Hérault

For other uses, see Hérault (disambiguation).

Department of France

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Department in Occitanie, France

Hérault
Department
Prefecture building of the Hérault department, in Montpellier
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Hérault in France
Coordinates: 43°21′N 3°13′E / 43.350°N 3.217°E / 43.350; 3.217Coordinates: 43°21′N 3°13′E / 43.350°N 3.217°E / 43.350; 3.217
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Prefecture	Montpellier
Subprefectures	Béziers Lodève
Government
• President of the General Council	Kléber Mesquida (PS)
Area 1
• Total	6,224 km2 (2,403 sq mi)
Population (2016)
• Total	1,132,481
• Density	180/km2 (470/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Héraultais
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number	34
Arrondissements	3
Constituency	7
Cantons	25
Intercommunality	16
Communes	343
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Hérault (French: [eʁo];^[1]Occitan: Erau [eˈɾaw]) is a department in southern France named after the Hérault. It is part of the Occitanie region of the country.

Contents

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  1 History
  


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  2 Geography
  


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  3 Climate
  


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  4 Culture
  
  
  
  • 
    4.1 Language
    
  
  
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    4.2 Totem animals and local festivals
    
  
  
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    4.3 Heritage
    
  
  
  
  


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  5 Economy
  
  
  
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    5.1 Agriculture
    
  
  
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    5.2 Viticulture
    
  
  
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    5.3 Aquaculture
    
  
  
  
  


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  6 Politics
  
  
  
  • 
    6.1 Composition of the departmental council
    
  
  
  • 
    6.2 Current National Assembly Representatives
    
  
  
  • 
    6.3 List of successive presidents
    
  
  
  
  


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  7 Demographics
  


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  8 Sport
  
  
  
  • 
    8.1 Baseball
    
  
  
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    8.2 Basketball
    
  
  
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    8.3 Beach soccer
    
  
  
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    8.4 Football
    
  
  
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    8.5 Handball
    
  
  
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    8.6 Volley-ball
    
  
  
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    8.7 Rugby
    
  
  
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    8.8 Water polo
    
  
  
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    8.9 Specific sports
    
  
  
  
  


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  9 Tourism
  
  
  
  • 
    9.1 The touristic places
    
  
  
  
  


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  10 See also
  


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  11 References
  


• 
  12 External links
  

History

Oppidum d'Ensérune

Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.

At the beginning of the 20th century, viticulture in the wine-growing region was devastated by a slump in sales combined with disease affecting the vines. Thousands of small scale producers revolted. This revolt was suppressed very harshly by the government of Georges Clemenceau.

The catastrophic frost of the winter of 1956 damaged the olive trees, and the olive-growing regions did not recover until the late 1980s. Many of the olive-industry co-ops closed.

During the second half of the twentieth century the Montpellier basin saw some of the most rapid population growth in France.^[2]

Geography

Hérault is part of the region of Occitanie and is surrounded by the departments of Aude, Tarn, Aveyron, Gard, and the Mediterranean (Gulf of Lion) on the south. The department is geographically very diverse, with beaches in the south, the Cévennes mountains in the north, and agricultural land in between. To define the Hérault, one often tends to compare its territory to an open amphitheater facing the sea. The geography of the Hérault is marked by the diversity of its geology and its landscapes. These range from the southern foothills of the Massif Central, to the Mediterranean Sea, through the areas of garrigue and the low plain of Languedoc wine. The Hérault is bathed by a Mediterranean climate.

The minimum altitude is at sea level and the highest point of the department is at an altitude of 1181m in one of the peaks of Espinouse. The average altitude is about 227m.

View of the Orb River in Roquebrun

The department of Hérault is crossed by several coastal rivers that originated in the southern foothills of the Massif Central to jump into the Mediterranean Sea after a course of general north-south orientation relatively short and high altitude. the main ones are from east to west the Vidourle, which marks the limit with the Gard department, the Lesz which crosses notably Montpellier, the Hérault, which gave its name to the department, and the Orb which waters Béziers.To the west, the Aude Valley, a 224 km river from the Pyrenees, whose course is oriented west-east, forms the limit with the department of the same name.
These rivers as well as their tributaries are characterized by their regime, called "cévénol", marked by sudden variations of flow causing sudden and important floods. All along the coast of Herault successive lagoon, some of which have a large area, the largest of which is the Étang de Thau with an area of about 7,500 hectares.

