kids encyclopedia robot

Puy-de-Dôme facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Puy-de-Dôme

lo Puèi de Doma / lo Puèi Domat  (Occitan)
Prefecture building of the Puy-de-Dôme department, in Clermont-Ferrand
Prefecture building of the Puy-de-Dôme department, in Clermont-Ferrand
Flag of Puy-de-Dôme
Flag
Coat of arms of Puy-de-Dôme
Coat of arms
Location of Puy-de-Dôme in France
Location of Puy-de-Dôme in France
Country France
Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Prefecture Clermont-Ferrand
Subprefectures Ambert
Issoire
Riom
Thiers
Area
 • Total 7,970 km2 (3,080 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total 650,700
 • Rank 38th
 • Density 81.64/km2 (211.46/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number 63
Arrondissements 5
Cantons 31
Communes 464
French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Puy-de-Dôme is a department in the centre of France named after the famous dormant volcano, the Puy de Dôme. Inhabitants were called Puydedomois until December 2005. With effect from Spring 2006, in response to a letter writing campaign, the name used for the inhabitants was changed by the Puy-de-Dôme General Council to Puydômois, and this is the name that has since then been used in all official documents and publications.

History

Puy-de-Dôme is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Auvergne. Originally, the department was to be called Mont-d'Or ("Golden Mountain"), but this was changed to Puy-de-Dôme following the intervention of Jean-François Gaultier de Biauzat, a local deputy, because of a concern that the name originally chosen risked attracting excessive unwelcome attention from the national taxation authorities.

Geography

Puy-de-Dôme is part of the current region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Haute-Loire, Cantal, Corrèze, Allier, and Creuse.

The department is in the Massif Central and boasts more than 80 volcanic craters. It is three hours from Paris and an hour from Lyon by highways A71 and A89. The A75 links it to the Mediterranean Sea.

Its main cities are Clermont-Ferrand, Thiers, Riom, Issoire, Ambert, and Cournon-d'Auvergne. Parts of the department belong to the Parc naturel régional Livradois-Forez.


Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Puy-de-Dôme para niños

kids search engine
Puy-de-Dôme Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.