Lot (department)
Template:Short description Template:Other uses Template:Infobox settlement
Lot (Template:IPA;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Langx [ɔl]) is a department in the Occitanie region of France. Named after the Lot River, it lies in the southwestern part of the country and had a population of 174,094 in 2019.<ref name=pop2019>Populations légales 2019: 46 Lot, INSEE</ref> Its prefecture is Cahors; its subprefectures are Figeac and Gourdon.
History
[edit]Lot is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the province of Quercy. In 1808 some of the original southeastern cantons were separated from it to form the department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It originally extended much farther to the south and included the city of Montauban.
Geography
[edit]
Lot is part of the region of Occitanie and is surrounded by the departments of Corrèze, Cantal, Aveyron, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne and Dordogne. It is named after the river Lot, which in its Occitan name is Olt.
Cahors is the prefecture of the department, lying in its southwestern part: a medieval cathedral town known internationally for its production of Cahors wine, it lies in a wide loop of the Lot River and is famous for its 14th-century bridge, the Pont Valentré. Figeac is a medieval town where Jean-François Champollion, the first translator of Egyptian hieroglyphics, was born, situated in the eastern part of Lot. Gourdon, a medieval hilltop town located in Lot's northwestern part, with a well preserved centre, comprises many prehistoric painted caves nearby, notably the Grottes de Cougnac.
Principal towns
[edit]The most populous commune is Cahors, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are seven communes with more than 3,000 inhabitants:<ref name=pop2019/>
| Commune | Population (2019) |
|---|---|
| Cahors | 19,937 |
| Figeac | 9,802 |
| Gourdon | 3,981 |
| Pradines | 3,562 |
| Gramat | 3,469 |
| Saint-Céré | 3,414 |
| Souillac | 3,201 |
Demographics
[edit]The inhabitants of Lot are called Template:Lang and Template:Lang in French. Population development since 1801:Template:Historical populations
Politics
[edit]Departmental Council of Lot
[edit]The Departmental Council of Lot has 34 seats. Since the 2015 departmental elections, 30 are controlled by the Socialist Party (PS) and its allies; four are controlled by the miscellaneous right. Since 2014, the President of the Departmental Council has been Serge Rigal, currently a member of La République En Marche! (REM).
Members of the National Assembly
[edit]Lot elected the following members of the National Assembly during the 2024 legislative election:
| Constituency | Member<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Lot's 1st constituency | Aurélien Pradié | The Republicans |
| style="background-color: Template:Party color" | | Lot's 2nd constituency | Christophe Proenca | PS |
Senators
[edit]Lot is represented in the Senate by Angèle Préville (since 2017) and Jean-Claude Requier (since 2011).
Tourism
[edit]-
Fossil pterosaur footprints, Pterosaur Beach.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Template:In lang Prefecture website
- Template:In lang Departmental Council website
- Template:In lang hiking the Tour du Lot
- Template:In lang CazalRando groupe de randonnée pédestre website