ===
{{more citations needed|section|date=November 2019}}
It is the climate that made the ] famous. The current department of Alpes-Maritimes, however, does not have only one climate, the complex terrain and high mountains divide the department between those who are well exposed (the south-facing side) and those which are less (the north-facing side) and even with the mild Mediterranean climate there can be violent storms and prolonged droughts.

The coastal area has a ] (rainfall in autumn ] and spring ] especially, summer drought, mild winter and dry summer). The interior, especially in the north, has a ] (winter quite bright, summer storms). Around Cannes is a particularly warm micro-climate due to the high hills warming the air which descends on the city.

One of the attractions of the department is its level of sunshine: over 300 days per year. Despite this the department is also the most stormy of France with an average of 70 to 90 thunderstorm days per year, arising from the differences in temperature due to a warm sea in autumn.

As soon as one moves away from the coast, towards the west of the department, the interior plains (in particular near Grasse) the climate is a little less temperate but just as sunny. In summer, the temperature very easily exceeds {{convert|30|C}}, while the average is only {{convert|27|C}} along the Nice coast during July and August. Occasional frost is possible in the interior during winter, unlike in Nice and rest of the coast, where frost is very rare.

In the east of the department, unlike the west, there are no plains. In the ] region, the altitude increases very rapidly inland, so the sea tempers the atmosphere much more: the maximum in summer is on average {{convert|25|C}} and the winters are milder than in the interior and frost is very rare.

Snow is also rare along the coast, however, it happens that rare snowfall surprises the Côte d'Azur residents (on average every 5–7 years), as was the case in the winter of 2004–2005 when the city of Nice woke up with a few centimetres of snow, often creating traffic problems. More recently, in February 2010, more than {{convert|10|cm}} of snow was measured in Cannes and nearly {{convert|30|cm}} in the Grasse region.

In the north of the department the climate in the Alps is mountainous, and there is decent snow cover from end of November until late April.

{{Weather box
|location = Nice
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 13.1
|Feb high C = 13.4
|Mar high C = 15.2
|Apr high C = 17.0
|May high C = 20.7
|Jun high C = 24.3
|Jul high C = 27.3
|Aug high C = 27.7
|Sep high C = 24.6
|Oct high C = 21.0
|Nov high C = 16.6
|Dec high C = 13.8
|year high C = 19.6
|Jan mean C = 9.2
|Feb mean C = 9.7
|Mar mean C = 11.6
|Apr mean C = 13.6
|May mean C = 17.4
|Jun mean C = 20.9
|Jul mean C = 23.8
|Aug mean C = 24.2
|Sep mean C = 21.0
|Oct mean C = 17.4
|Nov mean C = 12.9
|Dec mean C = 10.1
|year mean C = 16.0
|Jan low C = 5.3
|Feb low C = 5.9
|Mar low C = 7.9
|Apr low C = 10.2
|May low C = 14.1
|Jun low C = 17.5
|Jul low C = 20.3
|Aug low C = 20.5
|Sep low C = 17.3
|Oct low C = 13.7
|Nov low C = 9.2
|Dec low C = 6.3
|year low C = 12.4
|Jan precipitation mm = 69.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 44.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 38.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 69.3
|May precipitation mm = 44.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 34.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 12.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 17.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 73.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 132.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 103.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 92.7
|year precipitation mm = 733.0
|Jan precipitation days = 5.8
|Feb precipitation days = 4.7
|Mar precipitation days = 4.6
|Apr precipitation days = 7.1
|May precipitation days = 5.2
|Jun precipitation days = 3.8
|Jul precipitation days = 1.8
|Aug precipitation days = 2.4
|Sep precipitation days = 4.9
|Oct precipitation days = 7.2
|Nov precipitation days = 7.2
|Dec precipitation days = 6.4
|year precipitation days = 61.1
|unit precipitation days = 1&nbsp;mm
|Jan sun = 158
|Feb sun = 171
|Mar sun = 217
|Apr sun = 224
|May sun = 267
|Jun sun = 306
|Jul sun = 348
|Aug sun = 316
|Sep sun = 242
|Oct sun = 187
|Nov sun = 149
|Dec sun = 139
|year sun = 2724
|source 1 = January 2015 {{in lang|fr}}
}}

{{center|{{Meteo France
|Town=Nice
|Nice=no
|Sunshine=2,724
|Rain=733
|Snow=1
|Storm=29
|Fog=1
}}}}

=== Subdivisions ===
]
Alpes-Maritimes is divided into two ]: ] and ], twenty-seven ] and 163 ].<ref name="pop2019" />

As of 1 January 2014, there were seven ]:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nicematin.com/faits-divers/l-intercommunalite-en-ordre-de-marche-361926 |title=L'intercommunalité en ordre de marche |language=fr |date=16 April 2013 |last=Huault |first=Christian |work=]}}</ref>
* Four ]:
** ]
** ]
** ]
** ]
* One ]:
** ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nicecotedazur.org/|title=Métropole NCA &#124; Accueil|website=www.nicecotedazur.org}}</ref>
* Two ]'':
** {{ill|Communauté de communes du Pays des Paillons|fr}}
** {{ill|Communauté de communes Alpes d'Azur|fr}}

=== Principal communes ===

The most populous commune is the prefecture ]. As of 2019, there are 10 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:<ref name="pop2019" />

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2019)
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 342,669
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 74,545
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 73,438
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 52,178
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 48,870
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 41,887
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 30,525
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 29,169
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 27,364
|-
| ]
| style="text-align: center;" | 21,998
|}


== History == == History ==
{{more citations needed|section|date=November 2019}}


The ] military district of ] was created by ] in 14 BC. It became a full ] in the middle of the 1st century AD, with its capital first at ] (today ], a suburb north of ]) and subsequently at ]. At its greatest extent in AD 297, the province reached north to ] and ].
== Geography ==


Conquered by the ] during the ], a ] of Alpes-Maritimes was first set up in 1793 with different boundaries from those of the modern department. In 1793, Alpes-Maritimes included ] (]), but not ], which was then part of the department of ] as an historical part of France. In 1805, ] (San Rème) was included after the disbandment of the ]. In 1812, the department had three ] with the following ]:<ref name=Gallica>, p. 368, accessed in ] 24 July 2013 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
Alpes-Maritimes includes famous ] coastline on the ] with other important towns and cities of ], ], ], ], ] amongst others.
* ], cantons: ] (2 cantons), ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].
* ], cantons: ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].
* ], cantons: ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].
The population of the department in 1812 was 131,266, and its area was {{Convert|3226.74|km2}}, covering both present-day ], ] and ].<ref name=Gallica />


