Alsace Geography History Politics Economy Demographics

Alsace ( German Elsass) is a région of France, located on the GermanThe Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland is one of the world's leading industrialized countries, located in the middle of the European Union. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east border. Its capital and largest city is Strasbourg.

1 Geography

left Heidwiller , Spechbach-le-Bas , and the Vosges mountainsThe Vosges mountains are range of mountains in central-western Europe, stretching along the west side of the Rhine valley in a NNE direction, from Basel to Mainz, for a distance of 250 km 150 miles . From 1871 to 1918 the southern portion, from the Ballon

Alsace has an area of 8280 km², making it the smallest région of metropolitan FranceThe term Metropolitan France ( French la France metropolitaine refers to the part of France in Europe, including Corsica, as opposed to the overseas departments and overseas territories, which, while integral parts of the French Republic, are regarded as. It is almost four times longer than it is wide, corresponding to a plain between the RhineAt 1,320 km (820 miles), the Rhine River ( German Rhein French Rhin Dutch Rijn is one of the longest rivers in Europe. Its name is derived from the Celtic word renos (meaning "raging flow"). Together with the Danube it formed most of the northern frontier (on the east) and the Vosges mountainsThe Vosges mountains are range of mountains in central-western Europe, stretching along the west side of the Rhine valley in a NNE direction, from Basel to Mainz, for a distance of 250 km 150 miles . From 1871 to 1918 the southern portion, from the Ballon (on the west).

It includes the départementThe departements (or departments) are administrative units of France, roughly analogous to British counties and are now grouped into 22 metropolitan and four overseas regions''. They are subdivided into 342 arrondissements''. Departements are also found is of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin. It borders Germany on the north and the east, Switzerland and Franche-Comté on the south, and Lorraine on the west.

It contains many forests, primarily in the Vosges and in Bas-Rhin ( Haguenau Forest ). Several valleys are also found in the région. Its highest point is the ballon de Guebwiller in Haut-Rhin, which reaches a height of 1,426 m.

Alsace has a semi-continental climate with cold and dry winters and hot summers. There is little precipitation because the Vosges protect it from the west. The city of Colmar has a sunny microclimate; it is the driest city in France, with an annual precipitation of just 550 mm, making it ideal for vin d'Alsace (Alsatian wine).

2 History

In prehistoric times, Alsace was inhabited by nomadic hunters, but by 1500 B.C. Celts began to settle in Alsace, clearing and cultivating the land. By 58 B.C., the Romans had invaded and established Alsace as a center of viticulture. To protect this highly valued industry, the Romans built fortifications and military camps that evolved into various communities which have been inhabited continuously to the present day.

With the decline of the Roman Empire, Alsace became the territory of the Alamanni. The Alamanni were agricultural people, and their language formed the basis of the modern-day Alsace dialect. The Franks drove the Alamanni out of Alsace during the 5th century, and Alsace then became part of the Kingdom of Austrasia. Alsace remained under Frankish control until the Frankish realm was formally dissolved in 843 by virtue of the Treaty of Verdun.

In time, Alsace became part of the Holy Roman Empire and was under the administration of the Habsburgs of Austria when all claims to Alsace were ceded to France at the conclusion of the Thirty Years War in 1648. Meanwhile, Alsace experienced great prosperity during the 12th and 13th centuries under the Hohenstaufen Emperors, but this prosperity was terminated in the 14th century by a series of harsh winters, bad harvests, and the bubonic plague. These hardships were blamed on Jews, leading to the vicious pogroms of 1336 and 1339. During the Renaissance, prosperity returned to Alsace under the administration of the Habsburgs.

Alsace, along with Lorraine has long been contested territory between France and Germany. Alsace and Lorraine were annexed by France under the administration of Louis XIV of France. Since 500, the area had been predominantly populated by Germans and they fought efforts to have French language and customs imposed upon them. Both Alsace and Lorraine were ceded to the new state of Germany after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 causing an estimated 50,000 people (of a total population of about a million) to emigrate into France. Alsace remained a part of Germany until the end of World War I, when Germany ceded it back to France. Some at the time, including the United States President Woodrow Wilson, believed that the region should have been legally self-ruling, as its Constitution stated it was bound to the sole authority of the Kaiser and not to the German State.

