Bellegarde-sur-Valserine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
Bèlagouârda (Arpitan)
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Part of Valserhône
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Former Bellegarde-sur-Valserine Town Hall and current Valserhône Town Hall
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 Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
Location in France
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
Location in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
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| Country | France | |
| Region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Ain | |
| Arrondissement | Nantua | |
| Canton | Bellegarde-sur-Valserine | |
| Commune | Valserhône | |
| Area
1
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15 km2 (6 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2021)
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11,268 | |
| • Density | 751/km2 (1,950/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) | |
| Postal code |
01200
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| Elevation | 330–1,542 m (1,083–5,059 ft) (avg. 485 m or 1,591 ft) |
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| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | ||
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Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, often just called Bellegarde, was a town in eastern France. Its name means "Bellegarde on the Valserine" because it's located near that river. It used to be a separate "commune" (which is like a small local government area).
On January 1, 2019, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine joined with two other towns, Lancrans and Châtillon-en-Michaille. Together, they formed a new, larger commune called Valserhône. So, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine is now part of Valserhône.
Contents
Exploring Bellegarde's Location
Bellegarde is found where two rivers meet: the Valserine and the Rhône. This meeting point is special because the water from both rivers used to flow underground for a bit. This made it easy to cross them.
The Hidden Rivers
After the Génissiat Dam was built, the water level of the Rhône river went up. This covered a famous spot called the "Perte du Rhône" (which means "Loss of the Rhône"). Here, the river used to disappear underground.
But don't worry! You can still see a similar, smaller natural wonder. It's called the "Pertes de la Valserine" on the Valserine river. It's a cool place where the river seems to vanish into the ground.
A Valley of Importance
Bellegarde sits in a valley. On one side, there's the Plateau of Retord, and on the other, the Grand Crêt d'Eau and Vuache mountains. The path created by the Rhône river through this valley is a main way to get to areas like Gex and the northern part of Lake Geneva.
- Pertes de la Valserine, north of Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
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Bellegarde's Weather Patterns
The weather in Bellegarde is a mix of two main types:
- An oceanic climate: This means it gets a lot of rain, often and in large amounts.
- A warm-summer humid continental climate: This brings cold winters and summers that can be warm or even hot.
| Climate data for Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, Valserhône, Ain, France, Alt. : 350 m, (1981-2010 averages, extremes 1994−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) |
20.2 (68.4) |
25.4 (77.7) |
29.6 (85.3) |
33.8 (92.8) |
36.5 (97.7) |
38.6 (101.5) |
39.5 (103.1) |
32.7 (90.9) |
28.0 (82.4) |
22.9 (73.2) |
16.4 (61.5) |
39.5 (103.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) |
8.3 (46.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
16.3 (61.3) |
21.0 (69.8) |
24.9 (76.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.3 (79.3) |
21.6 (70.9) |
17.0 (62.6) |
10.1 (50.2) |
5.7 (42.3) |
16.4 (61.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
3.5 (38.3) |
6.7 (44.1) |
10.2 (50.4) |
14.8 (58.6) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.2 (68.4) |
19.6 (67.3) |
15.5 (59.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
6.0 (42.8) |
2.3 (36.1) |
10.9 (51.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.9 (28.6) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
0.9 (33.6) |
4.0 (39.2) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.5 (52.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
13.0 (55.4) |
9.5 (49.1) |
6.6 (43.9) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
5.4 (41.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15.4 (4.3) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−13.7 (7.3) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
2.3 (36.1) |
5.3 (41.5) |
4.7 (40.5) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 109.5 (4.31) |
96.6 (3.80) |
91.9 (3.62) |
87.2 (3.43) |
94.0 (3.70) |
74.3 (2.93) |
85.7 (3.37) |
100.2 (3.94) |
100.6 (3.96) |
106.0 (4.17) |
121.2 (4.77) |
118.2 (4.65) |
1,185.4 (46.67) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 10.7 | 9.4 | 9.9 | 10.0 | 11.6 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 | 10.5 | 11.4 | 10.8 | 120.7 |
| Source: Meteociel | |||||||||||||
Getting Around Bellegarde
The Bellegarde station is an important train station in the area. From here, you can catch trains to big cities like Paris and Lyon. You can also travel to other places such as Annemasse, Geneva in Switzerland, and Chambéry. The station is part of the main railway line that connects Lyon and Geneva.
How Many People Live Here?
The number of people living in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine has changed over the years. Here's a look at the population counts:
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 2006 | 11,497 | — |
| 2011 | 11,630 | +0.23% |
| 2015 | 11,809 | +0.38% |
| 2021 | 11,268 | −0.78% |
| Source: INSEE | ||
Friends Around the World: Twin Towns
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine has "twin town" relationships with two other places. This means they are friendly cities that often share culture and ideas.
Saint-Christophe, Aosta Valley, Italy (since 2000)
Bretten, Germany (since 2001)
See also
In Spanish: Bellegarde-sur-Valserine para niños
