Jura (department)

Template:Short description Template:Other places3 Template:Distinguish Template:Infobox settlement Jura (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell, Template:IPA)Template:Needs IPA is a department in the eastern French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.<ref>[1] In the Jura by Kimberley Lovato, December 23, 2019, National Geographic</ref> The department takes its name from the Jura Mountains.<ref>[2] Jura Mountains, France</ref> Its prefecture is Lons-le-Saunier; subprefectures are Dole and Saint-Claude. In 2019, Jura had a population of 259,199.<ref name=pop2019>Populations légales 2019: 39 Jura, INSEE</ref> It has a short portion of the border of Switzerland.

History

Historically, Jura belonged to the Free County of Burgundy, known in French as the Franche-Comté.<ref>[3] Travel A Guide to Jura, the Tiny French Wine Region to Visit Right Now By Sue Williamson August 6, 2024, Vogue Magazine</ref> Dole was the capital until the region was conquered by Louis XIV and the capital was moved to Besançon. Dole is now a sous-préfecture, or sub-prefecture, of Jura.

As early as the 13th century, inhabitants of the southern two-thirds of Jura spoke a dialect of Arpitan language. It continued to be spoken in rural areas into the 20th century.

Jura is one of the original 83 French departments, created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was established from part of the former province of Franche-Comté. The prefecture is Lons-le-Saunier.

Demographics

Population development since 1801:Template:Historical populations

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Dole; the prefecture Lons-le-Saunier is the second-most populous. As of 2019, there are five communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants:<ref name=pop2019/>

Commune	Population (2019)
Dole	23,711
Lons-le-Saunier	17,189
Saint-Claude	8,985
Champagnole	8,014
Hauts de Bienne	5,275

Geography

Jura is one of eight départements of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region and is surrounded by the French départements 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.<ref>[4] Jura Mountains, France</ref>

Many lakes can be found throughout the Jura, the largest natural lake being Lac de Chalain, measuring 3 km long and 1 km 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.

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Politics

Departmental politics

The President of the Departmental Council has been Clément Pernot (miscellaneous right) since 2015.

Party		Seats
style="background-color: Template:Party color" \|•	Union for a Popular Movement	15
style="background-color: Template:Party color" \|	Socialist Party	8
style="background-color: Template:Party color" \|	Miscellaneous left	6
style="background-color: Template:Party color" \|	French Communist Party	3
style="background-color: Template:Party color" \|•	Miscellaneous right	2

Members of the National Assembly

In the 2024 legislative election, Jura elected the following representatives to the National Assembly:

Constituency		Member<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Party
style="background-color: Template:Party color" \|	Jura's 1st constituency	Danielle Brulebois	La République En Marche!
style="background-color: Template:Party color" \|	Jura's 2nd constituency	Marie-Christine Dalloz	The Republicans
style="background-color: Template:Party color" \|	Jura's 3rd constituency	Justine Gruet	The Republicans

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.<ref>[5] In the Jura by Kimberley Lovato, December 23, 2019, National Geographic</ref> 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.<ref>[6] Travel A Guide to Jura, the Tiny French Wine Region to Visit Right Now By Sue Williamson August 6, 2024, Vogue Magazine</ref>

The département contains no industrial cities: the few towns function as administrative and commercial centres serving Jura's rural economy. In the absence of large-scale industrial enterprises, small artisanal businesses play an important role. The Jura CFA (Centre for apprenticeship and training) recently recorded 752 current apprenticeships in trades such as building, baking, butchery, hair dressing, car repairing, sales and other non-factory based occupations.

Tourism

The Jura mountains provide ample opportunities for hiking, skiing, as well as other winter sports.<ref>[7] In the Jura by Kimberley Lovato, December 23, 2019, National Geographic</ref><ref>[8] Travel A Guide to Jura, the Tiny French Wine Region to Visit Right Now By Sue Williamson August 6, 2024, Vogue Magazine</ref>

References

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External links

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