The hinterland of the lowlands of Bas-Languedoc is gradually hilly. It is the territory of the vineyard, olive groves, orchards and scrubland. Olive growing and viticulture symbolize an important part of the Mediterranean heritage and lifestyle.

The area of Hérault near the town of Lodève is the geographical antipode point of Chatham Island off the east coast of New Zealand.

The most populated municipality is Montpellier with 277,639 inhabitants in 2015. The least populated municipality is Romiguières with 27 inhabitants in 2015.

Climate

The vast majority of the department can be characterized by a Mediterranean climate. However, the mountainous areas of the northwest have an oceanic influence. Some sectors of northern Herault can for their part know a temperate continental influence.

The average temperature of the summer months is close to the maximum French average. Nevertheless, the sea protects the coastal areas from the extremes of heat waves in summer, but also frosts in winter. They range from about 27 degrees Celsius on the seashore to 32 degrees Celsius inland. Mean minimum temperatures are also very varied, ranging from about 19 degrees Celsius on the coast to 15 degrees Celsius in the interior.

Culture

Language

The historical language is Occitan language.

Totem animals and local festivals

Foal of Pézenas

Montpellier's FISE in 2013

• The totemic animals of Herault are typical. During cultural events or local votive festivals, many towns or villages scroll through the streets a totemic animal representing their municipality. Often the sound of traditional Languedoc oboe or fife instruments accompany these parades. The most famous is the Foal of Pézenas. Indeed, UNESCO proclaimed the immaterial cultural heritage of humanity, the Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France, which includes the Foal of Pézenas.

• 
  Béziers festivals : Fèsta d'Oc, Béziers's Feria
  

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  Montpellier festivals : I Love Techno Europe, Mediterranean Film Festival, Comédie du Livre, Montpellier Dance Festival,

International Festival of Extreme Sports (FISE)

• 
  Pézenas festivals : Printival Boby Lapointe, Mirondela dels Arts

• 
  Sète festivals : Sète's Jazz Festival, Documentary Photo Festival "Imagesingulieres", Poetry Festival "Vivid Voice of the Mediterranean in the Mediterranean"

Heritage

The Canal du Midi has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Economy

Agriculture

The agricultural area used in the department is 185,048 hectares, or nearly 30% of the department. Viticulture is important with 85,525 hectares, other arable land is used for orchards (olives, chestnuts, walnuts, plums, apples) with 3,400 hectares, artificial grasslands with 7,090 hectares, vegetable cultivation with 3,788 hectares , the cultivation of cereals with 20,095 hectares, fallows with 4,991 hectares.

Viticulture

Vineyard in Adissan

The vineyard is very old and dates from before the founding of Gallia Narbonensis. The Hérault is today the second French wine department behind the Gironde, representing 14% of the total area of the department. The department has both a favorable climate, excellent exposure, a wide variety of soils and a wide range of grape varieties: all the assets are there to produce generous wines, sometimes robust, with a wide aromatic palette

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  AOC : Saint-Chinian, Faugères, Minervois, Coteaux-du-languedoc, Clairette du Languedoc, Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat de Mireval, Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois and Picpoul de Pinet
  

Aquaculture

In the Hérault, shellfish farming represents 8,300 tons of oysters (10% of the national production) and 5,900 tons of mussels a year. The Étang de Thau is a Mecca for growing mussels and oysters in the Mediterranean. Bouzigues oyster farming is practiced on suspended breeding tables and generally in permanent immersion.

Politics

Composition of the departmental council

The President of the General Council is Kléber Mesquida of the Socialist Party.

Party	Representative
Majority (36 representatives)
FG	2
PS	16
DVG	15
Opposition (14 representatives)
DVD	2
LR	4
UDI	2
FN	6
President of the General Council
Kléber Mesquida (PS)

Current National Assembly Representatives

Constituency		Member[3]	Party
	Hérault's 1st constituency	Patricia Mirallès	La République En Marche!
	Hérault's 2nd constituency	Muriel Ressiguier	La France Insoumise
	Hérault's 3rd constituency	Coralie Dubost	La République En Marche!
	Hérault's 4th constituency	Jean-François Eliaou	La République En Marche!
	Hérault's 5th constituency	Philippe Huppé	La République En Marche!
	Hérault's 6th constituency	Emmanuelle Ménard	National Rally
	Hérault's 7th constituency	Christophe Euzet	La République En Marche!
	Hérault's 8th constituency	Nicolas Démoulin	La République En Marche!
	Hérault's 9th constituency	Patrick Vignal	La République En Marche!

