View source for Lozère

{{Short description|Department of France in Occitanie}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Lozère
| official_name =
| native_name = {{native name|oc|Losera}}
| native_name_lang = 
| type = [[Departments of France|Department]]
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage|position=center
   | photo1a = Sainte-Enimie-Gorges du Tarn-Frankreich.jpg
   | photo2a = 01 Gorges du Tarn Roc des Hourtous.jpg
   | photo2b =  Chateau Florac Lozere.jpg
   | photo3b =  Mont Lozère panorama.jpg
   | size = 270
   | spacing = 2
   | color = #FFFFFF
   | border = 0
   | foot_montage = }}
| image_alt = 
| image_caption = From top down, left to right: [[Sainte-Enimie]], the [[Gorges du Tarn]] in [[La Malène]], [[Château de Florac|Castle of Florac]], [[Mont Lozère]]
| image_flag = Flag of the Department of Lozère.svg
| flag_alt = New flag of Lozère (using by KLTRR)
| image_shield = Blason département fr Lozère.svg
| shield_alt = Coat of arms
| nickname =
| motto = 
| image_map = Lozère-Position.svg
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location of Lozère in France
| pushpin_map = 
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_map_alt = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| coordinates = {{coord|44|20|N|3|36|E|region:FR-48_type:adm2nd_scale:2000000|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = [[France]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of France|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]]
| established_title = Departement
| established_date = 4 March 1790
| founder = 
| seat_type = [[Prefectures in France|Prefecture]]
| seat = [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]]
| parts_type = [[Subprefectures in France|Subprefecture]]
| parts_style = para
| p1 = [[Florac Trois Rivières]]
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_party = [[Socialist Party (France)|PS]]
| leader_title = [[List of presidents of departmental councils (France)|President of the Departmental Council]]
| leader_name = Sophie Pantel<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les conseillers départementaux|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/601ef073-d986-4582-8e1a-ed14dc857fba|website=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=4 May 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_magnitude = 
| area_footnotes = <ref name="insee-geo">{{cite web |url=http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/comparateur.asp?codgeo=DEP-48 |title=Département de La Lozère (48) - Résumé statistique |work=Publications et statistiques pour la France ou les régions |publisher=Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE |language=fr |access-date=18 August 2015 }}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 5167
| area_note = 
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m = 
| elevation_min_m = 
| elevation_max_m = 
| population_total = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
| population_as_of = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
| population_footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes2}}
| population_rank = [[List of French departments by population|102nd]]
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = Lozériens
| population_note = 
| blank_name_sec1 = [[Departments of France|Department number]]
| blank_info_sec1 = 48
| blank_name_sec2 = [[Arrondissements of France|Arrondissements]]
| blank_info_sec2 = [[arrondissements of the Lozère department|2]]
| blank1_name_sec2 = [[Cantons of France|Cantons]]
| blank1_info_sec2 = [[Cantons of the Lozère department|13]]
| blank2_name_sec2 = [[Communes of France|Communes]]
| blank2_info_sec2 = [[Communes of the Lozère department|152]]
| timezone1 = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1 = +1
| timezone1_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST = +2
| postal_code_type = 
| postal_code = 
| area_code_type = 
| area_code = 
| iso_code = FR-48
| website = [http://lozere.fr/ lozere.fr]
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Lozère''' ({{IPA|fr|lɔzɛʁ|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-GrandCelinien-Lozère.wav}}; {{langx|oc|Losera}} {{IPA|oc|luˈzeɾɔ|}}) is a landlocked [[Departments of France|department]] in the [[Regions of France|region]] of [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]] in southern France, located near the [[Massif Central]], bounded to the northeast by [[Haute-Loire]], to the east by [[Ardèche]], to the south by [[Gard]], to the west by [[Aveyron]], and the northwest by [[Cantal]]. It is named after [[Mont Lozère]]. With 76,486 inhabitants as of 2023,<ref name=pophist/> Lozère is the least populous French department.

