Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a
department of France
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...
located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
coast. Part of the
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pref ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
, it encompasses the French Riviera alongside neighbouring
Var
Var or VAR may refer to:
Places
* Var (department), a department of France
* Var (river), France
* Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran
* Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
, with
Grasse
Grasse (; Provençal oc, Grassa in classical norm or in Mistralian norm ; traditional it, Grassa) is the only subprefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region on the French Riviera. In 2017, the c ...
as the sole
subprefecture
A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.
Albania
There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...
.
Alpes-Maritimes has become one of the world's most attractive tourist destinations in recent years, featuring renowned cities and towns such as
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
,
Grasse
Grasse (; Provençal oc, Grassa in classical norm or in Mistralian norm ; traditional it, Grassa) is the only subprefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region on the French Riviera. In 2017, the c ...
,
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
Menton
Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Me ...
,
Èze
Èze (; oc, Esa; it, Eza) is a seaside commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It is located on the French Riviera, 8.5 km (5.2 mi) to the northeast of Nice and 4.5 km (2.7 mi ...
Principality of Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria ...
. The department's inhabitants are called ''Maralpins'' (masculine) or ''Maralpines'' (feminine); its flag and arms are those of the City of Nice. In terms of politics, Alpes-Maritimes is one of France's most right-wing departments, as the majority led by The Republicans in the departmental council holds all but two of the 54 seats following the 2021 election.
Geography
Overview
The Alpes-Maritimes department is surrounded by the departments of
Var
Var or VAR may refer to:
Places
* Var (department), a department of France
* Var (river), France
* Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran
* Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
to the north and east; and the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
to the south. It surrounds the
Principality of Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria ...
on the west, north and east.
Its topography is very mixed. As its name suggests, most of the department is a constituent part of the overall topographic Alps – including the Maritime Alps – but it also has the distinction of being a coastal district with its Mediterranean coast. The coastal area, urbanized and densely populated (shaded in red on the map), includes all the cities in an almost continuous conurbation from
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
to
Menton
Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Me ...
, while the larger but sparsely populated mountainous area (light green) is fully rural with the exception of the three large resorts of Valberg (created in 1936),
Auron Auron may refer to:
* Auron (comics), two fictional DC Comics superheroes
* Auron (ski resort)
* Auron (river) in central France, a tributary of the Yèvre
* Auron, a playable character in the Square role-playing game ''Final Fantasy X''
* One o ...
(created in 1937) and
Isola 2000
Isola 2000 is a ski resort in the southern French Alps. It is located on the territory of the commune of Isola, Alpes-Maritimes. It is one of the ''Stations du Mercantour'', along with Auron and St. Dalmas, and is operated by the council of the ...
(created in 1971).
Summits and passes
The highest point of the department is the Cime du Gélas () on the Franco-Italian border which dominates the
Vallée des Merveilles Vallée is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* André Vallée (1930–2015), Canadian Roman Catholic bishop
* Anne Vallée (born 1958), Canadian biologist
* Bernard Vallée (born 1945), French fencer
*Brigitte Vallée (born ...
further east. The summit of Monte Argentera is higher at above sea level, but it is located in Italy. There is also Mount Mounier (), which dominates the south of the vast Dôme de Barrot, formed of a mass more than thick of red mudstones deeply indented by the gorges of
Daluis
Daluis ( oc, Daluèis) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Situated on the river Var, it is the end point of the Gorges de Daluis.
Population
See also
*Gorges de Daluis
*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes ...
and
Cians
The Cians is a mountain river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its drainage basin is .Route des Grandes Alpes enters the Cayolle Pass () first on the way to the Alps and the sources of the
Var
Var or VAR may refer to:
Places
* Var (department), a department of France
* Var (river), France
* Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran
* Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...
in the commune of Entraunes. Then the route follows the
Col de la Bonette
Col de la Bonette (el. ) is a high mountain pass in the French Alps, near the border with Italy. It is situated within the Mercantour National Park on the border of the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The road over the ...
– the highest pass in Europe at – to connect to the valley of the
Tinée
The Tinée (; oc, Tiniá) is a river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its drainage basin is .
then the Ubaye. Further east, the
Col de la Lombarde
Col de la Lombarde (or Colle della Lombarda) (el. 2350 m.) is a high mountain pass above the ski resort of Isola 2000 on the border between France and Italy.
Details of the climb
From Italy, the climb starts at Vinadio and is 21.5 km long ...
() above
Isola 2000
Isola 2000 is a ski resort in the southern French Alps. It is located on the territory of the commune of Isola, Alpes-Maritimes. It is one of the ''Stations du Mercantour'', along with Auron and St. Dalmas, and is operated by the council of the ...
allows access to the shrine of Saint-Anne de
Vinadio
Vinadio ( oc, Vinai) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about southwest of Cuneo, on the border with France. It is located along the Stura di Demonte r ...
in Italy. Finally, at its eastern end, the
Col de Tende
Col de Tende ( it, Colle di Tenda; elevation 1870 m) is a high mountain pass in the Alps, close to the border between France and Italy, although the highest section of the pass is wholly within France.
It separates the Maritime Alps from the Lig ...
() links with
Cuneo
Cuneo (; pms, Coni ; oc, Coni/Couni ; french: Coni ) is a city and ''comune'' in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area.
It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in ...
in Italy.
