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DORDOGNE

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Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 424 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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DORDOGNE , an inland See also:

department of See also:south-western See also:France, formed in 1790 from nearly the whole of See also:Perigord, a See also:part of See also:Agenais, and small portions of See also:Limousin and of See also:Angoumois. See also:Area 3560 sq. m. Pop. (1906) 447,052. It is bounded N. by Haute-See also:Vienne, W. by See also:Charente, Charente-Inferieure and See also:Gironde, S. by See also:Lot-et-See also:Garonne, and E. by Lot and See also:Correze. Situated on the western slopes of the See also:Massif Central, Dordogne consists in the See also:north-See also:east and centre of sterile plateaus sloping towards the See also:west, where they end in a region of See also:pine forests known as the See also:Double. The greatest altitudes are found in the See also:highlands of the north, where many points exceed 1300 ft. in height. The department is intersected by many fertile and beautiful See also:river valleys, which converge from its See also:northern and eastern See also:borders towards the south-west. The Dordogne is the See also:principal river of the department and its See also:chief affluent is the Isle, which crosses the centre of the department and flows into the Dordogneat See also:Libourne, in the neighbouring department of Gironde. The Dronne and the Auvezere, both tributaries of the Isle, are the other See also:main See also:rivers. The See also:climate is generally agreeable and healthy, but rather humid, especially in the north-east. See also:Agriculture flourishes in the south and south-west of the department, especially in the valleys of the Dordogne and Isle, the See also:rest of its See also:surface being covered to a See also:great extent by See also:woods and See also:heath.

Pasture and See also:

forage amply suffice for the raising of large flocks and herds. The See also:vine, cultivated mainly in the neighbourhood of See also:Bergerac, and See also:tobacco are important See also:sources of profit. See also:Wheat and See also:maize are the chief cereals and potatoes are largely grown. The truffles of Perigord are famous for their abundance and quality. The See also:plum and See also:cider-See also:apple yield See also:good crops. In the forests the prevailing trees are the See also:oak and See also:chestnut. The See also:fruit of the latter is much used both as See also:food by the See also:people and for fattening hogs, which are reared in large See also:numbers. The See also:walnut is extensively grown for its oil. The department has mines of See also:lignite, and produces freestone, See also:lime, See also:cement, See also:mill-See also:stone, See also:peat, See also:potter's See also:clay and fireclay. The See also:leather 'See also:industry and the preparation of preserved foods are important, and there are See also:flour-See also:mills, See also:brick and See also:tile See also:works, earthenware manufactories, See also:printing works, chemical works and a few See also:iron foundries. Exports consist of truffles, See also:wine, chestnuts and other fruit, live4stock, poultry, and minerals of various kinds. Dordogne is served by the See also:Orleans railway; the Dordogne, the Isle and the Vezere furnish nearly 200 m. of navigable waterway.

It is See also:

divide,ct into the arrondissements of Perigueux, Bergerac, Nontron, Riberac and See also:Sarlat, with 47 cantons and 587 communes, and belongs to the ecclesiastical See also:province of See also:Bordeaux, to the See also:academic (educational See also:division) of Bordeaux and to the region of the XII. See also:army See also:corps, which has its headquarters at See also:Limoges. Its See also:court of See also:appeal is at Bordeaux. Perigueux, the See also:capital, Bergerac, Sarlat and See also:Brantome are the principal towns (see See also:separate articles). There are several other places of See also:interest. Bourdeilles has two finely preserved chateaux, one of the 14th See also:century, with an imposing keep, the other in the See also:Renaissance See also:style of the 16th century. Both buildings are contained within the same fortified See also:enceinte. The celebrated See also:chateau of See also:Biron, founded in the x rth century, preserves examples of many subsequent architectural styles, among them a beautiful See also:chapel of See also:late See also:Gothic and See also:early Renaissance workmanship. The chateau of Jumilhac-le-See also:Grand belongs to the 15th century. Dordogne possesses several See also:medieval bastides, the most perfect of which is Monpazier. At Cadouin there are the remains of a Cistercian See also:abbey. Its See also:church is a See also:fine cruciform See also:building in the Romanesque style, while the See also:cloister is an excellent example of Flamboyant See also:architecture. St See also:Jean-de-See also:Cole has an interesting Romanesque church and a chateau of the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries.

In the rocks of the valley of the See also:

lower Vezere there are prehistoric caves of great archaeological importance, in which have been found tools, and carvings on See also:bone, See also:flint and See also:ivory. Troglodytic dwellings are to be found in many other places in Dordogne (see See also:CAVE).

End of Article: DORDOGNE

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DORDRECHT (abbreviated Dordt, or Dort)

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