Ariège is a département in southwestern France named after the Ariège River.
History
Ariège was one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from the counties of Foix and Couserans.
Geography
The department is part of the current region of Midi-Pyrénées and is surrounded by the French departments of Haute-Garonne, Aude, and Pyrénées-Orientales, as well as Spain and Andorra on the south.
The geography is dominated by the Pyrenees mountains, which form the border between France and Spain.
Demographics
The inhabitants of the department are called Ariégois.
Culture
The region was originally part of Aquitaine and has retained many hallmarks of the Gascon culture and Gascon language.
Miscellaneous topics
List of the communes of the Ariège département
External links
Last updated: 08-02-2005 21:37:16