In 1814, at the close of the ], the territory was restored to the ] by the ].
Rivers include: ]


In 1860 ], one of the architects of Italian unity with the ], negotiated support for ] in exchange for ] and the ] as set forth in the ]. The annexation was confirmed on 15 and 16 April 1860 by 30,712 male electors enrolled in the 89 communes of the County of Nice who, for the first time, had universal male suffrage by ]. The "Yes" vote for reunification with France was 83.8% of registered voters and 99.2% of votes.<ref>Table of Results pages 319 to 320 in ''La réunion de Nice à la France'' by Paul Gonnet, Les Éditions du Cabri, Breil-sur-Roya, 2003, 343 pages, {{ISBN|9782914603102}} {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
See also: List of the ]


The new department of Alpes-Maritimes consisted of the former County of Nice, divided into an ] and an Arrondissement of ] (both arrondissements existed in the former Department (1793–1814)), and a portion of the ], which formed the ]. However, the County of Nice did not include ] and ], which were still part of Piedmont-Sardinia.
== Economy ==

For economic reasons, the Arrondissement of Puget-Théniers was merged into the Arrondissement of Nice in 1926. Since that time, the department has had two ].

In 1947, in accordance with the ] and as a referendum result favourable to their attachment to France, the communes of ] and ] (also parts of communes in the high valleys of Vésubie and Tinée: part the commune of ]) which had not been ceded to France in 1860, were attached to the department.

=== Heraldry ===
{{Blazon-arms
|img1=Arms of Nice.svg
|legend1=Arms of Alpes-Maritimes and Nice
|text=

'''Blazon:'''<br />
''Argent, an eagle crowned of gules displayed with wings inverted, on a mountain of three hillocks sable issuant from the pointed waves of a sea azure waved in argent.''
}}

== Administration ==
=== Politics ===
]. Yellow: ] (]).]]
Since the end of ], Alpes-Maritimes has generally voted to the right. It has nine constituencies for the ]. Following the ], six constituencies are represented by members of ] (LR) right-wing party and three by members of the ] (REM) centrist party. Of the five members of the ] who represent the department in the upper house of Parliament, four are right-wing (LR) and one is left-wing (], PS). Of the 54 departmental councillors, 52 are aligned with the right-wing coalition and two are in the left-wing opposition.

In the ], ] of the ] won a plurality in Alpes-Maritimes in the first round; incumbent ] of ] won a majority in the second round.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Alpes-Maritimes experienced ] problems with its politicians, which led to several criminal convictions, including those of Nice Mayor ] and Cannes Mayor ], as well as that of Antibes Mayor Pierre Merli, criminally indicted in 1995 for a real estate scam and convicted four years later.

==== Departmental Council of Alpes-Maritimes ====

The ] has been Charles-Ange Ginésy since 2017, who took office upon succeeding ]. Ciotti remained a councillor and became majority leader.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/alpes-maritimes/nice/charles-ange-ginesy-est-nouveau-president-du-conseil-departemental-alpes-maritimes-1328555.html|title=Charles-Ange Ginésy est le nouveau président du conseil départemental des Alpes-Maritimes|website=francetvinfo.fr|date=15 September 2017 |access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref> Ginésy, who has been a councillor for the ] since 2015, has held a seat in the council since 2003. He also was Mayor of ] (2001–2017) and the ] for ] (2005–2007; 2007–2008; 2009–2010; 2012–2017). Both are members of ] (LR).

The coalition majority in the departmental council is one of the largest majorities in any such institution in France. Out of the 54 seats, only two are held by left-wing councillors, both elected in the ]. In neighbouring ], the right-wing coalition also holds all but two seats in the departmental council, although it is made up of less many seats and the two councillors in opposition are members of the far-right ] (RN). Following the ], the seats were allocated as follows in Alpes-Maritimes:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!colspan=2| Party || Seats
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Union for a Popular Movement}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|] ||align="right"| 45
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Miscellaneous Right}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|] ||align="right"| 5
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Union of Democrats and Independents}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|] ||align="right"| 1
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|La République En Marche!}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|] ||align="right"| 1
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Europe Ecology – The Greens}}" |
|] ||align="right"| 1
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}" |
|] ||align="right"| 1
|}

==== Representation in Parliament ====
===== Members of the National Assembly =====
Alpes-Maritimes elected the following ] to the ] in the ]:

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan="2"|Constituency!!Member<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/|title=Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français|first=Assemblée|last=Nationale|website=Assemblée nationale}}</ref>!!Party
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
| ]
| ]
| ]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
| ]
| ]
| ]
|-
|style="background:{{party color|Horizons (political party)}};"|
| ]
|]
|]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| ]
| ]
| ]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
| ]
| ]
| ]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| ]
| ]
| ]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
| ]
| ]
| ]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
| ]
| ]
| ]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
| ]
| ]
| ]
|}

===== Senators =====
{{See also|List of senators of Alpes-Maritimes}}
As of 2020, the department's five Senators are ] (PS, since 2008), ] (LR, since 2008), ] (LR, since 2008), ] (LR, since 2014) and ] (LR, since 2017).

=== Budget ===
In 2011, the draft departmental budget amounted to €1.3 billion of which 498 million (38.3%) was devoted to social action and 346 million to operations (26.6%).<ref name="CG06-budget">, Official site of the General Council of Alpes-Maritimes. Consulted on 1 July 2011. {{in lang|fr}}</ref> Capital expenditures was just over 250 million euros (19.2%).<ref name="CG06-budget" />

In 2010, the department was the third most indebted in France with €942 million of debt or 68.4% of the annual budget.<ref name="jdn-dette">, Le Journal du Net. Consulted on 1 July 2011. {{in lang|fr}}</ref> This debt amounted to 2,460 euros per ] (household) and 859 euros per person.<ref name="jdn-dette" /> The trend of change in debt over the last decade has been a sharp increase: + 440% between 2001 and 2009 and 26% between 2009 and 2010.<ref name="jdn-dette" /> There was only €43 million in debt in 2003.

=== Projects ===
The Departmental Council of Alpes-Maritimes is currently sponsoring several large projects:<ref>''Register of Competitivity'', 29 January 2009. {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
* construction of 10 residential facilities for the elderly
* building dikes in the ] plain
* creation of a STIC (science and information technology and communication) campus at ]
* construction of 337 units of social housing
* establishment of facilities for the disabled
* road construction
* construction of schools and gyms (10)
* construction of a centre of sustainable development
* construction of the ]
* creation of the ''Eco Valley'' in the Plaine of the Var which will run from the Arena Quarter (which will be converted) to the village of Baus-Roux

The Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council has charged 1 euro per vehicle journey in the department, regardless of distance, since 1 January 2008.


