Alès

commune in Gard, Occitanie, France

Alès (Occitan: Alès) is a commune in south central France in the region of Occitanie. It is a subprefecture of the Gard department. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of the same name.

Alès
Alès Cathedral
Alès Cathedral
Coat of arms of Alès
Location of Alès
Map
Alès is located in France
Alès
Alès
Alès is located in Occitanie
Alès
Alès
Coordinates: 44°07′41″N 4°04′54″E / 44.1281°N 4.0817°E / 44.1281; 4.0817
CountryFrance
RegionOccitanie
DepartmentGard
ArrondissementAlès
CantonAlès-1
Alès-2
Alès-3
IntercommunalityAlès Agglomération
Government
 • Mayor (2014-2020) Max Roustan[1]
Area
1
23.16 km2 (8.94 sq mi)
Population
 (2014)
39,993
 • Density1,700/km2 (4,500/sq mi)
DemonymAlésiens
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
30007 /30100
Elevation116–356 m (381–1,168 ft)
(avg. 150 m or 490 ft)
WebsiteMairie de Alès
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

It was formerly known as Alais.

History

change

Since the creation of the Gard department on 4 March 1790, Alès has been a subprefecture of the department.[2]

Geography

change

Alès is at 40 kilometres (25 miles) north-northwest of Nîmes, in a curve (meander) of the Le Gardon d'Alès river, which half surrounds it. It is at the foot of the Cévennes, near the Cévennes National Park.

Alès has an area of 232 km2 (90 sq mi),[3] and its average altitude is 236 m (774 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 140 m (460 ft).[4]

The commune of Alès is surrounded by the communes Saint-Jean-du-Pin, Saint-Martin-de-Valgalgues, Saint-Privat-des-Vieux, Cendras, Saint-Christol-lès-Alès and Saint-Hilaire-de-Brethmas.[4]

Alès and its neighboring communes
 

Climate

change

The climate of Alès, in the Köppen climate classification, is Csb - Mediterranean climate with warm summers.

Population

change

The inhabitants of Alès are known, in French, as Alésiens (women: Alésiennes).[5]

With a population of 39,993,[6] Alès has a population density of 1,727 inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Alès

Alès forms, with other 21 communes, the urban area of Alès with a population of 94,622 inhabitants (2013) and an area of 306.6 km2 (118.4 sq mi).[7] This urban area is the centre of the metropolitan area of Alès, formed by 52 communes with a population of 114,137 inhabitants and an area of 653.9 km2 (252.5 sq mi).[8]

Administration

change

Alès is a subprefecture of the Gard department, the capital of the arrondissement of Le Vigan and the administrative centre (French: chef-lieu) of the cantons

  • Alès-1, with 32,289 inhabitants (2014).
  • Alès-2, with 29,141 inhabitants (2014).
  • Alès-3, with 26,871 inhabitants (2014).

It is part of the intercommunality Alès Agglomération.

Sister cities

change

Alès is twinned with:

change
change

References

change
  1. "Le conseil municipal au complet" (in French). Portail Alès Cévennes. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  2. "Historique du Gard". Le SPLAF (in French). Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  3. "Commune d'Alès (30007)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Alès". Map-France.com. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  5. "Gard" (in French). habitants.fr. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  6. "Régions, départements, arrondissements, cantons et communes" (PDF). Populations légales 2014 (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  7. "Unité urbaine d'Alès (30501)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  8. "Aire urbaine d'Alès (078)". Comparateur de territoire (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques - INSEE. Retrieved 16 March 2017.

Other websites

change