List of successive presidents

Departmental council's building of Hérault department

Election		Member	Party
	1961	Jean Bène	SFIO
	1964
	1967
	1970
	1973		PS
	1976
	1979	Gérard Saumade	PS
	1982
	1985
	1988
	1992
	1994
	1998	André Vézinhet	PS
	2001
	2004
	2008
	2011
	2015	Kléber Mesquida	PS

Demographics

The inhabitants of the department are called Héraultais.

Sport

BLMA's team in 2015

Montpellier Handball's team in 2016

Altrad Stadium, the home stadium of Montpellier Hérault Rugby

Match between Montpellier Water-Polo and VK Jug in 2012

Tamburello's match in Notre-Dame-de-Londres

Baseball

Club	League
Barracudas de Montpellier	D1

Basketball

Club	League
BLMA	LFB EuroCup Women EuroLeague Women

Beach soccer

Club	League
Grande Motte Pyramide Beach Soccer	French Beach Football Championship
Montpellier Hérault Beach Soccer	French Beach Football Championship

Football

Club	League
AS Béziers	Ligue 2
Montpellier HSC	Ligue 1
Montpellier HSC (Women)	Division 1 Féminine
FC Sète 34	N2

Handball

Club	League
Montpellier Handball	Division 1 EHF Champions League

Volley-ball

Club	League
Béziers Volley (Women)	Ligue AF
Arago de Sète	Ligue AM
Montpellier Volley Université Club	Ligue AM

Rugby

Club	League
Rugby olympique agathois	Fédérale 1
AS Béziers Hérault	Pro D2
Montpellier Hérault Rugby	Top 14 European Rugby Champions Cup
Montpellier Hérault Rugby (Women)	Top 8

Water polo

Club	League
Montpellier Water-Polo	Pro A

Specific sports

There are several specific sports in the Hérault: the Tamburello (85% of French players) and the Water jousting.

Tourism

The touristic places

• 87 km of beaches


• 3 World Heritage Sites : Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert Abbey, Canal du Midi and Causses and Cévennes
  


• 2 Great sites in France : Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert and Gorges de l'Hérault and Cirque de Navacelles
  


• 1 Regional nature parks : Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park
  


• 2 Towns and Lands of Art and History : Pézenas and Lodève
  


• 3 villages listed in the Most Beautiful Villages of France : Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Olargues and Minerve
  


• 2 coastal resorts classified Heritage of the twentieth century : La Grande-Motte and Cap d'Agde
  


• 3 Spa town : Balaruc-les-Bains, Avène and Lamalou-les-Bains
  


• 19 marinas


• 541 sites classified or listed as historic monuments
  

Part of Cap d'Agde is a major nudist resort.

Cruising along the Canal du Midi and walking or cycling along the tow paths is a popular holiday option.

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  Gambetta square in Pézenas
  

  
  

  
  


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  Houseboat on the Canal du Midi
  

  
  

  
  


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  Promenade du Peyrou in Montpellier
  

  
  

  
  


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  View of Avène
  

  
  

  
  


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  The "Lac du Salagou"
  

  
  

  
  


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  Kayaking on the Orb
  

  
  

  
  


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  Crique de l'Anau in Sète
  

  
  

  
  

See also

• Cantons of the Hérault department


• Communes of the Hérault department


• Arrondissements of the Hérault department


• Castles in Hérault

References

1. 
   ^ "Hérault - Deutsch-Übersetzung - Langenscheidt Französisch-Deutsch Wörterbuch" (in German and French). Langenscheidt. Retrieved 22 October 2018..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


2. 
   ^ Hoad, Phil (2017-03-13). "Montpellier in the spotlight: development mania in France's fastest-growing city". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
   


3. 
   ^ http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/
   

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Hérault.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hérault.

• 
  (in French) Prefecture website
  


• 
  (in French) Conseil Général website
  


• 
  (in English) Hérault's Official tourist office website
  


• 
  (in English) Pézenas's Official tourist office website


• 
  (in English) Montpellier's Official tourist office website


• 
  (in English) Béziers's Official tourist office website


• 
  (in English) Clermont-l'Hérault's Official tourist office website


• 
  (in English) Étang de Thau's Official tourist office website

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Authority control	BNF: cb121091211 (data) GND: 4089206-2 LCCN: n80125708 MusicBrainz: 80fa4299-573f-4308-8468-44b9054227c3 SUDOC: 029470293 VIAF: 135145067292166631332 WorldCat Identities (via VIAF): 135145067292166631332

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