LOZERE

dpartement, Languedoc-Roussillon rgion, southern France, in the southeastern part of the Massif Central astride the Atlantic-Mediterranean watershed. One of the smallest dpartements, the most mountainous and the least populated, it has an area of 1,995 square miles (5,167 square km). It was created from the district of Gvaudan and from dependencies of the former dioceses of Als and Uzs, all in the historic province of Languedoc. The name was derived from Mount Lozre, 5,574 feet (1,699 m), the site of a national park southwest of the old cathedral town of Mende (q.v.), the departmental capital and the only sizable locality. Lozre is divided into three distinct regions: in the southeast, the Cvennes mountains, capped by Montagne de l'Aigoual, 5,134 feet (1,565 m), site of a national park; in the southwest, the high plateaus, or Causses, of Sauveterre and Mjan, separated by the magnificent Tarn Gorges; and in the northern half, the wooded granite mountains of the Haut Gvaudan. All the rivers and streamsmore than 400have their sources in the dpartement itself. The Allier River, which rises in the Maure de la Gardille range, flows for 25 miles (40 km) along the northeastern border; the Tarn River rises south of Mount Lozre; and the Lot River rises south of the Montagne du Goulet and flows east through Mende. Several small rivers, including the Chassezac, one of the wildest torrents in France, flow into the Rhne Basin via the Ardche River and the Gard River. The climate of Lozre is wet, severe, and characterized by sharp contrasts. The area has little industry, and farming, devoted almost entirely to sheep and cattle, is difficult except in the valleys. Increasing tourism has not arrested the exodus of the rural populace. The dpartement is divided into the arrondissements of Mende and Florac and is in the educational division of Montpellier. Pop. (1988 est.) 72,200.