After World War I the re-establishment of German identity in Alsace was reversed, while Alsatians who came originally from Germany were expelled. Policies of forbidding the use of German and requiring that of French were then begun. Curiously, the region was not considered to be subject to some changes in French law from 1871 to 1919, such as the Law of Separation of the Church and the State. German postage stamp of the Hindenburg series (1933-1936), overprinted "Elsass" in fraktur for the Nazi occupation, 1940 The region was annexed by Germany in 1940 during World War II. Alsace was merged with Baden and Lorraine with the Saarland. The occupation, while putting a halt to the anti-German discrimination, subjected the region to the Nazi dictatorship, which was loathed by most or all of the people. The war-torn area was given again in 1944 to France, which restored its policy of promoting the French language. For instance, from 1945 to 1984 the use of the German in newspapers was restricted to a maximum of 25%. In more recent years, as national consciences have become diluted, cultural freedom has been gradually restored.

3 Politics

Alsace is one of the most conservative régions of France. It is one of just two régions in metropolitan France where the right won the 2004 regional elections and thus controls the conseil régional . The president of the conseil régional is Adrien Zeller, a member of the Union for a Popular Movement.

4 Economy

According to INSEE, Alsace had a gross domestic product of 44.3 billion euros in 2002. With a GDP per capita of 24,804 €, it was the second-place région of France, losing only to Île-de-France. 68% of its jobs are in the services; 25% are in industry, making Alsace one of France's most industrialized régions.

5 Demographics

Alsace's population increased to 1,734,145 in 1999. It has regularly increased over time, except in wartime, by both natural growth and migration. This growth has even accelerated at the end of the 20^th century. INSEE estimates that its population will grow 12.9% to 19.5% between 1999 and 2030.

With a density of 209/km², Alsace is the third most densely populated région in metropolitan France. The population is mostly of Germanic origin.

6 Religion

Most of the Alsatian are Roman Catholics, but there is a significant Protestant community.

7 Culture

Historically, the region has passed between French and German control numerous times, resulting in a rich cultural blend.

7.1 Language

The local German dialects are Alsatian and Frankish. Although in French it is possible to distinguish between alsacien and francique, both tend to be referred to as alsacien. Neither have any form of official status, although both are recognised as languages of France.

When Alsace was under German control from 500 to 1648, from 1871 to 1919 and from 1940 to 1944, use of the German language was mandatory. However, parts of the région spoke French exclusively.

7.2 Cuisine

Alsatian cuisine, strongly influenced by the Germanic culinary traditions, is marked by the use of pork in various forms. Traditional dishes include baeckeoffe , tartes flambées (flammekueche), choucroute, and fleischnacka s. The south of Alsace, also called Sundgau , is characterized by carpe frite .

The festivities of the year's end involve the production of a great variety of biscuits and small cakes called brédala s as well as pain d'épice , which are given to children starting on Saint Nicholas Day.

A wine-producing region, Alsace wines are primarily white. Its wines, which have a strong Germanic influence, are called vins d'Alsace. It produces some of the world's most noted dry rieslings and is the only région in France to produce mostly varietal wines, typically from grapes also used in Germany.

Alsace is also the main beer-producing région of France, thanks primarily to breweries in and near Strasbourg. These include those of Kronenbourg , Fischer , Heineken, Météor , and Kanterbräu . Hops are grown in Kochersberg and in northern Alsace. Schnapps is also traditionally made in Alsace, but it is in decline because home distillers are becoming less common and the consumption of traditional, strong, alcoholic beverages is decreasing.

Additionally, Alsace is known for its fruit juices and its mineral and spring waters.

8 Notable Alsatians

9 External links

Regions of France
Alsace \| Aquitaine \| Auvergne \| Lower Normandy \| Burgundy \| Brittany \| Centre \| Champagne-Ardenne \| Corsica \| Franche-Comté \| Upper Normandy \| Île-de-France \| Languedoc-Roussillon \| Limousin \| Lorraine \| Midi-Pyrénées \| Nord-Pas-de-Calais \| Loire Region \| Picardy \| Poitou-Charentes \| Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur \| Rhône-Alpes
Overseas Departments
Guadeloupe \| Martinique \| French Guiana \| Réunion

Regions of France

French wine regions

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