Jura (department)
| Jura | ||
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| Department | ||
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 Location of Jura in France |
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| Coordinates: 46°40′31″N 5°33′16″E / 46.67528°N 5.55444°ECoordinates: 46°40′31″N 5°33′16″E / 46.67528°N 5.55444°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | |
| Prefecture | Lons-le-Saunier | |
| Subprefectures |
Dole Saint-Claude |
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| Government | ||
| • President of the General Council | Gérard Bailly | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4,999 km2 (1,930 sq mi) | |
| Highest elevation | 1,200 m (3,900 ft) | |
| Lowest elevation | 200 m (700 ft) | |
| Population (2013) | ||
| • Total | 260,502 | |
| • Rank | 79th | |
| • Density | 52/km2 (130/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Department number | 39 | |
| Arrondissements | 3 | |
| Cantons | 17 | |
| Communes | 525 | |
| ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2 | ||
Jura (French pronunciation: [ʒyʁa]) is a department in the east of France named after the Jura mountains.
Historically, Jura belonged to the Free County of Burgundy, known in French as the Franche-Comté. 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 of Jura.
As early as the 13th century, inhabitants of the southern 2/3 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 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Franche-Comté. The prefecture (capital) is Lons-le-Saunier.
Jura is one of eight departments of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region and is surrounded by the French departments 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.
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