Dordogne

Dordogne

Dordogne is a large rural department in the southwest of France. Its main city is Périgueux. It is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees mountains. The area is named after the river Dordogne.

Dordogne covers much of the old county of Périgord. In January 2023, about 417,614 people lived there. The area is famous for its calm countryside and long history.

History

The county of Périgord is very old. It was once home to Celtic tribes. The name comes from a Gaulish word meaning "four tribes." The people there are called Périgordins. The Dordogne department has four areas known as Périgords.

• Périgord Vert (Green Périgord), with its main town of Nontron, has green valleys and rivers.
• Périgord Blanc (White Périgord), around Périgueux, has limestone plateaus and wide valleys.
• Périgord Pourpre (Purple Périgord) with its capital of Bergerac, is famous for its wine.
• Périgord Noir (Black Périgord) near Sarlat, is named for its oak and pine forests.

The area was later influenced by the Romans and the English. After many years, it became part of France. Over time, many beautiful buildings and villages grew up in the region, including over 1,200 chateaux and historic towns.

Dordogne was officially created as a department on 4 March 1790 during the French Revolution. Its borders have changed a few times since then.

Geography

The Dordogne is a large area in southwest France. It is part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and is surrounded by six other areas: Haute-Vienne, Corrèze, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Gironde, Charente-Maritime, and Charente. It is the third-largest area in mainland France and the largest one without a coastline. It is bigger than Cyprus but smaller than Cape Verde.

The biggest town is Périgueux, the main city. As of 2023, there are nine towns with more than 5,000 people.

Demographics

The number of people living in Dordogne was highest in 1851, with about 505,789 people. After that, the number of people went down to around 373,000 by 1975. This happened because many people moved to cities for better jobs. But after 1975, the population started to grow again, reaching about 417,000 by 2023.

Many people from Britain have moved to Dordogne. There are between 5,000 and 10,000 British people living there, and about 800 British business owners. They were attracted by the nice lifestyle, warm weather, and lower costs. The village of Eymet has many British families, with about 200 out of its 2,600 residents.

Politics

See also: Departmental Council of Dordogne

The local government in Dordogne is led by Germinal Peiro. He is part of the Socialist Party.

Current National Assembly Representatives

Tourism

Dordogne is a great place to visit if you love history and nature. The area has more than 1,500 castles, so it is called "The Other Chateau Country". Some famous places are Château de Beynac, Lascaux, and Périgueux.

You can do fun things like canoeing on the Dordogne River and exploring pretty villages such as La Roque-Gageac and Cabanes du Breuil. The caves at Lascaux are closed to keep the art safe, but you can visit a copy called Lascaux II. Périgueux has old Roman ruins, like an arena you can still see today. Many people from places like the United Kingdom visit Dordogne or even have a second home there.