Landscape and forest vegetation
The only region of the Alps close to Nice has an afforestation rate of 60.9%, slightly higher than the average of the department and well above the average of 39.4% for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
The rivers in alphabetical order are:
* Aigue Blanche
*
Barlatte
The Barlatte is a short mountain river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its source is in the Maritime Alps, and it flows into the river Var near Guillaumes
Guillaumes (; oc, Guilherme; i ...
Bendola
The Bendola is a river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. It is a left tributary of the Roya. Its source is in the Ligurian Alps, east of Saorge, near the border with Italy
Italy ( it, I ...
*
Bévéra
The Bévéra (in French) or Bevera (in Italian) (''Beura'' in Occitan and Ligurian) is a river of southeastern France and northwestern Italy.
Geography
Bévéra source is in the Maritime Alps, near Moulinet in the French Alpes-Maritimes de ...
Bourdous
The Bourdous is a short mountain river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its source is in the Maritime Alps
The Maritime Alps (french: Alpes Maritimes ; it, Alpi Marittime ) are a mountain ran ...
* Bouyon
*
Brague
The Brague is a river in the département of Alpes-Maritimes and the région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in France. The Brague takes its source near Châteauneuf-Grasse and ends in the Mediterranean Sea near Antibes.
Between Valbonne
...
Carei
Carei (; , ; /, yi, , ) is a city in Satu Mare County, northwestern Romania, near the border with Hungary. The city administers one village, Ianculești ( hu, Szentjánosmajor).
History
The first mention of the city under the name of "Karul ...
* Castérine
*
Chalvagne
The Chalvagne (; oc, Chalvanha) is a mountain river that flows through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department of southeastern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It a ...
*
Cians
The Cians is a mountain river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its drainage basin is .Cianavelle
The Cianavelle is a short mountain river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It flows into the Cians near Rigaud. It is long.
The Cianavelle flows through the communes of Auvare, Puget-Rostang
Puget-Rost ...
Gordolasque
The Gordolasque is a mountain river that flows from the Mercantour National Park in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its source is in the Maritime Alps, near the Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, ...
*
Guercha
The Guercha is a short mountain river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its source is in the Maritime Alps, close to the Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the ...
*
Lévensa
The Lévensa is a mountain river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. It is a left tributary of the Roya, which it joins near Tende
Tende (; Italian, Occitan and Royasc: ''Tenda'') is a co ...
Malvan
Malvan (also written as Malwan) is a town and ''taluka'' in Sindhudurg District, the southernmost district of Maharashtra State, India, well known for the historically important Sindhudurg Fort. Malvan ''taluka'' consists of villages such as ...
*
Mayola
The Mayola (also: ''Mairola'') is a short mountain river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. It passes through Puget-Rostang, and it flows into the Roudoule
The Roudoule (; oc, Rodola) is a lon ...
Paillon
The Paillon ( Nissard Occitan: ''Palhon'') is a coastal river of the Alpes-Maritimes that flows into the Mediterranean Sea in Nice, near the old district. It is long. Its drainage basin is .Raton
*
Réfréi
The Réfréi is a river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. It flows into the Roya in Tende
Tende (; Italian, Occitan and Royasc: ''Tenda'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes departmen ...
Roudoule
The Roudoule (; oc, Rodola) is a long river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of south-eastern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises ...
Siagne
The Siagne (; oc, Sianha) is a river that flows through the Var and Alpes-Maritimes departments of southeast France. It is long. For much of its length, it forms the border between the two departments. Its drainage basin is .< ...
*
Tinée
The Tinée (; oc, Tiniá) is a river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its drainage basin is .
Var
Var or VAR may refer to:
Places
* Var (department), a department of France
* Var (river), France
* Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran
* Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...
*
Vésubie
The Vésubie is a river in the southeast of France. It is a left tributary of the Var in the Maritime Alps. It is long. Its drainage basin is .
*
Vionène
The Vionène is a small river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It flows into the Tinée in Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée
Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée (, literally ''Saint-Sauveur on Tinée''; Vivaro-Alpine: ''S ...
Climate
It is the climate that made the Côte d'Azur famous. The current department of Alpes-Maritimes, however, does not have only one climate, the complex terrain and high mountains divide the department between those who are well exposed (the south-facing side) and those which are less (the north-facing side) and even with the mild Mediterranean climate there can be violent storms and prolonged droughts.
The coastal area has a
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(rainfall in autumn and spring especially, summer drought, mild winter and dry). The interior, especially in the north, has a
mountain climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions of ...
(winter quite bright, summer storms). Around Cannes is a particularly warm micro-climate due to the high hills warming the air which descends on the city.
One of the attractions of the department is its level of sunshine: 300 days per year. Despite this the department is also the most stormy of France with an average of 70 to 110 thunderstorm days per year, arising from the differences in temperature due to a warm sea in autumn.
As soon as one moves away from the coast, towards the west of the department, the interior plains (in particular near Grasse) the climate is a little less temperate but just as sunny. In summer, the temperature very easily exceeds , while the average is only on the Nice coast for July and August. Occasional frost is possible in the interior during winter when, unlike in Nice and rest of the coast, where they are very rare.
In the east of the department, unlike the west, there are no plains. In the
Menton
Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Me ...
region, the altitude increases very rapidly inland, so the sea tempers the atmosphere much more: the maximum in summer is on average and the winters are milder than in the interior Frost is rare.
