is a ''
Département '' in southern
France .
Historically, Landes was part of
Gascony . It was one of the original 83 ''départements'' created during the
French Revolution on
March 4 ,
1790 . It was created from parts of the
Provinces of
Guyenne and
Gascony .
Landes is part of the current ''région'' of
Aquitaine and is surrounded by the ''départements'' of
Gironde ,
Lot-et-Garonne ,
Gers , and
Pyrénées-Atlantiques , as well as the
Atlantic Ocean on the west.
It is well known for the
Côte D'Argent beach which is Europes longest, and attracts many
Surfer s to
Mimizan and
Hossegor each year.
In terms of
Agriculture , Landes is known for its large
Pine forests which are the raw material for a
Timber and
Resin industries in the region. The forests were planted in the early
Nineteenth Century to prevent erosion of the region's sandy soil by the sea.
Landes is also the name of a commune in the
Charente-Maritime ''département'', in France.
