Istres facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Istres
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The old town centre
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| Country | France | |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | |
| Department | Bouches-du-Rhône | |
| Area
1
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113.73 km2 (43.91 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2012)
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42,944 | |
| • Density | 377.596/km2 (977.97/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) | |
| INSEE/Postal code |
13047 /13800
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| Elevation | 0–120 m (0–394 ft) (avg. 20 m or 66 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. | ||
Istres is a cool town in the south of France. It's part of the Bouches-du-Rhône area, which is like a county. This area is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. About 45,000 people call Istres home. People who live here are called Istréens (for boys and men) and Istréennes (for girls and women).
Istres is right next to two big lakes, or lagoons. One is called the étang de Berre, which is the biggest lagoon in all of Europe! The other is the étang de l'Olivier.
Contents
Weather and Fun in Istres
Istres has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. January and February are the coldest months. The average temperature then is around 7 °C (about 45 °F).
Festivals and Sports
One special event in Istres is La fête des bergers, which means "The shepherds' festival." This festival happens in late November and early December. It's a fun way to celebrate local traditions.
The town is also great for sports! It has many sports places and over 100 different sports clubs. Every year, there's a big race around the étang de l'Olivier lake. Lots of runners join in. The main football (soccer) team in Istres is FC Istres.
Istres Air Base: A Space Connection
Istres is home to a very important place called the Le Tubé Air Base. It's also known as BA 125. This air base was one of only three places in the world chosen by NASA. It was a special landing spot for the Space Shuttle.
Space Shuttle Landing Site
If the Space Shuttle had an emergency during launch, it could land safely at Istres. This kind of landing was called a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL). Istres shared this big responsibility with two other places in Spain: Zaragoza and Moron.
Images for kids
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Istres Harbour
See also
In Spanish: Istres para niños
