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Drôme (département)

Drôme
Department
Flag of Drôme
Flag
Coat of arms of Drôme
Coat of arms
Location of Drôme in France
Location of Drôme in France
Coordinates: 44°45′N 05°10′E / 44.750°N 5.167°E / 44.750; 5.167Coordinates: 44°45′N 05°10′E / 44.750°N 5.167°E / 44.750; 5.167
Country France
Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Prefecture Valence
Subprefectures Die
Nyons
Government
 • President of the General Council Patrick Labaune (The Republicans)
Area
 • Total 6,530 km2 (2,520 sq mi)
Population (2013)
 • Total 494,712
 • Rank 53rd
 • Density 76/km2 (200/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Department number 26
Arrondissements 3
Cantons 19
Communes 367
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Drôme (French pronunciation: ​[dʁom]; Droma in Occitan, Drôma in Arpitan) is a department in southeastern France named after the Drôme River.

St Vallier in Drôme, was the birthplace of one of France's most famous courtesans, the noble-born Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566), long-term mistress of King Henri II (1547-1559).

The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution. The territory formed part of the former French province of Dauphiné.

Drôme lies within the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and is surrounded by the departments of Ardèche, Isère, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Vaucluse.

The boundaries of the department have changed several times with the incorporation of the Comtat Venaissin in 1792 and the creation of the Vaucluse department in 1793. Drôme surrounds an exclave of the Vaucluse department, the Canton of Valréas (Enclave des Papes).


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