Snow is rare on the coast, however, it happens that good falls surprise the Côte d'Azur, as was the case in the winter of 2004–2005 when the city of Nice woke up with a few centimetres of snow, creating traffic problems. More recently, in February 2010, more than of snow was measured in Cannes and nearly in the Grasse region.
In the north of the department the climate in the Alps is mountainous, and there is snow from November to May.
Grasse
Grasse (; Provençal oc, Grassa in classical norm or in Mistralian norm ; traditional it, Grassa) is the only subprefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region on the French Riviera. In 2017, the c ...
and
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
communes
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...
Communauté d'agglomération de Sophia Antipolis
The Communauté d'agglomération de Sophia Antipolis (CASA) is the ''communauté d'agglomération'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Antibes. It is located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azu ...
Communauté d'agglomération du Pays de Grasse
Communauté d'agglomération du Pays de Grasse is an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Grasse. It is located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, southeastern France. It was created in Janua ...
**
Communauté d'agglomération de la Riviera Française
Communauté d'agglomération de la Riviera Française is the ''communauté d'agglomération'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Menton. It is located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, ...
* One
metropolis
A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.
A big ci ...
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
. As of 2019, there are 10 communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:
History
The
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
military district of
Alpes Maritimae
The Alpes Maritimae (; English: 'Maritime Alps') were a small province of the Roman Empire founded in 63 AD by Nero. It was one of the three provinces straddling the Alps between modern France and Italy, along with the Alpes Graiae et Poeninae a ...
was created by
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
in 14 BC. It became a full
Roman province
The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...
in the middle of the 1st century AD, with its capital first at
Cemenelum
Cimiez (; Italian: ''Cimella'') is an upper class neighborhood in Nice, Southern France. The area contains the Musée Matisse and the ruins of ''Cemenelum'', capital of the Ancient Roman province Alpes Maritimae on the Ligurian coast. ''Ceme ...
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
) and subsequently at Embrun. At its greatest extent in AD 297, the province reached north to
Digne
Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Cô ...
and
Briançon
Briançon (, ) is the sole subprefecture of the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It is the highest city in France at an altitude of , based on the national definition as a community cont ...
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia ...
, a department of Alpes-Maritimes was first set up in 1793 with different boundaries from those of the modern department. In 1793, Alpes-Maritimes included
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
(
Port Hercules
Port Hercules (french: Port Hercule) is the only deep-water port in Monaco. The port has been in use since ancient times. The modern port was completed in 1926, and underwent substantial improvements in the 1970s. It covers almost , enough to pro ...
), but not
Grasse
Grasse (; Provençal oc, Grassa in classical norm or in Mistralian norm ; traditional it, Grassa) is the only subprefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region on the French Riviera. In 2017, the c ...
, which was then part of the department of
Var
Var or VAR may refer to:
Places
* Var (department), a department of France
* Var (river), France
* Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran
* Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...
as an historical part of France. In 1805, San Remo (San Rème) was included after the disbandment of the
Ligurian Republic
The Ligurian Republic ( it, Repubblica Ligure, lij, Repubbrica Ligure) was a French client republic formed by Napoleon on 14 June 1797. It consisted of the old Republic of Genoa, which covered most of the Ligurian region of Northwest Italy, and ...
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
, cantons:
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
La Brigue
La Brigue (; lij, Briga; oc, La Briga; it, Briga Marittima) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
La Brigue became part of France after World War II, when Italy was forced to hand it over in September 1947 ...
,
Menton
Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Me ...
,
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
,
Roquebillière
Roquebillière (; historical it, Roccabigliera; oc, Ròcabilhiera) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
History
It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1860 as ''Roccabigliere." The town was at o ...
,
Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée
Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée (, literally ''Saint-Sauveur on Tinée''; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Sarvaor''; it, San Salvatore di Tinea) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
...
,
Saorge
Saorge (; Royasc: ''Sauèrge''; Brigasc: ''Savurgë''; it, Saorgio, oc, Saorj, lij, Savurgiu) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Highway E74 which runs north from Menton, passes through Saorge on its way ...
,
L'Escarène
L'Escarène (; oc, L'Escarèa) is an ancient commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1860, named ''Scarena''. It was a main stop along the Route de Sel during the 14th, ...
,
Sospel
Sospel (; Mentonasc: Sospèl, Italian Sospello) is a commune (municipality) and former schismatic episcopal seat (1381-1418) in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France near the Italian border and not far from Monte Carlo.
Hist ...
,
Utelle
Utelle (; oc, Uels) is a commune about northeast of Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
It is perched on a hill along the Vesubie Gorge not far from the Mercantour National Park.
Sights
Formerly an agr ...
and
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer (, ; oc, Vilafranca de Mar ; it, Villafranca Marittima ) is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region on the French Riviera and is l ...
.
*
Sanremo
Sanremo (; lij, Sanrémmo(ro) or , ) or San Remo is a city and comune on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Rivie ...
, cantons:
Sanremo
Sanremo (; lij, Sanrémmo(ro) or , ) or San Remo is a city and comune on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination on the Italian Rivie ...
,
Bordighera
Bordighera (; lij, A Bordighea, locally ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Imperia, Liguria (Italy).
Geography
Bordighera is located from the land border between Italy and France, and it is possible to see the French coast with a nak ...
