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GIRONDE

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Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 49 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GIRONDE , a maritime See also:

department of See also:south-western See also:France, formed from four divisions of the old See also:province of Guyenne, viz. Bordelais, Bazadais, and parts of See also:Perigord and See also:Agenais. See also:Area, 4140 sq. m. Pop. (1906) 823,925. It is bounded N. by the department of See also:Charente-Inferieure, E. by those of See also:Dordogne and See also:Lot-et-See also:Garonne, S. by that of See also:Landes, and W. by the See also:Bay of See also:Biscay. It takes its name from the See also:river or See also:estuary of the Gironde formed by the See also:union of the Garonne and Dordogne. The department divides itself naturally into a western and an eastern portion. The former, which is termed the Landes (q.v.), occupies more than a third of the department, and consists chiefly of morass or sandy See also:plain, thickly planted with pines and divided from the See also:sea by a See also:long See also:line of See also:dunes. These dunes are planted with pines, which, by binding the See also:sand together with their roots, prevent it from drifting inland and afford a barrier against the sea. On the See also:east the dunes are fringed for some distance by two extensive lakes, Carcans and Lacanau, communicating with each other and with the Bay of See also:Arcachon, near the See also:southern extremity of the department. The Bay of Arcachon contains numerous islands, and on the See also:land See also:side forms a vast shallow See also:lagoon, a considerable portion of which, however, has been drained and converted into arable land.

The eastern portion of the department consists chiefly of a See also:

succession of See also:hill and See also:dale, and, especially in the valley of the Gironde, is very fertile. The estuary of the Gironde is about 45 M. in length, and varies in breadth from 2 to 6 m. It presents a succession of islands and mud See also:banks which See also:divide it into two channels and render See also:navigation somewhat difficult. It is, however, well buoyed and lighted, and has a mean See also:depth of 21 ft. There are extensive marshes on the right See also:bank to the See also:north of Blaye, and the shores on the See also:left are characterized, especially towards the mouth, by See also:low-lying polders protected by dikes and composed of fertile See also:salt marshes. At the mouth of the Gironde stands the famous See also:tower of Cordouan, one of the finest lighthouses of the See also:French See also:coast. It was built between the years 1585 and 1611 by the architect and engineer See also:Louis de See also:Foix, and added to towards the end of the 18th See also:century. The See also:principal affluent of the Dordogne in this department is the Isle. The feeders of the Garonne are, with the exception of the Dropt, all small. See also:West of the Garonne the only river of importance is the Leyre, which flows into the Bay of Arcachon. The See also:climate is humid and mild and very hot in summer. See also:Wheat, See also:rye, See also:maize, oats and See also:tobacco are grown to a considerable extent.

The See also:

corn produced, however, does not meet the wants of the inhabitants. The culture of the See also:vine is by far the most important See also:branch of See also:industry carried on (see See also:WINE), the vineyards occupying about one-seventh of the See also:surface of the department. The wine-growing districts are the Medoc, See also:Graves, See also:Cotes, Palus, Entre-deux-Mers and Sauternes. The Medoc is a region of 5o m. in length by about 6 m. in breadth, bordering the left banks of the Garonne and the Gironde between See also:Bordeaux and the sea. The Graves See also:country forms a See also:zone 30 M. in extent, stretching along the left bank of the Garonne from the neighbourhood of Bordeaux to Barsac. The Sauternes country lies to the S.E. of the Graves. The Cotes See also:lie on the right bank of the Dordogne and Gironde, between it and the Garonne, and on the left bank of the Garonne. The produce of the Palus, the alluvial ]and of the valleys, and of the Entre-deux-Mers, situated on the left bank of the Dordogne, is inferior. Fruits and vegetables are extensively cultivated, the peaches and See also:pears being especially See also:fine. See also:Cattle are extensively raised, the Bazadais breed of oxen and the Bordelais breed of milch-cows being well known. See also:Oyster-breeding is carried on on a large See also:scale in the Bay of.Arcachon. Large supplies of See also:resin, See also:pitch and See also:turpentine are obtained from the See also:pine See also:woods, which also See also:supply vine-props, and there are well-known quarries of See also:limestone.

The manufactures are various, and, with the See also:

general See also:trade, are chiefly carried on at Bordeaux (q.v.), the See also:chief See also:town and third See also:port in France. Pauillac, Blaye, See also:Libourne and Arcachon are See also:minor ports. Gironde is divided into the arrondissements of Bordeaux, Blaye, Lesparre, Libourne, See also:Bazas and La Reole, with 49 cantons and 554 communes. The department is served by five See also:railways, the chief of which are those of the See also:Orleans and Southern companies. It forms See also:part of the circumscription of the archbishopric, the See also:appeal-See also:court and the See also:academic (educational See also:division) of Bordeaux, and of the region of the XVIII. See also:army See also:corps, the headquarters of which are at that See also:city. Besides Bordeaux, Libourne, La Reole, Bazas, Blaye, Arcachon, St Emilion and St See also:Macaire are the most noteworthy towns and receive See also:separate treatment. Among the other places of See also:interest the chief are See also:Cadillac, on the right bank of the Garonne, where there is a See also:castle of the 16th century, surrounded by fortifications of the 14th century; Labrede, with a feudal See also:chateau in which See also:Montesquieu was See also:born and lived; Villandraut, where there is a ruined castle of the 13th century; Uzeste, which has a See also:church begun in 1310 by See also:Pope See also:Clement V.; Mazeres with an imposing castle of the 14th century; La Sauve, which has a church (11th and 12th centuries) and other remains of a See also:Benedictine See also:abbey; and Ste See also:Foy-la-Grande, a See also:bastide created in 1255 and afterwards a centre of Protestantism, which is still strong there. La Teste (pop. in 1906, 5699) was the See also:capital in the See also:middle ages of the famous lords of See also:Buch.

End of Article: GIRONDE

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