== Demographics == == Demographics ==
{{historical populations|cols=2|align=none|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://splaf.free.fr/06his.html|title=Historique des Alpes-Maritimes|website=Le SPLAF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4176909?geo=DEP-06|title=Évolution et structure de la population en 2016|publisher=INSEE}}</ref>|graph-pos=bottom
|19=1806|20=131,266|21=1821|22=161,886|23=1851|24=192,062|25=1861|26=194,578|27=1872|28=199,037|29=1881|30=226,621|31=1891|32=258,571|33=1901|34=293,213|35=1911|36=356,338|37=1921|38=357,759|39=1931|40=493,376|41=1936|42=513,714|43=1946|44=453,073|45=1954|46=515,484|47=1962|48=618,265|49=1968|50=722,070|51=1975|52=816,681|53=1982|54=881,198|55=1990|56=971,829|57=1999|58=1,011,326|59=2006|60=1,073,184|61=2011|62=1,081,244|63=2016|64=1,083,704}}
When ] became part of France in 1860, it was still a small town; the department had fewer than 200,000 inhabitants. However, the population grew quickly from 300,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to over a million. The population is aging because of the number of retirees who move to the coast.

The population is now concentrated in the urban region that includes ], ], ], Nice, and ], and which constitutes 90% of the total population.

The department had 1,083,310 inhabitants in 2017, making it the 20th most populated department in France.<ref name=pop2017>, ]</ref> There are 163 communes including 107 under 2000 inhabitants (representing a total of 60,065 inhabitants), 38 from 2000 to 9999 inhabitants (total 171,935 inhabitants), 13 between 10,000 and 49,999 inhabitants (total 263,102 inhabitants), 4 between 50,000 and 199,999 inhabitants (Antibes, Cannes, Cagnes-sur-Mer and Grasse, total 248,191 inhabitants), and one with over 200,000 inhabitants (Nice, with 340,017 inhabitants).<ref name="pop2017" /> The population density was 252 inhabitants per square kilometre in 2017.

According to INSEE 39.5% of children born in 2011 in the department of Alpes-Maritimes have at least one parent born abroad (regardless of nationality), 15.4% have a father born in ].<ref>, ], 2012 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

The area is also known for its extremely large population of people of Italian descent. About 40% of the population of the Alpes-Maritimes claim their ancestry as being solely Italian, and as many as 80% of the population can trace some degree of ancestry back to Italy before it was annexed by France in the 1860s.<ref>The Alpes-Maritimes, much like the rest of the PACA region, is markedly more religious than the rest of France</ref>

== Economy ==
The economy of the Alpes-Maritimes is characterized by the importance of the ]. The department has, in addition to tourism and traditional services, a relatively high level of corporate research and higher level of services. ] is of little importance and ] plays a relatively small role although it has diversified into activities with high technological value. The construction and public works sector is quite important. The economy is very sensitive to changes in the national and international situation. The rate of unemployment is 9.1%.

According to the INSEE, in 2005 the GDP per capita of the Alpes-Maritimes was 27,723 euros which ranked it as the thirteenth highest department in France.<ref name="insee_2005">, National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (]) {{in lang|fr}}</ref> GDP was 29.6 billion euros.<ref name="insee_2005" /> According to Eurostat, ''GDP per capita at market prices in 2008'', the department had a GDP per capita of 30,700 euros, which is also ranked it thirteenth in France.<ref>, ]. consulted on 5 August 2011. {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

=== Distribution of employment ===
{| align="center" rules="all" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" style="border: 1px solid #999; border-right: 2px solid #999; border-bottom:2px solid #999; background: #FFFFFF"
|+ style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 0.5em"| Distribution of Employment
|-style="background: #adcdf1"
! !! ] !! ] !! Construction & Public Works !! ]
|-
| '''Alpes-Maritimes''' || align=center|'''76.2%''' || align=center|'''12.5%''' || align=center|'''9.2%''' || align=center|'''2,1%'''
|-
| National Average || align=center|71.5% || align=center|18.3% || align=center|6.1% || align=center|4.1%
|}

Tourism is an essential industry for the entire coastal region (]) and is highly developed. On the coast, thanks to the mild climate, towns are ] all year round. In the mountains, there are winter sports stations that have received abundant snow in recent years, particularly ].

There are also well-developed industries such as the ] industry in ], new technologies from ], and the ] in Cannes-Mandelieu, where there is the first European satellite builders<ref>, Le Journal du Net {{in lang|fr}}</ref> and the first ] dedicated to spacecraft manufacturing.<ref name="apo">, in The New Economist, March 2002</ref>

== Tourism ==
=== Seaside ===
], centred on ], attracts millions of international tourists every year.]]
] between Nice and Monaco]]
The presence of the ] and the ] under a mild sky has favoured one dominant activity: tourism, which accounts for 64,000 jobs directly in the Alpes-Maritimes. For only the city of Nice the tourism turnover represents a 12 to 13% share of the whole tourism market in France. The capital of the ] is the fifth most populous city in France. The city of Nice also has the second largest airport in France (]), after Paris and its three airports at ], ] and ]. There are nearly 13.5 million passengers per year passing through Nice Airport.

The seaside where the majority of the population resides is one of the most popular parts of the world with many attractions:
* ]s (], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ])
* Convention cities that spread their business throughout the year are Cannes, with its ], and Nice, with its ].

The area inland from the busy French Riviera is an excellent base for many outdoor sports: ], ], ], walking, ], ], ], ], ], ], ]s, ] and the area has the first ever underground '']''. The area has internationally renowned ] and ] flying sites at Col-de-Bleyne, ], ] and Lachens.

=== Mountainside ===
] in the commune of ], which primarily covers a small town in the Alps and tourist destination]]
In the mountains, ] and ] bring life to ] (]), ], ] (]), ], ], ], Peïra-Cava, ], and Turini-Camp d'argent in the Authion mountains.

=== Second homes ===
As of 2020, 25.3% of available housing in the department were second homes.<ref>, ] {{in lang|fr}}</ref>


== Culture == == Culture ==
Cultural life is rich and fully described in the daily regional '']'' newspaper and announced in the weekly supplement ''JV Wednesday''.