Triora
Triora ( lij, Triöra) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about northwest of Imperia, on the border with France. As of 31 December 2004, it had a populati ...
and
Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia (; lij, label= Intemelio, Ventemiglia , lij, label= Genoese, Vintimiggia; french: Vintimille ; oc, label= Provençal, Ventemilha ) is a resort town in the province of Imperia, Liguria, northern Italy. It is located southwest of ...
.
*
Puget-Théniers
Puget-Théniers (; oc, Lo Puget Tenier; it, Poggetto Tenieri) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
It is situated on in the valley of the Var.
History
It was part of the historic County of Nice ...
, cantons:
Puget-Théniers
Puget-Théniers (; oc, Lo Puget Tenier; it, Poggetto Tenieri) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
It is situated on in the valley of the Var.
History
It was part of the historic County of Nice ...
,
Beuil
Beuil (; oc, Buelh; it, Boglio) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
Beuil is a village located in the Maritime Alps, away from Nice. It is the gateway to the Mercantour National Park. A stop-of ...
Guillaumes
Guillaumes (; oc, Guilherme; it, Guglielmi) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1860 as ''Guglielmi''.
The Valberg ski resort is, in part, located on thi ...
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée (, literally ''Saint-Étienne of Tinée''; ; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Estève d'en Tiniá'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1860. ...
and
Villars-sur-Var
Villars-sur-Var (, literally ''Villars on Var''; oc, Vilar de Var; it, Villar del Varo) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
History
It was part of the historic Co ...
.
The population of the department in 1812 was 131,266, and its area was , covering both present-day
Arrondissement of Nice
The arrondissement of Nice is an arrondissement of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has 101 communes. Its population is 522,637 (2016), and its area is .
Composition
The communes of the arrond ...
,
Principality of Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Liguria ...
and
Province of Imperia
The Province of Imperia ( it, Provincia di Imperia, french: Province d'Imperia, Ligurian: ''Provinsa d’Imperia'') is a mountainous and hilly province, in the Liguria region of Italy, situated between France to the north and the west, and the L ...
.
In 1814, at the close of the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, the territory was restored to the
Crown of Savoy
The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
by the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
.
In 1860
Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour
Camillo Paolo Filippo Giulio Benso, Count of Cavour, Isolabella and Leri (, 10 August 1810 – 6 June 1861), generally known as Cavour ( , ), was an Italian politician, businessman, economist and noble, and a leading figure in the movement tow ...
, one of the architects of Italian unity with the
Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...
, negotiated support for
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
County of Nice
The County of Nice (french: Comté de Nice / Pays Niçois, it, Contea di Nizza/Paese Nizzardo, Niçard oc, Contèa de Niça/País Niçard) is a historical region of France located around the southeastern city of Nice and roughly equivalent t ...
as set forth in the Treaty of Turin. The annexation was confirmed on 15 and 16 April 1860 by 30,712 male electors enrolled in the 89 communes of the County of Nice who, for the first time, had universal male suffrage by
plebiscite
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of ...
. The "Yes" vote for reunification with France was 83.8% of registered voters and 99.2% of votes.
The new department of Alpes-Maritimes consisted of the former County of Nice, divided into an
Arrondissement of Nice
The arrondissement of Nice is an arrondissement of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has 101 communes. Its population is 522,637 (2016), and its area is .
Composition
The communes of the arrond ...
and an Arrondissement of
Puget-Théniers
Puget-Théniers (; oc, Lo Puget Tenier; it, Poggetto Tenieri) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
It is situated on in the valley of the Var.
History
It was part of the historic County of Nice ...
(both arrondissements existed in the former Department (1793–1814)), and a portion of the Var department, which formed the Arrondissement of Grasse. However, the County of Nice did not include
Tende
Tende (; Italian, Occitan and Royasc: ''Tenda'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
Tende is located within Mercantour National Park in the French Alps. The mountainous commune is bordered b ...
and
La Brigue
La Brigue (; lij, Briga; oc, La Briga; it, Briga Marittima) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
La Brigue became part of France after World War II, when Italy was forced to hand it over in September 1947 ...
, which were still part of Piedmont-Sardinia.
For economic reasons, the Arrondissement of Puget-Théniers was merged into the Arrondissement of Nice in 1926. Since that time, the department has had two arrondissements.
In 1947, in accordance with the
Treaty of Paris Treaty of Paris may refer to one of many treaties signed in Paris, France:
Treaties
1200s and 1300s
* Treaty of Paris (1229), which ended the Albigensian Crusade
* Treaty of Paris (1259), between Henry III of England and Louis IX of France
* Trea ...
and as a referendum result favourable to their attachment to France, the communes of
Tende
Tende (; Italian, Occitan and Royasc: ''Tenda'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
Tende is located within Mercantour National Park in the French Alps. The mountainous commune is bordered b ...
and
La Brigue
La Brigue (; lij, Briga; oc, La Briga; it, Briga Marittima) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
La Brigue became part of France after World War II, when Italy was forced to hand it over in September 1947 ...
(also parts of communes in the high valleys of Vésubie and Tinée: part the commune of Isola) which had not been ceded to France in 1860, were attached to the department.
Heraldry
Administration
Politics
Since the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Alpes-Maritimes has generally voted to the right. It has nine constituencies for the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
. Following the 2017 legislative election, six constituencies are represented by members of The Republicans (LR) right-wing party and three by members of the La République En Marche! (REM) centrist party. Of the five members of the Senate who represent the department in the upper house of Parliament, four are right-wing (LR) and one is left-wing (
Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...
