VAUCLUSE

dpartement in Provence-Alpes-Cte-d'Azur region, southeastern France, created in 1793 from the Comtat Venaissin (a papal possession in Provence), the principality of Orange, and a part of Provence (q.v.). It is bounded west by the Rhne River and south by the Durance River, below which the Bouches-du-Rhne dpartement extends southward to the Mediterranean. The northern boundary runs eastward from a point on the Rhne about 15 mi (25 km) northwest of Orange; just above the border, northwest of Vaison-la-Romaine, the canton of Valras, a small exclave of Vaucluse, is surrounded by the Drme dpartement. With its exclave the Vaucluse dpartement has an area of 1,377 sq mi (3,566 sq km). The western part consists of the lowlands of the Rhne Valley, which are crossed by streams from the Pre-Alpes, including the Aigues, Ouvze, Nesque, and Sorgue. The westeast blocks of limestone mountains that occupy the eastern part rise steeply from the plain. The northern range to the east of Orange culminates in the majestic Mont Ventoux, (6,263 ft ), the highest point in the dpartement. At the west end of the Plateau de Vaucluse, south of Mont Ventoux, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, famous for its association with the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch, the Sorgue River issues from underground in the form of a resurgent spring. The Lubron mountain chain, extending westeast above the Durance Valley for 25 mi, culminates at a height of 3,691 ft (1,125 m) in the Grand Lubron. The mountains are snowy in winter and parched in summer. In the Rhne plain the climate is mild and sunny although in winter the mistral wind brings sudden cold spells. The plain is extensively watered by irrigation channels, some of which date back to the Middle Ages. Fodder crops, vegetables, and fruit are intensively grown. Melons are a speciality of Cavaillon, and the vineyards of the Ctes-du-Rhne are renowned for such wines as Chteauneuf-du-Pape. The great multipurpose Donzre-Mondragon scheme, harnessing the Rhne for power, irrigation, and navigation, lies partly within the dpartement. Industry includes canning and the production of fertilizers. Avignon and Orange are centres of tourism. Vaison-la-Romaine has considerable Gallo-Roman ruins. The dpartement has three arrondissements: Avignon, Apt, and Carpentras. Vaucluse is in the educational division of Aix-en-Provence. Pop. (1982) 427,343.