=== Events ===
* ], an annual film festival held in Cannes
* ], held annually in conjunction with the Cannes Film Festival
* ], an annual trade fair for the music industry held in Cannes
* ], an event of the advertising and creative communications industry
] (2013)]]
]
* Pantiero Festival, ] (electronic and independent music) in August
* International Dance Festival, Cannes, a dance festival held in late November and early December every second year
* International Festival of Games, Cannes, in February
* Festival of Night music at ], Cannes, classical music in July
* Fireworks Festival, Cannes, fireworks in July and August
* Festival of Performances of actors, Cannes, June
* Festival of dances "Break the Floor", Cannes, January
* International Dance Festival, Cannes, November
* Festival of Russian Art and Dance, Cannes, August
* International Youth Ballets, organized by the Senior Dance School of ], Cannes, March
* La Fête du Mimosa, ], February
* Italian Market, ], (formerly the Piedmontese Market before 2011)
* International Gastronomic festival, Mougins
* ], ]
* ]
* ]
* Naval Combat with flowers, ]
* Lemon Festival, ]
* Southern Nights in ], world music
* Festival Tomawok, ] (rock, metal music), June
* Book Festival of ], three days in early October (21st Festival in 2008)
* This Is Not Classic, an annual event<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080507010203/http://musique.france2.fr/musique-classique/info/35911384-fr.php |date=7 May 2008 }}, France Musique website {{in lang|fr}}</ref> for classical music, created by the General Council of the Alpes-Maritimes<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305174746/http://193.48.79.10/cg06_V3/cms/cest_pas_classique/index.php?id=15 |date=5 March 2016 }} {{in lang|fr}}</ref> in 2005. It takes place at the Acropolis convention centre in Nice and occupies all available rooms beginning with the large auditorium seating 2,400 people.
* Chestnut Festival

=== Museums ===
] in Antibes]]
Famous museums include:
* the ] in ]
* the ] in Antibes
* ] in ]
* the ] in ]
* the ] and ] museums in Nice
* the ] (MAMAC) also in Nice

== Education ==

=== Primary and secondary education ===
The department has 222 nursery schools, 357 primary schools and one special school. It also hosts 72 colleges, 14 vocational schools and 22 high schools, to which must be added 65 private schools.

=== Higher education ===
The ], in Nice and neighboring areas, was founded in 1965.

Higher education is relatively underdeveloped in the department. The urban area of Nice has 35,000 students,<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224120503/http://www.agglo-nice.fr/chiffres-cles-atouts-territoire.htm |date=24 February 2009 }}, Official site of the Urban Community of Nice-Côte d'Azur. Consulted on 26 September 2008. {{in lang|fr}}</ref> while ] and ] each have 60,000.

A campus of the ] (Sciences Po) was established in ] in October 2005. The Menton campus is dedicated to the relationship between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean and the relationship of Europe with the Middle East.

Several engineering schools are also located in ]:
* ] (School of Engineering and Research Center in communication systems)
* ]
* ]

In addition, two major business schools are located in the region:
* ] in Nice
* ] in Sophia Antipolis

There are is the ] (INRIA) and the ] (CNRS) in Sophia Antipolis.

== Trivia ==
The ] ] is ], on the occasion of the thousandth discovery made from its territory.

== See also ==
* ]
* ]
* ]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}


== Miscellaneous topics == == Bibliography ==
* ''The Heritage of the Communes of Alpes-Maritimes'' in two volumes, Flohic Éditions, collective work, volume I, Cantons of Antibes to Levens, January 2000, Paris, 504 pages, {{ISBN|2-84234-071-X}}, Jean-Luc Flohic {{in lang|fr}}.
* ]
* ''The Heritage of the Communes of Alpes-Maritimes'' in two volumes, Flohic Éditions, collective work, volume II, Cantons of Menton to Villefranche-sur-Mer, January 2000, Paris, 574 pages, {{ISBN|2-84234-071-X}}, Jean-Luc Flohic, p.&nbsp;505 to 1079 {{in lang|fr}}.
* ''Rural Architecture of Alpes-Maritimes'', Édisud, Philippe de Beauchamp, 1992, Aix-en-Provence, 140 pages, {{ISBN|2-85744-612-8}}, Photographer Loîc-Jahan {{in lang|fr}}.
* ''Religious Art in Alpes-Maritimes'', Édisud, Philippe de Beauchamp, 4th Quarter 1993, Aix-en-Provence, 144 pages, {{ISBN|2-85744-485-0}}, Photographer Loîc-Jahan {{in lang|fr}}.


==External link== == External links ==
{{Wikivoyage|Alpes-Maritimes}}
*
{{Commons category|Alpes-Maritimes}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Alpes Maritimes | volume= 1 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge| page = 723 |short= 1}}
* {{in lang|fr}}
* {{in lang|fr}}
* {{in lang|en}}
* {{in lang|en}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405062530/http://gofrance.about.com/cs/photogalleries/l/bl_nice5.htm |date=5 April 2015 }}
* {{in lang|fr}}
* {{in lang|fr}}


{{Departments of France}}
{{département}}
{{Annexed departments of the First French Empire}}
{{Authority control}}


] ]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 22:04, 20 December 2024

Department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

This article contains promotional content. Please help improve it by removing promotional language and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic text written from a neutral point of view. (July 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article is about the department. For the mountain range after which it is named, see Maritime Alps. Department of France in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Alpes-Maritimes Aups Maritims (Occitan)
Department of France
Clockwise from top: a view on the Mediterranean from Roquebrune-Cap-Martin; Lérins Abbey on Île Saint-Honorat; Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage; prefecture building in Nice; and Mercantour National Park
Flag of Alpes-MaritimesFlagCoat of arms of Alpes-MaritimesCoat of arms
Location of Alpes-Maritimes in FranceLocation of Alpes-Maritimes in France
Coordinates: 43°50′N 7°10′E / 43.833°N 7.167°E / 43.833; 7.167
CountryFrance
RegionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
PrefectureNice
SubprefectureGrasse
Government
 • President of the Departmental CouncilCharles Ange Ginésy (LR)
Area
 • Total4,299 km (1,660 sq mi)
Population
 • Total1,103,941
 • Rank20th
 • Density260/km (670/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number06
Arrondissements2
Cantons27
Communes163
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km
Logo of the department of Alpes-Maritimes

Alpes-Maritimes (French: [alp(ə)maʁitim]; Occitan: Aups Maritims; Italian: Alpi Marittime; lit. 'Maritime Alps') is a department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, it encompasses the French Riviera alongside neighbouring Var. Alpes-Maritimes had a population of 1,094,283 in 2019. Its prefecture (and largest city) is Nice, with Grasse as the sole subprefecture.

