Editing Gard

{{short description|Department in Occitanie, France}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Gard
| native_name             = 
| native_name_lang        = fr<!-- ISO 639-2 code e.g. "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} instead -->
| type                    = [[Departments of France|Department of France]]
| image_skyline           = {{Photomontage|position=center
   | photo2a = Nîmes-Hôtel de la Préfecture-20150822.jpg
   | photo3a = Old Roman Amfitheater of Nimes from the Southside - panoramio.jpg
   | photo1a = Pont du Gard 2013 11.jpg
   | photo2b = Cevennes 20110917 05.jpg
   | size = 270
   | spacing = 2
   | color = #FFFFFF
   | border = 0
   | foot_montage = }}
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = From top down, left to right: [[Pont du Gard]], [[Prefectures in France|prefecture]] building in [[Nîmes]], [[Cévennes]] and [[Arena of Nîmes]]
| image_flag              = Drapeau non-officiel fr département Gard.svg
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Blason département fr Gard.svg
| shield_alt              = 
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| image_map               = Gard-Position.svg
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location of Gard in France
| pushpin_map             = 
| pushpin_label_position  = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|44|7|41|N|4|4|54|E|region:FR_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint           = 
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = France
| subdivision_type1       = [[Regions of France|Region]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]]
| established_title       = 
| established_date        = 
| founder                 = 
| seat_type               = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]]
| seat                    = [[Nîmes]]
| parts_type              = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefectures]]
| parts_style             = para
| p1                      = [[Alès]]<br />[[Le Vigan, Gard|Le Vigan]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| leader_party            = [[Socialist Party (France)|PS]]
| leader_title            = [[List of presidents of departmental councils (France)|President of the Departmental Council]]
| leader_name             = Françoise Laurent-Perrigot<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/601ef073-d986-4582-8e1a-ed14dc857fba|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=4 May 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
| unit_pref               = Metric<!-- or US or UK -->
| area_magnitude          = 
| area_footnotes          = {{ref|area|1}}
| area_total_km2          = 5853
| area_note               = 
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 
| elevation_min_m         = 
| elevation_max_m         = 
| population_total        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
| population_as_of        = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
| population_footnotes    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes2}}
| population_rank         = [[List of French departments by population|32nd]]
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = 
| population_note         = 
| blank_name_sec1         = [[Departments of France|Department number]]
| blank_info_sec1         = 30
| blank_name_sec2         = [[Arrondissements of France|Arrondissements]]
| blank_info_sec2         = [[arrondissements of the Gard department|3]]
| blank1_name_sec2        = [[Cantons in France|Cantons]]
| blank1_info_sec2        = [[cantons of the Gard department|23]]
| blank2_name_sec2        = [[Communes in France|Communes]]
| blank2_info_sec2        = [[communes of the Gard department|351]]
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
| postal_code_type        = 
| postal_code             = 
| area_code_type          = 
| area_code               = 
| iso_code                = 
| website                 = 
| footnotes               = {{note|area|1}} French Land Register data, which exclude [[estuary|estuaries]], and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km<sup>2</sup>
}}
'''Gard''' ({{IPA|fr|ɡaʁ|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-WikiLucas00-Gard.wav}}) is a [[Departments of France|department]] in [[Southern France]], located in the [[Regions of France|region]] of [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]]. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;<ref name=pop2019>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep30.pdf Populations légales 2019: 30 Gard], INSEE</ref> its [[Prefectures in France|prefecture]] is [[Nîmes]]. 

The department is named after the river [[Gardon]]. In recent decades of the 21st century, local administration and French speakers have returned to the original [[Occitan language|Occitan]] name of the river, Gard ({{IPA|oc|gaɾ}}). It is part of a revival of Occitan culture.

== History ==
{{Unsourced|section|date=September 2022}}
In classical times the Gard area was settled by [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] and their allies. They built the [[Via Domitia]] across the region in 118 BC. Centuries later, on 4 March 1790, Gard was one of the original 83 departments created during the [[French Revolution]]. It comprised the [[Provinces of France|ancient province]] of [[Languedoc]].

Originally this department was to include the canton of [[Ganges, Hérault|Ganges]], but Ganges was transferred to the neighbouring department of [[Hérault]]. In return, Gard was assigned the fishing port of [[Aigues Mortes]], which gave the department its own outlet to the [[Gulf of Lion]] on the Mediterranean Sea.

During the middle of the nineteenth century [[Nîmes|the prefecture]], traditionally a centre of commerce with a manufacturing sector focused on textiles, was an early beneficiary of railway development, becoming an important railway junction.  Several luxurious hotels were built, and the improved market access provided by the railways also encouraged, initially, a rapid growth in wine growing. But many winegrowers were ruined when the vineyards were infected with [[phylloxera]] in 1872.

== Geography ==

Gard is part of the [[Regions of France|region]] of [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]] and is surrounded by the departments of [[Hérault]], [[Lozère]], [[Aveyron]], [[Bouches-du-Rhône]], [[Vaucluse]] and [[Ardèche]]. It has a short coastline to the south on the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. The highest point in the department is [[Mont Aigoual]]. 

