Editing Var (department)

{{Short description|Department in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France}}
{{Other uses|Var (disambiguation){{!}}Var}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Templrfdsate:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name                    = Var
| 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
   | photo1a = Calanque du Petit Canereit-Massif de l'Esterel.jpg
   | photo2a = Fréjus - panoramio (2).jpg
   | photo3a = Porquerolles panorama.jpg
   | photo2b = Tour de l'Horloge de Draguignan vue depuis le bd des Remparts.JPG
   | size = 270
   | spacing = 2
   | color = #FFFFFF
   | border = 0
   | foot_montage = }}
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = From top down, left to right: [[Massif de l'Esterel]], [[Fréjus]], [[Draguignan]] and [[Porquerolles]]
| image_flag              = Proposition de drapeau pour le Var.svg
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Blason département Var.svg
| shield_alt              = 
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| image_map               = Var-Position.svg
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location of Var in France
| pushpin_matp             = 
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| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|43|30|N|06|20|E|region:FR_type:adm2nd|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       = [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur|Provence-Alpes-Côte&nbsp;d'Azur]]
| established_title       = 
| established_date        = 
| founder                 = 
| seat_type               = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]]
| seat                    = [[Toulon]]
| parts_type              = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefectures]]
| parts_style             = para
| p1                      = [[Brignoles]]<br />[[Draguignan]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| leader_party            = [[The Republicans (France)|LR]]
| leader_title            = [[List of presidents of departmental councils (France)|President of the Departmental Council]]
| leader_name             = [[Jean-Louis Masson (politician, 1954)|Jean-Louis Masson]]<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          = 5973
| 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|22nd]]
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = 
| population_note         = 
| blank_name_sec1         = [[Departments of France|Department number]]
| blank_info_sec1         = 83
| blank_name_sec2         = [[Arrondissements of France|Arrondissements]]
| blank_info_sec2         = [[Arrondissements of the Var department|3]]
| blank1_name_sec2        = [[Cantons in France|Cantons]]
| blank1_info_sec2        = [[Cantons of the Var department|43]]
| blank2_name_sec2        = [[Communes in France|Communes]]
| blank2_info_sec2        = [[Communes of the Var department|153]]
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
| postal_code_type        = 
| postal_code             = 
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| area_code               = 
| iso_code                = 
| website                 = 
| footnotes               = {{note|area|1}} French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km<sup>2</sup>
}}

'''Var''' ({{IPA|fr|vaʁ|lang|Fr-Paris--Var.ogg}}, {{IPA|oc|ˈbaɾ|lang}}) is a [[Departments of France|department]] in the [[Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]] [[Regions of France|region]] in southeastern [[France]]. It is bordered on the east by the [[Alpes-Maritimes]] department; to the west by [[Bouches-du-Rhône]]; to the north of the river [[Verdon (river)|Verdon]] by the [[Alpes-de-Haute-Provence]] department; and to the south by the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. It had a population of 1,076,711 in 2019.<ref name=pop2019>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/6011060/dep83.pdf Populations légales 2019: 83 Var], INSEE</ref>

The Var department takes its name from the river [[Var (river)|Var]], which flowed along its eastern boundary, until the boundary was moved in 1860 and the department is no longer associated with the river. It is part of the [[French Riviera]], a major touristic area of the country.

[[Toulon]] is Var's largest city and administrative capital, known as the [[Prefectures in France|prefecture]]. Other important towns in Var include [[Fréjus]], [[Saint-Raphaël, Var|Saint-Raphaël]], [[Draguignan]], [[Brignoles]], [[Hyères]] and [[La Seyne-sur-Mer]]. Var is known for the harbour of Toulon, the main port of the [[French Navy]], for its seaside resorts, the most famous of which is [[Saint-Tropez]], for some fine examples of [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]] and other medieval architecture, such as [[Le Thoronet Abbey]] and the [[Fréjus Cathedral]], for its wines, particularly the wines of [[Bandol]], as well as for its motorsport race track [[Circuit Paul Ricard]], located in [[Le Castellet, Var|Le Castellet]].

