Biscarrosse
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Biscarrosse elm in January; died 2010.
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 Biscarrosse
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Location within Nouvelle-Aquitaine region
Biscarrosse
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| Coordinates: 44°23′39″N 1°09′46″W / 44.3942°N 1.1628°WCoordinates: 44°23′39″N 1°09′46″W / 44.3942°N 1.1628°W | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | |
| Department | Landes | |
| Arrondissement | Mont-de-Marsan | |
| Canton | Parentis | |
| Intercommunality | Grands Lacs | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2014–2020) | Alain Dudon | |
| Area1 | 160.48 km2 (61.96 sq mi) | |
| Population (2013)2 | 13,983 | |
| • Density | 87/km2 (230/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 40046 / 40600 | |
| Elevation | 0–78 m (0–256 ft) (avg. 26 m or 85 ft) |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. |
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1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Biscarrosse is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is located 65 km (40 mi) southwest of Bordeaux, and 10 km (6.2 mi) inland from the seaside resort of Biscarrosse-Plage on the Atlantic coast.
Near Biscarrosse is the CEL (national test centre) from which numerous French military rockets have been launched for test purposes. Likewise, the CEL has facilities for launching civilian rockets to study the upper atmosphere.
Near the town centre, outside the Café de l'orme, there was what is believed to have been the oldest elm tree in Europe. Planted in 1350, this Field Elm Ulmus minor died in 2010 after finally succumbing to Dutch elm disease. Legend has it that girls deemed promiscuous were forced to stand naked upon a barrel beneath the tree for a day. One unfortunate, unjustly accused, died of shame, the tree annually producing a corona of blanched leaves in her memory.
The commune has an airport, called Biscarrosse - Parentis Airport.
The toponym Biscarrosse derivates from the Aquitanian language or directly from the Basque word bizkar, meaning 'low ridge' or 'prominence' followed by the Aquitanian suffix -ossum/-os, that was used to mark presence. Related toponyms are Biscay and Biscarrués.
Nearby Hourtiquet once hosted an important seaplane base, serving the builder Latécoère and airlines Aéropostale and its successor Air France. A exists at the shores of the Lac de Biscarrosse et de Parentis.
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Wikipedia