In the first quarter of the 21st century, the department has suffered serious [[flood]]ing. The region has also been subject to some of the highest recorded temperatures in France's history as climate change alters summer heat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/28/europe/france-record-temperature-heatwave-intl/index.html|title=France endures its hottest day ever as Europe swelters in heat wave|website=[[CNN]]|date=28 June 2019}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
Population development since 1791:{{historical populations|cols=2|align=none|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://splaf.free.fr/30his.html|title=Historique du Gard|website=Le SPLAF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4176909?geo=DEP-30|title=Évolution et structure de la population en 2016|publisher=INSEE}}</ref>|graph-pos=bottom
|11=1791|12=313,464|13=1801|14=300,144|15=1806|16=322,144|17=1821|18=334,164|19=1831|20=357,283|21=1841|22=376,062|23=1851|24=408,163|25=1861|26=422,107|27=1872|28=420,131|29=1881|30=415,629|31=1891|32=419,388|33=1901|34=420,836|35=1911|36=413,458|37=1921|38=396,169|39=1931|40=406,815|41=1936|42=395,299|43=1946|44=380,837|45=1954|46=396,742|47=1962|48=435,107|49=1968|50=478,544|51=1975|52=494,575|53=1982|54=530,478|55=1990|56=585,049|57=1999|58=623,125|59=2006|60=684,306|61=2011|62=718,357|63=2016|64=742,006}}

The inhabitants of Gard are called ''"Gardois"''. The most populous commune is [[Nîmes]], the prefecture. As of 2019, there are eight communes that have more than 10,000 inhabitants each:<ref name=pop2019/>

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2019)
|-
|[[Nîmes]]
|style="text-align: center;" | 148,561
|-
|[[Alès]]
|style="text-align: center;" | 41,837
|-
|[[Bagnols-sur-Cèze]]
|style="text-align: center;" | 18,091
|-
|[[Beaucaire, Gard|Beaucaire]]
|style="text-align: center;" | 15,906
|-
|[[Saint-Gilles, Gard|Saint-Gilles]]
|style="text-align: center;" | 13,931
|-
|[[Villeneuve-lès-Avignon]]
|style="text-align: center;" | 12,216
|-
|[[Vauvert]]
|style="text-align: center;" | 11,492
|-
|[[Pont-Saint-Esprit]]
|style="text-align: center;" | 10,369
|-
|}

==Politics==
In the closely contested first round of the [[2012 French presidential election|2012 presidential election]], Gard was the only department to vote for the [[National Rally (France)|National Front]] candidate [[Marine Le Pen]] by a slim plurality, with 25.51% of the vote. The incumbent President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] of the [[Union for a Popular Movement]] party received 24.86% of the vote, while [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist]] candidate [[François Hollande]] received 24.11% of the vote share.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/resultats-elections/occitanie/gard/|title=Résultats Gard - Présidentielle 2012 - 1er et 2nd tour|website=Le Monde.fr|access-date=11 April 2022}}</ref>

===Departmental Council===

The President of the Departmental Council has been Françoise Laurent-Perrigot of the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] (PS) since 2021.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
!colspan=2| Party || Seats
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
|[[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]] (LR) ||align="right"| 12
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] (PS) ||align="right"| 10
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Union of Democrats and Independents}}" |
|[[Union of Democrats and Independents]] (UDI) ||align="right"| 7
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|French Communist Party}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[French Communist Party]] (PCF) ||align="right"| 6
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Miscellaneous left}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Miscellaneous left]] (DVG) ||align="right"| 4
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|National Front (France)}}" |
|[[National Rally (France)|National Rally]] (FN) ||align="right"| 4
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Europe Ecology – The Greens}}" |<span style="color:white; font-size:190%;">•</span>
|[[Europe Ecology – The Greens]] (EELV) ||align="right"| 2
|-
! style="background-color: {{party color|Miscellaneous right}}" |
|[[Miscellaneous right]] (DVD) ||align="right"| 1
|}

===Members of the National Assembly===
In the [[2022 French legislative election|2022 legislative election]], Gard elected the following representatives to the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Constituency!!Member!!Party
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally (France)}}" |
| [[Gard's 1st constituency]]
| [[Yoann Gillet]]
| [[National Rally (France)|National Rally]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally (France)}}" |
| [[Gard's 2nd constituency]]
| [[Nicolas Meizonnet]]
| [[National Rally (France)|National Rally]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally (France)}}" |
| [[Gard's 3rd constituency]]
| [[Pascale Bordes]]
| [[National Rally (France)|National Rally]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally (France)}}" |
| [[Gard's 4th constituency]]
| [[Pierre Meurin]]
| [[National Rally (France)|National Rally]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|La France Insoumise}}" |
| [[Gard's 5th constituency]]
| [[Michel Sala]]
| [[La France Insoumise]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Democratic Movement (France)}}" |
| [[Gard's 6th constituency]]
| [[Philippe Berta]]
| [[Democratic Movement (France)|MoDem]]
|}

== Tourism ==
Gard contains a part of the [[Cévennes National Park]]. There are important [[Roman architecture|Roman architectural]] remains in [[Nîmes]], as well as the famous [[Roman aqueduct]], the [[Pont du Gard]].

Gard is also home to the source of [[Perrier]], a carbonated mineral water sold both in France and internationally on a large scale. The spring and facility are located just south-east of the commune of [[Vergèze]].

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Aiguèze.jpg|[[Aiguèze]]
File:Chateau d'Uzès 12.JPG|[[Uzès]]
File:Cascades Sautadet.jpg|[[Cèze]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Arrondissements of the Gard department]]
* [[Cantons of the Gard department]]
* [[Communes of the Gard department]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Gard}}
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Gard |volume=11 |short=x}}
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://www.gard.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website]
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://www.gard.fr/ Departmental Council website]
* {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.gard-tourisme.com/ Welcome to the Gard]
* {{in lang|en}} [http://www.gard-tourisme.com/uk/ Welcome to the Gard]
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20090508124738/http://www.portail-du-gard.com/ Guide Gard]

{{Departments of France}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gard| ]]
[[Category:1790 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Departments of Occitania (administrative region)]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1790]]
[[Category:Massif Central]]