, PS). Of the 54 departmental councillors, 52 are aligned with the right-wing coalition and two are in the left-wing opposition.
In the 2022 French presidential election, Marine Le Pen of the National Rally won a majority in Alpes-Maritimes in the first round; incumbent Emmanuel Macron of La République En Marche! won a majority in the second round.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Alpes-Maritimes experienced corruption problems with its politicians, which led to several criminal convictions, including those of Nice Mayor
Jacques Médecin
Jacques Médecin (5 May 1928 – 17 November 1998) was a French politician. A member of the Gaullist party RPR, he succeeded his father Jean Médecin as mayor of the city of Nice, serving from 1966 to 1990. Under suspicion of corruption, he fled ...
and Cannes Mayor Michel Mouillot, as well as that of Antibes Mayor Pierre Merli, criminally indicted in 1995 for a real estate scam and convicted four years later.
Departmental Council of Alpes-Maritimes
The
President of the Departmental Council
In France, the President of the Departmental Council ( French: ''Président du Conseil départemental'') is the locally elected head of the departmental council, the assembly governing a department in France. The position is elected by the depa ...
has been Charles-Ange Ginésy since 2017, who took office upon succeeding
Éric Ciotti
Éric Ciotti (, ; born 28 September 1965) is a French politician who has represented the 1st constituency of Alpes-Maritimes in the National Assembly since 2007 and is the president of The Republicans since 2022. Ciotti previously briefly serv ...
. Ciotti remained a councillor and became majority leader. Ginésy, who has been a councillor for the canton of Vence since 2015, has held a seat in the council since 2003. He also was Mayor of
Péone
Péone (; oc, Pèunas; it, Peona) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
The Valberg ski resort is, in part, located on this town.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department
The ...
(2001–2017) and the MP for Alpes-Maritimes's 2nd constituency (2005–2007; 2007–2008; 2009–2010; 2012–2017). Both are members of The Republicans (LR).
The coalition majority in the departmental council is one of the largest majorities in any such institution in France. Out of the 54 seats, only two are held by left-wing councillors, both elected in the canton of Grasse-2. In neighbouring
Var
Var or VAR may refer to:
Places
* Var (department), a department of France
* Var (river), France
* Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran
* Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...
, the right-wing coalition also holds all but two seats in the departmental council, although it is made up of less many seats and the two councillors in opposition are members of the far-right National Rally (RN). Following the 2021 departmental election, the seats were allocated as follows in Alpes-Maritimes:
Representation in Parliament
= Members of the National Assembly
=
Alpes-Maritimes elected the following MPs to the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
Dominique Estrosi Sassone
Dominique Estrosi Sassone (born 14 November 1958) is a French politician of the Republicans (LR) who has been serving as a member of the French Senate since 2014, representing the department of Alpes-Maritimes.
Early life and education
Estr ...
(LR, since 2014) and
Henri Leroy
Henri Leroy (12 December 1887 – 17 July 1960) was a Belgian footballer. He played in 18 matches for the Belgium national football team
The Belgium national football teamfrench: Équipe nationale belge de footballgerman: Belgische Fu ...
(LR, since 2017).
Budget
In 2011, the draft departmental budget amounted to €1.3 billion of which 498 million (38.3%) was devoted to social action and 346 million to operations (26.6%).Budget 2011 Official site of the General Council of Alpes-Maritimes. Consulted on 1 July 2011. Capital expenditures was just over 250 million euros (19.2%).
In 2010, the department was the third most indebted in France with €942 million of debt or 68.4% of the annual budget.Alpes-Maritimes Le Journal du Net. Consulted on 1 July 2011. This debt amounted to 2,460 euros per fiscal tax unit (household) and 859 euros per person. The trend of change in debt over the last decade has been a sharp increase: + 440% between 2001 and 2009 and 26% between 2009 and 2010. There was only €43 million in debt in 2003.
Projects
The Departmental Council of Alpes-Maritimes is currently sponsoring several large projects:
* construction of 10 residential facilities for the elderly
* building dikes in the
Var
Var or VAR may refer to:
Places
* Var (department), a department of France
* Var (river), France
* Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran
* Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...
plain
* creation of a STIC (science and information technology and communication) campus at
Sophia Antipolis
(wisdom), gr, (Ἀντίπολις, antipolis) ("opposite city" from its position on the opposite side of the Var estuary from Nice, also former name of Antibes, part of the technology park)
, postal_code = 06220 (Vallauris), 06250 (Mo ...
* construction of 337 units of social housing
* establishment of facilities for the disabled
* road construction
* construction of schools and gyms (10)
* construction of a centre of sustainable development
* construction of the
LGV Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
The LGV Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, also referred to as the LGV PACA and LGV Côte d'Azur, is a French high-speed rail project intended to extend the LGV Méditerranée which ends in Marseille toward the French Riviera. It would offer faster jou ...
* creation of the ''Eco Valley'' in the Plaine of the Var which will run from the Arena Quarter (which will be converted) to the village of Baus-Roux
The Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council has charged 1 euro per vehicle journey in the department, regardless of distance, since 1 January 2008.
Demographics
When
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
became part of France in 1860, it was still a small town; the department had fewer than 200,000 inhabitants. However, the population grew quickly from 300,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to over a million. The population is aging because of the number of retirees who move to the coast.
The population is now concentrated in the urban region that includes Antibes,
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
,
Grasse
Grasse (; Provençal oc, Grassa in classical norm or in Mistralian norm ; traditional it, Grassa) is the only subprefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region on the French Riviera. In 2017, the c ...
, Nice, and
Menton
Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Me ...
, and which constitutes 90% of the total population.
The department had 1,083,310 inhabitants in 2017, making it the 20th most populated department in France.Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2017 INSEE There are 163 communes including 107 under 2000 inhabitants (representing a total of 60,065 inhabitants), 38 from 2000 to 9999 inhabitants (total 171,935 inhabitants), 13 between 10,000 and 49,999 inhabitants (total 263,102 inhabitants), 4 between 50,000 and 199,999 inhabitants (Antibes, Cannes, Cagnes-sur-Mer and Grasse, total 248,191 inhabitants), and one with over 200,000 inhabitants (Nice, with 340,017 inhabitants). The population density was 252 inhabitants per square kilometre in 2017.
According to INSEE 39.5% of children born in 2011 in the department of Alpes-Maritimes have at least one parent born abroad (regardless of nationality), 15.4% have a father born in
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
.
The area is also known for its extremely large population of people of Italian descent. About 40% of the population of the Alpes-Maritimes claim their ancestry as being solely Italian, and as many as 80% of the population can trace some degree of ancestry back to Italy before it was annexed by France in the 1860s.
Economy
The economy of the Alpes-Maritimes is characterized by the importance of the
tertiary sector
The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
. The department has, in addition to tourism and traditional services, a relatively high level of corporate research and higher level of services.
Agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
is of little importance and
industry
Industry may refer to:
Economics
* Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity
* Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery
* The wider industrial sector ...
plays a relatively small role although it has diversified into activities with high technological value. The construction and public works sector is quite important. The economy is very sensitive to changes in the national and international situation. The rate of unemployment is 9.1%.
According to the INSEE, in 2005 the GDP per capita of the Alpes-Maritimes was 27,723 euros which ranked it as the thirteenth highest department in France.Raw GDP data by department (PIB) at current prices National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies ( Insee) GDP was 29.6 billion euros. According to Eurostat, ''GDP per capita at market prices in 2008'', the department had a GDP per capita of 30,700 euros, which is also ranked it thirteenth in France.
Distribution of employment
Tourism is an essential industry for the entire coastal region ( Côte d'Azur) and is highly developed. On the coast, thanks to the mild climate, towns are resort destinations all year round. In the mountains, there are winter sports stations that have received abundant snow in recent years, particularly
Isola 2000
Isola 2000 is a ski resort in the southern French Alps. It is located on the territory of the commune of Isola, Alpes-Maritimes. It is one of the ''Stations du Mercantour'', along with Auron and St. Dalmas, and is operated by the council of the ...
.
There are also well-developed industries such as the
perfume
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...
industry in
Grasse
Grasse (; Provençal oc, Grassa in classical norm or in Mistralian norm ; traditional it, Grassa) is the only subprefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region on the French Riviera. In 2017, the c ...
, new technologies from
Sophia-Antipolis
(wisdom), gr, (Ἀντίπολις, antipolis) ("opposite city" from its position on the opposite side of the Var estuary from Nice, also former name of Antibes, part of the technology park)
, postal_code = 06220 (Vallauris), 06250 (Mo ...
, and the aerospace industry in Cannes-Mandelieu, where there is the first European satellite builders and the first
industrial plant
Physical plant, mechanical plant or industrial plant (and where context is given, often just plant) refers to the necessary infrastructure used in operation and maintenance of a given facility. The operation of these facilities, or the department ...
dedicated to spacecraft manufacturing.Christian Apothéloz, ''Alcatel space at Cannes, More than an entreprise, a legend'' in The New Economist, March 2002
Tourism
Seaside
The presence of the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
and the
French Alps
The French Alps are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as ...
under a mild sky has favoured one dominant activity: tourism, which accounts for 64,000 jobs directly in the Alpes-Maritimes. For only the city of Nice the tourism turnover represents a 12 to 13% share of the whole tourism market in France. The capital of the Côte d'Azur is the fifth most populous city in France. The city of Nice also has the second largest airport in France (
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport Nice Côte d'Azur) is an international airport located southwest of Nice, in the Alpes-Maritimes ''départment'' of France. It is the third busiest airport in France and serves as a foc ...
Orly
Orly () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. It is located from the center of Paris.
The name of Orly came from Latin ''Aureliacum'', "the villa of Aurelius".
Orly Airport partially lies on the territory of the co ...
and
Le Bourget
Le Bourget () is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
The commune features Le Bourget Airport, which in turn hosts the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (Air and Space Museum). A very ...
. There are nearly 13.5 million passengers per year passing through Nice Airport.
The seaside where the majority of the population resides is one of the most popular parts of the world with many attractions:
*
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...
s (
Théoule-sur-Mer
Théoule-sur-Mer (; Occitan: ''Teula de Mar'' or simply ''Teula''), popularly known as Théoule, is a resort village in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It lies to the east of th ...
,
Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Mandelieu-la-Napoule (; oc, Mandaluec la Napola; locally spelled Mandelieu-La Napoule) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera, just to the ...
,
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
,
Golfe-Juan
Golfe-Juan (; oc, Lo Gorg Joan, Lo Golfe Joan) is a seaside resort on France's Côte d'Azur. The distinct local character of Golfe-Juan is indicated by the existence of a demonym, "Golfe-Juanais", which is applied to its inhabitants.
Overview
...
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
,
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer (, ; oc, Vilafranca de Mar ; it, Villafranca Marittima ) is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region on the French Riviera and is l ...
Cap d'Ail
Cap-d'Ail (; oc, Caup d'Alh; it, Capodaglio or ''Capo d'Aglio'') is a seaside commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 4,523.
Geography
Cap-d ...
Menton
Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Me ...
)
* Convention cities that spread their business throughout the year are Cannes, with its Palais des Festivals, and Nice, with its Acropolis.
The area inland from the busy French Riviera is an excellent base for many outdoor sports:
cycling
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...
canyoning
Canyoning (canyoneering in the United States, kloofing in South Africa) is a type of mountaineering that involves travelling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include other outdoor activities such as walking, scrambling, climbin ...
rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
,
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
,
horse riding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
,
Adventure park
An adventure park is a place which can contain a wide variety of elements, including but not limited to, rope climbing exercises, obstacle courses, bouldering, rock climbing, target oriented activities, and zip-lines. They are usually intended ...
s,
caving
Caving – also known as spelunking in the United States and Canada and potholing in the United Kingdom and Ireland – is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems (as distinguished from show caves). In contrast, speleology i ...
and the area has the first ever underground ''
via ferrata
A via ferrata ( Italian for "iron path", plural ''vie ferrate'' or in English ''via ferratas'') is a protected climbing route found in the Alps and certain other locations. The term "via ferrata" is used in most countries and languages except ...
''. The area has internationally renowned
paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'p ...
and
hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...
skiing
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...
and
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
bring life to
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée (, literally ''Saint-Étienne of Tinée''; ; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Estève d'en Tiniá'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1860. ...
(
Auron Auron may refer to:
* Auron (comics), two fictional DC Comics superheroes
* Auron (ski resort)
* Auron (river) in central France, a tributary of the Yèvre
* Auron, a playable character in the Square role-playing game ''Final Fantasy X''
* One o ...
),
Beuil
Beuil (; oc, Buelh; it, Boglio) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
Beuil is a village located in the Maritime Alps, away from Nice. It is the gateway to the Mercantour National Park. A stop-of ...
,
Péone
Péone (; oc, Pèunas; it, Peona) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
The Valberg ski resort is, in part, located on this town.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department
The ...
Saint-Martin-Vésubie
Saint-Martin-Vésubie (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Martin de Lantosca'') is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Established on the edge of a glacial plate, it had a population of 1 ...
As of 2019, 25.2% of available housing in the department were second homes.
Culture
Cultural life is rich and fully described in the daily regional ''
Nice-Matin
''Nice-Matin'' (French for "Nice-Morning") is a regional daily French newspaper. The paper covers Nice and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in south-eastern France.
History and profile
''Nice-Matin'' was created in 1944. The paper was join ...
'' newspaper and announced in the weekly supplement ''JV Wednesday''.
Events
*
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
, an annual film festival held in Cannes
*
Marché du Film
The ''Marché du Film'' (french for "Film Market") is one of the largest film markets in the world.Marc ...
, held annually in conjunction with the Cannes Film Festival
*
Midem
Midem is the acronym for Marché International du Disque et de l'Édition Musicale, which is organised annually in and around the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France. The trade show, organized by Reed MIDEM, a subsidiary of Re ...
, an annual trade fair for the music industry held in Cannes
*
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival) is a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered the largest gathering of the ...
, an event of the advertising and creative communications industry
* Pantiero Festival,
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
(electronic and independent music) in August
* International Dance Festival, Cannes, a dance festival held in late November and early December every second year
* International Festival of Games, Cannes, in February
* Festival of Night music at Le Suquet, Cannes, classical music in July
* Fireworks Festival, Cannes, fireworks in July and August
* Festival of Performances of actors, Cannes, June
* Festival of dances "Break the Floor", Cannes, January
* International Dance Festival, Cannes, November
* Festival of Russian Art and Dance, Cannes, August
* International Youth Ballets, organized by the Senior Dance School of École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, Cannes, March
* La Fête du Mimosa,
Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Mandelieu-la-Napoule (; oc, Mandaluec la Napola; locally spelled Mandelieu-La Napoule) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera, just to the ...
, February
* Italian Market,
Mougins
Mougins (; oc, Mogins ; la, Muginum ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 19,982.
It is located on the heights of Cannes, in the a ...
, (formerly the Piedmontese Market before 2011)
* International Gastronomic festival, Mougins
*
Jazz à Juan
Jazz à Juan is an annual jazz festival in Juan-les-Pins, Antibes, France. New Orleans, Louisiana, widely recognized as the "Birthplace of Jazz," is a sister city, and as a result, carnival festivities in Juan-les-Pins, including both local and N ...
Nice Jazz Festival
The Nice Jazz Festival (, ), held annually since 1948 in Nice, on the French Riviera, is "the first jazz festival of international significance." At the inaugural festival, Louis Armstrong and his All Stars were the headliners. Frommer's calls i ...
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer (, ; oc, Vilafranca de Mar ; it, Villafranca Marittima ) is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region on the French Riviera and is l ...
* Lemon Festival,
Menton
Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Me ...
