Mende, Lozère
Mende | |
|---|---|
Prefecture and commune | |
A general view of the cathedral and surrounding buildings | |
Location of Mende | |
| Coordinates: 44°31′10″N 3°30′05″E / 44.5194°N 3.5014°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Occitania |
| Department | Lozère |
| Arrondissement | Mende |
| Canton | Mende-1 and 2 |
| Intercommunality | Cœur de Lozère |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2024–2026) | Régine Bourgade (MoDem) |
Area 1 | 36.56 km2 (14.12 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 12,322 |
| • Density | 340/km2 (870/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 48095 /48000 |
| Elevation | 691–1,236 m (2,267–4,055 ft) (avg. 732 m or 2,402 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Mende (French pronunciation: [mɑ̃d], Occitan pronunciation: [ˈmende]) is a commune and the prefecture of the department of Lozère, in the region of Occitania, Southern France. Its inhabitants are called the Mendois. The city, including the first traces of dwellings date back to 200 BC, was originally named Mimata, probably in reference to the mountains that surround it.
Mende is located between Clermont-Ferrand and Montpellier, but also on the axis of Lyon–Saint-Étienne–Albi–Toulouse. The other important nearby towns are Aurillac and Saint-Flour (Cantal), Le Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire), Rodez, Millau (Aveyron) and Alès and Nîmes (Gard).
Even though Mende remains a relatively sparsely populated city (approximately 12,000 inhabitants), it remains the most important of the Lozère Department. In addition, it is the city-centre of the unique urban area of this department.
It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mende.