Biscarrosse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Biscarrosse
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Biscarrosse elm in January; died 2010.
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 Biscarrosse
Location in France
Biscarrosse
Location in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
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| Country | France | |
| Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | |
| Department | Landes | |
| Arrondissement | Mont-de-Marsan | |
| Canton | Grands Lacs | |
| Intercommunality | Grands Lacs | |
| Area
1
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160.48 km2 (61.96 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2021)
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14,551 | |
| • Density | 90.672/km2 (234.839/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) | |
| INSEE/Postal code |
40046 /40600
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| Elevation | 0–78 m (0–256 ft) (avg. 26 m or 85 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. | ||
Biscarrosse is a town in southwestern France. It is part of the Landes area in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The town is about 65 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of Bordeaux. It is also about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Atlantic coast, where you'll find the beach resort of Biscarrosse-Plage.
Near Biscarrosse, there's a special place called the CEL. This is a national test center where many French military rockets are tested. The CEL also launches rockets for peaceful purposes, like studying the upper parts of Earth's atmosphere.
Close to the town center, outside the Café de l'orme, there used to be a very old elm tree. People believed it was the oldest elm tree in Europe! It was planted way back in 1350. Sadly, this Field Elm Ulmus minor died in 2010 because of a tree disease called Dutch elm disease.
The town also has its own airport, called Biscarrosse - Parentis Airport.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name Biscarrosse comes from an old language called Aquitanian language or directly from the Basque word bizkar. This word means 'low ridge' or 'small hill'. The name probably describes the landscape of the area. You might notice similar names like Biscay and Biscarrués.
Weather in Biscarrosse
| Climate data for Biscarrosse (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 23.0 (73.4) |
24.0 (75.2) |
26.8 (80.2) |
30.8 (87.4) |
33.5 (92.3) |
39.1 (102.4) |
42.6 (108.7) |
39.3 (102.7) |
35.5 (95.9) |
30.9 (87.6) |
27.7 (81.9) |
24.2 (75.6) |
39.5 (103.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.7 (51.3) |
11.9 (53.4) |
14.5 (58.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
19.4 (66.9) |
22.4 (72.3) |
24.6 (76.3) |
24.7 (76.5) |
23.4 (74.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
11.4 (52.5) |
17.8 (64.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.7 (45.9) |
8.4 (47.1) |
10.8 (51.4) |
12.5 (54.5) |
15.8 (60.4) |
18.8 (65.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
20.9 (69.6) |
19.3 (66.7) |
16.0 (60.8) |
11.2 (52.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
14.2 (57.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.6 (40.3) |
4.8 (40.6) |
7.1 (44.8) |
8.8 (47.8) |
12.0 (53.6) |
15.1 (59.2) |
17.2 (63.0) |
17.2 (63.0) |
15.1 (59.2) |
12.2 (54.0) |
7.8 (46.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
10.6 (51.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.3 (9.9) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
−6 (21) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
4.8 (40.6) |
8.0 (46.4) |
10.0 (50.0) |
11.0 (51.8) |
6.0 (42.8) |
0.3 (32.5) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−12.3 (9.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 81.6 (3.21) |
60.8 (2.39) |
58.6 (2.31) |
64.8 (2.55) |
56.9 (2.24) |
43.1 (1.70) |
35.6 (1.40) |
41.3 (1.63) |
62.4 (2.46) |
83.1 (3.27) |
93.4 (3.68) |
72.8 (2.87) |
756.6 (29.79) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.57 | 9.87 | 11.04 | 10.70 | 9.85 | 7.14 | 6.04 | 5.73 | 6.69 | 10.45 | 12.43 | 10.05 | 112.56 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 111.6 | 109.6 | 156.8 | 146.2 | 219.7 | 277.1 | 262.1 | 168.6 | 208.4 | 134.2 | 107.7 | 89.5 | 1,991.5 |
| Source: Meteo climat | |||||||||||||
Biscarrosse has a mild climate. This table shows the average temperatures and rainfall over many years. You can see how hot it gets in summer and how much rain falls throughout the year.
How Many People Live Here?
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1968 | 7,159 | — |
| 1975 | 8,058 | +1.70% |
| 1982 | 8,065 | +0.01% |
| 1990 | 9,054 | +1.46% |
| 1999 | 9,281 | +0.28% |
| 2007 | 12,209 | +3.49% |
| 2012 | 13,391 | +1.87% |
| 2017 | 14,182 | +1.15% |
| Source: INSEE | ||
The number of people living in Biscarrosse has grown a lot over the years. This chart shows how the population has changed since 1968. In 2021, about 14,551 people lived in the town.
Seaplanes and History
Near Biscarrosse, in a place called Hourtiquet, there was once a very important seaplane base. Seaplanes are airplanes that can take off and land on water. This base was used by famous aircraft builders like Latécoère and early airlines such as Aéropostale and Air France.
Today, you can visit a seaplane museum on the shores of the Lac de Biscarrosse et de Parentis. It tells the story of these amazing flying boats.
During World War II, the base was used by German military seaplanes. Years later, in the 1980s, two old German seaplanes called Dornier 24 were found and recovered from the lake!
Since 1991, seaplane fans have gathered at the lake every two years for special fly-in events.
Oil Discovery
After seaplanes became less common, the lake area became important for another reason: oil! Oil was discovered there, and it turns out to be the largest oil reserve in France. The oil is taken out of the ground near the lake, in the town of Parentis.
Learning and Education
Biscarrosse is home to a school called École nationale de l'aviation civile. This is a national school for civil aviation, where people learn about flying and working in the airline industry.
Images for kids
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Lake Biscarrosse
See also
In Spanish: Biscarrosse para niños
