AUVERGNE

rgion and historic region of France, encompassing the central French dpartements of Allier, Puy-de-Dme, Cantal, and Haute-Loire. The capital is Clermont-Ferrand. The region has an area of 10,044 square miles (26,013 square km) and is bounded by the dpartements of Cher and Nivre to the north, Sane-et-Loire to the northeast, Loire and Ardche to the east, Lozre and Aveyron to the south, Lot to the southwest, and Corrze and Creuse to the west. In the time of Julius Caesar (d. 44 BC), the Arverni were a powerful confederation, their chieftain Vercingetorix constituting Caesar's foremost opponent in Gaul. The Romans made Arvernia part of Aquitania Prima. It was the seat of a countship under the Carolingians. After the rule of the powerful William (Guilhem) the Pious, count from 886 to 918, the viscounts of Clermont (now Clermont-Ferrand) usurped the hereditary title of counts of Auvergne. Through the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine with Henry II Plantagenet, the counts became vassals of the kings of England. But Count William VII the Young (114568) lost much of his domain to his uncle William VIII the Old (who was supported by Henry II), retaining only the region bounded by the Allier and the Couxthe district that from the end of the 13th century was called the Dauphin d'Auvergne. Philip II Augustus of France intervened in the family quarrel and appropriated a large part of the country (1195), which he annexed to the royal domain as Terre d'Auvergne. For his concurrence in this matter, the bishop of Clermont, Robert I (11951227), was granted the lordship of the town of Clermont, which subsequently became a countship (to be distinguished from the countship of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis). Such was the origin of the four great lordships of Auvergne. In 1360 John II of France made the Terre d'Auvergne a duchy for his son Jean, Duke de Berry (d. 1416); this duchy eventually descended to Charles, the famous constable of France, who was able to unite duchy and dauphin when he became Duke de Bourbon in 1503. But these Bourbon domains were confiscated by King Francis I after the constable's treason and were assigned to the king's mother, Louise of Savoy, for the rest of her life, after which they were annexed to the kingdom (1532). The countship of Auvergne, however, having passed in 1422 to the House of La Tour, descended to Catherine de Mdicis, who, moreover, got possession of Clermont in 1551. These domains were annexed to the crown in 1615, after the death of Catherine's daughter Margaret of Valois. The gnralit of Riom was established in 1577. The intendants had their seat at Clermont. Auvergne belongs to the Massif Central; the Paris Basin extends into Allier. A humid climate prevails in the west, which is open to Atlantic influences; a continental climate prevails in the east. The region is sparsely populated. The population is increasingly concentrated in the plains of Allier, which have grown at the expense of the mountains to the south. The population of Cantal and Haute-Loire remains mainly rural; more than one-half of the regional population is urban. Emigration has left behind an aging population, with the result that the birth rate lags behind the national average. Animal husbandry predominates in the mountains. The rich plains of Limagnes in Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dme produce wheat and fodder. Viticulture is in decline. Small farms in the crystalline massif of the east produce rye. Capital from emigrants and the cities has helped to finance tree farming. Traditional artisanship has largely disappeared, although cutlery continues to be produced in Thiers in Puy-de-Dme. Manufacturing is concentrated in Clermont-Ferrand, which emerged as a major industrial centre in the late 19th century, and in Allier, which has benefited from its proximity to Paris. The Michelin plant in Clermont-Ferrand is France's largest producer of tires; the industrial complex of Montluon-Commentry in Allier manufactures tires, computers, and machines. Spas are important: the thermal springs of Vichy, Nris-les-Bains, Bourbon-l'Archambault, Royat, and many other towns draw large numbers of visitors. Pop. (1990) 1,321,214.