VAR

dpartement, Provence-Alpes-Cte-d'Azur rgion, southeastern France, fronting the Mediterranean. Created in 1790 from a part of the historic province of Provence (q.v.), it was reduced in 1860 by the transfer of the Grasse district to the newly created Alpes-Maritimes dpartement in the east. It thus no longer included the Var River, but it retained its name. The coastline, extending eastward from a point midway between Marseille and Toulon to within 10 miles (16 km) of Cannes, is rocky, with many bays, bold headlands, and offshore is lands (the les d'Hyres). Its western end forms the harbour and roadstead of Toulon, the naval port, which is the dpartement's largest town and, since 1974, its capital. Fashionable and picturesque seaside resorts, including Le Lavandou, Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime, and Saint-Raphal, are dotted along the coast, which abounds with hotels and villas. Running roughly parallel to the coastline from the Toulon depression, the wooded Maures Mountains, which reach 2,556 feet (779 m) at the Sauvette, extend northeastward to the estuary of the Argens River at Frjus. The mountainous chain continues northeastward toward Cannes as the l'Estrel Massif. Beyond the depression that girdles the Maures Mountains, most of the dpartement is occupied by the Alpes de Provence, which reach a height of 5,626 feet (1,715 m) in the Lachens Mountains in the northeast. The pine-clad highlands have frequently been devastated by fire, and large areas are covered with scrub. The Verdon River, with its grand canyon and gorges, flows along the northern border for many miles. Draguignan, in the east centre, is a picturesque market town. The dpartement has a mild Mediterranean climate, but in winter the mistral wind brings with it sharp, cold spells. In summer there is usually no rain for more than six weeks, apart from occasional local storms. Small holdings in the lower parts, using irrigation, are intensively cultivated with early vegetables, fruit, and flowers. Mimosa is cultivated along the sheltered coastal strip of the Maures, once a fastness of Moorish pirates. During World War II the coast was the site of Allied landings in 1944. The dpartement has three arrondissements: Draguignan, Toulon, and Brignoles. Area 2,306 square miles (5,973 square km). Pop. (1990) 816,120; (1994 est.) 866,747.