==History==
Lozère was created in 1790 during the [[French Revolution]], when the whole of [[France]] was divided into departments, replacing the old [[Provinces of France|provinces]].<ref name=splaf/> Lozère was formed from part of the old province of [[Languedoc]].

[[Pliny's Natural History]] praised the cheese of Lozère:
:The kinds of cheese that are most esteemed at Rome, where the various good things of all nations are to be judged of by comparison, are those that come from the provinces of [[Nîmes|Nemausus]], and more especially the area<ref group="N">Pliny's term is ''pagus'', a Latin equivalent of ''[[Pays (France)|pays]]''.</ref> there of Lesura and Gabalis (Lozère and Gévaudan); but its excellence is only very short-lived, and it must be eaten while it is fresh.<ref>Pliny, ''Naturalis Historia'' book XI, ch 97:200-202.</ref>

Between 1764 and 1767, the [[Beast of Gévaudan]], a creature believed to be a large wolf or an exotic animal, terrorized the general area in the [[Margeride]] Mountains of the former province of [[Gévaudan]] (nearly identical with the modern Lozère department).

==Geography==
Lozère has an area of {{Convert|5167|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on }}.<ref name="insee-geo" /> It is the northernmost department of the current [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]] [[regions of France|region]] and is surrounded by five [[Departments of France|departments]] belonging to two [[Regions of France|regions]]: [[Cantal]], [[Haute-Loire]] and [[Ardèche]] departments of the [[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]] region, and [[Gard]] and [[Aveyron]] departments of the [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]] region.

{{Geographic location|width=auto
|Centre    = Lozère
|North     = 
|Northeast = [[Haute-Loire]]
|East      = [[Ardèche]]
|Southeast = 
|South     = [[Gard]]
|Southwest = 
|West      = [[Aveyron]]
|Northwest = [[Cantal]]
}}
The geography of Lozère is complicated, covering four mountain ranges.  In the north-west, the basalt plateau of [[Aubrac]] rises between {{Convert|1000|and|1450|m|ft|abbr=on }}, with a cold humid climate influenced by the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]]. The north and north-east of the department contains the Margeride mountains, which are formed of [[granite]], and have peaks between {{Convert|1000|and|1550|m|ft|abbr=on }}.  The climate here is also cold, but drier than in Aubrac, with less snow.

The [[Causses]] are a series of very dry [[limestone]] plateaus in the south-west, and the south-east contains the [[Cévennes]], which include the highest point in the department, the granite [[Mont Lozère]] at {{Convert|1702|m|ft|0|abbr=on }}.

The department also contains numerous rivers, above and below ground, including the [[Tarn (river)|Tarn]], whose source is on Mont Lozère, and which flows through the [[Gorges du Tarn]] in the Causses.

{{wide image|Saint Chely Tarn.jpg|600px|View over the cirque of [[Pougnadoire]] and [[Saint-Chély-du-Tarn]] village, in the Tarn Gorges}}

==Demographics==
Population development since 1801:
{{Historical populations
|align=none
|percentages=pagr
|footnote=Sources:<ref name=splaf>{{Cite web|url=http://splaf.free.fr/48his.html|title=Historique de la Lozère|website=Le SPLAF|access-date=8 July 2022}}</ref><ref name=pophist>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8643952?geo=DEP-48#tableau-POPREF_G1 Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023], INSEE</ref>
|graph-pos=bottom
|cols=2
|1801|126,503
|1806|143,247
|1821|133,934
|1831|140,347
|1841|140,788
|1851|144,705
|1861|137,367
|1872|135,190
|1881|143,565
|1891|135,517
|1901|128,866
|1911|122,738
|1921|108,822
|1931|101,849
|1936|98,480
|1946|90,523
|1954|82,391
|1962|81,868
|1968 |77258
|1975 |74825
|1982 |74294
|1990 |72825
|1999 |73509
|2007 |76880
|2012 |76889
|2017 |76601
|2023 |76486
}}

