Rhône-Alpes

I

Introduction

Rhône-Alpes, administrative region, south-eastern France. Located on the borders with Switzerland and Italy (on the east and south-east respectively), Rhône-Alpes is surrounded by the French regions of Franche-Comté to the north, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur to the south, with Languedoc-Roussillon to the south-west, Auvergne to the west, and Burgundy to the north-west. The region is divided into eight departments: Ain, Ardèche, Drôme, Haute-Savoie, Isère, Loire, Rhône, and Savoie and has a total area of 43,698 sq km (16,872 sq mi).

II

Physical Geography

The Rhône is the primary river of the region and an important conduit between north and south. Other important rivers are the Ain, Drôme, Isère, Loire, and Saône. The Massif Central upland lies in the north-west of the region while a network of rivers, the marshland of the Dombes, numerous small lakes, and the Bresse plain lie in the surrounding lower countryside. Further to the east is the Beaujolais region, an important winemaking area. In the north the Jura mountain range begins, spanning north-east into Switzerland. The Alps dominate the landscape in the east. Mont Blanc (4,810 m/15,781 ft), France’s highest mountain, is located at the border with Italy. In the south-west the scenery is rugged with deep gorges, caves, and high plateaux. Rhône-Alpes has a number of national and regional parks and nature reserves, such as the Chartreuse and Vercors areas around Grenoble. Glacial lakes and mineral springs dominate the east of the region; the largest lakes lying wholly within Rhône-Alpes include Lake Bourget and Lake Annecy, while Lake Geneva straddles the region’s north-eastern border with Switzerland.

III

Population

In 2007, Rhône-Alpes had 6,058,000 inhabitants. The region is densely populated and focused around the central river valleys between the mountain ranges; the average population density is 135 people per sq km (350 per sq mi). The principal city of the region is Lyon (2005 estimate, 466,400); other notable towns are Grenoble (2005 estimate, 156,600); Saint-Étienne (2005 estimate, 175,700); Valence (2005 estimate, 65,400); Chambéry (2005 estimate, 58,100 ); Annecy (2005 estimate, 51,000); and Roanne (2005 estimate, 36,100).

The ancient city of Lyon features some important archaeological remains, including two Roman amphitheatres; the city’s historic centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. In Chambéry is a 15th-century ducal castle and chapel that reputedly contained the Turin Shroud between 1502 and 1578. The region’s leading institutions of higher education include the University of Lyon (1808), which consists of three separate campuses: the University Claude-Bernard, or Lyon I (1970); University of Lyon II; and University Jean Moulin, or Lyon III (1973); the University of Saint-Étienne (1969); and the universities of Grenoble I, II, and III (1339, reorganized 1970). The French Alps are a year-round resort area and have world-famous ski fields, such as the Winter Olympic sites of Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968), and Albertville (1992).

IV

Economy

The main industries of Rhône-Alpes are metal-working and the manufacture of synthetic fibres. Coal and minerals are mined and there is a petroleum refinery near Lyon. Tourism and winter sports are major industries. The spas of Évian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains on the shores of Lake Geneva are also popular tourist destinations. Only a small percentage of the population is employed in agriculture. Cereals and fodder are the main crops, although there are orchards and olive groves in the south. Viticulture is primarily undertaken in the north, along the banks of the Saône. Stock-raising is also important.