==History==
{{see also|History of Provence}}

===Early years===
The department of Var was created at the time of the [[French Revolution]], on 4 March 1790, from a portion of the former royal [[Provinces of France|province]] of [[Provence]].

[[File:Fontaine Fédération Toulon 3.jpg|thumb|left|Toulon, the historical capital city of Var, was returned that title in 1974.]]
[[File:NAPOLEON Débarquement Frejus.jpg|thumb|left|Napoleon arriving in Fréjus, 1799]]
Its capital was originally [[Toulon]], but this was moved to [[Grasse]] in 1793 to punish the Toulonnais for yielding the town to the British in 1793. Subsequently, the capital was moved to [[Brignoles]] in 1795, then to [[Draguignan]] in 1797. It was not returned to [[Toulon]] until 1974.

===19th century===
In 1815, following the defeat of [[Napoleon]] at [[Battle of Waterloo|Waterloo]] the department was occupied by Austrian troops until November 1818. In 1854 the first railroad reached Toulon.

With the creation of the new department of [[Alpes-Maritimes]] in 1860 and following the annexation by France of Nice, the eastern part of the department, corresponding to the [[arrondissement of Grasse]], was moved to the new department. This move also shifted the river Var, which had given the department its name, to the new department.

In 1884 a [[cholera]] epidemic struck Toulon. The leader of the fight against the epidemic was [[Georges Clemenceau]], a doctor and a member of the [[National Assembly (1871)|National Assembly]] for the [[Seine (department)|Seine]] department. He was later elected a member of the [[Chamber of Deputies (France)|Chamber of Deputies]] for the Var department from 1888 to 1893 and [[Senate (France)|Senator]] from 1902 to 1920, during which time he also served as [[Prime Minister of France]].

===Recent times===
The [[World War I|First World War]] (1914–1918) stimulated growth in shipyards and military industries in the region, but weakened the agricultural and food industries. In 1942 the German Army moved from [[Occupied France]] into the ''[[zone libre]]'', which included the Var department. The French Fleet was sabotaged in Toulon Harbour to keep it from falling into German hands. The [[Maquis Vallier]], a group of [[Maquis (World War II)|maquis]] [[French resistance|resistance]] fighters, was active. On 15 August 1944 American and [[Free French]] forces land at [[Saint-Tropez]], [[Sainte-Maxime]] and [[Saint-Raphaël, Var|Saint-Raphaël]]. The Free French fleet arrived at Toulon on 13 September.

In the 1960s about 100,000 French citizens were repatriated from [[Algeria]] following the [[Algerian War of Independence]] and settled in the Var department. In [[2014 French Senate election|2014]], [[Fréjus]] Mayor [[David Rachline]] became the first [[Senate (France)|Senator]] from Var elected under the [[National Rally|National Front]] (later National Rally) banner; alongside [[Stéphane Ravier]] from neighbouring [[Bouches-du-Rhône]], the two became the first National Front members of the Senate under the [[Fifth French Republic|Fifth Republic]].

==Geography==
The Var department has a surface area of 6,032&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. It had 420&nbsp;km of coastline, including the offshore islands. 56% of its surface area is covered with forest. Its geological formations are divided into two regions; one composed of [[limestone]] to the northwest of a line between Toulon and Draguignan and of crystalline rock ([[quartz]]) to the southeast.

The department is in the foothills of the [[French Alps]] and largely mountainous. Major mountains include:
* The [[Massif des Maures]] (771&nbsp;m) and [[Massif de l'Esterel]], along the coast, (618&nbsp;m) are made of quartz rock.
* The [[Sainte-Baume]] mountain ridge (1,147 m), in the west.
* Mountain of Lachens (1,715 m), in the northwest of the department, and the highest point in the Var.

