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VAR , a See also:department in S.E. See also:France. It was formed in 1790 of a See also:part of See also:Lower See also:Provence, but in 186o it was reduced by the See also:transfer of the See also:district of See also:Grasse to the newly formed department of the Alpes Maritimes, which is the See also:reason why the Var does not now flow in the department to which it gives its name. It is bounded N. by the department of the Basses Alpes (the Verdon See also:river forming the boundary), E. by that of the Alpes Maritimes (the Siagne stream forming the limit), S. by the Mediterranean, and W. by the department of the Bouches du See also:Rhone. Its See also:area is 2266 sq. m., its greatest length is about 62 m., and its greatest breadth about 56 m. The See also:surface of the department is very hilly, the highest point being the See also:Signal See also:des Chens (562o ft.) at its See also:north-See also:east corner. These calcareous hills are much fissured and very dry on the highest plateaux, but are See also:rich in springs, which is the cause of very beautiful verdure in the valleys. To the W. is the See also:chain (3786 ft.) of the Ste See also:Baume, wherein is the celebrated grotto (now a frequented See also:pilgrimage See also:place) wherein St See also:Mary Magdalene is said to have taken See also:refuge. This chain is connected with the hills (2329 ft.) above See also:Toulon. The thickly wooded Montagnes des Maures (2556 ft.), which extend above the See also:coast from See also:Hyeres to near See also:Frejus are separated from the Ste Baume chain by the Gapeau stream and from that of the Esterel by the See also:Argens river: the Maures chain, with the Argens valley, forms a sort of See also:geological See also:island in Provence, being composed of See also:granite, See also:gneiss and See also:schists. To the north of the Argens valley and to the north-eastern portion of the department rises the Esterel chain, the highest See also:summit of which (the Mont Vinaigre) attains 2021 ft.: this chain is mainly composed of igneous rocks, with some schists and See also:porphyry. The See also:principal river in the department is the Argens, which traverses it from W. to E., and falls into the See also:sea near Frejus after a course of about 68 m. Its See also:chief tributary is the Nartuby, on which stands Draguignan, the chief See also:town, while other streams are the Arc, the Huveaune and the Gapeau. The extreme north-western extremity of the department See also:borders for 21 M. the See also:Durance, which separates it from the department of See also:Vaucluse. The coast See also:line, which is one of the most picturesque and varied in France, runs first W. to E., from the Gulf of La Ciotat to Cape Camarat, and then S.W. to N.E., from the Gulf of St Tropez to that of La Napoule. The See also:shore is dotted (from W. to E.) successively by the See also:sand-covered remains of the Phocaean See also:city of Tauroentum; the little ports of Bandol and St Nazaire; the See also:peninsula of Cape Sicie (on which rises the See also:chapel of Notre See also:Dame de la Garde, and a famous lighthouse, 1178 ft.) with its eastward See also:projection Cape Cepet (338 ft.), bristling with fortifications. to protect the See also:great See also:harbour of Toulon, to the north-east; the roads of Toulon; those of Giens, on the site of the Gallo-See also:Roman town of Pomponiana; the curious peninsula of Giens, formerly an island, but now attached to the mainland by two See also:long spits of sand, between which lies the See also:lagoon of See also:Les Pesquters, with its salines; the great anchorage of Hyeres, shut off from the Mediterranean by the hilly and wooded islands of Porquerolles, See also:Port Cros and Le See also:Levant; the bold promontories of the Montagnes des Maures, that See also:divide the coast into lovely bays; Cape Camarat (1(366 ft.), with a lighthouse; the deep Gulf of St Tropez, with perhaps the best natural anchorage in all Provence; the Gulf of Frejus, where, owing to the accumulated alluvial deposits at the mouth of the Argens, the Roman port of See also:Forum Julii is now occupied by the inland town of Frejus; the red porphyry headlands of the Esterel chain, with the roads of Agay between them; and Cape Roux (1486 ft.) looking towards See also:Cannes, still farther N.E. The department is divided into three arrondissements (Draguignan, See also:Brignoles and Toulon), 30 cantons and 148 communes. The See also:climate is remarkably See also:fine and mild on the coast, where there is See also:complete shelter from the See also:wind, St See also:Raphael (with Valescure above it) and Hyeres being now much frequented See also:winter resorts. The department now forms the bishopric of Frejus (4th See also:century), which is in the ecclesiastical See also:province of See also:Aix en Provence: in i8or there was annexed to it the episcopal see of Toulon, founded in the 5th century, and in the ecclesiastical province of See also:Arles. There are in the department 135 M. of broad See also:gauge See also:railways, and 1484 m. of narrow gauge lines. The principal towns are'Toulon, La Seyne, Hyeres, Draguignan, its See also:political See also:capital, Brignoles and Frejus. There are a number of mines (chiefly See also:iron and See also:coal) in the department, and See also:salt is extracted from the marshes near Hyeres, while there are manufactories of pottery and extensive vineyards. La Seyne is the principal centre of See also:industrial activity. Cut See also:flowers are largely exported from Hyeres. In 1901 the See also:population of the department was 326,384. (W. A. B. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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