Alpes-Maritimes has become one of the world's most attractive tourist destinations in recent decades, featuring renowned cities and towns such as Nice, Grasse, Cannes, Antibes, Menton, Èze, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Sainte-Agnès, as well as numerous alpine ski resorts. It also entirely surrounds the Principality of Monaco. The department's inhabitants are called Maralpins (masculine) or Maralpines (feminine) but are more commonly referred to as "Azuréens"; its flag and arms are those of the City of Nice. In terms of politics, Alpes-Maritimes is one of France's most right-wing departments, as the majority led by The Republicans in the departmental council holds all but two of the 54 seats following the 2021 election.

Geography

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Alpes-Maritimes" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Overview

The Alpes-Maritimes department is surrounded by the departments of Var in the southwest, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in the northwest; Italy to the north and east; and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It surrounds the Principality of Monaco on the west, north and east.

Geography of Alpes-Maritimes

Its topography is very mixed. As its name suggests, most of the department is a constituent part of the overall topographic Alps – including the Maritime Alps – but it also has the distinction of being a coastal district with its Mediterranean coast. The coastal area, urbanized and densely populated (shaded in red on the map), includes all the cities in an almost continuous conurbation from Cannes to Menton, while the larger but sparsely populated mountainous area (light green) is fully rural with the exception of the three large resorts of Valberg (created in 1936), Auron (created in 1937) and Isola 2000 (created in 1971).

Summits and passes

The highest point of the department is the Cime du Gélas (3,143 metres, 10,312 ft) on the Franco-Italian border which dominates the Vallée des Merveilles further east. The summit of Monte Argentera is higher at 3,297 metres (10,817 ft) above sea level, but it is located in Italy. There is also Mount Mounier (2,817 metres, 9,242 ft), which dominates the south of the vast Dôme de Barrot, formed of a mass more than 900 metres (3,000 ft) thick of red mudstones deeply indented by the gorges of Daluis and Cians. Except in winter, four passes allow passage to the north of the Mercantour-Argentera massif whose imposing 62-kilometre-long (39 mi) barrier is covered in winter snow which is visible from the coast. From the west, the Route des Grandes Alpes enters the Cayolle Pass (2,326 metres, 7,631 ft) first on the way to the Alps and the sources of the Var in the commune of Entraunes. Then the route follows the Col de la Bonette – the highest pass in Europe at 2,715 metres (8,907 ft) – to connect to the valley of the Tinée then the Ubaye. Further east, the Col de la Lombarde (2,350 metres, 7,710 ft) above Isola 2000 allows access to the shrine of Saint-Anne de Vinadio in Italy. Finally, at its eastern end, the Col de Tende (1,871 metres, 6,138 ft) links with Cuneo in Italy.

Landscape and forest vegetation

The only region of the Alps close to Nice has an afforestation rate of 60.9%, slightly higher than the average of the department and well above the average of 39.4% for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

The rivers in alphabetical order are:

Climate

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Alpes-Maritimes" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

It is the climate that made the Côte d'Azur famous. The current department of Alpes-Maritimes, however, does not have only one climate, the complex terrain and high mountains divide the department between those who are well exposed (the south-facing side) and those which are less (the north-facing side) and even with the mild Mediterranean climate there can be violent storms and prolonged droughts.

The coastal area has a Mediterranean climate (rainfall in autumn November and spring February especially, summer drought, mild winter and dry summer). The interior, especially in the north, has a mountain climate (winter quite bright, summer storms). Around Cannes is a particularly warm micro-climate due to the high hills warming the air which descends on the city.

One of the attractions of the department is its level of sunshine: over 300 days per year. Despite this the department is also the most stormy of France with an average of 70 to 90 thunderstorm days per year, arising from the differences in temperature due to a warm sea in autumn.

As soon as one moves away from the coast, towards the west of the department, the interior plains (in particular near Grasse) the climate is a little less temperate but just as sunny. In summer, the temperature very easily exceeds 30 °C (86 °F), while the average is only 27 °C (81 °F) along the Nice coast during July and August. Occasional frost is possible in the interior during winter, unlike in Nice and rest of the coast, where frost is very rare.

In the east of the department, unlike the west, there are no plains. In the Menton region, the altitude increases very rapidly inland, so the sea tempers the atmosphere much more: the maximum in summer is on average 25 °C (77 °F) and the winters are milder than in the interior and frost is very rare.

Snow is also rare along the coast, however, it happens that rare snowfall surprises the Côte d'Azur residents (on average every 5–7 years), as was the case in the winter of 2004–2005 when the city of Nice woke up with a few centimetres of snow, often creating traffic problems. More recently, in February 2010, more than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) of snow was measured in Cannes and nearly 30 centimetres (12 in) in the Grasse region.

In the north of the department the climate in the Alps is mountainous, and there is decent snow cover from end of November until late April.

Climate data for Nice
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 13.1
(55.6)
13.4
(56.1)
15.2
(59.4)
17.0
(62.6)
20.7
(69.3)
24.3
(75.7)
27.3
(81.1)
27.7
(81.9)
24.6
(76.3)
21.0
(69.8)
16.6
(61.9)
13.8
(56.8)
19.6
(67.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 9.2
(48.6)
9.7
(49.5)
11.6
(52.9)
13.6
(56.5)
17.4
(63.3)
20.9
(69.6)
23.8
(74.8)
24.2
(75.6)
21.0
(69.8)
17.4
(63.3)
12.9
(55.2)
10.1
(50.2)
16.0
(60.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5.3
(41.5)
5.9
(42.6)
7.9
(46.2)
10.2
(50.4)
14.1
(57.4)
17.5
(63.5)
20.3
(68.5)
20.5
(68.9)
17.3
(63.1)
13.7
(56.7)
9.2
(48.6)
6.3
(43.3)
12.4
(54.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 69.0
(2.72)
44.7
(1.76)
38.7
(1.52)
69.3
(2.73)
44.6
(1.76)
34.3
(1.35)
12.1
(0.48)
17.8
(0.70)
73.1
(2.88)
132.8
(5.23)
103.9
(4.09)
92.7
(3.65)
733.0
(28.86)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 5.8 4.7 4.6 7.1 5.2 3.8 1.8 2.4 4.9 7.2 7.2 6.4 61.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 158 171 217 224 267 306 348 316 242 187 149 139 2,724
Source: Meteorological data for Nice – 2 m altitude, from 1981 to 2010 January 2015 (in French)
Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France
Town Sunshine

(hours/yr)
Rain

(mm/yr)
Snow

(days/yr)
Storm

(days/yr)
Fog

(days/yr)
National average 1,973 770 14 22 40
Nice 2,724 733 1 29 1
Paris 1,661 637 12 18 10
Strasbourg 1,693 665 29 29 56
Brest 1,605 1,211 7 12 75

Subdivisions

Department map showing its division into the two arrondissements and the location of some of its principal cities and towns

Alpes-Maritimes is divided into two arrondissements: Grasse and Nice, twenty-seven cantons and 163 communes.