The plateau of [[Canjuers]] (French: ''Plan de Canjuers'') in the northeast of Var gradually rises from 500 to 1,000 metres. In the south and west there are several plateaus, such as the plateau of Siou Blanc to the north of Toulon, which rise from 400 to 700 metres in altitude. 
* The [[Verdon Gorge|Canyon du Verdon]], the gorges of the Verdon River, is a popular place for hikers, kayakers, and nature lovers.
* The [[Îles d'Hyères]] (also known as [[Porquerolles]]) is a group of three islands off [[Hyères]] The islands are named [[Porquerolles]], [[Port-Cros]], and [[Levant Island|Île du Levant]]. Together, they make up an area of 26&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. They can be reached by boat from either Hyères or Toulon.

==Climate==
[[File:796297037 90bb1a206f b gorges du Verdon.jpg|thumb|[[Verdon Gorge]]]]
[[File:Plage-de-la-courtade.jpg|thumb|[[Îles d'Hyères]]]]
The department of Var has a [[Mediterranean climate]], slightly warmer, drier and sunnier than Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes, but is also less sheltered from the wind. Toulon has an average of 2899.3 hours of sunshine each year.<ref name="Infoclimat1">{{Cite web |title=Normales et records météorologiques - Infoclimat |url=https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/index.php?s=07660 |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=www.infoclimat.fr}}</ref> The average maximum daily temperature in August is 29.1&nbsp;°C, and the average daily minimum temperature in January is 5.8&nbsp;°C.<ref name="Infoclimat1" /> The average annual rainfall is 665&nbsp;mm.<ref name="Infoclimat1" /> Winds exceeding 16&nbsp;m/s (57.6&nbsp;km/h) blow an average of 116 days per year in Toulon,<ref name="Infoclimat1" /> compared with 77 days per year at [[Fréjus]] further east.<ref name="Infoclimat2">{{Cite web |title=Normales et records météorologiques - Infoclimat |url=https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/index.php?s=07680 |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=www.infoclimat.fr}}</ref>

==Demographics==

Population development since 1801:{{historical populations|cols=2|align=none|percentages=pagr|footnote=Figures before 1861 refer to the old department of Var. Sources:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://splaf.free.fr/83his.html|title=Historique du Var|website=Le SPLAF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4176909?geo=DEP-83|title=Évolution et structure de la population en 2016|publisher=INSEE}}</ref>|graph-pos=bottom
|15=1801|16=271,703|17=1821|18=305,096|19=1831|20=321,686|21=1841|22=328,010|23=1851|24=357,967|25=1861|26=315,526|27=1872|28=293,757|29=1881|30=288,577|31=1891|32=288,336|33=1901|34=326,384|35=1911|36=330,755|37=1921|38=322,945|39=1931|40=377,104|41=1936|42=398,662|43=1946|44=370,688|45=1954|46=413,012|47=1962|48=469,557|49=1968|50=555,926|51=1975|52=626,093|53=1982|54=708,331|55=1990|56=815,714|57=1999|58=898,441|59=2006|60=985,099|63=2011|64=1,012,735|65=2016|66=1,055,821|67=2020|68=1,085,189}}

===Principal towns===
In 2019, the population of Var was 1,076,711, of whom 51% live in the agglomeration ([[urban unit]]) of [[Toulon]], the prefecture and most populous commune.<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1405599?geo=UU2020-00757+DEP-83+COM-13023+COM-13028 Comparateur de territoires], INSEE. Urban unit of Toulon corrected for Ceyreste and La Ciotat, that are in Bouches-du-Rhône.</ref> As of 2019, there are nine communes with more than 20,000 inhabitants:<ref name=pop2019/>

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2019)
|-
| [[Toulon]]†
| style="text-align: center;" | 179,659
|-
| [[La Seyne-sur-Mer]]†
| style="text-align: center;" | 62,232
|-
| [[Fréjus]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 55,750
|-
| [[Hyères]]†
| style="text-align: center;" | 54,615
|-
| [[Draguignan]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 39,433
|-
| [[Saint-Raphaël, Var|Saint-Raphaël]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 36,027
|-
| [[Six-Fours-les-Plages]]†
| style="text-align: center;" | 34,592
|-
| [[La Garde, Var|La Garde]]†
| style="text-align: center;" | 25,505
|-
| [[La Valette-du-Var]]†
| style="text-align: center;" | 24,087
|-
| colspan=2|† part of the Toulon [[Urban unit|agglomeration]]
|}

==Politics==
In the [[2017 French presidential election]], [[Marine Le Pen]] of the [[National Rally|National Front]] won a majority of the vote in Var in the first round, with [[François Fillon]] of [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]] placing second. [[Emmanuel Macron]] of [[Renaissance (French political party)|En Marche!]] won a majority in the second round.

