Doubs
Doubs
| |
|---|---|
Prefecture building in Besançon | |
Location of Doubs in France | |
| Coordinates: 47°10′N 06°25′E / 47.167°N 6.417°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté |
| Prefecture | Besançon |
| Subprefectures | Montbéliard Pontarlier |
| Government | |
| • President of the Departmental Council | Christine Bouquin (LR) |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,232.6 km2 (2,020.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | |
• Total | 548,662 |
| • Rank | 49th |
| • Density | 100/km2 (270/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| ISO 3166 code | FR-25 |
| Department number | 25 |
| Arrondissements | 3 |
| Cantons | 19 |
| Communes | 571 |
| ^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2 | |
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Doubs (/duː/, doo; French: [du] ⓘ; Arpitan: Dubs) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Eastern France. Named after the river Doubs, it had a population of 543,974 in 2019. Its prefecture is Besançon and subprefectures are Montbéliard and Pontarlier.
Situated in the east of France and the east of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, it shares a border with Switzerland of almost 170 km and most of its territory is included in the Jura Mountains. Its highest point is the Mont d'Or (1,463 m), and the three main rivers that flow through it are the Doubs, the Ognon and the Loue.
Economically, the Doubs département is one of the most industrialised in France, specialising in car manufacturing with the historic location of the Peugeot plant (Stellantis group) in Sochaux, metalworking and food processing. The Doubs is also home to many companies in the microtechnology sector, as well as being the historic cradle of the French watchmaking industry. Its agriculture, mainly focused on livestock and milk production, is symbolised by its cheeses (comté, mont d'or, morbier, cancoillotte) and charcuteries (Morteau sausage, Montbéliard sausage, smoked ham).
The department's main tourist attractions are the citadel of Besançon and the Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, as well as the Château de Joux. The Doubs is renowned for its many remarkable natural sites, including the Lac de Saint-Point, the Saut du Doubs, the sources of the Doubs, Loue and Lison rivers, the Cirque de Consolation, the Grotte d'Osselle and the Gouffre de Poudrey.