Lozère is the least populated French department, and the least densely populated in Metropolitan France. Its 2019 population of 76,604 gives it a population density of {{Pop density|76604|5167|km2|prec=1|disp=num}} inhabitants/km<sup>2</sup>. The department boasts a population similar in size to that of the country of [[Andorra]], the neighbouring country that borders to the south. Since the end of the 19th century the department has seen its population decline due to negative migration, the last fifteen years have nevertheless shown a new upward trend. The reasons given for this trend are the quality of the living environment, the improvement of the [[road transport]] and [[communication network]] and to a lesser extent heliotropism. It is nevertheless an elderly population with high purchasing power. The inhabitants of Lozère are known, in [[French language|French]], as ''Lozériens'' and ''Lozériennes''.<ref>[https://www.habitants.fr/lozere-48 Le nom des habitants du 48 - Lozère], habitants.fr</ref>

The population is concentrated in three main urban centers: [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]], [[Saint-Chély-d'Apcher]] and [[Marvejols]] which together account for a third of the department's population. Some other small centers ([[Langogne]], [[Florac]], [[Aumont-Aubrac]], [[La Canourgue]], etc.) appear as small living areas but are unable to attract young people, including the exodus towards neighboring metropolises ([[Clermont-Ferrand]] in the north, [[Montpellier]] and [[Nîmes]] to the south) is increasingly important.

Because of its low population density, it is considered to fall within the [[empty diagonal]]. The department also has the lowest urbanization rate in France, with only 25% of its population in cities (compared to the national average of 82%).

===Principal towns===

The most populous commune is [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]], the prefecture. As of 2023, there are 8 communes with more than 2,000 inhabitants:<ref name=pop2023>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/fichier/8680694/dep48.pdf Populations de référence 2023: 48 Lozère], INSEE</ref>

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2023)
|-
| [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 12,464
|-
| [[Marvejols]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 4,764
|-
| [[Saint-Chély-d'Apcher]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 3,955
|-
| [[Langogne]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 2,836
|-
| [[Peyre en Aubrac]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 2,296
|-
| [[Florac Trois Rivières]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 2,100
|-
| [[Bourgs sur Colagne]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 2,091
|-
| [[La Canourgue]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 2,074
|}

==Administration==
The département is managed by the [[Departmental Council of Lozère]] in [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]]. {{As of|2015}}, the President of the council is Sophie Pantel. Lozère is part of the region of [[Occitania (administrative region)|Occitanie]].

===Administrative divisions===
There are 2 [[Arrondissements of France|arrondissements]], 13 [[Cantons in France|cantons]] and 152 [[Communes in France|communes]] in Lozère.<ref name=insee1>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/departement/48-lozere |title=Département de La Lozère (48) |publisher=Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE |language=fr |access-date=18 November 2024 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! INSEE<br />code !! Arrondissement !! [[Capital city|Capital]] !! Population<ref name=pop2023/><br />(2023) !! Area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>) !! Density<br />(inhabitants/km<sup>2</sup>) !! Communes
|- style="text-align:right;"
| 481 || style="text-align:left;"| [[Arrondissement of Florac|Florac]] || style="text-align:left;"| [[Florac]] || 13,088 || &nbsp;&nbsp;1,687&nbsp;&nbsp; || {{Pop density|13088|1687|km2|prec=1|disp=num}} || 38
|- style="text-align:right;"
| 482 || style="text-align:left;"| [[Arrondissement of Mende|Mende]] || style="text-align:left;"| [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]] || 63,398 || &nbsp;&nbsp;3,479&nbsp;&nbsp; || {{Pop density|63398|3479|km2|prec=1|disp=num}} || 114
|}

