Provence

Provence is located in south-eastern France, stretching from the Rhone’s left bank (east side) to the right bank of the Var, where it borders the former county of Nice, located on the left bank. La Provence is part of Occitan.

More broadly, in a sense of culture and tourism, according to the definitions, Provence or Rhone extends up to the south-west of the Gard (beyond the Rhone and Nimes, until Vidourle) and to the south of Drome and the famous Provencal Drome. In the Middle Ages, Provence was more extensive, it included the Southern Alps to the left bank of the Var.

Since the second half of the twentieth century, the creation of the administrative region Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur has restored more or less the original space of the great medieval Provence with the Hautes-Alpes.

Departments from the former County (annexed to France by Louis XI) and former French royal province and the southeastern part of Dauphine (current department of Hautes-Alpes) were included in the administrative region of Provence-Alpes – Cote d’Azur, which covers the departments of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04), Hautes-Alpes (05), Alpes-Maritimes (06), Bouches-du-Rhone (13), Var ( 83) and Vaucluse (84).

Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur
Area: 31 443 km2
Population: 4 781 000 (January 2006)
Regional Prefecture: Marseille
Prefectures Digne, Gap, Nice, Toulon and Avignon
Density: 143.5 inhabitants / km ²
Active Population: 1 892 000
Regional GDP: 105.826 million euros (7% of GDP)
Specialty industrial chemicals, shipbuilding, armaments
Agriculture: wine, fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants
Alpes-Maritimes
Area: 4 299 km2
Population: 1 070 000 inhabitants (2005)
Prefecture: Nice
Sub-prefectures: Grasse
Density: 247 inhabitants / km ²
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Area: 6 944 km2
Population: 153 393 inhabitants (2005)
Prefecture: Digne-les-Bains
Sub-prefectures: Barcelonnette Castellane Forcalquier
Density: 22 hab / km ²
Hautes-Alpes, which are not historical in Provence
Area: 5 549 km2
Population: 137 000 inhabitants (2008)
Prefecture: Gap
Sub-prefectures: Briancon
Density: 23 hab / km ²
Var
Area: 5 973 km2
Population: 967 054 inhabitants (2005)
Prefecture: Toulon
Sub-prefectures: Brignoles and Draguignan
Density: 162 inhabitants / km ²
Vaucluse
Area: 3 566 km2
Population: 529 077 inhabitants (2005)
Prefecture: Avignon
Sub-prefectures: Apt and Carpentras
Density: 148 inhabitants / km ²
Bouches-du-Rhone
Area: 5 112 km2
Population: 1 905 829 inhabitants (2005)
Prefecture: Marseille
Sub-prefectures: Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Istres
Density: 372 inhabitants / km ²
Culturally, we may also consider that part south of Montelimar in the department of Drome (26), and the eastern and southern Gard (30) Provence are:
Drome, Nyons District
Area: 2 739 km2
Population: 420 700 inhabitants (1999)
Chief town district: Nyons
Major cities: Montelimar and Pierrelatte
Density: 51 hab / km ²
Gard
Area: 5 853 km2
Population: 699 000 inhabitants (2008)
Prefecture: Nimes
Sub-Prefectures Ales and Le Vigan
Density: 119 inhabitants / km ²

Climate and topography

Provence is a region with a climate benefiting from the influence of the Mediterranean, with hot and dry summers. The winters are mild near the coast, generally humid to the east, but are more severe in the north and north-east (Pelat, Ubaye foothills of D) where it becomes alpine. In its central part, the Mediterranean vegetation of Provence is scrubland; dry summers making it particularly vulnerable to fires.

However in its most eastern and most alpine, it becomes more lush and humid. The terrain is generally rolling foothills, impressive in its central part and the Alps in the south east and north-east (rising to 3,412m to the needle Chambeyron – Alpes-de-Haute-Provence).

It’s coastline from Marseilles to Menton is rather steep (Creeks – Moors – Esterel). Erosion can be caused by violent summer storms. Plans Haute-Provence prealpes delimit the central hills (Tea Valensole – Plan Canjuers – Plateau d’Albion). The western region is marked by the plain of La Crau and the Camargue, which are the only real flat areas of Provence.

Costume

The traditional costume of Provence has disappeared during the nineteenth century, gradually being replaced by Parisian fashion (it spread thereafter throughout France).
There are three types of costumes: the Peasants; the Artisans and that of the Bastidiens. By social class, the fabric of the costume changes, but the cut is almost always the same.