Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

HERAULT

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V13, Page 333 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

HERAULT , a See also:

department in the See also:south of See also:France, formed from See also:Lower See also:Languedoc. Pop. (1906) 482,779. See also:Area, 2403 sq. m. It is bounded N.E. by See also:Gard, N.W. by See also:Aveyron and See also:Tarn, and S. by See also:Aude and the Golfe du See also:Lion. The See also:southern prolongation of the See also:Cevennes mountains occupies the See also:north-western See also:zone of the department, the highest point being about 4250 ft. above the See also:sea-level. South-See also:east of this range comes a region of hills and plateaus decreasing in height as they approach the sea, from which they are separated by the See also:rich plains at the mouth of the See also:Orb and the Herault and, farther to the north-east, by the See also:line of intercommunicating See also:salt lagoons (Etang de Thau, &c.) which fringes the See also:coast. The region to the north-See also:west of See also:Montpellier comprises an extensive See also:tract of See also:country known as the Garrigues, a See also:district of dry See also:limestone plateaus and hills, which stretches into the neighbouring department of Gard. The mountains of the north-west See also:form the See also:watershed between the See also:Atlantic and Mediterranean basins. From them flow the Herault, its tributary the Lergue, and more to the south-west the Livron and the Orb, which are the See also:main See also:rivers of the department. Dry summers, varied by occasional violent storms, are characteristic of Herault. The See also:climate is naturally colder and more See also:rainy in the mountains.

A third of the See also:

surface of Herault is planted with vines, which are the See also:chief source of agricultural See also:wealth, the department ranking first in France with respect to the area of its vineyards; the red wines of St Georges, Cazouls-See also:les-See also:Beziers, Picpoul and Maranssan, and the See also:white wines of Frontignan and Lunel (pop. in 19(36, 6769) are held in high estimation. The area given over to arable See also:land and pasture is small in extent. See also:Fruit trees of various kinds, but especially mulberries, See also:olives and chestnuts flourish. The rearing of See also:silk-See also:worms is largely carried on. Considerable See also:numbers of See also:sheep are raised, their See also:milk being utilized for the preparation of Roquefort cheeses. The See also:mineral wealth of the department is considerable. There are mines of See also:lignite, See also:coal in the vicinity of Graissessac, See also:iron, See also:calamine and See also:copper, and quarries of See also:building-See also:stone, limestone, See also:gypsum, &c.; the marshes See also:supply salt. Mineral springs are numerous, the most important being those of Lamalon-les-Bains and Balarucles-Bains. The chief manufactures are woollen and See also:cotton See also:cloth, especially for military use, silk (See also:Ganges), casks, See also:soap and fertilizing stuffs. There are also oil-See also:works, distilleries (Beziers) and tanneries (Bedarieux). Fishing is an important See also:industry. See also:Cette and Meze (pop. in 1906, 5574) are the chief ports.

Herault exports salt See also:

fish, See also:wine, See also:liqueurs, See also:timber, salt, building-material, &c. It imports See also:cattle, skins, See also:wool, cereals, vegetables, coal and other commodities. The railway lines belong chiefly to the Southern and See also:Paris-See also:Lyon-Mediterranee companies. The See also:Canal du Midi traverses the south of the department for 44 M. and terminates at Cette. The Canal See also:des Etangs traverses the department for about 20 m., forming See also:part of a line of communication between Cette and Aigues-Mortes. Montpellier, the See also:capital, is the seat of a bishopric of the See also:province of See also:Avignon, and of a See also:court of See also:appeal and centre of an academie (educational See also:division). The department belongs to the 16th military region, which has its headquarters at Montpellier. It is divided into the arrondissements of Montpellier, Beziers, See also:Lodeve and St Pons, with 36 cantons and 340 communes. Montpellier, Beziers, Lodeve, Bedarieux, Cette, See also:Agde, See also:Pezenas, Lamalou-les-Bains and Clermont-1'Herault are the more See also:note-worthy towns and receive See also:separate treatment. Among the other interesting places in the department are St Pons, with a See also:church of the 12th See also:century, once a See also:cathedral, Villemagne, which has several old houses and two ruined churches, one of the 13th, the other of the 14th century; Pignan, a See also:medieval See also:town, near which is the interesting See also:abbey-church of Vignogoul in the See also:early See also:Gothic See also:style; and St Guilhem-le-See also:Desert, which has a church of the 11th and 12th centuries. Maguelonne, which in the 6th century became the seat of a bishopric transferred to Montpellier in 1536, has a cathedral of the 12th century.

End of Article: HERAULT

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
HERAT 		[next]
HERAULT DE SECHELLES, MARIE JEAN (1759-1794)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries