|
Auvergne is an administrative région of central France, consisting of the
départements of Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Haute-Loire and Allier.
History
Auvergne was also historically a province of France,
deriving its name from Averni, a Gallic tribe who
once occupied the area. In 1790, the historical province was divided into the modern-day
départements, although Haute-Loire and Allier also include some land from the historical provinces of Bourbonnais, Lyonnais and Languedoc.
See also Rulers of Auvergne
Geography
The principal town of Auvergne is Clermont-Ferrand. A large part
of the Auvergne region is covered by the volcanic Massif Central mountain range, which stretches over nearly one-sixth of France's total area.
Economy
The region is famed for its cheeses, exports of mineral waters, and tires. It is also the site of a number of major
hydroelectric projects, mainly located on the Tarn, Dordogne, Cère, Lot, and Truyère rivers.
Culture
The Auvergnat language was historically spoken in Auvergne.
The composer Joseph
Canteloube based his well known piece Songs of the Auvergne (1930; for voice and orchestra) on folk music and songs from Auvergne.
The writer Clark
Ashton Smith wrote a series of short stories based in the mythical
region of Averoigne, a fictional counterpart to this region.
|
