Editing Lot (department)

{{short description|Department of France in Occitanie}}
{{other uses|Lot (disambiguation){{!}}Lot}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Lot
| native_name             = {{native name|oc|Òlt}}
| 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
   | photo1a = Figeac - Panorama - 001.jpg
   | photo4a = Cahors - Préfecture du Lot -417.jpg
   | photo3a = Marcilhac-sur-Célé - Le Célé - 001.jpg
   | photo4b = Luzech Vue générale4.JPG
   | photo2b = Valley of Lot River from Faycelles.jpg
   | photo2a = Rocamadour 73.jpg
   | size = 270
   | spacing = 2
   | color = #FFFFFF
   | border = 0
   | foot_montage = }}
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = From top down, left to right: [[Figeac]], [[Rocamadour]], [[Faycelles]], [[Lot (river)|Lot River]], [[Prefectures in France|prefecture]] building in [[Cahors]] and [[Luzech]]
| image_flag              = Cultural flag of Lot.svg
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Blason département fr Lot.svg
| shield_alt              = 
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| image_map               = Lot-Position.svg
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location of Lot in France
| pushpin_map             = 
| pushpin_label_position  = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|44|35|N|01|35|E|region:FR_type:adm2nd_scale:2000000|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint           = 
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|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                    = [[Cahors]]
| parts_type              = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefectures]]
| parts_style             = para
| p1                      = [[Figeac]]<br>[[Gourdon, Lot|Gourdon]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| leader_party            = 
| leader_title            = [[List of presidents of departmental councils (France)|President of the Departmental Council]]
| leader_name             = Serge Rigal<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          = 5217
| 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|93rd]]
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = 
| population_note         = 
| blank_name_sec1         = [[Departments of France|Department number]]
| blank_info_sec1         = 46
| blank_name_sec2         = [[Arrondissements of France|Arrondissements]]
| blank_info_sec2         = [[Arrondissements of the Lot department|3]]
| blank1_name_sec2        = [[Cantons in France|Cantons]]
| blank1_info_sec2        = [[cantons of the Lot department|17]]
| blank2_name_sec2        = [[Communes in France|Communes]]
| blank2_info_sec2        = [[Communes of the Lot department|313]]
| 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>
}}

'''Lot''' ({{IPA|fr|lɔt}};<ref>{{cite web|url=https://de.langenscheidt.com/franzoesisch-deutsch/lot#Lot|title=lot - Deutsch-Übersetzung - Langenscheidt Französisch-Deutsch Wörterbuch|publisher=[[Langenscheidt]]|access-date=22 October 2018|language=de, fr}}</ref> {{langx|oc|Òlt}} [ɔl]) is a [[Departments of France|department]] in the [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]] [[Regions of France|region]] of [[France]]. Named after the [[Lot (river)|Lot River]], it lies in the southwestern part of the country and had a population of 174,094 in 2019.<ref name=pop2019>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep46.pdf Populations légales 2019: 46 Lot], INSEE</ref> Its [[Prefectures in France|prefecture]] is [[Cahors]]; its [[Subprefectures in France|subprefectures]] are [[Figeac]] and [[Gourdon, Lot|Gourdon]].

== History ==
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 ==
[[File:Bouziès pont.jpg|[[Lot (river)|Lot River]], after which the department is named|thumb|left]]
Lot is part of the region of [[Occitania (administrative region)|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 (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, 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===

The most populous commune is [[Cahors]], the prefecture. As of 2019, there are seven communes with more than 3,000 inhabitants:<ref name=pop2019/>

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2019)
|-
| [[Cahors]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 19,937
|-
| [[Figeac]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 9,802
|-
| [[Gourdon, Lot|Gourdon]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 3,981
|-
| [[Pradines, Lot|Pradines]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 3,562
|-
| [[Gramat]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 3,469
|-
| [[Saint-Céré]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 3,414
|-
| [[Souillac, Lot|Souillac]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 3,201
|}

== Demographics ==
The inhabitants of Lot are called ''{{Lang|fr|Lotois}}'' and {{Lang|fr|Lotoises}} in French. Population development since 1801:{{historical populations|cols=2|align=none|percentages=pagr|footnote=Sources:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://splaf.free.fr/46his.html|title=Historique du Lot|website=Le SPLAF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4176909?geo=DEP-46|title=Évolution et structure de la population en 2016|publisher=INSEE}}</ref>|graph-pos=bottom|13=1801|14=261,207|15=1806|16=268,149|17=1821|18=275,296|19=1831|20=284,505|21=1841|22=287,739|23=1851|24=296,224|25=1861|26=295,542|27=1872|28=281,404|29=1881|30=280,269|31=1891|32=253,939|33=1901|34=226,720|35=1911|36=205,769|37=1921|38=176,889|39=1931|40=166,637|41=1936|42=162,572|43=1946|44=154,897|45=1954|46=147,754|47=1962|48=149,929|49=1968|50=151,198|51=1975|52=150,778|53=1982|54=154,533|55=1990|56=155,816|57=1999|58=160,197|59=2006|60=169,533|61=2011|62=174,754|63=2016|64=173,347}}

==Politics==
===Departmental Council of Lot===
The [[Departmental Council of Lot]] has 34 seats. Since the [[2015 French departmental elections|2015 departmental elections]], 30 are controlled by the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] (PS) and its allies; four are controlled by the [[miscellaneous right]]. Since 2014, the [[List of presidents of departmental councils (France)|President of the Departmental Council]] has been Serge Rigal, currently a member of [[La République En Marche!]] (REM).

===Members of the National Assembly===
Lot elected the following members of the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] during the [[2024 French legislative election|2024 legislative election]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Constituency!!Member<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/|title=Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français|first=Assemblée|last=Nationale|website=Assemblée nationale}}</ref>!!Party
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|The Republicans (France)}}" |
| [[Lot's 1st constituency]]
| [[Aurélien Pradié]]
| [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}" |
| [[Lot's 2nd constituency]]
| [[Christophe Proenca]]
| [[Socialist Party (France)|PS]]
|}

===Senators===
Lot is represented in the [[Senate (France)|Senate]] by [[Angèle Préville]] (since 2017) and [[Jean-Claude Requier]] (since 2011).

==Tourism==
<gallery>
File:Cahors - place François-Mitterrand -313.jpg|[[Cahors]]
File:Bave River in Saint-Cere 03.jpg|[[Saint-Céré]]
File:The high located church of St.-Cirque-Lapopie and deep down the Lot river at 8 September 2015 - panoramio.jpg|[[Saint-Cirq-Lapopie]]
File:Buildings in Gourdon.jpg|[[Gourdon, Lot|Gourdon]]
File:LesCierges.JPG|[[Grottes de Presque]]
File:Lot Plage aux ptérosaures 7 traces Dimitri.jpg|Fossil [[pterosaur]] footprints, [[Pterosaur Beach]].
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Cantons of the Lot department]]
*[[Communes of the Lot department]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons|Lot (department)}}
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://www.lot.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website]
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://lot.fr/ Departmental Council website]
* {{in lang|en}} [https://maradene.net/walks/tour-du-lot/ hiking the Tour du Lot]
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://cazalrando.com/randonnees/tour-du-lot CazalRando groupe de randonnée pédestre website]

{{Departments of France}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lot (Department)}}
[[Category:Lot (department)| ]]
[[Category:Massif Central]]
[[Category:1790 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Departments of Occitania (administrative region)]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1790]]