As of 1 January 2014, there were seven intercommunalities:

Principal communes

The most populous commune is the prefecture Nice. As of 2019, there are 10 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:

Commune Population (2019)
Nice 342,669
Cannes 74,545
Antibes 73,438
Cagnes-sur-Mer 52,178
Grasse 48,870
Le Cannet 41,887
Menton 30,525
Saint-Laurent-du-Var 29,169
Vallauris 27,364
Mandelieu-la-Napoule 21,998

History

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Alpes-Maritimes" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Roman military district of Alpes Maritimae was created by Augustus in 14 BC. It became a full Roman province in the middle of the 1st century AD, with its capital first at Cemenelum (today Cimiez, a suburb north of Nice) and subsequently at Embrun. At its greatest extent in AD 297, the province reached north to Digne and Briançon.

Conquered by the French First Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars, a department of Alpes-Maritimes was first set up in 1793 with different boundaries from those of the modern department. In 1793, Alpes-Maritimes included Monaco (Port Hercules), but not Grasse, which was then part of the department of Var as an historical part of France. In 1805, San Remo (San Rème) was included after the disbandment of the Ligurian Republic. In 1812, the department had three arrondissements with the following cantons:

The population of the department in 1812 was 131,266, and its area was 3,226.74 square kilometres (1,245.85 sq mi), covering both present-day Arrondissement of Nice, Principality of Monaco and Province of Imperia.

In 1814, at the close of the Napoleonic Wars, the territory was restored to the Crown of Savoy by the Congress of Vienna.

In 1860 Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, one of the architects of Italian unity with the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, negotiated support for Napoleon III in exchange for Savoy and the County of Nice as set forth in the Treaty of Turin. The annexation was confirmed on 15 and 16 April 1860 by 30,712 male electors enrolled in the 89 communes of the County of Nice who, for the first time, had universal male suffrage by plebiscite. The "Yes" vote for reunification with France was 83.8% of registered voters and 99.2% of votes.

The new department of Alpes-Maritimes consisted of the former County of Nice, divided into an Arrondissement of Nice and an Arrondissement of Puget-Théniers (both arrondissements existed in the former Department (1793–1814)), and a portion of the Var department, which formed the Arrondissement of Grasse. However, the County of Nice did not include Tende and La Brigue, which were still part of Piedmont-Sardinia.

For economic reasons, the Arrondissement of Puget-Théniers was merged into the Arrondissement of Nice in 1926. Since that time, the department has had two arrondissements.

In 1947, in accordance with the Treaty of Paris and as a referendum result favourable to their attachment to France, the communes of Tende and La Brigue (also parts of communes in the high valleys of Vésubie and Tinée: part the commune of Isola) which had not been ceded to France in 1860, were attached to the department.

Heraldry

Arms of Alpes-Maritimes and Nice
Arms of Alpes-Maritimes and Nice
Blazon:

Argent, an eagle crowned of gules displayed with wings inverted, on a mountain of three hillocks sable issuant from the pointed waves of a sea azure waved in argent.



Administration

Politics

Constituencies of Alpes-Maritimes for the National Assembly of France. Blue: The Republicans. Yellow: La République En Marche! (2017).

Since the end of World War II, Alpes-Maritimes has generally voted to the right. It has nine constituencies for the National Assembly. Following the 2017 legislative election, six constituencies are represented by members of The Republicans (LR) right-wing party and three by members of the La République En Marche! (REM) centrist party. Of the five members of the Senate who represent the department in the upper house of Parliament, four are right-wing (LR) and one is left-wing (Socialist Party, PS). Of the 54 departmental councillors, 52 are aligned with the right-wing coalition and two are in the left-wing opposition.

In the 2022 French presidential election, Marine Le Pen of the National Rally won a plurality in Alpes-Maritimes in the first round; incumbent Emmanuel Macron of La République En Marche! won a majority in the second round.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Alpes-Maritimes experienced corruption problems with its politicians, which led to several criminal convictions, including those of Nice Mayor Jacques Médecin and Cannes Mayor Michel Mouillot, as well as that of Antibes Mayor Pierre Merli, criminally indicted in 1995 for a real estate scam and convicted four years later.

Departmental Council of Alpes-Maritimes

The President of the Departmental Council has been Charles-Ange Ginésy since 2017, who took office upon succeeding Éric Ciotti. Ciotti remained a councillor and became majority leader. Ginésy, who has been a councillor for the canton of Vence since 2015, has held a seat in the council since 2003. He also was Mayor of Péone (2001–2017) and the MP for Alpes-Maritimes's 2nd constituency (2005–2007; 2007–2008; 2009–2010; 2012–2017). Both are members of The Republicans (LR).

The coalition majority in the departmental council is one of the largest majorities in any such institution in France. Out of the 54 seats, only two are held by left-wing councillors, both elected in the canton of Grasse-2. In neighbouring Var, the right-wing coalition also holds all but two seats in the departmental council, although it is made up of less many seats and the two councillors in opposition are members of the far-right National Rally (RN). Following the 2021 departmental election, the seats were allocated as follows in Alpes-Maritimes:

Party Seats
The Republicans 45
Miscellaneous right 5
Union of Democrats and Independents 1
La République En Marche! 1
Europe Ecology – The Greens 1
Socialist Party 1

Representation in Parliament

Members of the National Assembly

Alpes-Maritimes elected the following MPs to the National Assembly in the 2024 legislative election:

Constituency Member Party
Alpes-Maritimes's 1st constituency Éric Ciotti UDR
Alpes-Maritimes's 2nd constituency Lionel Tivoli National Rally
Alpes-Maritimes's 3rd constituency Bernard Chaix UDR
Alpes-Maritimes's 4th constituency Alexandra Masson National Rally
Alpes-Maritimes's 5th constituency Christelle d’Intorni UDR
Alpes-Maritimes's 6th constituency Bryan Masson National Rally
Alpes-Maritimes's 7th constituency Éric Pauget The Republicans
Alpes-Maritimes's 8th constituency Alexandra Martin The Republicans
Alpes-Maritimes's 9th constituency Michèle Tabarot The Republicans
Senators
See also: List of senators of Alpes-Maritimes

As of 2020, the department's five Senators are Marc Daunis (PS, since 2008), Colette Giudicelli (LR, since 2008), Jean-Pierre Leleux (LR, since 2008), Dominique Estrosi Sassone (LR, since 2014) and Henri Leroy (LR, since 2017).