The following is a list of the 13 [[Cantons of France|cantons]] of the '''Lozère''' [[Departments of France|department]] (with their [[INSEE code]]s), following the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000028661432 |title= Décret n° 2014-245 du 25 février 2014 portant délimitation des cantons dans le département de la Lozère  |publisher=Légifrance.gouv.fr |language=fr |access-date=18 August 2015 }}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
# [[Canton of Bourgs sur Colagne|Bourgs sur Colagne]] <small>(4803)</small>
# [[Canton of La Canourgue|La Canourgue]] <small>(4802)</small>
# [[Canton of Le Collet-de-Dèze|Le Collet-de-Dèze]] <small>(4804)</small>
# [[Canton of Florac Trois Rivières|Florac Trois Rivières]] <small>(4805)</small>
# [[Canton of Grandrieu|Grandrieu]] <small>(4806)</small>
# [[Canton of Langogne|Langogne]] <small>(4807)</small>
# [[Canton of Marvejols|Marvejols]] <small>(4808)</small>
# [[Cantons of Mende|Mende-1]] <small>(4809)</small>
# [[Cantons of Mende|Mende-2]] <small>(4810)</small>
# [[Canton of Peyre en Aubrac|Peyre en Aubrac]] <small>(4801)</small>
# [[Canton of Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole|Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole]] <small>(4811)</small>
# [[Canton of Saint-Chély-d'Apcher|Saint-Chély-d'Apcher]] <small>(4812)</small>
# [[Canton of Saint-Étienne-du-Valdonnez|Saint-Étienne-du-Valdonnez]] <small>(4813)</small>
{{div col end}}

==Economy==
The main activities are cattle farming and tourism. There is barely any arable farming in Lozère due to poor [[soil quality]]. The hardy [[Aubrac cattle|Aubrac]] is the most commonly farmed cattle breed here.

The region has one of the lowest rates of unemployment in France, which may be attributed to the enforced long-standing tradition whereby young people emigrate to cities such as [[Lyon]], [[Marseille]], and [[Montpellier]] when they reach working age.

===Land use===
[[File:Eschino d'Aze et puechs des Bondons.jpg|thumb|Grain fields near [[Les Bondons]], dominated by the hills called ''Puechs des Bondons'']]

Lozère is a rural department, with relatively little land taken up by roads and buildings.   Overall the land use is divided as follows:
*  Forest    43.81%
*  Heath & other open land   31.19%
*  Arable land    12.74%
*  Fields       11.36%
*  Roads and buildings 0.54%
*  Rivers and ponds   0.3%

==Politics==

===Current National Assembly Representative===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Constituency!!Member<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/|title=Assemblée nationale ~ Les députés, le vote de la loi, le Parlement français|first=Assemblée|last=Nationale|website=Assemblée nationale}}</ref>!!Party
|-
|style="background-color: {{party color|Socialist Party (France)}}" |
| [[Lozère's constituency]]
| [[Sophie Pantel]]
| [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]]
|}

==Tourism==
Tourist activities include [[caving]] and a variety of sports, such as [[ski]]ing and [[kayak]]ing. Lozère contains a part of the [[Cévennes National Park]]. Lozère is considered one of the best areas in France for [[trout]] [[fishing]]. Rivers such as the [[Lot (river)|Lot]], [[Tarn (river)|Tarn]] and [[Truyère]] are particularly noted for their trout populations.

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Mende-cathedrale-1.JPG|[[Mende, Lozère|Mende]]
File:France Lozere Marvejols Eglise Notre Dame de la Carce.jpg|Church of [[Marvejols]]
File:Sainte Enimie une place.jpg|[[Sainte-Enimie]], one of the [[Les Plus Beaux Villages de France|most beautiful villages of France]]
File:Cevennes National Park, France.jpg|[[Cévennes]] National Park
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Arrondissements of the Lozère department]]
* [[Cantons of the Lozère department]]
* [[Communes of the Lozère department]]
* [[Crueize Viaduct]]

== Explanatory notes ==
<references group="N" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Lozère}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [https://lozere.fr/ Departmental Council of Lozère] {{in lang|fr}}
* [https://www.lozere.gouv.fr/ Prefecture website] {{in lang|fr}}
* [http://www.lozere-tourisme.com/  Comité Départemental du Tourisme en Lozère] {{in lang|fr}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Lozère|short=x}}

{{Departments of France}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lozere}}
[[Category:Lozère| ]]
[[Category:1790 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Departments of Occitania (administrative region)]]
[[Category:Massif Central]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1790]]