Valence, Drôme

Valence
Valença

View of the city of Valence

Coat of arms

Valence

Location within Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region

Valence

Coordinates: 44°56′00″N 4°53′30″E / 44.9333°N 4.8917°ECoordinates: 44°56′00″N 4°53′30″E / 44.9333°N 4.8917°E

Country

Valence-Romans Sud Rhône-Alpes

Government

• Mayor (2014–2020)

Nicolas Daragon

Area¹

36.69 km² (14.17 sq mi)

Population (2012)²

62,481

• Density

1,700/km² (4,400/sq mi)

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

INSEE/Postal code

26362 / 26000

Elevation

106–191 m (348–627 ft)
(avg. 123 m or 404 ft)

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.

Valence (French pronunciation: [va.lɑ̃s]; Occitan: Valença [vaˈlensɔ]) is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department and within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhône, about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Lyon, along the railway line that runs from Paris to Marseille.

It is the 5th largest city in the region by its population, with 62,481 registered inhabitants in 2012 (127,559 inhabitants in the agglomeration ()). The city of Valence is divided into four cantons (). Its inhabitants are called Valentinois.

Located in the heart of the Rhone corridor (), Valence is often referred to as "the door to the South of France", the local saying à Valence le Midi commence ("at Valence the Midi begins") pays tribute to the city's southern culture. Between Vercors and Provence, its geographical location attracts many tourists. Axes of transport and communications are the A7 and A49 autoroutes, the RN7, Paris/Marseille TGV line, as well as the Rhône. In addition, the Valence agglomeration is equipped with a marina (), a trading port (), two railway stations (Valence-Ville and Valence-TGV) and an airport. Its business is essentially turned towards the sectors of agriculture, metallurgy, engineering and electronics.

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Wikipedia