Gap | ||
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Jean Marcellin Square
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Coordinates: 44°33′34″N 6°04′43″E / 44.5594°N 6.0786°ECoordinates: 44°33′34″N 6°04′43″E / 44.5594°N 6.0786°E | ||
Country | France | |
Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | |
Department | Hautes-Alpes | |
Arrondissement | Gap | |
Canton | Chef-lieu of six cantons | |
Government | ||
• Mayor (2014–2020) | Roger Didier | |
Area1 | 110.43 km2 (42.64 sq mi) | |
Population (2012)2 | 40,761 | |
• Density | 370/km2 (960/sq mi) | |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
INSEE/Postal code | 05061 /05000 | |
Elevation | 625–2,360 m (2,051–7,743 ft) (avg. 745 m or 2,444 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. |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
Gap (French: [ɡap]; Occitan: Gap) is a commune in southeastern France, the capital and largest town of the Hautes-Alpes department. At 750 m above sea level, it is France's highest prefecture (departmental capital).
Together with other Alpine towns, Gap engages in the Alpine Town of the Year Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention to achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc.
Gap was awarded Alpine Town of the Year in 2002. In 2013 Gap was named the sportiest city in France by the national sports newspaper L'Équipe.
An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and the Route nationale 85, or Route Napoléon, which crosses the Col Bayard north of the city, Gap is located between the historic Dauphiné and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur administrative region. With its 40,761 inhabitants (2012), it is the main town of an urban area of 62,072 inhabitants (2011), which is the main town of the Alpes du Sud . 745 metres (2,400 ft) above sea level, at the right bank of the Luye River , close to where it joins the Durance River to the north, Gap is in the midst of a rich and preserved natural environment, south-west of the Écrins National Park, south-east of the Dévoluy massif and west of the Lac de Serre-Ponçon. The region around Gap is known as Gapençais .