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Lozère (département)

Lozère
Department
Prefecture building of the Lozère department, in Mende
Prefecture building of the Lozère department, in Mende
Flag of Lozère
Flag
Coat of arms
Coat of arms
Location of Lozère in France
Location of Lozère in France
Coordinates: 44°20′N 3°36′E / 44.333°N 3.600°E / 44.333; 3.600Coordinates: 44°20′N 3°36′E / 44.333°N 3.600°E / 44.333; 3.600
Country France
Region Occitanie
Departement Since 4 March 1790
Prefecture Mende
Subprefecture Florac
Government
 • President of the General Council Sophie Pantel
Area
 • Total 5,166.9 km2 (1,995.0 sq mi)
Population (2013)
 • Total 76,607
 • Rank 101st
 • Density 15/km2 (38/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Lozériens
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
ISO 3166 code FR-48
Arrondissements 2
Cantons 13
Communes 176
Website http://lozere.fr/

Lozère (French pronunciation: ​[lɔzɛʁ]; Occitan: Losera) is a department in the region of Occitanie in southern France near the Massif Central. It is named after Mont Lozère.

Lozère was created in 1790 during the French Revolution, when the whole of France was divided into departments, replacing the old provinces. Lozère was formed with part of the old province of Languedoc.

Les Sources and Hautes-Cèvennes were two other names proposed for this department but they were not accepted.

Pliny's Natural History praised the cheese of Lozère:

During the period 1764-67, the Beast of Gévaudan was a creature that terrorized the general area of the former province of Gévaudan, with nearly identical borders to today's Lozère, in the Margeride Mountains.

Lozère has an area of 5,166.9 km2 (1,995 sq mi). It is the northernmost department of the current Occitanie region and is surrounded by 5 departments belonging to 2 regions: Cantal, Haute-Loire and Ardèche departments of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and Gard and Aveyron departments of the Occitanie region.


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