PROVENCE-ALPES-CTE D'AZUR

formerly Provence-cte D'azur, rgion, encompassing the southeastern French dpartements of Alpes-Maritimes, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Var, Bouches-du-Rhne, and Vaucluse and roughly coextensive with the historical region of Provence (q.v.). The capital is Marseille, and the other principal cities are Nice, Toulon, Cannes, and Aix-en-Provence. The region has an area of 12,124 square miles (31,400 square km) and is bounded by the dpartements of Savoie to the north, Isre and Drme to the northwest, and Gard to the west. Bouches-du-Rhne, Var, and Alpes-Maritimes face the Mediterranean Sea to the south; Italy borders Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, and Hautes-Alpes to the east. The southern flank of the Alps dominates the region and rises abruptly from the eastern coast, which is the Cte d'Azur. The plains of Comtat, Crau, and Camargue lie to the west and are drained by the lower Rhne River. A Mediterranean climate prevails along the coast. Annual precipitation approaches the national average but varies sharply from year to year. The population is heavily concentrated along the coast and lower Rhne River. The coastal dpartements of Alpes-Maritimes and Bouches-du-Rhne have grown at the expense of the inland dpartements of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes, whose population has declined since 1800. The overall population has grown since 1946, with repatriates from North Africa accounting for much of the increase. Many retirees have been attracted to the Riviera region of Alpes-Maritimes, with the result that the population of the dpartement is aging. More than 80 percent of the population is urban, though the percentage is much lower in the inland dpartements. Dry farming predominates in Var and Vaucluse, producing grapes, wheat, and olives. The canal of Provence, initiated in the 1960s, taps the Verdon River and is used for irrigation. The petroleum refineries of Berre-l'tang and La Mde outside Marseille support a major petrochemical complex; airplanes are built in nearby Marignane. The basin of Gardanne in Bouches-du-Rhne produces lignite. Tourism is a major industry and centres on the Cte d'Azur (particularly the Riviera) and the Alps. Pop. (1987 est.) 4,115,400.