Puy-de-Dôme

The Puy-de -Dôme [ pɥiddo ː m] is a French department of atomic number 63 It is in the center of the country in the Auvergne region and is named after the mountain in the Massif Central Puy de Dôme.

Geography

The department is bordered to the north by the Allier, on the east by the department of Loire Rhône- Alpes region, in the south of the Haute- Loire and Cantal, and on the west by the departments of Corrèze and Creuse Limousin region.

History

The department was formed from a portion of the then existing province Auvergne during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The naming is illustrated by the following anecdote: When in 1790 the old provinces should be replaced by the new divisions in the regions and départements, it fluctuated between Mont -Dore (after Mont d'Or, a place in the area by former letters to German " Goldberg " ) and the name of Puy -de -Dôme. The deciding factor was the fear at such a precious name to be taxed higher.

It was subdivided into eight districts (French: district ), the precursors of the arrondissements. The districts were Ambert, Besse, Billom, Clermont- Ferrand, Issoire, Montaigut, Riom and Thiers. The department and the districts subdivided into cantons, and had approximately 480,000 inhabitants (?). Capital was already at that time Clermont -Ferrand.

The arrondissements were established on 17 February in 1800. There were Ambert, Clermont- Ferrand, Issoire, Riom and Thiers.

From September 10 1926 to June 1, 1942, the arrondissement Ambert was dissolved, the area belonged at the time to the Arrondissement of Thiers.

Cities

The largest municipalities of the department are ( > 10,000 inhabitants (1999)):

• Clermont- Ferrand ( 137 140 )
• Cournon ( 18,866 )
• Riom ( 18,548 )
• Chamalières ( 18 136 )
• Issoire ( 13,773 )
• Thiers ( 13,338 )
• Beaumont ( 10,741 )

Administrative divisions

The Puy-de -Dôme is divided into five arrondissements:

• List of cantons in the Puy -de- Dôme
• List of municipalities in the department of Puy -de- Dôme