* Southern Nights in
Vence
Vence (; oc, Vença) is a commune set in the hills of the Alpes Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France, north of Nice and Antibes.
Ecclesiastical history
The first known Bishop of Vence is Sever ...
, world music
* Festival Tomawok,
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
(rock, metal music), June
* Book Festival of
Mouans-Sartoux
Mouans-Sartoux (; known in Occitan as ''Moans e Sartòu'' or ''Moans e Sartol'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. The inhabitants are called Mouansois.
The commune of Sartoux was combined with the commune ...
, three days in early October (21st Festival in 2008)
* This Is Not Classic, an annual event for classical music, created by the General Council of the Alpes-Maritimes in 2005. It takes place at the Acropolis convention centre in Nice and occupies all available rooms beginning with the large auditorium seating 2,400 people.
* Chestnut Festival
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Saint-Paul-de-Vence (, literally ''Saint-Paul of Vence''; oc, Sant Pau de Vença; it, San Paolo di Venza) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. One of the oldest medie ...
Concrete art Concrete art was an art movement with a strong emphasis on geometrical abstraction. The term was first formulated by Theo van Doesburg and was then used by him in 1930 to define the difference between his vision of art and that of other abstract art ...
in
Mouans-Sartoux
Mouans-Sartoux (; known in Occitan as ''Moans e Sartòu'' or ''Moans e Sartol'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. The inhabitants are called Mouansois.
The commune of Sartoux was combined with the commune ...
Chagall
Marc Chagall; russian: link=no, Марк Заха́рович Шага́л ; be, Марк Захаравіч Шагал . (born Moishe Shagal; 28 March 1985) was a Russian-French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with se ...
and
Matisse
Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, and sculptur ...
The department has 222 nursery schools, 357 primary schools and one special school. It also hosts 72 colleges, 14 vocational schools and 22 high schools, to which must be added 65 private schools.
Higher education
The
University of Nice Sophia Antipolis
The University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (french: Université Nice Sophia Antipolis) was a university located in Nice, France and neighboring areas. It was founded in 1965 and was organized in eight faculties, two autonomous institutes and an eng ...
, in Nice and neighboring areas, was founded in 1965.
Higher education is relatively underdeveloped in the department. The urban area of Nice has 35,000 students,Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur – A territory of international excellence , Official site of the Urban Community of Nice-Côte d'Azur. Consulted on 26 September 2008. while Rennes and
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
each have 60,000.
A campus of the
Paris Institute of Political Studies
, motto_lang = fr
, mottoeng = Roots of the Future
, type = Public research university''Grande école''
, established =
, founder = Émile Boutmy
, accreditation ...
(Sciences Po) was established in
Menton
Menton (; , written ''Menton'' in classical norm or ''Mentan'' in Mistralian norm; it, Mentone ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera, close to the Italian border.
Me ...
in October 2005. The Menton campus is dedicated to the relationship between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean and the relationship of Europe with the Middle East.
Several engineering schools are also located in
Sophia Antipolis
(wisdom), gr, (Ἀντίπολις, antipolis) ("opposite city" from its position on the opposite side of the Var estuary from Nice, also former name of Antibes, part of the technology park)
, postal_code = 06220 (Vallauris), 06250 (Mo ...
:
*
Eurecom
EURECOM is a French Graduate school (''Grande École)'' and a research center in digital sciences. It is part of the Institut Mines-Télécom and it is a founding member of the SophiaTech Campus in Sophia Antipolis, the largest Science and Technol ...
(School of Engineering and Research Center in communication systems)
*
Mines ParisTech
Mines Paris - PSL, officially École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris (until May 2022 Mines ParisTech, also known as École des mines de Paris, ENSMP, Mines de Paris, les Mines, or Paris School of Mines), is a French grande école and a ...
*
Polytech Nice Sophia
Polytech Nice Sophia is a French engineering university based in the middle of the Sophia Antipolis
(wisdom), gr, (Ἀντίπολις, antipolis) ("opposite city" from its position on the opposite side of the Var estuary from Nice, also forme ...
In addition, two major business schools are located in the region:
*
EDHEC
EDHEC Business School (french: Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord) is a French grandes écoles business school with campus locations in: Lille, France; Nice, France; Paris, France; London, UK; and Singapore. EDHEC offers its flagship Mas ...
in Nice
*
Skema Business School
SKEMA Business School (School of Knowledge Economy and Management) is a French business school, devoted to higher education and research. It has the legal status of a non-profit association under the French "1901 law". It was founded in 2009 as a ...
in Sophia Antipolis
There are is the
French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation
The National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria) () is a French national research institution focusing on computer science and applied mathematics.
It was created under the name ''Institut de recherche en informatiq ...
(INRIA) and the
French National Centre for Scientific Research
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe.
In 2016, it employed 31,63 ...
Arrondissements of the Alpes-Maritimes department
The two arrondissements of the Alpes-Maritimes department are:
# Arrondissement of Grasse, (subprefecture: Grasse) with 62 communes. The population of the arrondissement was 561,067 in 2016.
# Arrondissement of Nice, (prefecture of the Alpes-Mar ...
*
Cantons of the Alpes-Maritimes department This is a list of the 27 cantons of the Alpes-Maritimes department, in France, following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:
* Antibes-1
* Antibes-2
* Antibes-3
* Beausoleil
* Cagnes-sur-Mer-1
* Cagnes-sur- ...