In the [[2022 French presidential election]], Le Pen of the National Rally (formerly National Front) won a majority in Var in both rounds.

===Departmental Council of Var===
The [[Departmental Council of Var]] comprises 46 seats. In the [[2021 French departmental elections|2021 departmental election]], 26 seats were won by [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]] (LR), 13 by [[miscellaneous right]] candidates, 3 by the [[Union of Democrats and Independents]] (UDI), 2 by the [[National Rally]] (RN) and 2 by [[miscellaneous centre]] candidates. Var currently has no left-wing departmental councillors.

Since 2022, [[La Garde, Var|La Garde]] Mayor [[Jean-Louis Masson (politician, 1954)|Jean-Louis Masson]] (LR) has been President of the Departmental Council of Var. His governing majority comprises all councillors except the two elected under the National Rally banner, who form the opposition.

===Representation in Paris===
====Members of the National Assembly====
In the [[2024 French legislative election|2024 legislative election]], Var elected the following representatives to the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Constituency!!Member!!Party
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Renaissance (French political party)}}" |
| [[Var's 1st constituency]]
| [[Yannick Chenevard]]
| [[Renaissance (French political party)|RE]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| [[Var's 2nd constituency]]
| [[Laure Lavalette]]
| [[National Rally|RN]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| [[Var's 3rd constituency]]
| [[Stéphane Rambaud]]
| [[National Rally|RN]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| [[Var's 4th constituency]]
| [[Philippe Lottiaux]]
| [[National Rally|RN]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| [[Var's 5th constituency]]
| [[Julie Lechanteux]]
| [[National Rally|RN]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| [[Var's 6th constituency]]
| [[Frank Giletti]]
| [[National Rally|RN]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| [[Var's 7th constituency]]
| [[Frédéric Boccaletti]]
| [[National Rally|RN]]
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|National Rally}}" |
| [[Var's 8th constituency]]
| [[Philippe Schrek]]
| [[National Rally|RN]]
|}

====Members of the Senate====
In the [[2020 French Senate election|2020 Senate election]], Jean Bacci, Michel Bonnus, [[Françoise Dumont]] and André Guiol were elected from Var. All sit with the [[The Republicans group (Senate)|Senate Republicans group]], except Guiol who sits with the [[European Democratic and Social Rally group]].

==Economy==
The principal industry of Var is tourism, thanks largely to the big summer influx of tourists to the South of France and the Mediterranean coast in particular, but also inland to the [[Verdon (river)|Verdon]] River Canyon and hilltop villages and vineyards.

===Tourism===
[[File:Bormes 029.jpg|[[Bormes-les-Mimosas]]|thumb]]
[[File:Cascade de Sillans.jpg|thumb|[[Cascade de Sillans]]]]
[[File:Saint Tropez Ville.jpg|thumb|[[Saint-Tropez]]]]
Popular tourist attractions in Var include: 
* The port and beaches of [[Saint-Tropez]];
* The seaside village of [[Sainte-Maxime]], with waterfront promenade, shops and restaurants, and a ferry service to Saint-Tropez;
* The beach of [[Cavalaire-sur-Mer]], the longest sand beach on the coast;
* Boat tours of the Rade, or harbour, of Toulon, the main anchorage of the French Navy;
* Wind-surfing offshore of the peninsula of [[Giens Peninsula|Giens]];
* [[Le Thoronet Abbey]], one of the best-preserved medieval [[Cistercians|Cistercian]] monasteries in France;
* The Baptistery of [[Fréjus Cathedral]], the oldest Christian structure in Provence;
* The hilltop village of [[Bormes-les-Mimosas]];
* The [[Îles d'Hyères]], including the [[Port-Cros National Park|underwater natural park]] around the Île de Port-Cros;
* Hiking in the [[Massif de l'Esterel]];
* The hilltop villages of [[Gassin]], [[Ramatuelle]], [[Montauroux]], [[Fayence]], [[Callian, Var|Callian]], [[Seillans]], [[Tourrettes, Var|Tourrettes]], [[Saint-Paul-en-Forêt]], [[Mons, Var|Mons]] and [[Tanneron]] in the [[Fayence]] region;
* The [[Verdon Gorge]], [[Lake of Sainte-Croix]] and hilltop villages of the upper Var;
* The hilltop villages, [[wine cave]]s and vineyards near [[Bandol]].

