What You Need to Know About the Haute-Loire Department
In the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, there is department 43 called the Haute-Loire department. Located in the southeastern part of the country, this department has 227,570 inhabitants who are called Altiligériens.
These inhabitants occupy an area of 4,977 km2, which means the population density per km2 is 46. The prefecture, regional capital, and also the largest city of the department is Puy-en-Velay. Then, there are the sub-prefectures called Yssingeaux and Brioude. Administratively, the territory of the Haute-Loire department is divided into 3 arrondissements, 19 cantons, 11 intercommunalities, and 257 communes.
The name of the Haute-Loire department was given due to its location upstream on the Loire, a river that crosses the south heading north. The Allier river also crosses the department. Geographically, the Haute-Loire department is located in the central part of the country, where the Massif Central is. So, it can be said that it is the highest department in terms of altitude in France.
Which Departments Border the Haute-Loire Department?
Indeed, the neighbors of department 43 are the Puy-de-Dôme department, the Cantal department, the Lozère department, the Ardèche department, and finally, the Loire department.
What Is the Climate Like in the Haute-Loire Department?
Indeed, the Haute-Loire department has a rather Atlantic climate. This is reinforced by its location in the Massif Central and the presence of enclosed basins. This causes the Haute-Loire department to have a rather sheltered climate and also generates a continental-type climatic effect.
Moreover, climatic variations are very noticeable because when traveling long distances, one quickly realizes that the climate is cool and characteristic of high altitude zones. In fact, more than 70% of the territory is situated above 800 m altitude.
Let’s talk about precipitation: there are disturbances characteristic of peripheral reliefs and climates influenced by the ocean. This generates a large number of thunderstorms during the months of May, June, July, August, and September. In short, more than 600 mm of rain falls on the territory during this period.
Regarding temperatures, they average between 3 and 19.5 °C for areas that rise above 400 m. The warmest area is the Val d’Allier. Furthermore, at 1,300 meters, winter temperatures range from -2°C for the lowest to +13°C for the highest. However, in summer, temperatures can reach up to 40°C during August.
As for snow cover in department 43, it is more regular in winter and much less abundant in summer. The snowiest months are November and it can even occur in high altitude areas, that is, above 1000 m. Conversely, in the north, this so-called snow cover could create a very icy atmosphere on plateaus devoid of vegetation. Finally, the most ideal season is in May and it could even guarantee that the area is covered with beautiful greenery.
What Are the Best Cities in the Haute-Loire Department?
Here are the most visited cities in the Haute-Loire department:
- Le Puy-en-Velay
- Bas-en-Basset
- Monistrol-sur-Loire
- Saint-Just-Malmont
- Brives-Charensac
- Aurec-sur-Loire
- Sainte-Sigolène
- Langeac
- Brioude
- Tence
- Coubon
What are the largest municipalities in the Haute-Loire department?
For this ranking, we have chosen the 10 largest municipalities in the Haute-Loire department:
- Yssingeaux
- Saint-Front
- Riotord
- Monistrol-sur-Loire
- Bas-en-Basset
- Saugues
- Tence
- Chanaleilles
- Saint-Just-près-Brioude
- Retournac
For this ranking, we have chosen the municipalities with the highest population densities. So, here are the 10 most populated municipalities in the Haute-Loire department
- Le Puy-en-Velay
- Yssingeaux
- Sainte-Sigolène
- Saint-Just-Malmont
- Langeac
- Monistrol-sur-Loire
- Brioude
- Aurec-sur-Loire
- Brives-Charensac
- Bas-en-Basset
