PYRENEES-ATLANTIQUES

formerly (until 1969) Basses-pyrnes, dpartement, Aquitaine rgion, southwestern France, at the western end of the Pyrenees Mountains. Consisting of the former province of Barn and part of Gascony, it is bounded on the east by the Hautes-Pyrnes dpartement, on the south by Spain, and on the west by the Bay of Biscay. The crestline of the Pyrenees, forming the frontier with Spain, falls westward from Anie Peak, with most of the highest summits barely reaching 6,000 feet (1,800 m). There are easy passes at about 3,000 feet (900 m). A historic road route is by the Roncevaux (Spanish: Roncesvalles) Pass. The mountains spread out to the north and are drained by left-bank tributaries (Gave de Pau; its tributary, the Gave d'Oloron; and Nive) of the Adour River. The mild wet climate of the western Pyrenees, which have no permanent snow, is responsible for the exceptional verdance of the countryside. Sheep and cattle graze in the uplands, while the valleys support grain, potatoes, cattle, and poultry. Market towns include Pau, Oloron-Sainte-Marie, and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Salt is mined near Bayonne, and iron pyrites are found on the frontier at Itxassou. In 1951 one of the world's major deposits of natural gas was discovered near Pau at Lacq. Much of the gas is used locally for electric power stations and for aluminum manufacture (Nogures) and fabrication (Anglet), plastics, and fertilizer plants. As a result of this industrial development, a new town, Mourenx, was established near Lacq. The tourist industry is important. There are several spas in the dpartement, notably at Eaux-Bonnes, Les Eaux-Chaudes, Cambo-les-Bains, Lurbe-Saint-Christau, and Salies-de-Barn. The old fishing port of Biarritz is one of the major seaside resorts of France. The population of Pyrnes-Atlantiques is largely Basque, and the ancient Basque language still survives north of the Pyrenees in districts near the Roncevaux Pass and the Bidassoa River. Pau, capital of the dpartement; Bayonne, the chief port; and Oloron-Sainte-Marie give their names to the three arrondissements that constitute the dpartement. Area 2,952 square miles (7,645 square km). Pop. (1990) 578,141; (1994 est.) 590,992.