Budget

In 2011, the draft departmental budget amounted to €1.3 billion of which 498 million (38.3%) was devoted to social action and 346 million to operations (26.6%). Capital expenditures was just over 250 million euros (19.2%).

In 2010, the department was the third most indebted in France with €942 million of debt or 68.4% of the annual budget. This debt amounted to 2,460 euros per fiscal tax unit (household) and 859 euros per person. The trend of change in debt over the last decade has been a sharp increase: + 440% between 2001 and 2009 and 26% between 2009 and 2010. There was only €43 million in debt in 2003.

Projects

The Departmental Council of Alpes-Maritimes is currently sponsoring several large projects:

  • construction of 10 residential facilities for the elderly
  • building dikes in the Var plain
  • creation of a STIC (science and information technology and communication) campus at Sophia Antipolis
  • construction of 337 units of social housing
  • establishment of facilities for the disabled
  • road construction
  • construction of schools and gyms (10)
  • construction of a centre of sustainable development
  • construction of the LGV Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
  • creation of the Eco Valley in the Plaine of the Var which will run from the Arena Quarter (which will be converted) to the village of Baus-Roux

The Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council has charged 1 euro per vehicle journey in the department, regardless of distance, since 1 January 2008.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1806131,266—    
1821161,886+1.41%
1851192,062+0.57%
1861194,578+0.13%
1872199,037+0.21%
1881226,621+1.45%
1891258,571+1.33%
1901293,213+1.27%
1911356,338+1.97%
1921357,759+0.04%
1931493,376+3.27%
1936513,714+0.81%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1946453,073−1.25%
1954515,484+1.63%
1962618,265+2.30%
1968722,070+2.62%
1975816,681+1.77%
1982881,198+1.09%
1990971,829+1.23%
19991,011,326+0.44%
20061,073,184+0.85%
20111,081,244+0.15%
20161,083,704+0.05%
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
source:

When Nice became part of France in 1860, it was still a small town; the department had fewer than 200,000 inhabitants. However, the population grew quickly from 300,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to over a million. The population is aging because of the number of retirees who move to the coast.

The population is now concentrated in the urban region that includes Antibes, Cannes, Grasse, Nice, and Menton, and which constitutes 90% of the total population.

The department had 1,083,310 inhabitants in 2017, making it the 20th most populated department in France. There are 163 communes including 107 under 2000 inhabitants (representing a total of 60,065 inhabitants), 38 from 2000 to 9999 inhabitants (total 171,935 inhabitants), 13 between 10,000 and 49,999 inhabitants (total 263,102 inhabitants), 4 between 50,000 and 199,999 inhabitants (Antibes, Cannes, Cagnes-sur-Mer and Grasse, total 248,191 inhabitants), and one with over 200,000 inhabitants (Nice, with 340,017 inhabitants). The population density was 252 inhabitants per square kilometre in 2017.

According to INSEE 39.5% of children born in 2011 in the department of Alpes-Maritimes have at least one parent born abroad (regardless of nationality), 15.4% have a father born in North Africa.

The area is also known for its extremely large population of people of Italian descent. About 40% of the population of the Alpes-Maritimes claim their ancestry as being solely Italian, and as many as 80% of the population can trace some degree of ancestry back to Italy before it was annexed by France in the 1860s.

Economy

The economy of the Alpes-Maritimes is characterized by the importance of the tertiary sector. The department has, in addition to tourism and traditional services, a relatively high level of corporate research and higher level of services. Agriculture is of little importance and industry plays a relatively small role although it has diversified into activities with high technological value. The construction and public works sector is quite important. The economy is very sensitive to changes in the national and international situation. The rate of unemployment is 9.1%.

According to the INSEE, in 2005 the GDP per capita of the Alpes-Maritimes was 27,723 euros which ranked it as the thirteenth highest department in France. GDP was 29.6 billion euros. According to Eurostat, GDP per capita at market prices in 2008, the department had a GDP per capita of 30,700 euros, which is also ranked it thirteenth in France.

Distribution of employment

Distribution of Employment
Services Sector Industry Construction & Public Works Agriculture
Alpes-Maritimes 76.2% 12.5% 9.2% 2,1%
National Average 71.5% 18.3% 6.1% 4.1%

Tourism is an essential industry for the entire coastal region (Côte d'Azur) and is highly developed. On the coast, thanks to the mild climate, towns are resort destinations all year round. In the mountains, there are winter sports stations that have received abundant snow in recent years, particularly Isola 2000.

There are also well-developed industries such as the perfume industry in Grasse, new technologies from Sophia-Antipolis, and the aerospace industry in Cannes-Mandelieu, where there is the first European satellite builders and the first industrial plant dedicated to spacecraft manufacturing.

Tourism

Seaside

The French Riviera, centred on Nice, attracts millions of international tourists every year.
Villefranche-sur-Mer between Nice and Monaco

The presence of the Mediterranean Sea and the French Alps under a mild sky has favoured one dominant activity: tourism, which accounts for 64,000 jobs directly in the Alpes-Maritimes. For only the city of Nice the tourism turnover represents a 12 to 13% share of the whole tourism market in France. The capital of the Côte d'Azur is the fifth most populous city in France. The city of Nice also has the second largest airport in France (Nice Côte d'Azur Airport), after Paris and its three airports at Roissy, Orly and Le Bourget. There are nearly 13.5 million passengers per year passing through Nice Airport.

The seaside where the majority of the population resides is one of the most popular parts of the world with many attractions:

The area inland from the busy French Riviera is an excellent base for many outdoor sports: cycling, mountain biking, skiing, walking, rock climbing, canyoning, canoeing, rafting, fishing, horse riding, Adventure parks, caving and the area has the first ever underground via ferrata. The area has internationally renowned paragliding and hang gliding flying sites at Col-de-Bleyne, Gourdon, Gréolières and Lachens.

Mountainside

Mercantour National Park in the commune of Saint-Martin-Vésubie, which primarily covers a small town in the Alps and tourist destination

In the mountains, skiing and hiking bring life to Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée (Auron), Beuil, Péone (Valberg), Saint-Martin-Vésubie, Isola, Gréolières, Peïra-Cava, Col de Turini, and Turini-Camp d'argent in the Authion mountains.

Second homes

As of 2020, 25.3% of available housing in the department were second homes.

Culture

Cultural life is rich and fully described in the daily regional Nice-Matin newspaper and announced in the weekly supplement JV Wednesday.

