GERS

dpartement, Midi-Pyrnes rgion, southwestern France, established from part of the historic province of Gascony. Occupying 2,416 square miles (6,257 square km), it comprises a vast plateau (highest point 1,200 feet ) formed by deposits from the great Pyrenean chain that dominates them; the plateau slopes gradually from the base of the Pyrenees northward toward the Garonne River, which receives the waters of numerous tributaries of Pyrenean origin flowing across Gers. Among these is the Gers River, which bisects the dpartement from south to north, passing through Auch, its capital. Other streams feed the Adour River, flowing through Gers in the southwest. The climate is temperate but unstable, with frequent hailstorms. Gers is among the richest agricultural areas of France, with mixed farming, cattle raising, cereals, orchards, and vineyards. Industry, apart from the distillation of Armagnac brandy, is unimportant. One of the features of the dpartement is the line of 14th-century castles built by English and French kings along the frontier established in the late 13th century. The dpartement has three arrondissementsAuch, Condom, and Mirandeand is in the educational division of Toulouse. Pop. (1982) 174,154.