(Redirected from Jura (departement))
'Jura' is a
department in the east of
France named after the
Jura mountains (not to be confused with the
Swiss canton of
Jura).
History
Historically, Jura belonged to the
Free County of Burgundy, known in French as the
Franche-Comté.
Dole was the capital until the region was conquered by
Louis XIV and it was moved to
Besançon. It is now a ''sous-préfecture'' of Jura.
As early as the
13th century, inhabitants of the southern 2/3 of Jura spoke a dialect of the
Franco-Provençal language. It continued to be spoken in rural areas into the
20th century.
Jura is one of the original 83 departments created during the
French Revolution on
March 4,
1790. It was created from part of the
former province of
Franche-Comté. The departments of Jura,
Doubs, and
Haute-Saône form the modern
Franche-Comté region of
France. The
prefecture (capital) is
Lons-le-Saunier.
Geography
Jura is one of four departments of the
Franche-Comté region and is surrounded by the French departments of
Doubs,
Haute-Saône,
Côte-d'Or,
Saône-et-Loire, and
Ain, as well as the Swiss canton of
Vaud on the east.
The Jura mountains are wooded and rolling, not craggy and rocky like the
Alps.
Many lakes can be found throughout the Jura - the largest natural lake being
Lac De Chalain, measuring 3km long and 1km wide.
Lac de Vouglans was formed after the building of a hydro-electric dam. It is one of the largest man-made lakes in France.
Climate
The climate of the Jura varies greatly by elevation. The lower
valleys are temperate and pleasant, but the high mountain valleys have bitterly cold winters.
Economy
Jura is a
wine-growing region. The
Jura wines are very distinctive and unusual wines, such as
vin jaune, which is made by a similar process to
sherry, developing under a
flor of
yeast. This is made from the local
Savagnin grape variety. Other grape varieties include
Poulsard,
Trousseau, and
Chardonnay.
Tourism
The Jura mountains provide ample opportunities for hiking, skiing, and other winter sports.
See also
★
Cantons of the Jura department
★
Communes of the Jura department
★
Arrondissements of the Jura department
★
French language
★
Franco-Provençal language
External links
★
Prefecture website
★
General council website
★
Tourism website
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