===Industry===
The construction industry employs 28,000 workers in the Var of which 4,000 work alone and 4,500 companies employ the remaining 24,000 salaried workers. Industry generates an annual turnover of €2.5&nbsp;billion. Of this, €500&nbsp;million is derived from public works.<ref>Var Matin. Monday 9 June 2008.</ref>

===Agriculture===

800&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> or 13% of the total area is dedicated to agriculture, on which 40,000 people (14% of the Var working population) depend for their livelihoods. The department also has 10&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of horticultural land (of which 4&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> are covered). Var is France's largest grower of [[cut flowers]], producing some 500&nbsp;million stems a year. Livestock farming is mainly sheep (50,000) and goats (4,200). Vines and viticultural related activities account for 345&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of farmland. The 450 ''domaines'' or ''coopératives'' and the 4 AOCs (''[[appellation d'origine contrôlée]]'') produce 150&nbsp;million litres of wine a year. Var leads the world in the production of rose wine.

Other important agricultural products include olives (cultivated on 42&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of land—a quarter of all French olive groves—and processed in 40 mills), figs (the Var produces 80% of France's figs), and honey (800 tonnes per year). There are also 9&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of market gardens.

Agricultural turnover in Var is {{€}}610&nbsp;million per year, of which 45% is sales of wines and 42% of horticultural products.<ref>Var Matin and Le Magazin du Conseil général du Var.</ref>

In 2008 the Var department received approximately €15 million in farm subsidies under the EU Common Agriculture Policy, an average of about €6,000 per recipient farm. This compares with an average across France as a whole of over €18,000 per farm.<ref>farmsubsidy.org.</ref>

====Viticulture====
* AOC Coteaux varois en Provence is a recent ''{{lang|fr|[[appellation d'origine contrôlée]]}}'' in Provence. The name Coteaux Varois was first used in 1945, and became an AOC in 1993. the name was changed to Couteaux Varois en Provence in 2005. The red wines principally use the [[grenache]], [[cinsaut]], [[mourvèdre]] and [[syrah]] grapes. White wines use the [[Clairette blanche|clairette]], [[grenache blanc]], rolle blanc, Sémillon Blanc, and Ugni Blanc. There are 22&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> in this AOL. It produces 80% rosés, 17% red wines, and 3% white wines.
* [[Bandol AOC]], is grown on the coast west of Toulon, mostly around the villages of [[La Cadière-d'Azur]] and [[Castellet]]. Wines of this appellation must have at least 50% [[Mourvèdre]] grapes, though most have considerably more.{{citation needed|date=June 2010}} Other grapes used are [[Grenache]], [[Cinsault]] [[Syrah]] and [[Carignan]].

==See also==
* [[Arrondissements of the Var department]]
* [[Cantons of the Var department]]
* [[Communes of the Var department]]
* [[List of senators of Var]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
<!-- please keep this link: Dmoz page holds a Wikipedia back link -->
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Var | volume= 27 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge| pages = 904&ndash;905 |short= 1}}
* {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.var.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website]
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://www.var.fr/ Departmental Council website]

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Var (Department)}}
[[Category:Var (department)| ]]
[[Category:1790 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Departments of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1790]]