Events

Nice Carnival (2013)
La Fête du Citron (Lemon festival) in Menton
  • Pantiero Festival, Cannes (electronic and independent music) in August
  • International Dance Festival, Cannes, a dance festival held in late November and early December every second year
  • International Festival of Games, Cannes, in February
  • Festival of Night music at Le Suquet, Cannes, classical music in July
  • Fireworks Festival, Cannes, fireworks in July and August
  • Festival of Performances of actors, Cannes, June
  • Festival of dances "Break the Floor", Cannes, January
  • International Dance Festival, Cannes, November
  • Festival of Russian Art and Dance, Cannes, August
  • International Youth Ballets, organized by the Senior Dance School of École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, Cannes, March
  • La Fête du Mimosa, Mandelieu-la-Napoule, February
  • Italian Market, Mougins, (formerly the Piedmontese Market before 2011)
  • International Gastronomic festival, Mougins
  • Jazz à Juan, Juan-les-Pins
  • Nice Jazz Festival
  • Nice Carnival
  • Naval Combat with flowers, Villefranche-sur-Mer
  • Lemon Festival, Menton
  • Southern Nights in Vence, world music
  • Festival Tomawok, Nice (rock, metal music), June
  • Book Festival of Mouans-Sartoux, three days in early October (21st Festival in 2008)
  • This Is Not Classic, an annual event for classical music, created by the General Council of the Alpes-Maritimes in 2005. It takes place at the Acropolis convention centre in Nice and occupies all available rooms beginning with the large auditorium seating 2,400 people.
  • Chestnut Festival

Museums

The Picasso museum in Antibes

Famous museums include:

Education

Primary and secondary education

The department has 222 nursery schools, 357 primary schools and one special school. It also hosts 72 colleges, 14 vocational schools and 22 high schools, to which must be added 65 private schools.

Higher education

The University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, in Nice and neighboring areas, was founded in 1965.

Higher education is relatively underdeveloped in the department. The urban area of Nice has 35,000 students, while Rennes and Bordeaux each have 60,000.

A campus of the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po) was established in Menton in October 2005. The Menton campus is dedicated to the relationship between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean and the relationship of Europe with the Middle East.

Several engineering schools are also located in Sophia Antipolis:

In addition, two major business schools are located in the region:

There are is the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation (INRIA) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Sophia Antipolis.

Trivia

The asteroid 100122 Alpes Maritimes is named in the department's honour, on the occasion of the thousandth discovery made from its territory.

See also

References

  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 4 May 2022.
  2. "Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Populations légales 2019: 06 Alpes-Maritimes, INSEE
  4. France Montagne: Alpes-Maritimes (in French).
  5. Inventaire forestier départemental Alpes-Maritimes: IIIe inventaire 2002 [Forest Inventory for the department of Alpes-Maritimes: Third Inventory 2002] (PDF) (Report) (in French). Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Rural Affairs of France. 2004.
  6. Paris, Nice, Strasbourg, Brest
  7. Huault, Christian (16 April 2013). "L'intercommunalité en ordre de marche". Nice-Matin (in French).
  8. "Métropole NCA | Accueil". www.nicecotedazur.org.
  9. ^ Almanach Impérial an bissextil MDCCCXII, p. 368, accessed in Gallica 24 July 2013 (in French)
  10. Table of Results pages 319 to 320 in La réunion de Nice à la France by Paul Gonnet, Les Éditions du Cabri, Breil-sur-Roya, 2003, 343 pages, ISBN 9782914603102 (in French)
  11. "Charles-Ange Ginésy est le nouveau président du conseil départemental des Alpes-Maritimes". francetvinfo.fr. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  12. Nationale, Assemblée. "Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français". Assemblée nationale.
  13. ^ Budget 2011, Official site of the General Council of Alpes-Maritimes. Consulted on 1 July 2011. (in French)
  14. ^ Alpes-Maritimes, Le Journal du Net. Consulted on 1 July 2011. (in French)
  15. Register of Competitivity, 29 January 2009. (in French)
  16. "Historique des Alpes-Maritimes". Le SPLAF.
  17. "Évolution et structure de la population en 2016". INSEE.
  18. ^ Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017, INSEE
  19. Detailed State Statistical data on births in 2011, INSEE, 2012 (in French)
  20. The Alpes-Maritimes, much like the rest of the PACA region, is markedly more religious than the rest of France
  21. ^ Raw GDP data by department (PIB) at current prices, National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) (in French)
  22. Raw GDP (PIB) at current market prices NUTS 3, Eurostat. consulted on 5 August 2011. (in French)
  23. 10 French Companies who are World Champions: Alcatel Alenia Space, Le Journal du Net (in French)
  24. Christian Apothéloz, Alcatel space at Cannes, More than an entreprise, a legend, in The New Economist, March 2002
  25. Catégories et types de logements, INSEE (in French)
  26. "C'est pas classique !" for music-lovers of Nice Archived 7 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, France Musique website (in French)
  27. Website of the Conseil général Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
  28. Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur – A territory of international excellence Archived 24 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Official site of the Urban Community of Nice-Côte d'Azur. Consulted on 26 September 2008. (in French)

Bibliography

  • The Heritage of the Communes of Alpes-Maritimes in two volumes, Flohic Éditions, collective work, volume I, Cantons of Antibes to Levens, January 2000, Paris, 504 pages, ISBN 2-84234-071-X, Jean-Luc Flohic (in French).
  • The Heritage of the Communes of Alpes-Maritimes in two volumes, Flohic Éditions, collective work, volume II, Cantons of Menton to Villefranche-sur-Mer, January 2000, Paris, 574 pages, ISBN 2-84234-071-X, Jean-Luc Flohic, p. 505 to 1079 (in French).
  • Rural Architecture of Alpes-Maritimes, Édisud, Philippe de Beauchamp, 1992, Aix-en-Provence, 140 pages, ISBN 2-85744-612-8, Photographer Loîc-Jahan (in French).
  • Religious Art in Alpes-Maritimes, Édisud, Philippe de Beauchamp, 4th Quarter 1993, Aix-en-Provence, 144 pages, ISBN 2-85744-485-0, Photographer Loîc-Jahan (in French).

External links

Departments of France
Metropolitan
Overseas
Special
  • 69M Lyon (collectivity with special status)
  • 75 Paris (collectivity with special status)
Former
Annexed departments of the French First Republic (1792–1804) and of the French First Empire (1804–1814)
Ionian Islands
Austrian Netherlands
Old Swiss Confederacy
Kingdom of Holland
Holy Roman Empire
Italian states
Kingdom of Spain
Austrian Empire
Categories: